Scared I have UC or Chrones

[Sienna333]

Had stomach waves of cramps, migraine, diarrhoea (Which turned bloody for a few days then returned to 'normal' diarrhoea) a few weeks ago. I am now slowly getting back on track but do still have to be careful what I eat and bum still feels weird (Like a bubble has got stuck). Stool sample came back normal and I am not in pain but am worried this was a first real flare up of ulcerative colitis or chrones or even worse anal cancer. Does it suddenly come on like this and can go away on its own? My doctor thinks I may have had food poisoning originally which can cause blood in stools.

Mine came on suddenly. It never went away. However, my stool, blood and all other scans were abnormal.

Ah Sienna, this is still haunting you isn't it. I know you've had numerous tests etc, but none seem to be putting your mind at rest. Have you told your GP how anxious you are feeling about it - as in, you are having intrusive/catastrophising thoughts?

I've told you this before and it didn't help you, but I have IBS and have had all your symptoms at one time or another (inluding that weird "unfinished" feeling) - as has a friend of DH, who suffers from terrible health anxiety and tied himself in knots over it. He's fine, so am I and so will you be. Medically (although I'm not a doctor) there is unlikely to be anything sinister going on if all tests are clear or inconclusive. Just when I was getting desperate this time last year with these symptoms (and weight loss) for 9 weeks, it just cleared up on its own. They know what they're doing mostly, honest.

Try some CBT techniques for health anxiety while you wait for answers. Do you have anyone in RL to talk to?

I speak to my mum sometimes but even she said she is concerned it is now something chronic like that when I described the unfinished type feeling I get after a BM. I would like to think it wouldn't have just gone away on it's own if it was something like Chrones. Someone on my other thread said it wouldn't have just disappeared the way it did but then I hear of people saying it DID go away but came back again months or weeks later. I am just such an idiot and this is ruining my life. I am a stupid, weak person and no level of support seems to help me.

You are not an idiot, you are not stupid or weak. You are very, very anxious!

Because you are in a cycle of catastrophising, there is nothing anyone can say that will soothe you - because your fears are irrational, so logic doesn't help.

I think you need to start with the anxiety problem - if you can learn some management techniques, you'll get on top if it and will probably find that the health problem miraculously fades away. Trust me - I've been exactly where you are. Twice!

Have a look at all my posts about recent minor surgery and my reaction to the anaesthetic drugs, if you're an idiot then so am I lol.

Stop googling symptoms and start googling CBT for health anxiety instead. Try some of the techniques and self tests. Have you asked your GP for help with anxiety - are you on any medication?

I'm not meaning to minimise your digestive troubles by the way - they are real, and of course it's worrying and exhausting. I'm just gently saying that, it is possible that the problem is being driven by your worrying about it.

I remember feeling distraught that no-one would listen to me and that no one cared that I was going to be stuck with chronic diarrhoea for life. When a different GP kindly asked if my anxiety might be part of the problem, I dissolved into tears...and was prescribed an anti-depressant.

It took a while to summon up the courage the take them (because side effects, right?!) but once I did - OMG, game changer. I felt calmer, stronger, more in control, happier...and the stomach problems simply faded away.

It is becoming an obsession with me. Originally, someone on my other thread did help a lot as she said if I did have something like chrones or ibd, it
wouldn't go away on its own without gastro meds and would not start getting better. But I have read differently online. My doctor is aware of my health anxiety but what he is doing isn't helping. I need something more.

I will look up the health anxiety. I guess I just worry that everyone has got it wrong and that they will be shocked when I sm eventually diagnosed. I live in fear every night of waking up in the morning and seeing a BM with blood again (I haven't as yet). It is exhausting and like I say, I feel such an idiot.

You’re not an idiot, you have health anxiety.

You can get blood with BMs with something as benign as IBS - it doesn't mean disaster all the time! Certainly DH's friend has had it. I've had it once. Circa 1999.

I've known a few people with Crohns, it's extremely debilitating. The teenager I know who was only diagnosed after a year of tests, lost an absolute shit ton of weight, his skin was terrible, and he was physically afraid to eat. He had barely any periods of remission.

I've also known someone who had bowel cancer. He had been passing large amounts of blood, and losing weight, for nearly 2 years. Not blood with stool, just blood. That was 5 years ago, he had treatment and he's fine.

This is a CBT technique taught to me for my emetophobia. What's the worst that could happen? The absolute worst?

Now step back from yourself (imagine you are someone else) and work backwards. Rationally, how likely or realistic is the worst possible outcome?

I do find it helps to hear stories of people who have these conditions as it makes me see how far off my own symptoms are. My sister had a friend who went on holiday at 19, came down with my symptoms and had to have part of her bowel removed abroad. It all happened very suddenly which is what scares me. My great aunt also had Chrones so there is a family history which scares me stupid.
All I have now is a feeling of a delicate stomach and an uncomfortable feeling in my bum but my past bug/illness has confused me and I can't seem to accept it was only a bacterial infection and nothing more especially as it went on so long.
I spend hours at night researching and find myself getting hot and panicky and then exhausted I will try sleeping only to worry I will wake up with blood in my stool. I don't have pain or flare ups anywhere on my body but I can't accept I am ok. The worst case scenario for me is imaging myself having painful, invasive surgeries, having stoma bags attached, missing time off work and having to leave, starting to get pain and be in agony like many with these conditions are...I know I must sound so ill and pathetic in the head. :(

I think it is easy to become focusses on symptoms. My husband has had bleeding with bm and lost a bit of weight, along with back pain... lots of tests have found nothing. I cant help but wonder if he would have noticed the back pain as much if there hadnt been the other symptoms or if they are even linked.

I dont want to diminish your concerns- it is horrible feeling as though something isnt right but all you can do is go through the various tests and if appropriate get second opinions.

I know it helps to hear those stories love - but eventually you'll find tiny messages in there to terrify you, and you'll be back where you started!

You don't sound pathetic at all, in fact since some of your previous threads I think you have made some really positive steps in recognising this for what it is - anxiety. It's really important that you are not in denial. Look at your last post - you set out all of your main fears! They are big alright, but when they're out there you can look critically at them. Your sister's friends story is rare - and don't forget it's entirely possible that she'd had symptoms and signs for years but never got checked before that happened.

I'm not a health professional of any kind, I'm only speaking from bitter experience here. This can be beaten, but you need a bit of chemical help. Make a new GP appointment, NOT ABOUT THE BOWEL ISSUE but about the extent to which you are worried. If you get tongue tied, or find yourself going down the usual route of rehashing your symptoms over and over until they roll their eyes and throw you some immodium - print out a couple of your threads maybe? Just to make it easier to articulate how you are feeling, and not get sidetracked into Crohns and UC, which realistically it is not likely to be?

Thank you. Honestly, it is such a relief when I hear people on here talk about their symptoms and the fact that it can't just disappear but then I go on another website and someone will say they have UC with no pain or that they had the same symptoms as me and was diagnosed on the spot with UC/Chrones. That's what terrifies me, the fact that what I had wasn't a bug but my first flare up :( I probably should print these pages off to show the doctor as embarrassing as it is. I hate how neurotic I sound. So pathetic :(

Wow you're really kicking yourself today, stop! You are not pathetic, you are doing fine. One step at a time.

I was terrified by stories about hideous reactions to GA last week - but you have to put things in perspective. It is human nature to drastically over emphasise things when telling of an unpleasant experience; it is also human nature to only bother posting or writing about it if you have a story to tell.

If you balanced all of those frightening things you read with another 20 million stories which ended up being of no consequence whatsoever, you'd be left with...not much to go on really.

I posted asking for POSITIVE experiences and got loads. It made me feel a whole lot better.

Perspective. You're having a little trouble with that, but you've started facing it already. It can be better, I promise.

Oh, nobody gets diagnosed on the spot with Crohns or UC, there are loads of tests and its a process of elimination!

That's what worries me, that it can take ages to diagnose. I am a nightmare.I just wish I could be more normal about this. :(

It sounds like you are really struggling with this..but it sounds very much like the health anxiety is the problem not your stomach.
You really need to stop googling. Put a total ban on googling any gastro symptoms. Try it for a day and see how you feel. It just perpetuates the cycle of anxiety and anxiety is a massive cause of gastro symptoms. You need to discuss with a GP a referral for CBT or you can self refer in a lot of areas.

I agree with tangled - in the nicest possible way you need to help yourself.

I have googled my husbands symptoms and scares myself silly. But, almost anything can be a symptom of something more serious! I know bleeding is unpleasant and it is very important to get checked, but try keep perspective.

Speak to your gp about your thoughts - CBT might be worthwhile .

I don't have bleeding or pain. I just think that what I had could not have been

1. Gastroenteritis as it went on for weeks and I had bleeding/seemed too severe.

Or

1. Food poisoning as again it went on too long and there is nothing I could have eaten really that would cause that severe effect.

I can only come to the conclusion that it was my first flare of of Crones or UC. That would make more sense and that is what terrifies me. I do think my anxiety is the biggest issue but I am not unconvinced at all that I don't have anything chronic. All my symptoms have disappeared except a now sensitive tummy and having to be careful what I eat but I know these conditions can cause remission and then flare up again especially in the early stages :(

Can you not just ask for a colonoscopy and then you will definitely know or not? From personal experience I had very mild UC where it only affected about 5% of my bowl, my main symptom was 'mucus', so basically bowel movements about 10 times a day and it lasted around 3 years until I took a herbalist remedy for 6 months and I've not been symptom free for about 10 years.
Could the blood not be from over straining whilst having the stomach bug causing internal hemmeroids (sp?) which then are likely to bleed and are now healing? Was it red blood or dark blood? (I remember being told red blood was likely just to be from something more minor). Perhaps the unfinished feeling could be a piles lump near the exit? Maybe a gp could check that and give you cream?

There are lots of explanations. I went to India 10 years ago had terrible stomach problems..lost loads of weight, horrendous diarrhoea etc etc for 8 weeks etc. My stomach has never been the same since but it's ibs/acid- nothing serious (although those conditions can be awful for some people so not minimising) what makes things worse for me tho is stress/anxiety. I'm a CBT therapist for full disclosure. What you are describing is classic health anxiety, that doesn't mean that the symptoms aren't real. But that the cause is benign, searching for answers, having tests, asking for reassurance, googling will all continue to keep you focused on symptoms and won't ever reassure you. I've worked with people with v severe health anx and you can come through the other side but you need to step back from this and listen to what people are saying and take the first step in moving forward, it might not be the right time for you to do that now, but when it is there is lots of good help available. I hope things feel easier all round for you v soon.

Go do the doctor and ask for a colonoscopy referral.

Our DD was diagnosed with Crohn's as a newborn.

The idea of a coloscopy makes me panic unbelievably. I have a huge hospital fear which isn't helping with all this.
I don't know if the blood was from overstraining. It was very bright red and covered the water in the toilet bowl for a few days before returning to 'normal' diarrhoea. As I said, I don't have any stomach pain, no blood anymore, stools are once a day but pretty normal and appetite is fine. It's just this weird feeling I still have in my bum which I don't think is a pile as it doesn't hurt and I can't feel any lump.

I know I need to get some extensive support for this anxiety.

It sounds like it was very fresh blood so probably near the exit so not likely to be crohns and if it's not actually causing any issue by forcing you to go to the loo a fair few times then I would personally put it down to a stomach bug.

It lasted 3 days during the bug and I haven't had it since, is crohns darker blood then? I didn't know stomach bugs/food poisoning could cause blood in stools and am always terrified I will find it again

From NHS 24s website:
anal fissure – a small tear in the skin of the anus, which can be painful as the skin is very sensitive. The blood is usually bright red and the bleeding soon stops. You may feel like you need to keep passing stools, even when your bowel is empty. It often heals on its own within a few weeks

Perhaps it was this as it matches the symptoms? Maybe you can check with the GP and see if they agree to put your mind at ease?