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Diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, but think I may have Crohns....please help

katielj

katielj

I'm a 33 female; I've always had a sensitive stomach, but during the pregnancy (of my now two year old), my symptoms were all over the place... constipation, bleeding, mucus, diarrhea & the feeling of not emptying my bowel. My symptoms continued after the birth of my son, but my lack of faith in Dr's left me to just "deal with it". After gentle persuasion from my husband I finally went to see a specialist who scheduled me for a colonoscopy in May; he diagnosed me with Ulcerative Colitis and prescribed me with Lialda.

My symptoms initially subsided, but randomly they will flare up (even while taking my medication). I just found out I'm pregnant again, so I stopped taking my medication. The very next day my symptoms have been worse than ever: excessive bleeding, the urge to go but nothing but mucus or pink 'stuff' coming out, pain when I have a bowel movement, the feeling of not emptying my bowels and I even passed a blood clot. On a side note I often get mouth ulcers - typically at the back of my throat or by my tonsils.

I have been looking up the symptoms online and I believe mine sound more like Crohns. Does anyone agree? Also I often read that people will have a time of remission of months even years, I have not experienced any relief in the last two years. I don't know what to do, I'm starting to get depressed and am worried for my unborn baby's health as well as mine.

Any advice, insight....anything would be much appreciated.
 
nogutsnoglory

nogutsnoglory

Moderator
Many of the symptoms are similar between crohns and colitis as they are sister diseases. It is more common to have more bleeding with ulcerative colitis however. Your symptoms don't strike me as sounding anymore like crohn's than colitis and you did have a colonoscopy. If Lialda is not working you should discuss a new treatment option so you don't continue suffering.

Here is some info about bleeding with IBD: http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/crohnsdisease/a/Rectal-Bleeding-And-Ibd.htm

I hope you find a treatment that will help quell your symptoms.
 
K

Kev

Senior Member
Location
Halifax, NS, Canada
I have both... and I couldn't differentiate. Sometimes the doctors can't. The only time it really becomes super important to distinguish between one and the other is if surgery is being touted as a 'cure'. If you have UC, and the remove the colon, your UC is cured, gone. But if you have Crohns Colitis, and they surgically remove your colon, then there is a very strong possibility that you will next have Crohns Disease. It will only make a bad situation worse. The other thing... UC spreads widely, evenly, and sometimes rapidly (which is why the bleeding from it can be so... intense) but the scarring from it doesn't run deep. All of my colon was affected, but now the only scar tissue I have is from my Crohns... and it is pretty intensive, pretty nasty (there are photos of mine on here someplace, they illustrate just how much damage this disease can do, but they aren't for the squeamish). Those scars, and the pain that goes with them, is considered permanent.
 
katielj

katielj

Thank you so much for your response Kev.

I am so sorry to hear you have both UC & Crohns, I can't imagine you daily struggles dealing with it. I hope you are currently healthy and are keeping your symptoms under control.

...talking of that... how do you keep the flare-ups at bay, WITHOUT medication? Are there any herbal/natural supplements you have tried and would recommend?

Thanks again.
Katie

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