Colitis from colonoscopy?

[sness]

I had a colonoscopy in the summer. This was my third regularly scheduled colonoscopy. I was told everything was fine. Nothing to report. Healthy.

Within a few days, my system changed completely from anything I had ever experienced. By October, my condition was so extreme that I was told I needed another colonoscopy. The results were that I now had colitis. Did I get this disease from my colonoscopy?

 

[muppet]

Why are you having regularly scheduled colonoscopies in the first place? Are you in your 50s? Family history?

While the cause(s) of colitis and Crohn's is/are still not fully understood, it's unlikely to the point of impossibility that you got this disease from a procedure.

 

[acheallova]

Hi sness and welcome to the forum.
It is highly unlikely; however, depending on the number of colonoscopies you are having in a certain time period, and the unknown causes of crohns disease, there may be a correlation in the disruption of mucosa and normal flora. This wouldn't be a definite, or even called such, but i would talk to a GI about your concerns. Hope you feel better. Stay positive! - hugs-

 

[wild_one353]

i had a colonoscopy and already had symptoms of crohns disease, but there were all located in the colon, within two weeks of the colonoscopy i now had symptoms in my small intestines. I believe the air that they force into the gi tract to dilate it for the colonoscope opened the ileocecal valve and whatever bacteria was left in some fecal matter had moved into my small intestine to make a new home and start making toxins.

its possible that something similar happened to you in your case, but the bacteria that was introduced came from the environment in the operating room, but only because you may have already had a susceptability to getting gi issues in the first place, in a normal healthy person, this would not have happend, colonoscopy would not do this on its own.

other then that it also could have been a coincidence, and unrelated to the colonoscopy.

 

[David]

What sort of colitis did they diagnose you with? If it is Ulcerative Colitis, then no, it isn't from the colonoscopy. If it was colitis due to an acute infection of something like c.diff, then yes, it's possible.

 

[muppet]

D'oh. It didn't even dawn on me that it may be acute rather than chronic colitis he's talking about. Tunnel vision on my part. :-/