I had a colonoscopy after being on prednisone for 6 weeks. Can this affect the biopsy results?
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Colonoscopy while on prednisone
- Thread starter millerkat7801
- Start date
- Location
- New York, USA
Yes - being on any type of medication can. Prednisone should be helping with any symptoms/inflammation - however you could still have things going on that would show up in biopsies.
My biopsies came back normal. However I am wondering if the prednisone could have caused that. My symtpoms got better on the prednisone and worsened when I went off it. So I was started on it Again. All together I was on prednisone for 6 weeks (with a couple days off) when I was scoped.
- Location
- New York, USA
Does your doctor have any other plan for maintenance meds? Prednisone should not be a long-term solution, it is usually used to help achieve an ease in symptoms/remission. And yes, your results were probably skewed from having been on prednisone. I would have thought the doctor would want to do a scope while you were having symptoms to see what is actually going on.
I see him today. My symptoms started two months ago with bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, abd cramping. CT showed 60% of colon inflammed. Stool tests negative. And responded to prednisone. I don’t necessarily think that this was handled the best.
I see him today. My symptoms started two months ago with bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, abd cramping. CT showed 60% of colon inflammed. Stool tests negative. And responded to prednisone. I don’t necessarily think that this was handled the best.
He still thinks it is IBD due to the fact my symptoms get better on the prednisone and worse off of it. The plan is to finish tapering off the prednisone and see if I flare again. And if I do at that time do a capsule endoscopy and start an anti inflammatory while waiting for results.
I would very much like to be told that this is not IBD, but he won't tell me that. It is frustrating to think that it could be IBD and that once I am completely off the prednisone to just wait and see if my symptoms return. That to me is like living everyday worried that that day will be the day. How am I supposed to plan my life around that. I know if it is IBD I will have to figure that out but in that case hopefully I will be on medication.
The pred could have dulled the inflammation, resulting in a false negative. Or, you could be one of the special cases like I am and have very little inflammation in the lining of the colon and almost all of it in the small bowel or on the exterior surface of the colon - both places that a colonoscopy cannot detect.
One thing is certain: something isn't right. It can be a long and sometimes frustrating and tiring journey to get to a solution, but be persistent. If you can't get answers from one doctor, go see another. One thing a lot of us has learned is there is a lot of trial and error in medicine, especially that which relates to the digestive system.
One thing is certain: something isn't right. It can be a long and sometimes frustrating and tiring journey to get to a solution, but be persistent. If you can't get answers from one doctor, go see another. One thing a lot of us has learned is there is a lot of trial and error in medicine, especially that which relates to the digestive system.