Barium X-ray not too good results.

[FruitLoop]

Hi - I had a colonoscopy a few weeks back which showed a stricture at the site of the current flare up.

I had a barium x-ray on FRiday which showed a 20cm stricture.

Now my consultant was hoping to do a balloon inflation but that is hell of a stricture so not conducive to balloons.

I see my consultant on Tuesday.

So I am in a bit of a mess really:ybatty:

So far I have taken 6MP which made me soooooo ill and also metronidazole (Flagyl) which also made me feel like crap.

I am taking budesonide (entocort) and pentasa sachets.

The consultant is going to put me on a replacement med for the 6MP but no idea what as i also cannot take AZA as it makes me ill:ymad:

Has anyone had a stricture ? What hapened with it ?

Anyone had stictureplasty surgery ?

I am in a major stress about it all now.

 

[Creepy Lurker]

My stricture is about 9 inches, so that's 22 cm.

Currently, I'm doing ok with a low residue diet, although if that doesn't work then it'll be either a totally liquid diet for a while, or surgery.

When the strictures get as bad as ours, they generally remove the affected areas as corrective surgery creates more scarring which will likely make things worse.

 

[mikeyarmo]

Hi Fruit Loop,

There are no definitive rules on how to treat strictures based on size. I had surgery on my stricture that was half your size (10cm) while Creepy Lurker is able to manage through a special diet. Medications (of increasing strength) and diet are used first to try and treat the condition first. If you are doing well on these (symptoms are managable or are not getting worse) then no further action is needed. If the stricture becomes so tight that no food can pass or there is a blockage, then surgery will need to be performed. Otherwise it is possible to live with the stricture for a long time if it is not overly impacting your life.

I had a resection of my intestines done to remove the stricture, which is cutting out the affected area of the intestine and sewing the healthy parts together. This is a more aggressive approach than a strictureplasty as the intenstine is removed fully. Since the infected area is gone though I believe that this type of surgey usually has a lower reoccurence rate than strictureplasty, which may require additional surgeries (including a resection possibly).

Overall though this type of surgery is quite common for people with IBD, and your doctor or surgeon will discuss with you the options you have. If they don't, ask them why they are recommending a certain surgey over other possibilities or ask what the alternatives are. I understand this is stressful, but I can tell you that I have had a few very healthy years since my resection and it was the best thing to improve my health and quality of life.

 

[soupdragon69]

Hey Claire,

I had a barium last wednesday morn. My gastro nurse mailed me and said it was normal. Last summer they told me I had a long narrowed section in my ileum. Now either the remicade has resolved things or sommat has been missed. I am hoping its the first!

I see my cons Tues morn before he does my scope (oh joy). So will see what he says then.

Hope they sort you out soon.

 

[Guest]

hi Claire. sorry to hear about the results - i haven't had a stricture (at least, i don't think i have one - will find out after my colonoscopy next month) so i don't have any experience or advice to offer you. but, just wanted to offer my support & hope things improve for you soon.

 

[Isla]

Well there are different causes of strictures in CD 1) Active inflammation 2) Scar tissue. If yours is due to the current flare / inflammation chances are if you can control the flare you control the stricture, thereby eliminating it. If it is scar tissue no medication will reduce or eliminate the stricture.

I suffer from partial bowel obstructions and I cannot stress to you how important it is to know the signs of intestinal blockage, because if not careful your bowel can get perfed. The signs are pretty apparent first you get D followed by very active gas, because your body is trying to overcome the obstruction itself. The pain will increase as your body tries harder and harder to overcome it.

So I am hoping it is caused by your current flare and meds will make it go away! Thinking of you.

 

[FruitLoop]

Thanks guys - I had a resection 3 years ago and have had a great 3 years.

I am in a lot of pain at the moment and just want to be back to normal - which is what we all want but never seem to get !!

Although those 3 years post op I was as normal as I ever could be !

 

[saidinstouch]

Have they tried giving you pred? I know we all hate the stuff, but sometimes getting the pred to knock the inflammation down short term (like taper after 4 weeks and be off it about 2-3 months later) can give you relief you need and let your body heal with the other drugs. It definitely did the trick for me when I had about 8 inches of severely inflammed colon + parts of my terminal ileum back in january. I know we all hate the stuff with a passion, but if I had to choose surgery or 3-4 months of pred I think I'd choose the pred!

 

[FruitLoop]

Have they tried giving you pred? I know we all hate the stuff, but sometimes getting the pred to knock the inflammation down short term (like taper after 4 weeks and be off it about 2-3 months later) can give you relief you need and let your body heal with the other drugs. It definitely did the trick for me when I had about 8 inches of severely inflammed colon + parts of my terminal ileum back in january. I know we all hate the stuff with a passion, but if I had to choose surgery or 3-4 months of pred I think I'd choose the pred!

I like pred because it makes me really happy and bouncy:tongue:

I was initially on pred but he took me off it to go onto budesonide.

The budesonide is only just holding this flare up in check so i am thinking maybe pred would be better.

I see him this afternoon so not long to wait.

 

[saidinstouch]

Is the stricture specifically in your terminal ileum and just beyond it in your ascending colon? The budesonide works amazingly if that is where your flare is and you don't have inflammation to begin with. The pred really seems to have a greater effect at knocking inflammation down once it is already there so that your maintenance meds can do the job they are meant to do. If you can get the flare to go away for a month or two then the budesonide should work better (assuming your stricture is in the right location).

 

[egar]

Hey fruitloop - have just joined the forum and was wondering if it was an MRI scan they gave you (the big tunnel thing?). I had that on Thursday and I'm still really anxious and upset. Worst thing of all is I'm so squemish it's ridiculous. I'm now in panic mode in case they want to operate (don't know results but I know somethings wrong). Been on prednisolene since october last year and can't get lower than 15mg. Have managed to make myself faint twice since yesterday about getting operated on.............................. stupid huh - I hate Crohn's.

 

[FruitLoop]

Hey fruitloop - have just joined the forum and was wondering if it was an MRI scan they gave you (the big tunnel thing?). I had that on Thursday and I'm still really anxious and upset. Worst thing of all is I'm so squemish it's ridiculous. I'm now in panic mode in case they want to operate (don't know results but I know somethings wrong). Been on prednisolene since october last year and can't get lower than 15mg. Have managed to make myself faint twice since yesterday about getting operated on.............................. stupid huh - I hate Crohn's.

Hi - it was a barium x-ray that found the stricture.

Don't stress over the surgery - i had 3 foot removed in a "cut and shunt" 3 year ago and felt amazing.