Does this sound like a stricture or just constipation?

Hi, sorry for posting here when I'm not yet diagnosed but I've been told my diagnosis will most likely be IBD (due to fecal calprotectin being very high and blood tests) I just haven't had a colonoscopy yet. I might just be overworrying as I've read a LOT about Crohn's (incl stuff about strictures and obstructions) in the past few weeks since having those tests back and waiting for GI appointment. Sorry for the tmi level of detail I would just like the most accurate info possible.

I have had had ongoing problems with large volumes of diarrhoea and sometimes vomiting for the past 2 years (with very occasional bleeding and sometimes passing a lot of mucus). For the past couple of weeks I've been bloated and having a lot of pain, and very few bowel movements. I'm mostly just passing mucus and occaisonally very soft/thin stool. It's like the blockage just temporarily shifts so that some stool and gas can pass - I have no gas for maybe a day and then a sort of "explosion" where I'm really gassy for 20-30 mins (and occasionally pass mucus/thin stool at this time) and then go back to nothing. My abdomen feels quite tender and if I push fairly hard it is like I can feel stool in the intestines?

I went to the GP last week and she said it sounded like I'd "cleared myself out" due to prolonged vomiting and diarrhoea so was just "empty" - but I've been eating normally(ish) and have barely passed any stool for 2 weeks now so I'm concerned. Does this sound like a partial obstruction/should I go back and push for them to pay more attention? Or does this sound too minor for a partial obstruction (i.e. I'm not vomiting and whilst the pain is bad it's mostly not incapacitating) and just sit it out until my next arranged GP appointment on Wed? Ty for any help.

Hello Emm
You can post on the forum any time you wish.
Any kind of obstruction is serious and should not be passed over lightly
It's not a good idea to arrive at any conclusions by self examination...we cannot see inside ourselves...leave it to the professionals.
If you feel you should see your GP sooner then do get in touch with the office and go and get checked out
It sounds as though you need a good investigation by a gastroenterologist.,and this is something you should ask your GP and get a referral.
The other alternative is to go to ER
Either way do not continue to suffer on your own it could mean you are allowing progression of problems.
There is a discussion group on this site for the undiagnosed that you may find helpful
Feel better soon
Hugs and best wishes
Trysha

if you go to Resources at the top of this page it will lead you to helpful information for undiagnosed patients
Trysha

Trysha said:

Hello Emm
You can post on the forum any time you wish.
Any kind of obstruction is serious and should not be passed over lightly
It's not a good idea to arrive at any conclusions by self examination...we cannot see inside ourselves...leave it to the professionals.
If you feel you should see your GP sooner then do get in touch with the office and go and get checked out
It sounds as though you need a good investigation by a gastroenterologist.,and this is something you should ask your GP and get a referral.
The other alternative is to go to ER
Either way do not continue to suffer on your own it could mean you are allowing progression of problems.
There is a discussion group on this site for the undiagnosed that you may find helpful
Feel better soon
Hugs and best wishes
Trysha

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Agree

I went (yay!) but it definitely wasn't normal constipation as it was soft... unfortunately it was also black which I think means bleeding. Anyway the discomfort seems to have improved so that's something. I will bring it up with my GP on Wed unless things get worse by tomorrow in which case I'll make an emergency appointment.

My GP doesn't really seem to know about IBD and just says the GI will be able to help but I keep worrying that everything is an emergency in the meantime. Do you know of any good guides as to which red flag symptoms means a person with IBD needs to get urgent medical care? Being autistic means I can kind of obsess about things which other people think are quite minor and I think having a straightforward list might help me to distinguish the "worrying, but can wait until you see GI" symptoms from the "go to the ER now" symptoms.

Actually I just googled and found lots of lists! If there are any in particular which are good it would still be good to know, though

Obstructions are usually associated with painful cramping. Full obstructions have been cited as worse pain than labour! I've been told it's time to go to A&E if you are experiencing the painful cramps and are vomiting.

Your symptoms sound exactly like what I dealt with for years and leading up to my bowel resection surgery last September. I would go between diahrea and constipation for days then I'd get such intense bowel cramps that is vomit and poop at the same time. Finally after 3 colonscopy (the prep wasn't clearing me out enough for my doc to see) she verified I had an obstruction in my ileum from the scar tissue buildup of my crohns. Because the waste could not exit normally I developed large fistulas in another direction attaching to my sigmoid. It was a mess and thank goodness I had surgery. I'm 9 months post op now and pregnant. Controlling with remicade and imuran and feel a WORLD of difference!! I hope you get help ASAP

Ericahairica said:

Your symptoms sound exactly like what I dealt with for years and leading up to my bowel resection surgery last September. I would go between diahrea and constipation for days then I'd get such intense bowel cramps that is vomit and poop at the same time. Finally after 3 colonscopy (the prep wasn't clearing me out enough for my doc to see) she verified I had an obstruction in my ileum from the scar tissue buildup of my crohns. Because the waste could not exit normally I developed large fistulas in another direction attaching to my sigmoid. It was a mess and thank goodness I had surgery. I'm 9 months post op now and pregnant. Controlling with remicade and imuran and feel a WORLD of difference!! I hope you get help ASAP

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Yes. Get help quickly.

Thanks so much for the replies everyone. On Monday night I ended up having pretty extreme D with some blood (not a lot) that went on most of the night. No BMs since then. Saw my GP today and explained where the most severe pain is (just above and to the left of my right hip, near where you'd expect appendix pain to be). She said there's little they can do until I see the GI. And she thinks it's probably not an obstruction but just that I am clearing my whole system with the severity of diarrhoea and then it takes a few days before having a BM again. I'm not convinced though.... especially as the time between BMs can be e.g. 9 days and it's very uncomfortable. However she reiterated that my abdomen doesn't feel full and that it's most likely Crohn's but not with obstruction so I'm likely not at immediate risk.

Don't take no for an answer get yourself set up for a colonscopy and get a good GI to take a look good luck and I hope you get some relief

It my mind, any sort of worries about obstructions with the sort of symptoms that you are having, you should get sorted sooner rather than later. It probably will be fine but you shouldn't take a chance.

I have had doctors saying all is OK until i have ended up in A and E with a massive abscess from a ruptured bowel and another time I ended up with sepsis and being taken straight to resus we preparation for major ops at both times. I have had two major ops with four years and on both occasions the surgeons have said it was left far far too long. My last op was after 6 months of diaorrea and vomiting. I lost 30kg and ended up having TPN which is being fed via a drip to keep me going.

I DONT want to scare you but the sooner you know what is up the better. Go make a fuss at the dr to speed things up or go to A and E.

From my experience with a partial bowel obstruction is I sweat, I get what feels likes contraction pains, and vomit . I eventually poop , sleep and then it's over .

I would recommend next time you have a lot of pain and blood go to hospital . Don't give to much info except you have had this before but not this bad .

I think a lesson I've learned is that with Crohn's, it pays to get in early to your GI. So many people take so long to get diagnosed and stabilized, partially from fear (like me I'm sure) and mostly from the glacial slowness of the medical bureaucracy.

My crisis happened at the area between small and large intestines where the appendix is. Back in the early 80s local docs didn't know what it was and I was sick for 6 months and lost a lot of weight. I was at the University of Chicago in the Spring on a Saturday for x-rays when they found an abscess. After admission the surgeon came in and said he had seen where the abscess had broken and they had to go in right away. I took months to recover while wearing a bag. Later that Fall I was in much better shape and my reconnect surgery was very easy comparatively.

Now everybody knows somebody with Crohn's. They have many new meds; they care about your pain and discomfort; and surgery is easier when you catch the problem early and you're still in pretty good shape.

My way, recovering at 90 pounds with a packed open wound, after months of fevers is much, much harder. The only good thing was that my mother in law brought me goodies all the time to fatten me up.