Do strictures cause pain?

[Octobergirl]

I have Crohn's colitis, and I had a flare recently where I have tried exclusive enteral nutrition to calm it, and I'm also on Imuran. Surprisingly the enteral nutrition worked brining my CRP down, and I've been in the process of trying to add foods back in, but keep having relapses. I have formed stools, but I get a lot of pain and pressure especially right before a bowel movement. Since the inflammation is gone, I'm wondering if I have strictures? My stool is more narrow and flat, and I feel like I really have to push a lot harder. At first I thought it may be because I haven't been eating foods with fiber, but now I'm wondering. I also wonder if I may have an anal stricture too.

For those who have them or know about them, can strictures without active disease cause pain from gas and or stool trying to pass through? And what procedures would I need to do to confirm that I have them?

 

[24601]

Strictures do often cause pain. I had a lot of a pain with my small bowel strictures but it is possible to have strictures without pain too - depending on the severity of the narrowing and also, as with everything, depending on the individual.

The narrow flattened stool is another potential sign of strictures and I would certainly talk to your GI about that too.

Because my strictures have always been in the small bowel they were confirmed by barium follow through (in the 90s and early 00s) and more recently by MRI. I'm not sure what the best method for imaging the colon to look for strictures would be but maybe someone with experience of that will come by.

 

[Octobergirl]

Thanks for the input, 24601. I made an appointment with my GI. I'm really scared about potentially having a rectal or anal stricture. I guess I'll see what the tests say.

 

[shamrock15]

I have a rectal stricture, been living with it probably for decades. It can be managed without too much issue. My GI makes a point of doing dilatations when I get my scopes. In the long run though, there is a chance that it may lead to an ostomy. If you have had issues with strictures before, there is a chance of this. My crohn's is the stricturing type, but remicade has done a really good job of keeping it under control for me.