Does this sound like crohns?

[salix]

Hi, I'll preface this by saying that my grandmother was diagnosed with crohns, and I'm worried I may have it, and that my symptoms will worsen. Hoping I don't, but if it is I need to know what I can do to prevent it getting worse if possible.

I've lost weight recently, I think that I weigh around 54 kilos now, not huge but it is difficult to gain any weight and I would like to at least know I can get bigger, as everyone seems to be able to so easily, it's like if most people don't control what they eat the will gain weight, if I am not careful I lose, and I don't know what more I could really do.

I have the runs pretty much constantly (meaning daily), my docs just dismiss it but I don't think this is normal. Often it will be watery or several times a day, but the rest of the time "porridge" ..yuck, sorry. Doesn't seem to make any difference what I eat, although I'm going to look around the site here to find out at some point what others experience in that area.
Also low in iron.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Hope345]

Welcome to the site.
It is time for you to get tested. It is so good that you are already reading up and getting as much information as possible.
The first step will be to get a good GI doctor and run some tests. Then they will get you going on some medications that will help get your body back on track.

You seem very conscientious and may be interested in juicing. there are some great recipes on here. For some people it can really help.

Most importantly is to see a doctor and get your diagnosis. Get copies of all of your tests. It will seem a bit overwhelming at first.

sending lots of support your way.

 

[UnXmas]

It's a myth that it's hard for everyone to not get fat. There are plenty of healthy members of my family who eat what they like, when they're hungry, and have treats and effortlessly maintain a healthy weight. How old are you (if you don't mind me asking)? If you're still growing (not an adult yet) you should worry if you're not gaining weight. And if you're losing weight unintentionally (i.e. not dieting), you doctor should take that seriously; many people don't have to make an effort to not get fat, but no healthy people have to put effort in to stop themselves getting overly skinny.

Many things can cause diarrhoea, but diarrhoea is never normal and your doctor should find the cause of it. A family history of Crohn's, low iron and diarrhoea does make it quite possible that you could have Crohn's, though it's by no means certain. The only way you'll know is to go through testing (which may mean seeing a different doctor).

I'm sorry but you won't really get much more specific advice than this online: there are so many causes of diarrhoea (some serious, some not) and it will really take seeing a doctor and going through some tests for you to stand any chance of getting an accurate diagnosis. Most of the tests for Crohn's are quite invasive, so a doctor wouldn't put you through them unless they suspected Crohn's or some similar condition. But there are plenty of less invasive tests - blood tests (including rechecking your iron), monitoring your weight, checking your temperature if you get feverish, testing your stool for signs of blood, etc. - that a doctor could use to get more of an idea of your situation, and from the results decide whether further testing is necessary.

If you get any new symptoms, or if any of your symptoms get worse, make sure you let a doctor know right away - even if they've not thought more testing was necessary, a change in your symptoms may prompt them to reconsider your condition.

 

[Jennifer]

Hi salix and welcome to the forum!

As mentioned you need a GI to run some tests to find out what's going on (colonoscopy, upper endoscopy, CT scan, MRI, MRE, small bowel follow through, capsule endoscopy etc). Also have fecal tests done to check for blood loss (can't always see it, plus your iron is low so it's good to be sure) and check for any parasites (in case its not IBD even though you have a family history).

Some people with Crohn's have very few symptoms so it is possible that you could have it but definitely continue testing to be sure. Keep us posted.