# Wife of partner with as yet undiagnosed Crohn's and resulting anaemia.



## Lemon30 (Apr 29, 2015)

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## KayleighMeek (Apr 30, 2015)

Sorry to hear what you and your husband are going through the run up to diagnosis can be terrible. For me it took just over a year to be diagnosed as I was just fobbed off with the diagnosis of IBS even though I was very sick. Once be has been diagnosed and started treatment most people improve very quickly especially if he is given steroids. The prep is horrible for the scopes but it is only for a short time and its worth it to get the answers you need.
Has your husband tried liquid iron? I am always anaemic but its manageable with liquid iron I find the tablets cause more stomach upset and send me running to the loo even more than usual. A friend of mine gave me a couple of sachets of spatone to try and I just mix it with a small amount of orange juice this is so much easier on my stomach.
I think you are right in trying to get him to stop smoking but sometimes people have to realise on there own that they need to stop and if he is diagnosed with crohn's it will be the first thing the GI Dr will say. I smoked for a short time before being diagnosed and quitting made a massive difference to my crohn's.
You sound like you are doing an amazing job at supporting him it can be such a big strain on a relationship when one of you is sick but don't forget to look after yourself too.


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## UnXmas (Apr 30, 2015)

I would see if your husband wants to go to A&E. They will only treat emergencies, they aren't generally the place to go for the diagnosis and treatment of a chronic disease like Crohn's which requires specialised gastroenterologists, but symptoms such as fainting and dehydration (he could well be dehydrated from vomitting often) and other complications that can arise from Crohn's, or whatever it is he does have, are valid reasons for going to A&E. It's possible that an emergency admission could lead to sooner tests and consultations with specialists. At the very least it might result in some respite for you both if they admit him just for rehydration and help with symptom management (painkillers if needed, meds for nausea).

There is always the possibility that A&E will just send him home for not needing immediate help, so you do have to prepare yourselves for that possibility if you do go, but it could be worth trying.

I could barely drink the contrast needed for my small intestine MRI and I was relatively well at the time and given a reduced volume to drink because I've had some of my digestive system removed. The drink is truly vile and I've wondered how on earth they expect truly sick people to manage it. He may do better with the colonoscopy prep. Once he's drunk it, the rest of the preparation takes care of itself - he'll just have to stick close to the loo, and the scope itself is easy as long as he's given enough sedation, he won't even be aware it's happening until it's over and done with.


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## Crohns08 (Apr 30, 2015)

I second Unxmas. It sounds like he could really use the help of going to the emergency room. Being hospitalized sucks but throwing up and being asleep that much is not normal and something serious could be festering inside. Crohn's can snowball so quickly before you know it and even if all they can do is rehydrate him and give steroids it's better than what is going on now. I would guess he is more than just anemic, that he is deficient in a plethora of other things that they can give through an IV.


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## copeland (Apr 30, 2015)

I'm sorry to hear you and your husband are having so much trouble.

It does sound pretty likely that he has Crohn's, but the colonoscopy will tell you for sure.  It's always awful to have to wait around for tests and suffer while doing it.

The good news is, once he's diagnosed (if it is Crohn's) he will hopefully respond to whatever treatment the doctor thinks is best.  I've been where he is on several occasions, and once the right treatment is in place he might be feeling better in less than a week.  He may even feel better than he ever has once he's being treated, especially if he has had long-term digestive issues as you indicate.  Lots of people go for years and years without knowing about their underlying disease.


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## Lemon30 (May 24, 2015)

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## xmdmom (May 24, 2015)

I am glad that you are getting some answers. 

Do you know what your husband's hemoglobin and/or other labs are? The extreme weakness and passing out are particularly worrisome to me. 

I don't think sleepiness or lack of alertness can be due to iron supplements per se.  There are a variety of oral iron preps that can be tried but my son had difficulty taking the full dose of any that he tried. If the anemia is severe, parenteral iron (IV infusion) is sometimes prescribed.  Definitely speak to the doctor about the iron/hemoglobin issue.


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## UnXmas (May 24, 2015)

> He was moaning the other day about how cruel it is the the diagnostic processes for people with diarrhoea and stomach pain is for force them to take liquids to cause more diarrhoea and stomach pain!
> 
> Oh well hopefully we will get an answer in a few days. I will not be leaving the hospital without a course of treatment being planned for him. I am scared he is slowly killing himself he is so weak now. I would be happier to have him admitted so he can get better but he is too stubborn to listen - he is too busy sleeping for 20 hours a day to actually think about how ill he currently is!


I can assure you he's not the only one to have that thought! It sounds like the preps have been particularly bad for him though, usually the laxatives get to work but then your system clears and it's over with. It's a good sign that the doctors have not admitted him when he goes for tests, I have known that to happen in very serious situations.


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## UnXmas (May 24, 2015)

xmdmom said:


> I am glad that you are getting some answers.
> 
> Do you know what your husband's hemoglobin and/or other labs are? The extreme weakness and passing out are particularly worrisome to me.
> 
> I don't think sleepiness or lack of alertness can be due to iron supplements per se.  There are a variety of oral iron preps that can be tried but my son had difficulty taking the full dose of any that he tried. If the anemia is severe, parenteral iron (IV infusion) is sometimes prescribed.  Definitely speak to the doctor about the iron/hemoglobin issue.


I agree with this. Iron deficiency is well known for causing a lack of energy, but I've not heard of iron supplements causing it. They can make digestive problems worse though.


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## Lemon30 (May 28, 2015)

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