Pending Diagnosis...Insight would be appreciated
Tue, May 08, 2018 8:32 PM
Hi All,
I am a 22 year old female and have been having GI problems for 2 years now. Nothing has been helping, and I don't know where else to turn. I have been diagnosed with IBS, but my GI thinks it may be Crohn's. My symptoms are on and off, and I'm not too sure what I'm dealing with.
My symptoms first started with a loss of appetite, and stomach pains after eating. I was also going to the bathroom about 5-7 times a day, mostly loose stool. I wouldn't eat much during the day because I was afraid of getting sick. I went to my doctor, who referred me to a GI. At first they thought I had Celiac’s disease or Crohn’s disease. So they did a blood test for Celiac, which came back negative, and a colonoscopy, which also came back negative.
In a span of about 4 months, I had lost almost 30 pounds. My GI just told me I had IBS, gave me a few prescriptions for Imodium and an anti-spasmodic, and sent me on my way. Nothing was helping and my symptoms weren’t getting better, so I decided to get a second opinion. My next GI did Lactose intolerance and fructose intolerance tests, which both came back positive. I thought that was my answer to feeling better. I cut out all lactose and fructose foods, but my symptoms were still there. I have gotten blood work done and stool samples, which also came back normal. My GI is worried about my weight loss and symptoms, and has suspected Crohn’s disease, so she wants to do a pill cam, to check my small intestine and stomach. My colonoscopy was 2 years ago, so she may want to do another one of those as well.
As of right now, I am going to the bathroom normally 4-5 times a day. On a bad day, I can go up to 10. It's not always diarrhea, but it is usually soft, or very thin stool. I don't have blood in my bowel movements, but there is blood sometimes when I wipe. I have had mucus in my stools, and I also have undigested food in my stool a lot. I usually wake up in the morning with either nausea, or cramps..rarely do I wake up feeling normal. Shorty after I wake up, it's off to the bathroom. Sometimes I can sit on the toilet for 20-30 minutes because even after I go, I feel like I'm not done. I usually get rectal pressure, and feel like I have to go to the bathroom a lot, when sometimes it's just gas. I do have urgency issues, but not very often. I also have to go to the bathroom after eating, mostly if I'm eating out, or eating foods that don't agree with me. I also get a lot of nausea, bloating, stomach gurgling, gas, and abdominal cramps. I am tired all the time, and always feel drained, even if I get 8 or more hours of sleep.
On a few occasions, I have had really horrible symptoms that just come on suddenly and usually last a day or two. When this happens, I wake up feeling weak, tired, shaky, sore,, nauseous and just unwell. On these few occasions, my joints are so sore, even just walking up the stairs can be a chore. I get very pale, feel faint, and have pretty bad stomach cramps.
Sorry for the super long story!! All of this has just been a super long, frustrating process and like a lot of people, I’m just looking for some answers. Does this sound like I could possibly have Crohn's disease, just from my symptoms? I know it's so hard to diagnose, but I would just like to see what other people with Crohn's disease think. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Becky
Joined Jul 17, 2019
Mon, November 09, 2020 7:14 AM
Reply posted for beckyL.
Hi Becky did you ever get diagnosed on this?
Mumof3worriedJoined Nov 9, 2020
Thu, May 17, 2018 11:51 AM
Reply posted for JAMESMADISON.
It looks like you have the symptoms for Ulcerative Colitis. The description that you provided are quite similar to what I experienced before I was diagnosed with UC. I was prescribed Apriso to control my symptoms.
I would suggest that you do not eat salads, as people with UC/Crohns cannot process uncooked greens. I use cooked greens such as spinach, kale or broccoli.
I would also like to offer my simple solution to alleviating my problem. I stopped using the Microwave 8 months ago to warm / cook any food or liquids. I no longer get flares or get bloody stool 4-5 times a day. I get a regular solid bowel movement 2-3 times a day. I no longer have stomach pains. I have reduced the use of Apriso.
I would suggest that you give up using the Microwave, and see if it helps to relieve your symptoms without using additional medication.
JAMESMADISONJoined Mar 28, 2018
Thu, May 17, 2018 2:15 AM
Reply posted for charbs.
Hi Becky,
My name is Jason Marco and I have read your story. It almost sounds close to mine, well the symptoms part because I was in bed and on the pot 10–20 times a day for 3 years. I have had Ulcerative Colitis, then I got Pancreatitis (which that’s what I was going to suggest to have them check for) and then I have had C-DIFF twice, then I had post-infectious IBS for over a year, but I was good to go for 9 months and now it’s come back as well. This all started April 7th, 2014 when I ate a bag of almonds in my office and it put me into the ER that night. They thought I had Diverticulitis, but I got scoped a week later and they found Ulcerative Colitis and it kept going on from there , UGHHHH SOOOO frustrating and some days I can’t take anymore!!! Crohn’s is pretty much the same thing as IBS. My dad has Crohn’s and I have IBS, but we have both taken the same medicines at certain times. My dad doesn’t have issues like I do, he had some symptoms years ago for like a month and now it’s gone away so he doesn’t understand as well as millions of people out there unless they’ve actually gone through it. My poor wife is so frustrated with it and the kids don’t understand also!!! So again I suggest that you have your doctor check for Pancreatitis because all of the diseases I gave you that I have all feel and you do the same thing. Like major major pain, constantly can’t sleep, but sometimes you can and you’re just constantly tired, diarrhea 24/7 and as you know not fun!!!!!!! Let me know after you talk to your doctor about testing for Pancreatitis and the reason why am saying that is because not only that I got a 2nd opinion, but 3rd G.I. doctor found the Pancreatitis.
Jason Marco
Lincoln, CA
Joined May 17, 2018
Thu, May 10, 2018 7:11 AM
Reply posted for beckyL.
There is a test you can do to determine if it’s crohns. You send a blood sample to a lab in California called Prometheus. It’s very expensive if your insurance doesn’t cover,it.
charbsJoined Oct 31, 2016
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