Stricture - small bowel

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

Gastroenterologist thinks I may have a stricture in my small bowel. He didn't explain much and sent me away with a form for an MRI with a contrast. I was a bit bamboozled, so didn't ask either. I know it it related to Crohn's because he write that I have a family history of it on the MRI form.

I've googled but remain unclear as to what a stricture actually is and how it can be treated. My main symptoms are vomiting and pain. Is this normal?

Any advice would be most appreciated, thank you!

A stricture is a narrowing in the bowel. I'm assuming you don't know that you have Crohn's but that he is looking to see if you do.

There are lots of causes of narrowing of the bowel, of which Crohn's is just one. If it is this, some narrowed areas are due to swelling so can be improved with medication. You may have read that strictures might need surgery to remove the narrow portion of the bowel, but this is much further down the line if medication doesn't work and a lot of people never get that far.

The first thing is to see what the MRI shows, and then the gastroenterologist will go through the results with you so you get a chance to ask questions.

Fingers crossed the results are good.

Thank you for your helpful reply. I am pretty certain that I don't have Crohn's disease and it's useful to know that I may have a stricture without it being CD.

I am hoping that whatever is wrong, they can sort me out and I get on with life. Fed up of being ill.