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My GI's steps when I first went in were to order fecal tests to rule out infections caused by bacteria or other parasites, and a few blood tests to rule out infections that mimic Crohns like histoplasmosis and tuberculosis as well as cytomegalovirus along with tests to make sure I did not have...

Wow guys! Thank you for the wonderful tips. It's amazing to hear from real people what their real experiences are. Doctors seem to feel its better to just tell the patient that its no big deal rather than to honestly discuss what to expect after surgery like this. I much rather have diarrhea...

Thank you for the reply DEmberton! I'm very glad that the drugs are working now and I'm rooting for you to stay in remission from now on. Do you have any dietary restrictions now because of the resection? Can you handle lactose? I've never had a problem with lactose and read that the ileum is...

Thank you guys! Its incredibly heartwarming and comforting to have such a great group of people to talk to. All advice is being taken on board. I was definitely not planning on taking slippers, for example, and thanks to you guys I surely will now. The chocolate and cocoa butter tips will...

Thanks, Ron! Anyone else?

Most likely not a final cure but a treatment options for those whose Crohn's are related to AIEC. Trials seem to be going on for UC, but not for Crohns at the moment. If you want, you can sign up on their page to get updates via e-mail. The last update I read was that plans were underway for a...

Thank you so much Ron! I hope you are doing fine yourself. Did you need a nasogastric tube after your resection? Was it laparoscopic?

Also, a fecal calprotectin test is great at differentiating IBS from IBD.

Hi everyone! So I'm scheduled to have laparoscopic surgery this Friday to remove a stricture in my mid ileum. Imaging suggests I'm going to get about 20cm of ileum chopped. My doctor assures me that a 20cm resection will not affect my quality of life as my ileal-cecal valve and colon are...

Alan, I'm a newly diagnosed person so I feel ya. Maybe you could discuss being on a different medicine first? Like monotherapy with Imuran/6mp? Many people do very well with that medication for a very long time without needing a biologic. And then, if that does not work, add the humira? I'm...

Hi there! I can say from personal experience that it is *very* difficult to decide whether a patient with a positive skin tuberculin test or positive quantiferon test should be treated for an active TB infection. As a matter of fact, I've lived/been living through a very similar dilemma myself...

I would get a fecal calprotectin test if I were you. If its IBS it will not be raised since IBS does not cause intestinal inflammation on its own. Wait a couple of weeks though to make sure that whatever residual inflammation you might have from the colonoscopy itself is gone. Otherwise the...

JMC, I know this isn´t the right thread, but do you have any news on the Map Vaccine?

I read a market forecast report by Credit Suisse that said it would hit market in 2018.

I had a normal CT scan + normal colonoscopy. Was diagnosed on pill cam. IBD could show on a CT scan though, so its a good sign it was all clear.

Hi Wombat! I'm glad you came back to give us your updates. The contrast depends on what they want to look at. If it is a small bowel CT yes, the contrast that is administered orally will be the same as the MRI's. The IV contrast used in a CT is iodine based though and is therefore different...

The pill cam is about the size of a large vitamin pill. The day before the test you need to prep your bowel. It's a much milder prep than the colonoscopy prep though (usually a liquid diet 24 hours prior to the test and a mild laxative). You swallow the pill with water just like any other pill...

A pill cam (if safe for her) could be a good idea. My Crohns is located in a part of my bowel not reachable by scopes so I have pill cams instead. (They are not as good as you cannot biopsy things, but at least its a true picture of what going on in your gut). As long as the doctor doesn't...

Well, there are many markers of inflammation used to evaluate a patient's progress. Many of these markers, however, are not gut specific. CRP, for example, suggests inflammation when raised but it does not mean you have inflammation in the gut. You could have asthma, for example, and your CRP...

Yea... the last bit of news on the QU website is from April.... :/ I know the Phase II for Crohns trial ended a while back and yet the website only lists vague "interim" results. Wish they would release full results from Phase II so that we can have a better understanding of whether SSIs are...