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IBS and CD???

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Crohn's Disease
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megamax
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 217
Posted 10/3/2007 10:38 PM (GMT -6)
does anybody have crohn's and IBS at the same time...if so, how do you differentiate between the two?

thank you

jackie

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gachrons
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 4527
Posted 10/4/2007 8:41 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Jackie I had a IBS DX for 27 years before CD DX .I really haven't thought about IBS much since getting CD. I don't have the pains now I used to have just got off pred. so will see how it goes. I had D for most of those 27 years.The treatment for Cd seems to have helped me so far. I follow low roughage diet I think it has helped me with both problems. One thing I learned while having IBS from a DR. was not to wait when I need to have a BM but to go to the bathroom as soon as I feel the urge. That has helped me.I guess I don't really try to look for a difference.I have had more solid BM's this last year then I had in 27 years. I am now on Imuran and Remicade so will see how things go. lol gail
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immunosci
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2006
Posts : 326
Posted 10/4/2007 9:47 AM (GMT -6)
I saw my gastro last week. I've been complaining about constipation for months now. We tried the Metamucil and Citrucel, then Miralax. He's finally decided that I have IBS on top of the Crohn's because of the switch from diarrhea to more normal and now to constipation. He said that some times people with CD that have gone into remission from meds end up having a functional problem left from the inflammation that was there previously. I don't know how true that is. I think that my CD is still mildly active based on pain. He says that the pain is probably from backed up stool. I wish I had a better answer for you.

Jen
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bluemeanies
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2004
Posts : 1372
Posted 10/4/2007 9:54 AM (GMT -6)
My gi said I had IBS and crohn's for years. Turns out it was the Pentasa making me sick and not IBS. I no longer see that gi for the crohn's.
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pb4
Elite Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 20577
Posted 10/4/2007 12:05 PM (GMT -6)
My GI also suspected I have IBS along with my CD...mainly I guess because of my complaints of symptoms, although symptoms are almost identical, when he scoped me and saw that I did infact have some inflammation still present in my colon, he felt that my symptoms were too severe for the amount of inflammation I had for it to be the CD alone...

He also said that it's not uncommon for IBDers who've been flaring continuously over yrs to develop IBS as well because of functional problems that CD (IBD) can cause over time, especially the more flares you have or lengthy flares and severity.

:)
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megamax
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 217
Posted 10/4/2007 9:18 PM (GMT -6)
Thank you for your response.....I have mild case of crohn's but I have lots of pain, so I am wondering if I have IBS on top of crohn's... I see the GI on oct.16th I will ask him then...


thanks
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Mormor Vicky
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 684
Posted 10/5/2007 8:45 AM (GMT -6)
I have both IBS and Crohn's. The only reason I know is because I had all my disease colon removed last year but I still have bouts of d every week or so. I didn't know I had crohn's before my surgery. I always thought it was IBS. I do have trouble telling the two apart. I'll call my doctor if I have more then a week of "d".
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belleenstein
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2007
Posts : 1010
Posted 10/5/2007 10:08 AM (GMT -6)
I'm not sure how I would categorize the "functional" issues that CD patients have, but I do not believe it should be classed as IBS. IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. When there is no pathology to explain the pain, diarrhea, etc, then physicians call it IBS.

To describe the issues that long term crohn's patients deal with, even in remission, as IBS is to ignore the obvious. The bowel is permanently damaged from the accumulated insults inflicted by the disease and much of the surrounding tissue (and organs) are also damaged as a result of abscesses, fistulas and adhesions. After 30 years of active disease, three major surgeries, abscesses, fistulas, percutaneous drains, radiation, colonoscopies etc. I think it is a miracle that anything comes through and I do not intend to ever let anyone dismiss my symptoms as IBS. That label is used as a lable and as an excuse to give up investigating.
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Mormor Vicky
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 684
Posted 10/5/2007 10:35 AM (GMT -6)
Belleenstein, I had been told that IBS was just unexplained "d" so when I found out I had Crohn's I said to myself "Well, it's now been explained so I don't have IBS". But, the two GI I had since last year both said the "d" I was having could very easily be IBS and not crohn's since nothing was found in my last colonoscopy. I had half of my colon removed last year before I had a chance to consult a GI. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis which caused a fistula to my bladder. The colo-rectal surgeon said I was going to have to have a resection because of the fistula and to repair the bladder. He said he was 90% sure it was diverticulitis and 5% chance is Crohns and 5% chance it was cancer. The colonoscopy done at the time couldn't even get through my sigmoid. Since I had to have the surgery anyway I decided to find out what it was at that time instead of doing all the testing first. Looking back I probably should have waiting but because I hadn't consulted a GI I think the surgeon took all of my diseased area. Now I can't be for sure but everything I had read about IBS I'm leaning towards having IBS also. I've had "d" since I was 17 (now 47) but looking back the last 5-8 years it was getting worse and different. More accidents, more cramping, and lots more fatigue. I think that is when I developed Crohns and not at the age of 17.

I know that was a long rambling story but I now believe you can have both. Especially since about 30 million people are said to have IBS. I think that is the number, I can't believe all those people has something else wrong with them. From what I have read people with IBS has a more sensitive colon. That would explain me because I have never been able to stand people to brush my hair, or scratch my back, or rub my shoulders. I was always really sensitive and it hurt for some strange reason. So why not my colon?

I don't know for sure but it's just my opinion and thoughts on the issue.
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pb4
Elite Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 20577
Posted 10/5/2007 12:04 PM (GMT -6)
I agree with you mormor vicky :)

My GI is one of the top lead researchers in Canada for IBD and when he felt that my symptoms were too severe for the amount of inflammation I had for it to be the CD alone then it made sence to me that one could have both IBS and IBD

He also said that it's not uncommon for IBDers who've been flaring continuously over yrs to develop IBS as well because of functional problems that CD (IBD) can cause over time, especially the more flares you have or lengthy flares and severity...isn't something that can be ignored, besides which, just because a person suffers with one type of bowel problem does not mean they definitely cannot suffer with other ones...there is no law or ryhme or reasoning when it comes to health issues.

:)
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