Crohns questions

[jmj]

Hey guys! My name is Julie, I'm 23. Totally new to this forum. Just wanna ask some questions about Crohns. First off all, I'm form Norway - so, sorry if my english isn't the best

Earlier this year I started having bad stomach cramps, and I'm always constipated.
Every time I go to the bathroom I see loads of slime (mucus?) in my stool.
My first calprotectine came back at 1200. Next one 68, then a few weeks later at 1100.
My doctor is pretty sure that I have Crohns, but everything looked fine when I did the colonoscopy..

Right now I think I'm having a flare up again, cause my stomach pains are back, got no appetite, feeling nauseous, and I'm sooooooo extremely tired and weak!!

In the beginning of next month I'm going to swallow that thing with a camera on (don't remember what it's called in english).
Honestly, my biggest consern is that I will get the same answer as last time.. That everything is fine. I just know something is wrong!
And I just want someone with Crohns to tell me how likely it is that I have it.. I'm going nuts over here, cause I can't stop thinking about it, and searching for answers/other peoples stories, and comparing them to mine.

 

[ronroush7]

Welcome. I dont know for sure but since your doctor suspects it you might have Crohn"s. I hope the doctor comes uo with some definite answers for you. Please let us know.

 

[jmj]

Thank you
Reason I'm writing this, is because I don't have the typical diarrhea/blood in my stool.
When I search for crohns and constipation, there are very few articles about it.
My stomach pain is located above my bellybutton, and I have bad back pains as well as burning sensation under both my ribs.
Also forgot to mention that I often get these yellow lumps in the back of my throat.

Can anyone tell me what kind of symptomes you had before you got your diagnose, and if someone had (and have) the same symptomes as me?

 

[DustyKat]

Hi Julie and welcome.

As you have found, the most common go to symptoms for IBD that doctors look for are diarrhoea and blood. Now you are here though you will find that is not all that uncommon in the lead up to a diagnosis that some people don't have the blood/diarrhoea symptoms.

I don't have Crohn's, my two children do, and neither of them had blood or diarrhoea as a symptom and like you tended to constipation. When Crohn's is located in the small bowel constipation isn't unusual due to the size of the small bowel compared to that of the large bowel. It takes much less swelling and oedema from inflammation to narrow the aperture of the small bowel down and consequently cause constipation and blockage.

If you do indeed have Crohn's and it is located in the small bowel that may also explain why the scope was clear. Unless you have active disease located in the last 30cm or so of the terminal ileum/ileum the scope won't see it. That leaves about 570cm of unseen small bowel so hopefully the Pill Cam provides you with some answers.

My son had pain around his navel extending down to the right lower abdomen. My daughter experienced more upper abdominal pain (stomach) and back pain. They both suffered with nausea, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, and some other varying symptoms.

If you don't have your tonsils or recognise that they aren't the yellow lumps you are seeing at the back of your throat may be aphthous ulcers (mouth ulcers), another not uncommon symptom with IBD and these can be visually present in the throat and oral cavity.

Good luck! And i hope you are soon feeling better. :ghug:

 

[ronroush7]

Before i was diagnosed, i had hemorrhoids and a fistula that were operated on. It took longer than expected to heal from the surgeries. That led me to go to a doctor who determined i had Crohn's disease. As said above, not everyone's symptoms are the same.

 

[ronroush7]

Before i was diagnosed, i had hemorrhoids and a fistula that were operated on. It took longer than expected to heal from the surgeries. That led me to go to a doctor who determined i had Crohn's disease. As said above, not everyone's symptoms are the same.

 

[xmdmom]

Did you have blood work? An elevated Sed rate of CRP?

If the pill comes back normal, I'd ask the doctor to explain what else could be causing the symptoms and high fecal calprotectin. You could also get an MRE (MRI Enterography)which is also used to detect inflammation (if it's available where you live). I have read that infections and some other disorders can cause high fecal calprotectins but I don't know how high.