# Treatment of a small bowel stricture



## crashdoll

Hello, I am new here.  I am under the care of a gastroenterologist in the UK for suspected IBD. I have a strong family history of IBD - both Crohn's and Colitis. 

Gatroenterologist thinks I may have a stricture in my small bowel and I'm being sent for an MRI with contrast next week. I was wondering if anyone could please tell me about their symptoms of a stricture and what treatment you had?

Many thanks!


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## Daisy123

I suffer from repeated strictures. Usually obstructive symptoms are a sign. Not being able to pass stool, cramping and vomiting. But dilation is a possibility, this is done during a colonoscopy and as long as the drugs are good, not too painful. It is best to follow a low residue diet if you have or might have a stricture. Medication doesn't help me when I have strictures and I end up having surgery 

My strictures showed up on a CT scan. No inflammation which is good. If the MRE shows inflammation then it is possible that the right meds will resolve the issue :ghug:


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## crashdoll

Thank you for the reply. I really am quite scared.


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## Daisy123

:ghug: Don't be. I am 30 years on from diagnosis, and the medications today so much better. Wait until after the MRE and you know what the situation is. I have had seven ops and still going strong. Most of the time I am well.


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## crashdoll

Thank you.  I'm scared it's Crohn's but I'm also scared they don't find anything and that I am not closer to answers as to why I'm so ill. Fortunately, scan on Tuesday and I should have the results less than a week later. 

**Fingers crossed**

(((breathes calmly)))


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## alex_chris

Hi there, I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 1999. Three strictures formed until 2003 due to not being treated properly during these initial years after having been diagnosed. Symptoms generally were bowel pain, weight loss, sometimes vomiting and fever - the basic Crohn's disease symptoms.

On treatment of strictures caused by Crohn's, my doc back then basically outlined three scenarios: a. do nothing, just get the Crohn's under control (the stricture remains, but it won't get better) b. the baloon treatment (only works for benign strictures and only in the large intestine and the small intestine parts that are rather close to the large intestine) and c. surgery (strictureplasty respectively bowel resection, which is the surgical removal of strictures.

I ended up with surgery in 2003 because the strictures were to severe and could not treated through baloon dilation. Surgery is not fun at all and it takes quite a while to recover, however, back then it was the right choice.


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## BenM

Yeah I'm getting surgery soon to remove my structure in my ilieum. For me I have been suffering from a lot of cramping pain. Whenever I eat things like spaghetti, milk or milk like drinks and anything with to much grease. I get a good bit of cramping and stinging pain. The solution for me is to go lay down completely flat on the bed, go take a hot bath/shower while laying down or take a lot of ibuprofen then lay down, if its really bad. 

I'm am scared about the surgery but I'd rather not live at all with the constant pain and agony that follows me when I eat or drink. So it really sucks! Sorry I'm not feeling to motivational right now, "In pain as I type :ylol2:".

Edit:
Also I had a colonoscopy to determine what was wrong with me. So if you have lots of cramping pain and more specifically constant pain on your right side of your abdominal area then I suggest getting a colonoscopy. That pain might be a structure in your ilieum like it was for me.

Edit2:
I also had like 10 CT scans with contrast, that was fun. If the GI doc is good he will also issue a colonoscopy after the CT at some point.


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## Anne cochrane

Do you think surgery is the best option for small bowel structure I'm not so sure


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## Eridon2002

It depends on the nature of the stricture and the extent of narrowing it is causing.  Is it from inflammation or scar tissue?  If it is scar tissue it will never go away and may eventually need to get cut out if it so narrow that you run the risk of an obstruction and possible bowel perforation.


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## Anne cochrane

It's caused by crohns it measures 6cm mri shows that water is still passing through ok so I'm not sure if surgery is necessary consultant said it hadn't changed much in the last 8 years I had an episode in September which they are putting down to an obstruction 
What I would really like is to speak to people who have had surgery and those who are living with a stricture


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## Eridon2002

I had surgery to cut out a stricture(22cm of my descending colon).  I was getting obstructions and partial obstructions and it was limiting my life so much, and the pain was horrible when this occurred.  I was afraid that I would have to have emergency surgery at some point if I didn't get it taken out as electively.  At least this way I could plan my surgeon, the date, be prepared and best of all it would be laproscopic and not open surgery so my recovery time and scar was greatly reduced.


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## Anne cochrane

I just don't feel my symptoms are severe enough for surgery my last really bad episode was 8- years ago September was a bad episode but I've been fine since my husband thinks I'm in denial and had me at emergency dept on Wed ,when it was gastricflu but everyone panics and I wonder if surgery would take the worry away. How did you find the surgery and recovery it's so scarey


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## Eridon2002

I was at the point that I knew I had to have surgery, that it was going to happen at some point due how bad I was feeling.  I held off on surgery till I knew that the stricture was affecting my quality of life so much that I didn't really have much of a life also I knew that at any point I could have an obstruction.  I had been traveling for work and had a bad obstruction which I had to go to the ER for back in April 2015.  5 days in the hospital with the doctors telling me if I didn't clear it I would have open bowel surgery.  I was 9 hours away from my home and family.  Luckily IV steroids helped clear the obstruction.  I had a follow up colonoscopy later in the year in which the doctor couldn't go all the way through the stricture(even with a pediatric scope).  I then had a surgery consult and the surgeon told me that it was bad and an obstruction would occur again.  I got a second opinion at Mayo clinic who confirmed the same.  I booked a surgery date of 3/4/16 but after eating white bean chili(I know, stupid of me) I had a partial obstruction and such pain that I moved up the surgery to 2/16/16.  I cleared the partial obstruction on my own before the surgery but it was a wake up call that it was time.  I was in the hospital for 10 days after the resection.  Those days sucked but when I got home I rapidly got better.  I was back working(from home since I'm in sales) on the third week from surgery.  I start back up in the field the fourth week.  I'm now doing light jogging, weights, walking, gardening and feeling really well.  I have a temporary ileostomy and will find out on 4/13 when I can get the reversal.  I feel so much better after surgery that the pain of recovery was worth it.  I'm hoping I continue to feel good after the reversal. I am actually more nervous about the second surgery since I am afraid the Crohn's will come raging back.  I'll be starting on Imuran to help but that has its own set of problems too.


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## Nicky Furlano

Wait 6 months to a year before doing weights depending on your age. You don't want to end up in surgery again because you foolishly lifted weights far too soon.


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## Grumbletum

I have a stricture at the site of my resection. In a mild flare at the moment so that is adding to the narrowing - GI said it was 6 -7mm at last colonoscopy. She's planning to do a balloon dilation at the next colonoscopy but is waiting to see if I can come off the Warfarin.
I did notice that my stools had got much thinner than usual and, though I had the urge to go, it was a while before I could. Also avoiding red meat, seeds etc as I started getting pain after eating them. This has improved a bit in the last week or two so I think the Pentasa is working on the inflammation.


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## Eridon2002

Nicky-FYI: I'm doing light weights certainly not body building and I have the green light from my colorectal surgeon.


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## wfwmac

Recently diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and many strictures. Don't want a Coloscopy bag. Terrified!!!!!


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## belcru

Hi wfwmac, I had a stricture removed in 2003 and I did not have to have a colonoscopy bag. I had my terminal ileum removed. It was the best thing I could have ever done. Only wish I had it done a bit sooner. The surgery was more difficult than I thought though. I was in the hospital for 7 days afterwards and I was already underweight going into it, but I was able to get back to normal afterwards and gain weight. For the first time in a very long time, I could even eat salad. I even ran a half-marathon to benefit the CCFA 5 years later and I would have never been able to do that before. I am having a little flare now, but doesn't feel like a stricture. I was also able to have my surgery laparoscopically. Good luck to you.


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