Crohn's?

[yellowbird07]

I've been going through a long battle of constant aches and pains all over my body (I'm 20 & feel like I'm 60), nausea so bad I can barely function, & recently diarrhea. I'm new to the world of insurance & going to the Dr. but all these symptoms pushed me there. Along with those symptoms, I found out I had a fever of 100.1 when my temperature was taken in the exam room. My Dr. suggested blood tests because of my symptoms, which then came back normal. I felt discouraged because I thought the blood tests would finally find out what has been going on with my body, & so I wrote it off as a bad cold. Now two months later the diarrhea has gotten worse & has not stopped. I'm passing what seems to be undigested food (ex: I eat a salad & out comes lettuce leaves & diarrhea), and a small amount of blood on toilet paper. Now more recently I noticed a small amount of blood in my stool & a larger amount of blood (about quarter size, sometimes larger) on toilet paper. Does this sound like Crohn's? I know everyone experiences it differently & I need to see a Dr. to be properly diagnosed but I want to know if Crohn's is something I should bring up to my Dr. when I go again.
Also I would like to add that the diarrhea comes with bad stomach cramps & some times I can not leave my house for hours at a time due to the sudden oncoming. I've been late to work numerous times & have had to drive home on "15 minute" breaks just to use the bathroom because I'm so embarrassed.. the fatigue & aches are getting so out of control I can barely function a normal life..

Also, I would love to know what everyones symptoms were when you first started realizing something was wrong.

 

[Nico85]

Hi there
My symptoms were blood in the toilet pan, fatigue and the constant feeling of needing the toilet. I would get really scared and anxious in my work if i was working somewhere that didnt have a toilet close by and would find myself nipping off every half hour to go tot he loo but 90% of the time nothing would come out. Just a cramping sensation.

After well over a year of this i finally built up the courage to go to the docs and he popped a finger up to make sure it wasnt hemmeroids, and when he saw it wasnt, i was sent to the hospital for blood tests, colonoscopy and biopseys and there was found to be severe inflammation. I was put on a high dose of pred steroids and a drug called asacol and i was back to work within weeks. Although most of my symptoms faded and my inflammation was coming down rapidly, i still had the urge to go to the toilet every 30 mins and it was having a big effect on my work. I work on the tools building warships and there are no working toilets on board, so with a little help from the human resourses, my doctor and the union, i was offered a job in the management offices with a toilet 10 feet away. Its givin me a new lees of life and i feel great now. Prob going to the toilet once a day and its later on at night.

So if i had to diagnose you then id say you defo have IBD but probably Ulcerative Colitis

 

[Dexky]

Hi Bird, welcome!! Yes, those symptoms are very common with IBD. If the blood is bright red, it could come from hemmies but dark blood, or dried, flaky blood comes from higher up. The undigested food(especially lettuce or other raw veggies) is also very common on here. I think you need more than blood tests, it's scope time I think!! Good luck!

 

[Astra]

Hiya Yellowbird
and welcome

Just to concur with the others, it could be an IBD if there's blood, but you've got to get a referral to an IBD specialist from your GP to eliminate it.
Blood work can/may come back normal, this is common, so you'll need more invasive testing done like Mark said, a colonoscopy for example.
In the meantime check out our diet and fitness forums and stay away from salad!
Check out the low residue diet, this will help to reduce some symptoms and give your bowels a rest in the short term.
Fatigue is a killer! Your immune system is out of whack and is working overtime. Result= instant fatigue. Ask for your B12 to be checked too, and for anaemia, all common deficiencies with inflammation.
The aches and pains, joint pain etc are extra intestinal manifestations of an IBD, inflammation is running riot thro your body.
Keep insisting and persisting with your GP, and don't be fobbed off with the IBS label, you do not bleed with IBS
good luck and
lotsa luv
Joan xxx

 

[David]

Greetings and welcome! I agree with the others above who feel it's time to get a colonoscopy. I'd insist upon it if I was you.

To clarify, 31% of IBS patients have blood in stool at some point, often from bleeding hemorrhoids according to the following research - Fass R, Longstreth GF, Pimentel M, et al. (2001). "Evidence- and consensus-based practice guidelines for the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome". Arch. Intern. Med. 161 (17): 2081–8. doi:10.1001/archinte.161.17.2081. PMID 11570936

But if I had blood in my stool and the symptoms you have, I would be getting scoped ASAP.

All my best to you!

 

[lookitsjen]

Agree with everyone else here. you need to see a specialist and get scoped because lots of times blood tests come back normal or the doc just says you have IBS. I took that crap from my general doctor for 3 years before my symptoms got so bad that i finally saw a specialist who diagnosed me with severe crohn's. The best advice I can offer is BE PERSISTENT. don't take no for an answer. ask for a referral to a specialist and don't stop until you get one. GOOD LUCK

 

[susie.95]

Everyone is different in the sense that everyone's symptoms are different.
My symptoms are some in the same but I cannot eat anything and I am on TPN which is total parental nutrition. It is very stressful and it will take time for the doctors to put together what is wrong but hang in there.
I have had a rough road and im only 15.
Dont worry someone will find out whats wrong !