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.

FFS my DH didn’t have to put up with any of this shit. He was just believed.

How do you know it wasn't your period??? It beggers belief that you were asked this. The absolute cheek of it.

You could try something for Diarrhea. Perhaps gaviscon to have relief from the excess watery Diarrhea.

I know so frustrating how women are treated! I always feel the emergsame day GP appointments result. In seeing less than ideal GPs.

things are a bit better then they had been still sore and loose but not quite so watery.

It's not the be all and end all though. You can get low results and still have Crohn's.

I would expect (and have had) a calprotectin test (which isn't conclusive if it's normal), colonoscopy, specialist bowel ultrasound and small bowel MRI.

Also don't hesitate to go to A and E if you need to. Crohn's can be serious and dangerous.

Shaking head at this. How patronising.

Not true. I have Crohn's and have never had a high reading. My calprotectin is under 10. I most definitely have Crohn's. Gastro thinks it's just too small an area to maybe show.

Okay @buzzy123n
I get it. I've been corrected numerous times already.

There's pretty good evidence out there that emulsifiers and gums (and maltodextrin) in ultra processed foods are a contributor in susceptible people developing IBD.

Food additives and their implication in inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome - ScienceDirect share.google/kSR9siyn2mXeuGSNr

And some of us never had that stuff, and babies are born with it. Those things can contribute and I always avoid them as per nutritionist advice. Not that it was a big change, since I never bought stuff with additives anyway.

I think virtually everyone in the UK has emulsifiers just by eating a normal diet, these additives are in pasta sauces, gravy, bread, ice cream, flavoured crisps, chocolate, biscuits.... I am not saying Crohn's is caused by troughing rubbish.

I don't believe you never had emulsifiers unless you are some kind of homesteader. I certainly gave them to my daughter, eating a normal "healthy" UK diet with 5 fruits and veg a day. Of course I wasn't to know she was susceptible genetically.

I am most angry that these additives aren't limited by law now it's clearer that they are implicated in people developing IBD at a young age.

Yes, I'm a homesteader type. I have always made things from scratch and read every label. I will spend twice as much to avoid those kind of ingredients to get real food. Definitely have more than 5 fruit and vege a day.

Don't use gravy, don't generally eat bread (and when I do, no additives), I don't like ice cream and have a very low dairy diet which my gastroenterologist supports as part of my eating plan, don't eat crisps, don't tend to have biscuits and cake (rare and usually home made by someone). Chocolate - sometimes, but without the additives.

I agree those additives should be banned.

I actually suspect that the pile of antibiotics my parents fed me as a child has a lot to do with it.

I was also reading auto immune diseases can be linked to tohigh rates of childhood stress and also gut bacteria. Problem is there are just so many factors that its not possible to tell why any individual gets it.

There's definitely a genetic link. Babies are born with Crohn's sometimes, so I doubt they are stressed. I did have a stressful childhood, however.

Really struggling atm, seeing gastro in 2 weeks but am just in so much pain. Am nowbon liquid iron suppliments and its causing unbareable pain in lower right about 3 hours after taking.

Iron can be rough. I find the only one I can take is iron biglycinate. All the others constipate which causes pain.

I have the opposite problem, really high CP (consistently over 1500-2000) but no diagnosis in sight despite a battery of tests. GP and gastroenterology can’t give me any real answers.

That's interesting to hear. I've never heard of that before. I do hope someone can give you some answers, as I assume you are symptomatic of something. Diagnosis made such a difference to me as it gave me something to work on, not an unknown.

Thanks, it’s really frustrating. I have extreme explosive wind - not constantly, I can be ok for a few weeks and it comes back. Also if I don’t let it out(!) it builds up and comes out very loud anyway (thankfully not smelly) sometimes w some leakage. That’s why I went to GP but u actually started w the testing 3+ years ago when I had diarrhoea after Covid and just felt awful for weeks (also had tests then too but didn’t have the wind issue) have had bad acid reflux for all that time too which is also hard to control.
My friend who has Colitis said there is no way you haven’t got IBD with those readings - and all my googling says the same. All other causes have been ruled out (first high CP was Aug 22).

For the pain paracetamol and buscopan, don't take any anti inflammatories like ibuprofen. Id stop the iron as its hurting.
Eat a very plain diet with small meals more often. Focus soft white carbs which are easy to digest, lean protein and try to avoid dairy for a bit. Keep drinking, maybe have some diorlyte to top up the salts you are loosing.
I hope you feel better soon.

Nutrition during a flare | Crohn's & Colitis Ireland share.google/VyEYvms8VAD3sp2IQ

Thanks for food switched to soup, yogurt, rice, white bread, chicken n and fish and ensures if really struggling. GP says need to get iron up so just keeps switching formulations.

If you are having an active flare, your body will struggle absorbing iron. So if you find something you tolerate, thats great. But I wouldn't bother fighting on with something causing you pain in the short term. DS uses Ferrograd C which works for him, its a slow release with vit C to support uptake.
I hope you see a helpful consultant soon.

It took me more than 20 years to finally get a diagnosis that wasn't just IBS or anxiety (it's microscopic colitis, diagnosed last month). I had a really good doctor who saw my weight loss and sent me for an urgent sigmoidoscopy under the 2 week cancer pathway, and that did the job.

I have diarrhoea flares that last weeks to 3 years for the record so far, 20+ times a day and night. I have 300 loperamide prescribed per month, which have been very helpful managing a flare when I need to actually go out/do something with the kids, or just need a break from the exhaustion. I do have to take more than the 6 a day to get it to work, and make sure I have breaks.

Im actually impressed it only took you a few months to see gastro, my original referral was 19 months and still no sign of it, when my gp sent me for the urgent test. Ive never had high calcoprotein either.

Im on a 2 month course of steroids which are absolutely fantastic so far, stopped all symptoms :)