Age 52 Is this crohns?

[Tracey1788]

Around two years ago I went on the lighterlife diet and lost 4 stones in weight in 3 months. 3 months after the diet stopped I had an episode of explosive bowels and a very gassy tummy. Although the gassy tummy continued it was on rare occasion the bowel issue returned. Periodically I had Proctalgia which would wake me up and I put this down to stress related IBS. In January this year I underwent biopsies following an abnormal mammogram. Thankfully I was cancer free and this was put down to periductal mastitis. Two weeks after the biopsies were taken I presented with breast sepsis at my local casualty. Further aspirates and several different types of antibiotics for 8 weeks cured the problem.

2 weeks after stopping the antibiotics I started getting right lower quadrant pain and presented to casualty as it was so bad. one dr said he thought it was my appendix another thought it was IBS as my bloods were ok.

I went back to my GP and she thought I had IBS. I insisted it wasn't as I have never had pain like this before. I had a whole heap of bloodtests done and an ultrasound and was referred to the GI team at my local hospital. All bloodtests came back normal with the exception of Folate defieciency. The US said I had a gallstone with some sludge so an MRCP was done. This also confirmed a cystic lesion on my Pancreas.

Before going to see the GI team my gp did a faecal calprotectin test as I was still symptomatic. The reading was 139 so indicative of inflammation, A Colonoscopy was organised and although normal in appearance the biopsies revealed inflammation in the terminal ileum. The Gi team suspect I have Crohns and now have organised a small bowel mri and capsule endoscopy. An Endoscopic ultrasound to take a sample of the cystic lesion for cytology

I have been unable to work for 3 months due to the pain, explosive bowels, tiredness and generally feeling very unwell. I also feel a bit depressed because I feel that I am not getting any better. Dr prescribed Mezavant 1200. I know its early days but day 3 I feel no benefit.

Dr asked me if I have been in contact with anyone who has TB and have read that GI TB can present symptoms of Crohns. Im sure I would have known if I had, also I had the BCG as a kid.

On a positive note I am not bleeding and I have not lost any weight. I am also rheumatoid factor positive.

Does anyone relate to my symptoms, Is there any advice anyone can give me?

 

[David]

Welcome to the community. I'm so sorry to hear of your struggles

Later age, sudden onset, no weight loss, and no bleeding would be a less common presentation but is of course possible. I would love to see the pathologist's report on the biopsies.

Do you have any neurological symptoms? By chance do you have horizontal hypopigmented lines across your nails? I realize you said you stopped, but are you still eating any of the Lighterlife food packs?

 

[Tracey1788]

I have stopped the lighterlife diet 2 years ago and have not used any packs since. I have an inflammation in both upper legs. Nails look normal in appearance although they feel hard. Neurological symptoms that I have is a feeling of unsteadiness, feeling like im going to fall down. Light-headedness, Difficulty concentrating and dry eyes. I have days where im symptomatic I cant eat and feel completely zoned out but I am drinking high calorific drinks.

I have a 2 year period when I was getting abscesses on my gums that eventually loosened teeth - no underlying cause. Dentist put it down to stress

Forgot to mention that I was diagnosed in 1995 with IBS following bouts of Constipation / Diarhoea post umbilical hernia / abdominoplasty

The infection I had in my breast was Streptococci mileri

 

[David]

I see they tested your folate levels, did they by chance test your vitamin B12 level? If so, what was it?

 

[Tracey1788]

I was not given the result by my Dr. She just mentioned I have a folate deficiency and has given me Folic acid to take for 4 months. She said it was diet related but I do eat all the right foods, just no dairy products. I should mention she took a lot of convincing to investigate my abdominal pain because she took the report from the ER that I had IBS.

It was only my insistence that got me further with my investigations and results so far. I only present to my GP when im so unwell she was surprsed when I informed her of those results. Now she takes me seriously. Back In January when I presented with sepsis I demanded urgent intervention after ER said I should get referred to a breast team. If I hadn't demanded treatment I wouldn't be alive today

My bloodtests were for B12, coaelic, lactose, lft, fbc, tsh diabetes from what I can remember

 

[nogutsnoglory]

It can be hard for some to get a concise diagnosis of Crohn's but it sounds like you do in fact have IBD. I'm sorry you have had to undergo all these tests and suffering.

It is not completely unusual to be diagnosed at your age. Crohn's can strike at any age but generally does kick in at a younger age.

"The onset of Crohn's disease has two age peaks: the first and largest peak occurs between the ages of 15-30 years; the second much smaller peak is between 60-80 years." http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/crohns-disease

 

[Tracey1788]

Im not sure if Truama could have brought my symptoms on because at the same time as having the Breast Sepsis I suffered a major shock. I am estranged from my volatile ex-husband and he has turned my children against me so I haven't seen them in a number of years.

I was at work and one of my collegues mentioned about a Helicopter crash in Vauxhall, London. As I used to live there I watched the news. It was then I found out one of my children had been injured. Without going into too much detail my Son Sami's car caught fire from the debris and I didn't know if he was alive or dead. Thankfully he is fine but it was the most awful time of my life. Thinking I was going to die of Breast cancer and that one of my 7 children had been killed. It wasn't until I got to ER that I found out which one of my children had been injured.

Maybe that's it?

I found out about the Rheumatoid Factor positive around 7 years ago when I presented with Pseudogout but apart from joint pains didn't have any other symptoms until this explosive bowel episode and I put that down to the side effects of being on a low calorie diet. It got so bad that I would have to carry spare clothes with me - just incase.