Can you have Crohns and IBS?

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Yep, I've read it here and I actually asked that yesterday at the doc because my case is difficult still, it's actually not that uncommon. One issue can also aggravate the other.

One thing that was also reiterated to me at the same visit though, that I asked once again because Ulcerative Colitis is now back on the radar in a big way (long story) for me, is can you have both UC and Crohn's, and yet another GI told me no that one precludes the other (I have heard once or twice of other GI's telling other patients you can have both)...

So anyways, in regards to treating IBS or treating the Crohn's, it would seem logical that treating one could improve both, then...
 
Yes, you can quite conceivably have both IBS and Crohn's. I was told at one point I possibly had both but then my diagnosis went the Crohn's way. Although some IBS and Crohn's symptoms are similar there are a few, such as rectal bleeding which are not associated with IBS.

I know a lot of people say IBS is greatly triggered by stress and it's only natural with a disease like Crohn's that you'd be stressed with all you have to put up with!
 
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Hmm ok I have heard its possible to have IBS and Crohn's but I have been told by my GI (although he was wrong about a lot of things) that Colitis is just the imflamation, ulcers,.... in the large intestine and Crohn's is in more than one place? Have I been misled this whole time?
 
I think you got it somewhat backwards, crazycanuck. UC affects just the surface layers of the digestive tract, but it tends to be spread throughout. Crohn's affects the deeper layers of tissue, often forming fistulas and abscesses, but tends to be localized to one specific region. Some unlucky people, however, have Crohn's throughout their digestive system.
 
...while IBS is a whole different issue, and does not present iflammation, ulcers. It´s a syndrome where the bowel "can´t move the right way", provoking symptoms which are similar to Crohn´s/Colitis, but without the complications and cirgical procedures, etc.
I guess someone can be unlucky and have both IBS and IBD (Crohn´s/Colitis).
IBS is usually treated with much more simple medication.
 
Thank you Shady but I have been diagnosed with Crohn's and have it in the tail end of my small intestine/opening to large intestine which apparently is very common, and then a very large and problematic area near the end of my large intestine and into the neather regions.
 
Sorry Canuck, I was wrong in what I said. I googled Crohn's vs. UC and while it is ture that Crohn's affects the deeper layers and UC is on the surface, it appears that UC is mostly found in the colon and sometimes the small intestine, while Crohn's can be anywhere. What I was confused by is that Crohn's tends to be concentrated in small patches, where UC is spread across an entire region, not the entire digestive tract. Maybe this link can help clarify:

http://www.gitract.info/articles/intestinal-disorders/ulcerative-colitis/index.php

Sorry for giving faulty information. I hope I didn't confuse anyone :eek2:
 
Crohn's can affect any part of the entire GI tract from mouth to anus, UC is limited to the colon'rectom only. One reason why CD is considered worse.

Crohn's can affect the many layers of the intestinal lining which can lead to fistulas/perforations, UC is limited to affecting the surface of the intestinal lining, this is another reason why CD is cosidered more dangerous/worse than UC.

With UC the inflammation surrounds the entire affected area, that can be just a single spot or multiple spots in the colon or the entire colon (pan colitis)...with CD the area(s) that are inflammed have a distinctive pattern of inflammation that includes healthy tissue with inflamed tissues.

Basically the extraintestinal manifestations of both CD and UC are the same, eye, skin, bone and joint issues.

Wtih crohn's affecting the colon (referred to as crohn's colitis) there is an icreased risk of having issues with fistulas (thankfully nothing is written in stone cuz I've never had one, knocking on wood I never do) but perianal crohn's skin tags (which I do have) are more common for those with crohh's colitis than those that have CD affecting their small bowel/intestines only. Perianal crohn's skin tags are never associated with UC and fistulas are super rare for UC as well since with UC the inflammation remains on the surface only.

And yes, you can definitely have both IBD and IBS, some docs disagree, even some patients disagree but considering they are 2 different entities that have similar symptoms doesn't mean one couldn't have both...my GI who is one of the top lead researchers for crohn's and colitis, knows his stuff (I've had 4 GI's in my 18 yrs of having IBD) and he told me that he suspected I developed IBS along the way, I believe him...he mentioned that it's not uncommon for an IBDer to develop IBS as well especially for those IBDers that have long lasting flares, severe flares and/or frequent flares.

I hope this helps :)
 
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huh well that does clear things up and no worries shady I don't mind being mislead now and then hahaha im just kidding about that. But makes sense why my doc thought I was developing it in my mouth but I actually just bit my cheek by accident and cut it.....she thought it was an ulcer haha....Thanks for the info guys.
 
Shadycat said:
it appears that UC is mostly found in the colon and sometimes the small intestine, while Crohn's can be anywhere.
Click to expand...

Actually as PB4 said, UC cannot be in the small intestine. Ulcerative Colitis has the term "Colitis" in it, which means "inflammation of the colon" and due to that, it's strictly defined and limited to the colon, which means if inflammation creeps out of the colon/rectum to anything higher than the colon, it can't be UC anymore. Just wanted to clarify that, as PB4 did. :)
 
I have been told I have both as well - no fun. I'm thinking antispasmodics are the most common meds given to people with IBS. They usually prescribe lots of fiber for IBS as well - which of course we cannot have.
 
I´m on a medication called Lonium (it´s Otilonium Bromide - I don´t know if the brand is the same outside Brazil), and I feel a lot better. I´m also taking a medication for heartburn, since I get it real bad.
My crisis are much shorter now, they are lasting like 2-3 days when I get them. I´m taking the meds in experimental basis, since we´re still struggling with diagnose, and the doc thinks I might also have Crohn´s.
My GI says this medications work like a chemical pacemaker for the bowels. Since our body don´t send the correct chemical information for the bowel movements - with awful results - the medication just substitutes that information, and takes place of the body´s chemical in sending that info. Because of that, the bowels start moving correctly - or at least in a better way.
 
Yeah, my GI asked me wether I had "fiber issues", ´cause he wanted to try that too. I told him I just can´t have fibers, he agreed not to prescribe it.
 
They told me for years I had IBS when in fact it was IBD! I don't believe I ever had IBS and it was Crohns all along - One doctor said you can have both but I don't believe that was me - I was completely normal all my life until one day I got horribly sick and went down hill very fast -
 
Here's a great example, my 19 yr old (soon to be 20) daughter has been having gut issues fsince she was 15ys old and she's been in for all the tests, colonoscopy, endoscopy, ect and they haven't found anything (yet and hopefully it won't turn into to IBD either) so for now they are treating her as having severe IBS...they've given her an antidepressant that they use as a cross-over drug to help treat IBS, it's called "Amitriptyline"...her GI told it could take around 2 months to kick in...and plans to scope her again in about 4-5 months since they feel that she may be on the verge of developing an IBD (either CD or UC).

It's so hard to say, I guess cuz they just don't know enough yet and it varies so much from person to person. I was a quick and easy DX CDer, oddly enough though, my CD stared with the perianal crohn's skin tags, oddly enough as well, when I was about 15 but I had absolutely no other IBD issues at all (or IBS) I went to the bathroom normally, this is why all the GP's that saw my skin tags told me they were just hemmies (of course they weren't though)....so in essence my CD started on the anus with the tags, not internally (or in the small intestines like it typically does) and yet here I am, a mess.

I just hope like heck my daughter doesn't end up with an IBD and if she does have IBS I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that the antidepressant they've put her on for it will kick in soon and help her completely.

They say that to aid with IBS symptoms, getting enough (not necessarily too much though) fibre daily and regular daily exercise and alterning your diet like avoiding processed foods, greasy foods, spicey, animal fats and sugar including sugar substitutes (especially sugar alcohols, anything ending in "tol", sorbitol, and stress reduction ect, can help control IBS for many people. Oddly enough some of those very same tips are suppose to aid with IBD as well.


Just a side note, has anyone else noticed the site running really super slow right now?

:)
 
Yes PB - thought it was going to crash about half an hour ago. Left and came back to find my last post had posted 4 times. The server must be having issues.

Keeping my fingers crossed your daughter only has IBS and that the treatment will work for her!
 
Thank you Peaches...I thought at first is was just my "puter" acting up but realized that when I went to other "favorites" they loaded up just fine...it's working great here now thank goodness....and I appreciate you keeping your fingers crossed for my dear daughter, very sweet of you.

:)
 
I know the shoes you are in!! My daughter is struggling with gut stuff too and I just keep telling myself not to worry too much. If it is "it", that will come out sooner or later - why worry myself to death over it :O)
 
Well good luck to both you guys then. I hope both your daughters feel better, I'm sorry they are struggling but with parents like you guys on here already getting info and experiencing it yourselves they are already on the right track to getting this solved and better. I hope to god my kids (when I have kids) won't have anything like it but I know if they do this is the first place I'm pointing them towards. Good luck to you two both and good luck to your daughters as well.
 
Oh Peaches I'm sorry about your daughter as well, I didn't realize you're in the same shoes as I am (((HUGS))), I know exactly what you mean...I'm keeping fingers crossed for your daughter as well.

Thank you crazycanuck for your kind words and wishes...and of course I hope none of your future children will have to deal with this crummy disease either.

:)
 
Ah - I can offer something here. I have been diagnosed with Crohn's after colonoscopy and biopsy - apparently absolutely no question on the diagnosis, but my GI thinks that my most recent flare actually went into remission but TRIGGERED IBS... mad becuase the symptoms are exactly the same and Pred has been really effective in settling things.

It kind of makes sense though, if you are flaring and your bowels are struggling, that even after the inflammation has settled they could remain all out of sync and carry on spasming and dumping their contents?

My only difficulty with this diagnosis is the fact that the pred I started two weeks ago has given me so much relief - My understanding was that pred doesn't work on spasms, it works on inflammation? Also when I tried immodium (which is supposed to be effective for IBS) it just made me really ill...

I had a new colonoscopy on Thursday and visual inspection actually suggests remission - whoop whoop (just waiting for biopsy results), and I am having a nuclear scan next Thurs to see if there is inflammation they can't see? In the meantime I am just enjoying the benefits of the pred before I start the taper next week... eek!

Weird isn't it? I wish I could see inside my own body.... I wish I could just fix it myself! I wish my GI was a magician! I hate being so confused about what is going on with me!

Ah well, I should take comfort from the fact that I haven't murdered any facilities for two days - Pred rocks!

Lishyloo
 
Definitely a weird disease with crohn's, cuz even if your colon shows clear of inflammation, that's not to say that it might not be affecting the small intestines and with so many nooks and crannies in there even with a small bowel follow through the smallest amount of inflammation (which can still cause grief with symptoms) may not be detected...That's what makes it so much harder having CD compared to UC, cuz the stupid inflammation can be anywhere in the GI tract and in more than one area at a time too.

I agree about the pred, many people hate it, I never got much for side effects from it, just quick relief, which was short-lived but it was nice while it lasted, now I don't even respond to it anymore :( Oh well, at least the naturals, fibre supplement, diet altering and exercising I do have helped some.

I'm really glad your colon was clear though, I hope it's not hiding somewhere in your small intestines or anywhere else either...be sure to update on what you find out.


:)
 

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