Hi
Just looking for a bit of advice off people, who suffer with Crohn's. I have always thought that diarrhoea and pain were the primary symptoms, however I have recently read about a lady who suffered constipation as her primary symptom. Which brings me here asking for advice.
My story (apologies for the length)
For the last 10 years until 2013. I have suffered with alternating diarrhoea/constipation and bouts of severe bloating. The diarrhoea would be very crampy and painful and looked like porridge (sorry tmi). It would wake me in the night and I'd be literally sweating on the toilet. This would pass then I'd be normal for weeks, even months, then I might have an episode of constipation etc..
Went to the doctors got diagnosed with Ibs
Fast forward 8 years (2013)
Started experiencing joint pain, that moved around my body. Started in my wrists, moved to my knees, then my hips. The knee joint was so swollen, I couldn't bend my knee. Had x-Rays which were normal. Got tested for everything ie lupus, RA etc all normal. Except my rheumatoid factor was 19?
Discovered I had a B12 deficiency and that I was anemic. The joint pain was put down to this and I was issued b12 injections.
I quit smoking, now this is where my story changes.
As from the 21st February 2013 - I have been seriously constipated. It has never gone away and I have taken laxatives daily. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don't. There has been odd bouts of diarrahea, but I think this is overflow. I also have severe bloating daily. I wake up bloated, and I go to bed severely bloated.
After repeatedly going back and fourth the doctors for a year and trying every known laxative to man. I have eventually been referred to a gastroenterologist and a rheumatologist for the joint pain which has still not gone away despite b12 injections.
She thinks I have a slow transit constipation and tried to give me a script for laxatives, which I've already tried. A recent blood test showed I was anemic again, So she has also ordered a sigmoidoscopy.. Which I'm having next week.
If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading..so I suppose my question is could this be Crohn's or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Any advice would be gladly received, I'm at my wits end...
Just looking for a bit of advice off people, who suffer with Crohn's. I have always thought that diarrhoea and pain were the primary symptoms, however I have recently read about a lady who suffered constipation as her primary symptom. Which brings me here asking for advice.
My story (apologies for the length)
For the last 10 years until 2013. I have suffered with alternating diarrhoea/constipation and bouts of severe bloating. The diarrhoea would be very crampy and painful and looked like porridge (sorry tmi). It would wake me in the night and I'd be literally sweating on the toilet. This would pass then I'd be normal for weeks, even months, then I might have an episode of constipation etc..
Went to the doctors got diagnosed with Ibs
Fast forward 8 years (2013)
Started experiencing joint pain, that moved around my body. Started in my wrists, moved to my knees, then my hips. The knee joint was so swollen, I couldn't bend my knee. Had x-Rays which were normal. Got tested for everything ie lupus, RA etc all normal. Except my rheumatoid factor was 19?
Discovered I had a B12 deficiency and that I was anemic. The joint pain was put down to this and I was issued b12 injections.
I quit smoking, now this is where my story changes.
As from the 21st February 2013 - I have been seriously constipated. It has never gone away and I have taken laxatives daily. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don't. There has been odd bouts of diarrahea, but I think this is overflow. I also have severe bloating daily. I wake up bloated, and I go to bed severely bloated.
After repeatedly going back and fourth the doctors for a year and trying every known laxative to man. I have eventually been referred to a gastroenterologist and a rheumatologist for the joint pain which has still not gone away despite b12 injections.
She thinks I have a slow transit constipation and tried to give me a script for laxatives, which I've already tried. A recent blood test showed I was anemic again, So she has also ordered a sigmoidoscopy.. Which I'm having next week.
If you've gotten this far, thanks for reading..so I suppose my question is could this be Crohn's or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Any advice would be gladly received, I'm at my wits end...