Intro & Question, IBD or Endometriosis?

Hey everyone!
(SORRY for the TMI)

I have been suffering from severe abdominal pain for around a year now.
I am very close to diagnosis but they can not decide if it is IBD or Endometriosis (a gynae condition).
These have a few similar symptoms involving BM.

As a result I am undergoing a laparoscopy operation in two days to see if they can find any endometriosis.
I dont think it is endometriosis as I do not share that many symptoms compared to Crohn's and UC, but i am desperate to find out what is causing my pain and awful symptoms so I can be treated.

I understand that Ulcerative Colitis causes problems inside of the bowels but does it affect the outside wall of the bowel aswel?
I am wondering this because when they do my operation they will be looking inside my abdominal cavity and inspecting the outside of my intestines, so if it is detectable on the exterior bowel wall they will be able to see it.

I am also wondering does anyone who suffers with Ulcerative Colitis have alternating diarrhea for a few weeks (for example) then it go to normal/hard stools that tend to be hard to pass?

Does anyone experience severe bloating?

Does anyone find that there bowel movements are allot more painful with diarrhea than hard stools?
and does anyone know why it is more painful for people with suspected IBD to be in more pain with diarrhea than hard stools?

I would appriciate it if anyone with Ulcerative Colitis or someone who is close to someone with Ulcerative colitis could answer these questions for me, it would really put my mind at ease.
Thanks in advance! :)


added subject

Post Edited By Moderator (notsosicklygirl) : 8/29/2016 7:29:45 PM (GMT-6)

notsosicklygirl said...
I do not understand why they don't just do a scope to see if they can diagnose you? I have had a lot of the symptoms you describe, but really, without a scope and biopsies, you can not tell whether it's IBD.

Oh, and welcome. And no such thing as TMI here

Thank you very much for the reply I really appriciate it!

That is exactly what I thought, I have all of the symptoms and my calprotectin is in the thousands when it is meant to be below 60.
Since I live in the UK I am an NHS patient so the waiting lists for consultations are ridiculous.
A year and a half ago I was given a flexible sigmoidoscopy that was normal for something else involving a change of BM, so I am guessing that is the reason why they are kind of reluctant to do another scope. In my opinion I should be given a pill cam by its elf or a endoscopy with a colonoscopy to check all of the possible areas for UC as well as crohn's

imagardener2 said...
I agree that you should have a colonoscopy with biopsies to determine if you have IBD but sounds like you'll have to do that if you don't have endo. diagnosis.

When you had the flex sig did they see any inflammation? UC starts at the lower area and spreads upward. With Crohn's it is not continuous so there may not have been inflammation in the area scoped (which was limited really).

If pain is your only symptom, no bleeding, I can understand why no rush to do the c-scope. It's possible you have IBS not IBD, which you should hope for really. But a c-scope with biopsies is the way to rule out UC or Crohn's because IBS can't be seen and is DX'd when it isn't anything else (diagnosis by exclusion).

Sounds like you have to do this step-by-step. Have you been given something for the pain? Perhaps adding a daily fiber supplement can help with the flip-flop from C to D (which can be a feature of IBD and IBS both).

Hey!
Sorry I am very bad at explaining things haha!

I had the flexible sigmoidoscopy before my symptoms started so it would not give any clues as to why I have pain and my symptoms now.

I have many symptoms they include:
Abdominal pain
Blood in stool
Extreme abdominal bloating
Joint pain
Extemley itchy skin (which my GP said can be associated with crohns apparently?)
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Rectal bleeding
Fissures
Rectal pain when passing wind and stools

My GP ruled out IBS due as my calprotectin level being in the thousands so the amount of inflamation could not be down to IBS.

I am on the following medication: 50mg of Tramadol 8 times a day, 500mg Paracetemol 8 times a day and 300mg of Gabapentin 3 times a day. I have previously tried all anti-spasmodics when the symptoms first started but they had no effect.

It seems like they are going down the gynaecology route before the gastro route, even my gynaecologist said that even if it is endometriosis it can not just be that, so unfortunatley im just having to wait not long to go though! :)

Thank you so much for you reply!

Tramadol could be one reason for constipation.

What criteria does NHS have for checking for colon cancer? The symptoms you give would make a US GI do a colonoscopy with biopsies to screen for that. I don't recall endometriosis being associated with rectal bleeding, just vaginal. I now do not understand doing laparoscopy prior to c-scope as rectal bleeding and fissures seems to dictate a look at colon ASAP.

Welcome to the forum, but I'm sorry you're suffering so. Your case doesn't sound like a typical UC case, so I can understand why they are doing additional diagnostics. It may not be IBD, it could be something else. Although most certainly, there are a few symptom matches. Ah, and it sounds like kulinarykidz has both and that's another possibility.

A typical UC case is lots of blood in the toilet after a bowel movement, often diarrhea, frequent bms, and sometimes mild discomfort related to it. Pain is possible with UC, but usually only when we're flaring quite badly (20+ bms a day). Usually a colonoscopy with biopsies and a stool test that's negative for pathogenic causes would confirm a UC diagnosis.

"I understand that Ulcerative Colitis causes problems inside of the bowels but does it affect the outside wall of the bowel as well?" No, UC is very, very shallow inflammation that only impacts the thin mucosal layer that lines the inside of the large intestine. UC doesn't impact the exterior walls of the large intestine, it never goes that deep. Crohn's disease typically goes a bit deeper into tissue, but not to the exterior walls.

"I am also wondering does anyone who suffers with Ulcerative Colitis have alternating diarrhea for a few weeks (for example) then it go to normal/hard stools that tend to be hard to pass?" Not me. That sounds more like IBS.

"Does anyone experience severe bloating?" I haven't.

"Does anyone find that there bowel movements are allot more painful with diarrhea than hard stools? and does anyone know why it is more painful for people with suspected IBD to be in more pain with diarrhea than hard stools?" This seems like the opposite of what we experience. With UC our rectums can be badly inflamed which makes passing semi-solid and solid stools very painful. Usually diarrhea is much easier to pass than partially formed stools.

Thanks for the update, glad you've got a diagnosis and I hope you soon have a treatment plan that brings you some relief!