Advice needed!

[Welsh-bird]

Advice needed...

Hi guys,
Where else would I turn when I need some advice with this damn disease?
I was discharged again from hospital last night, after another 5 night stay, and just 2 weeks after my last discharge! I've really had enough now, and could cry buckets...
I was diagnosed with UC back in 1999, and all has been rather plain sailing until this year. Huge flare, numerous hospitalisations, and endless drugs, and Gastro then suspected it could well be Crohns Colitis rather than UC. Biopsies taken at my colonoscopy came back still confirming UC, but then last weekend I became really unwell with right side and upper gi pain. An upper endoscopy on Thursday showed Pyloric ulcers (think they said they were at the end of my stomach going into my duodenum), and further biopsies taken. Again Gastro suspects Crohns. My Lansoperazole was the increased to 60mg a day, but it's not working. The pain is as bad as ever!
My question is, if this is Crohn's would the Lansoperazole help at all or is it used mainly for stomach ulcers? Are Crohns ulcers the same thing? I understand my UC and how that all works, but this is different to anything I've had before. Has anyone had biopsies from their Colon confirming UC only for it to be Crohns?
Living with this damn disease this year has been hard enough...but now for it to start playing with my head and start to doubt myself is another thing!
Any advice greatfully received.
Thanks all,
Andrea x

 

[Nica]

hi, I am sorry you are feeling so poorly. I have crohn's colitis so have been in a similar situation but reversed. After Colonoscopy I was DXed with Crohns, he changed it to UC based on a biopsy. A few years later I went to a new GI who told me flat out that you can not tell the difference between UC and Crohn's on ANYTHING that came back from a biopsy. That doc did a colonoscopy to figure out for sure what I had, He changed my DX to crohn's based on the fact the lesions went deeper than the first layer and they skip around in my colon. UC lesions will always run together. Since then I have had 3 colonoscopies done by different GI's all have stayed with the crohns dx.

 

[BLM]

I take Lansoperazle and have CD. Im only on 30 mgs but used to take 60....it has helped me deal with some of the acid problems I get from Gastritus.....which is all affected by my CD...especially if I have a lot of inflamation going on. However, a few months back things got really bad for me with upper right GI pain and it ended up being that my Gallbladder was giving me probs and needed to come out. So, talk to you dr, make sure things are checkin out and if need be, ask for a different med to see if that helps out. Sorry your having a hard time, I can relate, Ive spent almost 60 days in the hospital this year...flare after flare. Good luck to ya!

 

[Rossy]

I would'nt really concern yourself too much with "which one is it", you have IBD and the best thing is to get the proper treatment which in most cases for both UC and Crohns is pretty much the same.

I hope you get it sorted though as you've obviously had a pretty bad time of late as i've read your other posts and really hope things improve for you.

Unfortuanately the trouble with IBD is that you will have periods which are different to what you may have experienced in the past, I've had UC for many years but this year being the first year that i was hospitalised so i think its all just part of it, if you get remission or some sort of normality then its just a case of making that last as long as possible, easier said than done eh!!

take care

 

[Silvermoon]

I would'nt really concern yourself too much with "which one is it", you have IBD and the best thing is to get the proper treatment which in most cases for both UC and Crohns is pretty much the same.

I hope you get it sorted though as you've obviously had a pretty bad time of late as i've read your other posts and really hope things improve for you.

Unfortuanately the trouble with IBD is that you will have periods which are different to what you may have experienced in the past, I've had UC for many years but this year being the first year that i was hospitalised so i think its all just part of it, if you get remission or some sort of normality then its just a case of making that last as long as possible, easier said than done eh!!

take care

I couldn't have said it any better... it all affects the gut and it all freakin' hurts!! I guess my only other advise would be... you know your body... if a medication isn't working it probably needs to be re-evaluated, as even one that takes a while to "kick in" would still have SOME effect within a day or two.....

I wish I could do more for you, but for now I send big squishy hugs.......

 

[Welsh-bird]

Hi all,
Thank you so much for the kind words. Haven't been on here much recently- you know how it is...flare = fatigue = feeling low, and now it's time to pull myself out of this vicious cycle!
Lansoperazole still don't seem to be doing much, so will contact my IBD nurse tomorrow and try and get this script changed.
Roll on 2011, and a better year, and maybe remission (long way off yet, but forever optimistic!).
Hope you're all keeping well, and again thanks.