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Crohn's Disease
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I Gotta Go
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44
Posted 9/5/2007 4:53 PM (GMT -7)
I've been dealing with intestinal problems for the past 15 years (I'm a 48 year old male). Initially, my family doctor diagnosed me with Ulcerative Colitis. She performed a Sigmoidoscopy (sp?) back then and said she saw red sores in my intestine and put me on a medication, that I can't remember the name of it now, that was a large yellow tablet and it turned my urine bright yellow. The medicine was for the symptoms of UC. I was on it for about a year with not a lot of improvement. I finally went to a GI doctor who performed a Colonoscopy (sp? again) who saw nothing and said my problem was just IBS and told me to eat a lot of fiber which I did and it seemed to help.

Throughout the last several years, even though I've stopped taking the fiber supplement, I lived a fairly normal life in terms of somewhat normal bowel movements. There have been plenty of times, though, where I would go through bouts of abdominal cramping associated with diarrhea that I know was not associated with having the flu.

Lately, for about the last two weeks, I have had watery diarrhea. There is not a lot of cramping prior to the diarrhea, just a very sudden urge to relieve myself which means I need to get to a bathroom very fast. I get anywhere from 2-4 of these attacks per day. I went to the doctor last week and as he felt around I felt considerable pain in my lower left side of my abdomen (a little pain on my lower right side as well but mostly on the left side). The doctor thought it might be Diverticulitis and did a CT scan of my gut which came out negative.

I'm at a point where I don't know what to do. I was reading some of the symptoms of Crohn's Disease on the internet and realized I have been dealing with many of them over the years. Here are some of my symptoms and you tell me if you think if what I am dealing with is Crohn's:

- Watery diarrhea: (no blood that I can tell) for the past two weeks with 2-4 episodes per day. Over the counter medicines have not even phased it.

- Eye problems: Blurred vision. Light sensitivity. Sores in my eyes causing all of this that an ophthalmologist diagnosed 3 years ago as Thygeson's Disease/Superficial Punctate Keratitis. I have to use a steroid eye drop (FML Forte) daily to keep it in check.

- Rash: Red, itchy welt-like rashes around my waist area that manifest themselves usually in the cold weather months. My doctor diagnosed it as Eczema and I use a steroid cream to treat the affected areas. I had this problem for about 12 years.

- Joint pain in both knees: Especially the left knee. I only feel it every once in a while especially walking down stairs, but it's there and it's persistent. I've had this problem for about 10 years.

Does any of this fit into what might be deemed as symptoms of Crohn's Disease?

Thank you in advance for your advice.
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JaSanne
Veteran Member
Joined : Oct 2006
Posts : 2086
Posted 9/5/2007 5:20 PM (GMT -7)
It sounds like you're in need of further testing, including a colonoscopy. Since the disease can wax (flare) and wane, it's sometimes hard to diagnose. I think you have a valid reason to suspect this disease since you already are having immune response illnesses, which sometimes go hand in hand with Crohn's. I hope you can find a good GI who's willing to listen and investigate.
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Ides
Forum Moderator
Joined : Nov 2003
Posts : 7195
Posted 9/5/2007 8:02 PM (GMT -7)
Gotta Go - I agree with JaSanne that you need further testing, specifically a colonoscopy preferrably performed by a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists [GIs] are trained in performing the procedure and how to recognize the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. It is especially important given you were diagnosed with UC 15 years ago.

Please let us know how this goes.
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Sniper
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 6518
Posted 9/5/2007 9:58 PM (GMT -7)
sometime crohns is hard to dx. It took a camera colonoscopy to find mine. You need to have more tests run..Remember that they can only look so far with the scope and sometimes they can't make the turns to get way up where they need to look. Good luck..
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Marie-Claire
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 900
Posted 9/5/2007 10:21 PM (GMT -7)
First of all, welcome to Healing Well. You are in good company. There are wonderful people here are willing to listen, offer advice, support , whatever you need....whether you've been diagnosed or not.
I agree with everyone that there is cause for you to keep on testing and persist with your DR/GI. A lot of your symptoms do lend themselves to crohns disease.....for a lot of us , the diagnosis process was lengthy and frustrating at times. Hang in there....trust "your gut" as it were. Listen to your body...what is happening isn't normal and you need to get some answers. It took 13 years for me to be diagnosed.....but hopefully you live in an area with good medical resources and will get some answers quickly.
Good luck. Don't forget we are here for you.
Mary
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pb4
Elite Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 20577
Posted 9/6/2007 7:28 AM (GMT -7)
Unfortunately your symptoms describe either crohns or UC....and only a colonoscopy and routine tests can determine which one it is...

The differences between UC and CD are with CD there are skipped patterns of inflammation (healthy tissues inbetween) whereas with UC the entire area will be inflammed...also, with CD the inflammation can penatrate from the surface into the tissue lining (reason why fistulas can go hand in hand with CD but never with UC), with UC the inflammation is surfacable only.

But going by sympoms alone is not enough to determine which IBD you may be suffering with...

If I was you, I'd get back to taking the fibre supplements (my GI even told me to take them daily for the rest of my life, this has helped with both my crohns and my IBS)....I would also get on a good probiotic, also taken daily.

Maybe get more opinions from docs until you find a doc that can better determine which IBD you may be suffering with.

:)
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I Gotta Go
Regular Member
Joined : Sep 2007
Posts : 44
Posted 9/6/2007 8:47 AM (GMT -7)
Thank you all. I really appreciate your support and advice.

I am trying to get in to see a local GI here that will hopefully give me some clear direction on this. I'm 48 and I know that CD and UC can both increase a person's risk for cancer. I'd rather be proactive about all of this than reactive when it may be too late if there is something serious going on (like Cancer).
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pb4
Elite Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 20577
Posted 9/6/2007 8:52 AM (GMT -7)
Don't worry yourself too much about cancer, the risk for colon cancer only increases slightly if you have UC or crohns affecting the colon (known as crohns-colitis).

:)
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