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Does this sound like Crohns?

Hello everyone

I got diagnosed with Crohn's on Monday and it was a bit of a shock to say the least. I've spent the last few days scaring myself with horror stories on the internet but i'm not actually convinced i've been diagnosed correctly. The uncomfortableness i have began in January (as testicular pain) and has developed into a daily right-sided pain which is ultimately affected by movement. If i sit still on the sofa i don't really have any pain at all. I only get diarrhea about once a month, which has always been normal for me.

Maybe i'm still in denial but after reading other peoples symptoms i just feel that what i have could possibly have something else. I don't really have much confidence in the nhs in Northern Ireland, so far they have told me it was a Urinary Infection, Appendicitus, IBS, Prostatitus (i had no symptioms of this at all), and a Hernia.

Just wondering what your opinions are on this, does it sound like Crohn's Disease or am i right to be sceptical? Thanks in advance
 
How were you diagnosed? Did you have an endoscopy and colonoscopy? It is fairly common to be diagnosed with other things before they finally realise it is crohns.
 
I had a CT Scan which the doctor said showed some thickening in part of the intestine, something to that effect. He said i might need an x-ray to confirm. He has put me on Entocort Capsules and set up an appointment for 8 weeks time. Do you think i should request a colonoscopy when i see him again?
 
I would think a colonoscopy would be helpful, usually biopsies are done during that to confirm the diagnosis. Did you have blood tests? That also can help confirm the diagnosis.
I don't fit all the symptoms listed for Crohn's either. I was diagnosed in 1995 with a colonoscopy but my current doc doesn't believe the diagnosis is accurate so I am waiting to see a new GI doc on June 12th to see what I have going on. I don't get diarrhea hardly at all, I am usually constipated. My pain is also almost all in the right side of my abdomen. My CT and MRI were clear.

I think Crohn's is hard to diagnose but it sounds like the doc is open-minded to it and has you on medications which will hopefully help your symptoms, especially the pain. If you are questioning the diagnosis it never hurts to ask for more testing to confirm.
 
Thanks for your reply.

I also had an MRI and Ultrasound which came back clear, this is making me even more suspicious now. I had blood tests but never to confirm Crohns, always for other things. Maybe that's something i should ask for then you reckon?
 

Jim (POPS)

Jim (Pops)
Location
Antioch, Ca
The ONLY symptom I had was diarrhea. No other ones, no pain or anything. They went to take my apendix out and I woke up with a ilyostomy bag. WOW, that was a shacker.

Jim (POPS)
 
Floyd - the blood tests are easy enough to do, but they don't always show positive for Crohn's. It couldn't hurt to have them to see what shows up. :)
 
Jim - that really must have been so hard to deal with! Since you didn't have any time to mentally prepare yourself for such an event. I guess the upside is that you weren't experiencing a lot of pain? Was it a permanent ileostomy?
 
I thought I had IBS for years and then I ate popcorn during a movie with my kids and later that not I was in excruciating pain and went to the ER, They thought it was my gallbladder but during ultrasound they saw no gall stones. They sent me home on pain meds and to see a GI doc, Saw my family doc and she thought diverticulitis and sent for a CT scan and showed the thickening of the small intestine, She said Crohns. I then had a colonoscopy and an upper GI series that confirmed it. Hopes this helps Floyd
 

nativesith

GTA ModLeader Psx-Scene
Location
Hobbema,Alberta
That pain for Crohns? I have had that myself...thanks for giving me something to think about and perhaps get tested for. But I have a female doctor...could get kinda ...weird.
I had pain in the testes so bad...it hurt to move. I have na had them for a while.
That doctor must be really good. Sounds like you are in good hands.

Keep in mind ...I AM NOT DIAGNOSED with anything?! Sorry for raising the roof lol.
 
Hi Floyd. I'm in N.Ireland too. I was told 9 yrs ago that I had ibs and almost a year ago all the symptoms got wild worse,not to mention massive weight loss. I had been seeing a particular GP who said it sounded like gallstones and he sent me to a & e. they said it didn't sound like it (no scans or anything), In January this year i decided to see a different GP at same surgery,within 2 minutes of listening she said "I think you've got Crohns" and got me an urgent appointment with a GI. I saw him about 6 days later and 3 weeks after that initial appointment was sent for a camera down my throat (nothing abnormal detected) then at end of February went for the 'other' camera (not a nice experience but well worth it) it showed that I have ulcerative colitis. The day after that camera I was sent for a big scan that proved Crohns as well. The reason I've written so much is that I reckon you should ask your GP to refer you to a GI at hospital for the cameras. It's easy to be scared witless by what you read on the Internet but you need someone to tell you exactly what's going on. Seems that I've had UC and Crohns for years but until the scan and cameras the GP is only guessing because a lot of symptoms could be a lot of things not necessarily concerning you.
 
Apparently, you can have Crohn's for awhile before it is actually diagnosed. But you have to keep trying and get to a doctor that really cares and really listens, They are human too but if you have one the passes your concerns to the side or doesn't listen then it is time to find another one and move on.
 

nativesith

GTA ModLeader Psx-Scene
Location
Hobbema,Alberta
I have been undiagnosed for the longest time, it is hard. But I would definitely ask to see a GI.
I am also visiting a Neurologist very soon. My blood flow feels really wack, my whole lower body feels like it is going to cramp up.
 
I fortunately haven't gone undiagnosed for a long time but I did have a lot of symptoms for awhile and just pushed them to the back of my mind until I couldn't handle things and either ended up in the ER or the doctor. I went un diagnosed with MS for a few years before I found out I had that too,, Just don't stop until you find a doctor that will listen and wont stop until they find answers/
 
I've now been referred for a Small Bowel Series, which I think is a pile of x-rays. Any of you guys had one of those?
 
Yes Floyd. I did. They get you to drink a chalky fluid (like 2 cups of it) then u have a series of X-rays so that they can tell with each X-ray how far down your gut the fluid has travelled. When it has reached where it should be,you get a scan which shows up any problems. I had an X-ray every 15 minutes for 5 X-rays (some people need less and some need more) then the scan. My gp warned me not to be alarmed if I got a letter saying I had to go to a cancer unit for the scan (which is exactly what I got) as they can have the best scanners to see what's going on. Hope this info helps
 
Liam is 10, he only had to drink one cup of the chalky fluid which he didnt mind too much and finished in 5 minutes. In his case the x-rays we're taken at increasing intervals, initally 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 90 min. After each set of interviews the radioloist would give us a time we needed to be back. All up it took 4 or 5 hours, with most of the time spent in the hospital cafe. I'd recommend a good book for all the waiting.

Liam had to fast before the test but was allowed to drink and eat during the period between the xrays, the radiologist gave us instructions on appropriate food and drink to have different stages.
 

nativesith

GTA ModLeader Psx-Scene
Location
Hobbema,Alberta
I jus did the white fluid test too. Two cups of that stuff...tasted it for days.
Poo was white for a while. Not very fun. They took many shots. GI ordered since he saw a polyp in my colon the last colonoscopy.
Expecting the results in a couple weeks?!
 
Had the Small Bowel Series / Barium Meal a few months back which was very straight forward.

The results were inconclusive and did not definitely confirm Crohn's as the doctor thought it might. He said he still believes I have a mild form of Crohn's and asked me to wait a further 6 weeks to see how it evolves. He also mentioned the small possibility of a bacterial infection caused by my appendix, anyone heard of such a thing?
 
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