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Original poster

Anyone else with Crohn's Diease or IBD?

63 replies

roseylea · 27/12/2006 09:40

I have Crohn's and I'm having a nasty nasty flare-up atm.

I'm just so sick of it. I'm in pain all the time.

I just wanted to see if there's anyone else with this...

OP posts:
strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 19:38

i thought a sigmoidoscopy was done at the hospital?

lulumama · 28/12/2006 19:40

mine done in the consultant;s office !!! maybe they do them at hospital too!

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 19:55

dont you have a sedation for a sigmoidoscopy then ?

lulumama · 28/12/2006 19:58

i didnlt , no..did for the colonoscopy

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 19:59

I am not sure if I have this - I am supposed to be having a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to find out but I was pregnant when they discovered I needed one so that sort of buggered things up. Sorry, innapropriate use of rude word there...

My symptoms are blood and mucous and some days where I have to keep going and not achieving much.

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 20:02

sounds like IBS or could be crohns, sounds like what i get. i have blood and mucous when i wipe too.

lulumama · 28/12/2006 20:02

blood & mucus tend to indicate IMD of some sort...ulcerative colitis or crohns..really important to get checked....i know it is hard, you have a lot on your plate at the moment

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:06

Strangely it has cleared up a little for me since moving abroad. It did make me revisit my notion that English bread was contributory. I had another episode this week so could be IBS due to stress but then I've had really bad episodes for weeks when in London and although things weren't stress-free they were better iyswim.

I am pretty worried tbh as I have had a benign throat tumour in the past and that scared me despite apositive outcome.

It (getting soem sort of oscopy) will be on To Do List stage 2 I think!

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 20:07

i am beginning to think i do have crohns. i have all the symptoms. i will know for sure in 3 weeks time. the gastro said it was ibs, then he suddenly said it could be crohns or colitis. i suppose they don't really know until they do a thorough examination.

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 20:09

idonotlikecrust - let us know

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:09

really really sorry about typos!

Erm, do you ever produce only mucous when you go strawbs? Don't answer if you don't want to!

I sometimes experience this and that is when I notice the blood. Mine is dark blood.

Have had exam with colon surgeon but he wanted to do a sigmoid or colonoscopy as he couldn't see anything obvious with his small camera on a stick.

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:10

Waht examination have you had so far?

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 20:14

i usually have mucous when i wipe (more often than not). i have had blood in my stools too, dark red and bright red. i mentioned this to the gastro but he didn't seem too bothered.

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:17

Hmmm, I guess that is encouraging then ;)

Bright red is piles usually isn't it? Dark red is more likely to be colitis.

what scares me is what i have read about colitis. Won't say more unless asked as I don't want to freak anybody out.

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 20:20

what have you read. please tell me.

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:24

Really don't want to come on here and frighten you but...

Whilst I was relieved to find that I am likely to get a colitis diagnosis judging by what has been said already, I am also now aware that if colitis goes untreated this is very serious as in most cases colitis is a precursor to the big C of the colon. I hope I read wrong but this is what I understood so I am taking this quite seriously.

On the plus side, if you treat early, colitis is a 'nothing' and treatable. Not the most pleasant thing to treat but at least it is manageable. I'll find a link if you like.

My worry is, how long might I have had colitis for and how lkong is 'long'?

lulumama · 28/12/2006 20:28

IDLC..i have had crohns for 15 years and apparently around 3 times more likely to get bowel cancer,IIRC...

BUT as i am more likely to be having regular colonoscopies etc..more likely to be caught early, in which case it is very treatable

strawberrydream · 28/12/2006 20:28

idontlikecrusts - i know what you mean. my GP told me 8 months ago that he suspects colitis however, i have had to wait 8 months for an appt with the gasto who i saw last week, said he thinks i have IBS then in the next breath said it could be crohns.
i have also read colitis sufferers are at higher risk for the C word. i am not going to lose sleep over it.

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:32

I need the ability to think of it that way. I think I read that too when I was googling away but naturally the scary stuff stuck in my mind.

When i han't had my throat tumour fully diagnosed all I focused on was the fact that 3 percent of throat cancer patients die. I could barely function I was so scared.

I also had a friend who had crohns from quite a young age and had a colostomy bag as a result. She was very healthy and happy when I knew her and had a baby a few years ago so that is quite inspiring.

How do you find it coping lulumama and how long have you been a sufferer?

Raggydoll · 28/12/2006 20:32

dh had ulcerative colitis in a very severe way a couple of years ago. I can tell you his symtoms and how it was treated if you want me to. I'm asking first because he did have it probably as severe as it gets and I don't want to scare anyone as it is a disease that can also be vary from v.mild.

I guess without going into too much detail - my advice would be to get registered with a specialist (ie don't ignore symptoms even if they are tolerable) - you will then get regular checkups that will pick up early idicators of other bowel disease.

lulumama · 28/12/2006 20:34

IDLC...i was only diagnosed 4 years ago, so relieved to find out i was really ill, IFYKWIM, and could therefore get treatment! the tablets i was prescribed helped a great deal, and the relief of knowing it was being sorted

TBH been in remission , as it were for over 2 years, so am extremely lucky, but had a lot of bad years before, so i think i am due a break!!

just hope the kids don;'t develop it

my brother just been diagnosed at the age of 25, and it is a hereditary illness

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:34

I want to know but it isn't my thread.

Poor your dh - how is he now raggydoll?

Simplyred · 28/12/2006 20:38

Another TMI question....?? Do not read if you are of a sensitive nature!

Is the blood seperate or part of the stool? Is it obvious as blood and not just a peice of pepper or tomarto - sorry to lower the tone!

idontlikecrusts · 28/12/2006 20:43

Well, for me it is streaked through the mucous and is v. definitely blood.

There isn't any poo content such as tomato to confuse it with iyswim?!

your name goes nicely with this thread simply

lulumama · 28/12/2006 20:44

mine was gushing out....