Possible crohns what should I push with GP

[Eatinghurts]

I have had a refferral to gastro. Ten days ago got constant diarrhea verry watery. Ended up going to A&E as had temps and right sided pain. They found imflamation in TI and raised CRP. i have been in bed all weekend with 10 to 20 watery episodes and lots of pain. Unsure wat to ask for from gp.

Am feeling so ill! Have barely been out of bed all weekend and just dont know what to do.

Ask GP if there is anything you can take to reduce symptoms while you wait for your gastro appointment

Ring the gastro department ideally the consultants secretary, explain how poorly you are and beg and plead to be seen asap

Would Gp be able to tell me which gastro dept have been referred to. My app purely has gastro and a name that could be any hospitals in the trust. It says referred 9 weeks ago expected wait time 16 weeks, not yet reviewed.

I was not this ill when I was referred. Hospital said would have admitted if had been in the area I lived in but not sure how to progress this.

The doctor can take a stool sample and rule crohns out.

I understand the CT and blood tests make it likely to be IBD. Not sure what stool tests they did in hospital but def mucus and blood.

@BusterGonad The doctor cannot rule out crohns by a stool sample. This can only be done with a colonoscopy.

Calprotectin stool samples can tell the amount of inflammation you have, which can indicate crohns or colitis, but you still need a colonoscopy and biopsies for a definite answer.

@Eatinghurts does the letter you have give a secretary number? If so contact them to see if you can be seen sooner.

If your symptoms are getting worse I would contact your GP to see if they can get you seen quicker. Steroids will help, but they may mask symptoms when you go for a colonoscopy, so your doctor may be reluctant to prescribe them.

Good luck, I hope you get some answers soon. IBD [ inflammatory bowel disease ] is just miserable, my son has it.

Of course, but it's pretty indicative of IBD. The colonoscopy is obviously the final diagnosis but if your stool sample shows now inflammation then you've pretty much not got IBD. That's my understanding from when I was diagnosed with crohn's.

Look up the NICE guidelines for colon cancer, if you hit any of the symtoms which should seen under FDS (new version of 2 week wait, although now 4 weeks) ask GP to refer you again as urgent.

She has an infection and digestive symptoms so her calprotein will be raised anyway.

Fair enough.

thanks I have not got a letter, its purely the info from the NHS app. I have filled in another online consultation with my GP so can see what they offer.

I dont think it would be any bad thing to do stool tests to rule out infection and presumably would also show them that there is blood and mucus.

@BusterGonad Hope you are feeling better after treatment have had both an MRI and CT 6 months apart showing inflamation in the TI obviously need a colonoscopy so they can see it and do samples but am feeling so weak sore and unwell

I’d go back to A&E OP.

I have Crohn’s and they have always been helpful in a flare. Keep pushing them.

i hope you get treatment and feel better soon.

I'm sorry to hear you're unwell. I had the crp blood test first, then the stool sample, then colonoscopy and finally an mri to diagnose me. The doctor was pretty sure after the stool sample but the colonoscopy and mri was the final tests to confirm. It's not the best thing to be diagnosed with but you get used to it. For me the worst part is the fatigue and never knowing when you'll get a tummy ache and need to rush to the toilet. I've learnt never to drink coffee, never to have breakfast before a long early morning trip like a flight etc. To always carry tissue and mini packs of wet wipes.

Thanks @ForLoveNotMoney What has A&E been able to do? I now have an f2f GP appointment tomorrow so we’ll see what they say. Cant really face hours on A&E chairs.

For anyone that went to A&E ina crohns Flaire what did they do. Really.cant face going to hospital and spending hours on a chair but am just so sore.

Rehydrate you. Replace any electrolytes you have lost. Give you pain killers. If you are unwell and dehydrated get seen

I've never had any relief from the pain of crohns. The doctors never suggest anything, walk in centres never suggest anything. If any sufferers can offer any pain relief meds I'd be grateful.

GP said to do some stool samples so came home and able to drop back off

Said to take buscipan and paracetamol

didnt do blood pressure or tem or anything.

When I’ve been in I’ve had IV pain relief, IV fluids and usually start in IV steroids to start getting it under control. It works well for me BUT it’s a tricky thing to get taken seriously for, especially as a woman. Took years for my diagnosis and was eventually diagnosed after collapsing and being admitted, extremely underweight and spent 6 weeks in hospital, a bowel resection and 6 months of tube feeding. It’s awful
that it has to get that bad before being taken seriously.

I hope you can get some help and. Some relief OP.

@ForLoveNotMoney so sorry you got to this point before diagnosis. Assume you had tried GP.

I obviously hope its an infection and can recover but did not realise just how difficult is to see gastro.

So many of tips to the GP and was always fobbed as being IBS, periods or just my age!

@ForLoveNotMoney Ibhave also had IBS diagnosis in the past and they are trying to argue IBS. Explained about having an accident that was verry liquid with mucus and dark blood. Response was how do you know wasnt period.

So sorry to hear that so many are suffering. My daughter has UC and I’m interested to know if there are any natural supplements/food IBD sufferers have found to actually work?