Hi all,
So I would say that at the moment I am between a rock and a hard place at the moment. Over the last couple of months I have been suffering from abdominal pain with some constipation and blood when I was wiping. I was feeling fatigued and was going to sleep earlier than planned. Usually I am fit and well and am 30 years old. 4 weeks ago I saw my GP as I started to difficulty passing urine who in turn treated me for a UTI over the remaining 2 weeks. After this I went back to th gp who reffered me to hospital and was diagnosed with appendicitis and in tuen had my appedix removed. Turned out my appendix had swollen and was pressing against my bladder hence the uti.
Anyhow 2 weeks post appendicectomy I was having diarhorea and this did not settle also having high temperature. I was readmitted to the hospital again with a possible collection upon which
I had a CT scan today. The results came back and says that I have a thickening of my bowel which is probably due to Crohns, also the histology of my appendix also show that it was never infected. It seems I may have crohns but await a colonoscopy to confirm this. Problem is the surgeons say the person I need to speak to is the Gastro enterologist tomorrow I have so many questions which the nurses on the ward are not experienced with crohns sufficient enough to answer so thought I would seek the real answers from the experts you guys.

I have been started on a course of IV steroids so here come my questions.

It says on some infomormation that crohns can stay in remission for a long time could this be a case of sort this out and get on with my life.

How often do you get attacks

Could I have been living this for years (Had diahroea 2 years ago) and if so is this what it would be like.

How many people need to be resected and if they need a stoma how long for.

Do I take immodium during an attack.

Does actimel help people.


I am a smoker giving up does it reduce the chances of a repeat attack???

If anyone could answer these it would be great as I know I am gonna think about this all night.

Also could it just be a random inflammation of my bowel or is this just me in denial????

Hi,
Having been dianosed 5 years ago and been resected without an illestomy/colostomy bag.
1. Crohn's can stay in remission for a long time but with others they never seem to reach remission, I have been able to work and have a social life but I would say I've never fully reach remission.
2. Flare ups are very individualised they vary from person to person I have had maybe 7 flare ups since diagnosis none of which has resulted in hospitalisation.
3. You could well have been I was 10 years with problems before diagnosis.  Somtimes an illness of another kind triggers it.  Unfortunately diarrhoea is not always the only symptom, I had narrowings in my bowel, therefore pain, swelling in the stomach and vomiting in the begining.  Now its diarrhoea.
4. Not everyone needs a resection hard to say how many but if you've had a resection this increases your chances of having to have another resection.
5.  Immodium might work for you it might not.  Try it and see.
6.  Some people might say some of the probiotic drinks help, again vaires.
7.  I am also a smoker I have never stopped but only really smoke on social occasions, they tell you to stop because it reduces the likelihood of another flare.
8.  If they've said its crohn's because of the CT the chances are high that it is.

Crohns is very managable and varies from person to person.

Hope all goes well and you get some answers from the GI doc
Gayle

Hi Kevbo

I was diagnosed with Crohn's two years ago (aged 24).  This went undiagonsed for approx 3 years though.  At first this was a really shock to me and hard to deal with. Steriods really helped me and the side effects I had off them was much easier to deal with then the turmoil I was going through with my crohn's.  After trials on a number of different medication my crohn's is now in remission.  Although my crohn's is in remission I still never feel 100% well anymore,  I suffer from joint pains, fatigue and stomach pains.

Flares up and attacks can vary from person to person, some people only every had 1 and others have several.   I have had alot since I was diagnosed but this seems to have settled down since now.

I personally dont take immoduim but you can try it and see how you get on.  Co-codmol can help with pain and can also help with diarrhoea.  Obviously used in moderation.

I have found that taking aloe vera (www.aloeride.com) and probiotics help, but each person is different.

I also had an intolerance test to elimate if there was certain foods, drinks, vitamins or mineral causing me to have this.  This might to worthwhile so you know if there is a specific thing triggering it off.  Unfortunately for me there was nothing I was intolerant too.

Two years on and I have found that crohn's can be managable to live with.  I am still able to work and have a healthy social life.  You will learn and reconise when you may be expericing a flare up and you will learn how to manage this with medication.

I have found my GI nurse to be very helpful.

I hope this helps and good luck

Hi cutty, can i please ask how and why you went three years without diagnosis, has im goin down that route now, ive had biopsies which has found  inconclusive inflammation , they said on the camera we can see red patches of inflammation in your caucum sigmoid and rectum, but because the bopsies were inconclusive they still havnt diagnosed had crohns, they say at the moment im being treated for colitis and im on petasa, just seams a pain in the but not having a proper diagnosis  let me anybody whos having or had the same problems tc all xxxsuexxx

Hi tattyteds68

If am honest it was probably to do with my GP, for years I suffered severe gastro problems, diarrheoa etc and because nothing was showing up in my blood tests they were unwilling to send me for more tests at the hospital.  If was horrible, every time I went to the doctor I felt like I was wasting their time.  A year before I was diagnosed with Crohn's I became very ill and decided to go to a private health clinic (Bupa). I was seen within days, got the results of my endoscopy and colonscopy the same day and was on medication to treat my condition.  At this time my consultant at Bupa suggested I had Crohn's, however, I was to see if the medication worked first.  Approx 10 months later my condition flared up again, my GP seemed more understanding after seeing my results from Bupa Consultant, I was offered an immediate appointment at the hospital and from there I was diagnosed with Crohn's.  

Until you get a diagnoses it is a very long and worrying process.

I hope you get somewhere soon xxx

I went 2 years without diagnosis. They told me I had a nervous stomach but I actually have Crohn's in my colon. My advice is that finding things in your diet that making it worse and cut them out. Easier said than done though. I find fizzy juice, greasy foods and fruit juice affect me quite badly. I tried taking things like Actimel but they didnt make any difference, but thats just me. Its all about persevearance. xxx

Hi there.  I had a similar start with appendicitis diagnosed - when they opened me up they saw my bowel had perforated so took a few feet away as they thought it looked cancerous (which it wasn't in the end, thank goodness) I wasn't diagnosed with Crohn's until 18 months later when I suddenly started having bouts of diarrhoea.
You need to find your own coping mechanisms.  My consultant told me not to smoke, take immodium, or actimel....and I always do what he tells me!  Getting a diagnosis is good news - although it might not always seem like that.  Once you know what you are dealing with, you can find a way to cope.  This forum is fantastic - it always makes me feel better to know that someone out there has it worse than me (sorry guys!)