Crohns & IBS

[oliviacole]

I have had Crohns now for about 12 years, My crohns has been active now for three months. My dr has put me on prednisone and humira--which has not yet worked (i am on my 4th injection next week). She thinks that I also have IBS-as the stricture I have in my small intestines is the same as it was a year ago. So now i am also taking librax. My life has been extremely stressful and I know that is what brought this all on (think divorce, 2 family members deaths and caring for 2 small ones under 5) in the last 6 months.

My question is--does anyone have the issue of having crohns and IBS? and if so-what do you do to calm it down? Also--any advice for stress/anxiety relief besides drugs? i have recently just been drinking ensure and eating very little--which seems to help, other than i am very hungry all the time!

thanks for any advice!

 

[Crohn's 35]

Hi Olivia (one of my favourite names btw) welcome. You are not a stranger to pain with 12 dx. Stress is not the cause but can aggrivate the gut. I triggers pain and meds to work differently, at least it did for me during stressful times, like a divorce, two sudden deaths and moving alot in the past.

MY Gi thinks I have IBS as well as Crohns because of pain not just being localized in one area. I used to use Buscopan but didnt do anything for me, but it could work for you. You need to eat, try small and mushy foods, well cooked no fats or dairy. Keep a diary if you can, to see what bothers you and what doesnt. Sometimes it has no rhyme or reason, it just does what the heck it likes. I dont use anxiety pills, just try to walk or exercising helps. Having two young ones is hard to. Take out time for you, ok? Glad you joined us, lots of advice and experiences from great people here!! Take care!

 

[imisspopcorn]

:welcome: Olivia....I would try some sort of relaxation exercises. Prayer helps for me, some people meditate or do yoga. I'm sure you have a hard time finding "me" time with two little ones, but it is important.....

This forum really helps to relieve my stress. There are many supportive and caring people here. It is a great place to learn new things and have a laugh.
Good luck.

 

[lucitcha]

Hi Olivia...
I don´t have a dx yet... but my doc is pretty sure I have IBS (so I´m treating it with medication) AND now we have comprovation of inflammatory activity in my bowels (which, according to him, doesn´t necessarily mean IBD, but could also be a number of things like food alergies and such). I have a duodenal ulcera and inflammated tissue though my whole ileum. It´s hard. Now he agreed to put me on mesacol (for the inflammatory process, whichever it is, let´s hope it works).

Exercising usually helps me with stress... I do tap dancing. But it´s hard to exercise in the middle of a crisis. I get pretty exhausted. My dog helps me a lot, too. Taking him for a walk, or just having him by my side.

Best wishes

 

[Nytefyre]

Hi Olivia,

Maybe meditation would help calm things down a bit. It's great to set aside even 5 minutes a day to sit in quiet reflection.

On the med front, maybe an antispasmodic like bentyl or hyoscyamine may help with the IBS issues.

 

[shazamataz]

Hi Olivia, I can't add much to what others have said but just wanted to welcome you to the forum

 

[oldcrohn]

Hi Olivia, I've been going through the IBD/IBS thing too. I've had Crohns for 25 years and keep insisting to my Gastro that it's Crohns. However, I did camera test and CT scans and they show mild Crohns. So my doc says he thinks I have IBS also, in addition to the Crohns. I'm on a bunch of drugs and he says he can't put me on anything stronger than Entocort because the tests don't warrant it. So he put me on Bentyl for spasms. Not helping. Olivia, I'm in so much pain, I want to scream! I went to the hospital last weekend thinking I had a blockage, that's how painful it was. Had CT and it showed mild Crohns and a possible narrowing but that's it. I'm beside myself with this pain and don't know what else to do.

 

[oldcrohn]

Also, I am having stress too. Reading you describing your stress makes me want to cry because I can't think of anything to help make you feel better. Picture of the ex to throw darts at? LOL...that's all I can think of....laughter. Put on a really funny show, Seinfeld, Friends, The Middle, Modern Family...and just laugh your head off! I also just keep hugging my puppies! Feel better Honey.

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi Olivia, welcome!

There is a website called The gut trust (google it). They are UK based but it is purely for things like IBS and has alot of useful info. I use peppermint tea to help with spasms and sip it slowly. It was my gastro ward when admitted that put me on to it and found it does help most times. Try to ensure you dont spend alot of time "scrunched up" i.e. curled with your knees up either sitting or lying as we tend to do it without realising as a sort of protection when in pain.

As some have mentioned already certain foods can trigger and I find eggs to be one of my culprits along with maize.

Keep posting and letting us know how you are getting on. Hope you start to improve soon. Welcome again. Thinking of you ((hugs))

 

[oldcrohn]

Hi Soupdragon, I see that you have suffered from IBS and I wanted to know if the pain is really, really severe...as bad as Crohns pain and would make you go to hospital?

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi JoAnn,

Welcome! Yep I have had pain bad enough to double me over with the IBS, can also make me nauseated. What I tend to find is the IBS pain is widespread across my abdomen and will "travel" with the loose stool. My crohns pain is more constant and focused - it can vary in intensity too.

I also find that if its the IBS the pain will peak and trough, can also improve after going to the loo. It is possible to have spasm with both conditions.

The way I found out about the IBS was during a 2.5wk admission with a flare. At the start of the admission I had 2 tests - CT scan and barium follow through that showed inflammation on top of the usual blood tests etc. This was treated with 2wks steroids and antibiotics IV. At the end of the 2wks I was still running to the loo multiple times with loose stool, pain etc. Had 2 more tests - white cell scan and another nuclear med scan. Both showed no inflammation at all and my blood tests had settled. Initially I felt they were saying it was all in my head and I was a hypochondriac and was really upset because I was so convinced it was my crohns. Once I had calmed down I realised through talking to my gastro nurse that it is possible to have both and many IBD folk suffer from both! Its just working out which is which and that can be tough!

Another thing I find is I may break out in a sweat with the IBS before going to the loo or be drained/exhausted after it but its not a "fever" type sweat if that makes any sense at all??

Hope my waffle has helped. Thinking of you. ((hugs))

 

[oldcrohn]

Hi Jan, thanks so much for writing to me. I love when you write "loo". So much nice than "head" or "bowel". I actually call it my office. Your story sounds EXACTLY like mine. Went to hospital sure that it was Crohns and they made me feel like I was crazy. Then I went to my Gastro the next day and HE made me feel like I was crazy. I am having a mixture of diarrhea/constipation. I go like crazy for a few day and then I can't go for five days. So much pain but it does feel like it's "all over" like you said. Dr. put me on Bentyn for cramps. Not helping yet but hopefully it will. I have fibromyalgia too and have always wondered if it was related to anything else. Do you take anything else for the IBS?

 

[soupdragon69]

Yep we have similar symptoms on the IBS front. I was prescribed Buscopan which to be honest I very very rarely take.

I am finding that my diet plays a huge role for me both with Crohns and IBS and am in the course of discussing my options with my gastro team now my remi has stopped since the turn of the year due to infection. I cant take any of the others like Azathioprine, Methotrexate or 6MP because they all affected my liver. So we either go down the dietary route and I am religious with it like before AND/OR look at something like Humira.

I do find that if my crohns plays up my asthma, IBS and skin all go mad. Having the admission I mentioned (which was back in June/July 07) really did help to identify things a bit better for me.

I see you had a hysterectomy due to Adenomyosis recently..... can I ask how recent? The reason I am asking is I wonder (ponders out loud here) if because of the recent surgery everything has been aggravated on the IBS front and along with post op pain you are also having gut spasm as a result? It can take some time to settle. It could be logically possible that because we have so much "gut" floating around in our abdomen that things have got a bit "grouchy" due to it all. Does that waffle make ANY sense at all??

On the fibro front and having done some research I believe it is possible for the two to be linked in some way. I also went to an in patient chronic pain management programme before xmas. One of the biggest things I came away with from the 4wk programme was once you pass the 3mth marker post acute injury, post surgery etc and still have ongoing severe pain that needs to be "managed" you then fall into the realms of "chronic pain" that can become life long and its about pacing yourself and managing things effectively enough to have a decent quality of life that is important to you. The draw back was many on the course were just dealing with the chronic pain and no other health issues so I had to take a somewhat larger overview of things.

Keep posting. PM me if you want any time. ((hugs))

 

[paxifaxi]

Reading this made me think I might have both Crohns and IBS as well. Do you think "Eathing for IBS" by Heather Van Vorous can be any help regarding the IBS or could this diet make the Crohns worse?

Here are trigger foods in the diet:
http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/trigger2.asp

I can really relate to this:
"Another thing I find is I may break out in a sweat with the IBS before going to the loo or be drained/exhausted after it but its not a "fever" type sweat if that makes any sense at all??"
I thought it was the way Crohns is?

 

[oldcrohn]

I briefly looked at the trigger foods list and it pretty much looked like very food on the face of the earth but will read it more thoroughly and I thank you. I get the sweating thing too and I think it's more related to diarrhea in general but I'm not sure.

Jan, I had my hysterectomy on 10/25 so it's been more than 4 months. I had mild Crohns activity on a CT right before my surgery and have been AWFUL after the surgery. I seem to get sick right away when I eat or take all my many meds. Sharp pains that come and go. That pain is higher and to the left. Then I get the burning coals directly under my belly button. That pain is burning and consistant and this is the pain that drove me to hospital. I'm not sure what's going on with me or where I should go next. My gastro just looks at me like and says "On all your tests, your Crohns is mild so I can put you on any more meds". So if I have IBS, I just have to live with it? Feel like I'm not getting answers and my husband is getting crazy. Thanks so much for your time and trying to help me when you have so much of your own stuff to manage

 

[exit4]

I also have crohns and IBS. IBS pain is more all over the belly and Crohn's pain in the same area - left side and rectum as I have Crohn's colitis. I am going on Humera to help with this pain and also hip pain.

 

[oldcrohn]

Great way to determine which one is giving me pain. Thanks so much and I hope the Humera helps you.

 

[xJillx]

I just saw my GI on Monday, and she believes I may have IBS along with my Crohn's. The reason for this is she feels that my pain moves around. However, I am skeptical, because I can specifically point out the three areas that give me problems. I was prescribed hyoscyimine to see if it helps. But I will be having the pill cam and a flex sig this month to make sure it isn't my Crohn's causing the pain.

 

[soupdragon69]

JoAnn are you due for review post surgery any time soon? Just thinking that it would be good for someone to check you out again... means then you can rule anything post op out again and go back and kick some butt at the gastro!

Its all very well saying your crohns is mild but you are the one suffering physically and he perhaps needs to think outside the box. Have you ever had any nuclear medicine scans like a white cell scan or bile salts reabsorption test or gastric emptying test? The first can show any inflammation, the second if you have crohns in your terminal ileum can show how much of your bile salts you reabsorb and could point to possible inflammation in that area as a result, the third looks at the speed your stomach empties and how fast the transit time is from there to your large bowel.

Have had all three of the above. It was actually the bile salts reabsorption test that pointed my gastro in the direction of crohns and where originally. He was also able to tell me that my stomach empties fast, food then slows down through the upper small bowel and then speeds up to the very fast end of normal in the lower small bowel. Helped me to understand why I run off to the loo mid meal at times!

Just pondering out loud as usual..... Do you have a dietitian with specific gastro interests to discuss things with? They can be a real life saver.

 

[oldcrohn]

Jan, you are helping me so so much and I appreciate it. I printed your reply with all the test names and I"m going to ask my Gastro about them. Monday I am having an MRI of my terminal illium to see if there is a stricture there that was kind of showing on a CT scan. When I see him, I'm going to go over all the tests. Also, that IBS site that Paxifaxi gave me is great. A lot of the symptoms seem to fit.

 

[mac4943]

Hello. I was told that I suffer from Crohn's and IBS. This is the information that I was given:

Crohn's is what causes bloody stool and cannot change from day to day. You don't just wake up one day with symptoms. The symptoms start out mild and increase over time. They also do not just stop rapidly....they diminish over time.

IBS can happen one day and be totally fine the next. Periods of constipation followed by watery stool is an IBS thing because constipation usually does not happen.

I have noticed that my symptoms are always caused by stress. I truly believe that prolonged stress (parent's divorce, both grandparents dying, moving to a new house, etc) caused my crohns. I had never had bowel problems before and suddenly they were there.

I also notice that if I am worried about something severe.....my symptoms start. (I had a huge fight with my boyfriend and almost immediately I had to go with watery stool....) That is definitely an IBS thing. The mind tummy reaction is IBS [that's what I was told]. Now.... chronic stress causes the IBS and prolonged IBS flares Crohn's. So a bout of IBS for a prolonged period of time can bring on a flare.

This all makes sense to me because of the HUGE mind body connection I seem to have. I have Crohn's for sure..... but being worried about something (and supposedly being in remission)... having issues for a day or two and then returning to normal.. that is not Crohn's.

I have found during either episodes gas relief tablets are the best thing. It gets rid of the bloating and a lot of times I think I need to go, it is only gas. It alleviates going to the bathroom for no reason. Dollar General sells a DG brand that is extra strength and work amazingly for me. I also take immodium but usually only on days where I know I absolutely need it (workdays). It does not stop me from going to the bathroom, but it slows down the action enough that I can make it to the bathroom without going in my pants.

Anyway.... either condition is stressful. I run and paint to relax. I also see a counselor and have been put on anti-anxiety meds which I believe have helped me because I used to obsess about where the nearest bathroom was.

Good luck and I hope my information helps!