Does your Crohn's make you worry about other health disorders?

[Mary]

So I was just recently was diagnosed with a UTI and kidney infection. I have been having the chills lately (no real fever) went to the ER and was diagnosed with a UTI. Never had one in my life. Since my Crohn's diagnosis I am so scared of everything. Well I have already had bad health anxiety. I rercently noticed little red spots on my skin "Googled it" and Leukemia/lymphoma came up. My blood work was fine the other day only slightly high neutrophils. "GOOGLED IT" came up infection. Ugh I need help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also have severe depression never had that!!!

 

[CrohnsHobo]

Try to just stay calm. Seems pretty common for people with Crohn's or any other chronic disease to jump to conclusions about other diseases. The extra stress will due nothing but make your Crohn's symptoms worse.

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

I get worried all the time about everything as I know we can pretty much get inflammation anywhere in the body. But CrohnsHobo is right, try to stay calm. Dont get worried over something u see from google, if u are concerned see a doctor. Google isnt a doctor! Its important to remember that.
x x x

 

[kenny]

I am actually relived to finally understand what the heck has been going on for the past decade. I feel better knowing how to help myself and getting the medical attention I need. I am "in the loop" as the saying goes, for doctors to watch for internal abnormalities that would otherwise be missed.

I was getting a bit overly excited starting Immune-Suppression Therapy but people here smiled and told me to chill out. I took the advice and couldn't feel better all things considered.

edit: Some of these drugs we are on to treat inflammation cause depression or dark thoughts. If it is a problem you might want to mention it to your doctor as your meds can be switched around a bit to help. My MIL is the kindest little old lady you ever did meet but she started having suicidal and murderous thoughts when put on a certain steroid for her long time battle with Crohn's. She was mortified with herself for having such evil in her mind! But she got switched and those thoughts went away within a week.

 

[Guest1]

Mary, I am getting on an airplane, flying to IL and snapping your keyboard in half. 'Nuff said. Stop googling! You're going to drive yourself bananas!

 

[imisspopcorn]

Mary, I have those red dots too.....Petichiae. I first had them when I was on Asacol and prednisone...They are common in peolple who are on steroids......

 

[Peaches]

Yep - you are going to make yourself sick. Honestly - if you already have health anxiety (which I think you have established that yourself as you have mentioned it several times here) then googling *anything* is a...bad...idea - for your health Mary. Some people will look at the google results and think "eh...look - that might be what I have, maybe not - let's go see a doc", but you probably look at it and look at the worst possible scenario and are convinced that is indeed what you have. PLEASE .... don't do that to yourself. If you believe in the idea that "you are what you think" - mmmm, might want to change your thinking patterns. Think *healthy* thoughts. It'll be ok - take a deep breath! You are lucky that you have never had a UTI until now....(see - I said it - *lucky*).

 

[shazamataz]

I agree with the others Mary. If you keep googling every little thing that is happening in your body you will drive yourself mental with worry. Also, the information you can find can be innacurrate. Best example I can give you? My dad had been quite ill lately but better now as he has been diagnosed with pneumonia and has been treated for it. Anyway, I was worried about him and did some googling and it came up with SYPHILLIS!!!! That was when I looked up his combo of blood results. Now of course that is ridiculous and I had a good laugh about it,. But goes to show you may get it WRONG and be worried about NOTHING!

 

[D Bergy]

I was concerned about the other autoimmune conditions that seem to crop up when you have Crohn's. That was one reason I decided to use Low Dose Naltrexone for treatment. It is pretty much used as a treatment for most of those conditions as well.

On the other hand, if I would have used Imuran instead, I would not spend too much time worrying about it, as that does not really get you anyplace. Some people get other conditions and some don't.

Dan

 

[Crohn's 35]

No, Crohns is enough to deal with, my only other thing is Kidney stones, they arent nice.

 

[uab grad student]

I wouldn't worry too much about the petechia, these are usually harmless and should disappear in a few days (just like mini-bruises). I understand being worried, but since you just said they found a UTI in the ER recently, that would explain an elevated white blood cell count, so I wouldn't worry about it being another infection unless your antibiotics don't knock this out... and you will know if they don't since you'll still have the bladder pain and fatigue.

Yes, having a chronic condition does make me more aware of my health in general and for the first time I'm learning to put my health first... that is a great thing, just don't let it take over your life.

 

[Italie]

Hi Mary

I can so empathise with you. I am Diabetic and have Crohns and in the past 3 months I think I've been to see the Doctor almost every 2 weeks. I seem to becoming obsessed with thinking things are wrong and I'm scared that they'll put my new symptoms down to me being Diabetic or the Crohns and not actually check if it's something different!!! There's also the worry that I put off going to the Doctor because I'm afraid what he thinks of me going constantly and that's the time I should have been going because IT IS something more serious.

Sheesh! So much to worry about.

I think this might be resulting in me exaggerating my 'pains' in my head - maybe it's not as bad as I think it is......maybe everyone has these pains occasionally and I'm overreacting. Believe me, I think I've googled every disease possible and am never off webmd's symptom checker!!!

I was on anti-depressants for a while and came off them about a year ago but I know that if I dont stop obsessing then i'm going to slip back into it and that's the last thing I need so I'm afraid we both just need to get a grip on reality (somehow) and get on with it.

If only it were that easy, eh?!

Keep your chin up - you're not alone with this.

xx

 

[Mary]

Thanks everyone you guys are so great!!!