Dunno what to do

[cbwer]

Hi, I just had a colonoscopy monday and the gi doc said he thinks I just have ibs and he started me on librax which hasnt helped at all yet. I was told by other docs that ibs doesnt cause bloody stools and frequent diarrhea. Has anyone else been told they had ibs but were later diagnosed with crohn's? Can ibs cause bloody stools and constant stomach and joint pain? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Cookie]

Hi cbwer,

ISB can cause frequent diarhea and stomch pain, but not bloody stools. Many people who have Crohn's or UC are told they have IBS first. There are other tests to diagnose Crohn's, as the colonoscopy only sees the lower part of the GI tract. I would keep pushing your GI doc to do more testing or go see another GI doc if he does not agree. Bloody stools are not normal.

 

[littlemissh]

Unless you have haemorrhoids or a fissure with your ibs then you should NOT have blood in your stools. Black tarry stools are also NOT seen in IBS. Red blood comes from the colon/rectum/anus usually and black tarry stool is bleeding from earlier in the gi tract eg the small intestine or stomach etc.
You should ask your doctor where the blood is from..if they can't answer that then you need more investigations.

 

[Terriernut]

Sounds like you need a CT scan. Dont be fobbed off by the medical establishment. They like pat answers. Dont let them do that to you! Look em in the eye, be polite and firm, and say, no, this isnt working, I need "".

Good luck!!!

Misty

 

[StarGirrrrl]

It can take many years with many tests to get an IBD diagnosis.
You'll see from my sig what I have been through- I had a flexi-sig and told IBS and here I am years later, alot sicker, expecting to be diagnosed with CD in the near future.

Blood is never a feature of IBS.

 

[JetWhite]

there does seem to be a tendency for doctors to throw out the IBS diagnosis when they have no conclusive evidence of anything else.
I have been told that I have IBS as well as UC but I think it's because they really don't appreciate all the symptoms we get.

Having joined the forum I have found that others have similar symptoms and side effects but a GI specialist didn't recognise them as part of the IBD I have learnt way more from here than my doctors

Hang in there and push for further tests, don't let them fob you off especially if you are bleeding
All the best :goodluck:

 

[25times]

CD can be very difficult to diagnose. I was diagnosed with IBS two years ago, and then CD last month. So yeah, it seems pretty common.
To get a diagnosis of Crohn's, my doctors told me you need to have a few things present. This is probably not very accurate, and I'm sure many people have been diagnosed with CD without having all of these symptoms present.
Here is was I presented with, and what helped with my Crohn's diagnosis.
-Anemia. Low iron, shown through blood work.
-Elevated white blood cells. This shows infection or inflammation somewhere. Also shown through blood work.
-Bloody diarrhea. It doesn't have to bloody all the time, but sometimes.
-Frequent diarrhea. I was going up to 25 times a day, hence my username lol
-Abdominal pain. Usually in the lower right quadrant. It can be sudden onset severe pain, or constant, dull aching pain. I had both.
-CT scan, showing inflammation, usually in your small bowel and at the terminal ileum.
-colonoscopy, showing ulceration, inflammation, swelling, bleeding or "cobblestoning."

You could also have joint pain, eye inflammation, mouth ulcers (canker sores,) weight loss, loss of appetite, apparent food sensitivities, open leg sores.
I have all of these, except the leg sores. But it took me over ten years to get a diagnosis. I was told I had dozens of other medical problems, which I don't have. They have to be able to see the inflammation in your intestine, before they can give a hard diagnosis of crohn's. You should try to get a colonoscopy while your symptoms are at their worst. I went to the emergency room while my symptoms were really bad, and was diagnosed within 2 days. Hope this helps!

 

[littlemissh]

The symptoms you get with crohns vary hugely and are mostly related to which part of the gi tract that are affected. Some of what you listed 25times is more fir those with disease in the colon.
Small bowel crohns and stomach crohns often don't get the raging diarrhoea and it is uncommon to get blood. If there is blood it us seen as a black tarry stool. Also there is more likely to be vomiting as the small bowel is narrower so more likely to get blocked/partially blocked. It is more difficult to find in that a colonoscopy will not find it unless it is at the very end of the small bowel which attaches to the colon(terminal ileum).

 

[25times]

To get a diagnosis of Crohn's, my doctors told me you need to have a few things present. This is probably not very accurate, and I'm sure many people have been diagnosed with CD without having all of these symptoms present.
Here is was I presented with, and what helped with my Crohn's diagnosis

As I stated above, These are probably not accurate, but these are the symptoms that I have, and what lead to MY diagnosis. I never stated that these are concrete symptoms and you HAVE to have them to be diagnosed.
OP asked if anyone else was diagnosed with IBS before being diagnosed with CD. Since I was diagnosed with IBS before CD, I posted how I was diagnosed.

 

[25times]

The symptoms you get with crohns vary hugely and are mostly related to which part of the gi tract that are affected. Some of what you listed 25times is more fir those with disease in the colon.
Small bowel crohns and stomach crohns often don't get the raging diarrhoea and it is uncommon to get blood. If there is blood it us seen as a black tarry stool. Also there is more likely to be vomiting as the small bowel is narrower so more likely to get blocked/partially blocked. It is more difficult to find in that a colonoscopy will not find it unless it is at the very end of the small bowel which attaches to the colon(terminal ileum).

This is not true. I have "small bowel crohns" as you called it, and I have VERY frequent diarrhea, and VERY often it is bloody. Like, bright red bloody. And I have never vomited from crohns.
It really is different for everyone, so I prefer not to state what I think are "facts." Instead, I use my personal experience with the disease as examples, like I did in my first post.

 

[tiloah]

This is not true. I have "small bowel crohns" as you called it, and I have VERY frequent diarrhea, and VERY often it is bloody. Like, bright red bloody. And I have never vomited from crohns.
It really is different for everyone, so I prefer not to state what I think are "facts." Instead, I use my personal experience with the disease as examples, like I did in my first post.

But it is true. In most cases, small bowel involvement does not present with the amount of diarrhea or blood seen in colon involvement or in ulcerative colitis. It may be your experience, but that does not mean your experience isn't uncommon. It's important to note the distinction however, because doctors will look for disease activity based on symptoms. It's good to share your personal experiences, especially here where symptoms and disease can vary so widely, but it's also good to know what is "typical" and what doctors will be thinking since they don't have our perspective.

 

[littlemissh]

As diesendhur says(prob spelt incorrectly!!) - I said it often doesn't - ie it can but not often. I too have only small bowel crohns and am one of those that has diarrhoea when at my worst and also bleed a lot...but more often this does not occur. Many with small crohns don't have diarrhoea or bleed.

 

[littlemissh]

I wasn't trying to 'have a go' 25times just didn't want someone who doesn't have diarrhoea or blood to think they couldn't have crohn's if they didn't have blood or diarrhoea, that was all. Sorry if I made you mad ..

 

[25times]

I'm confused lol. I've never heard or read, anywhere, that crohn's affecting the small bowel doesn't cause diarrhea and bleeding as much as other types. I'm probably wrong, as I was just diagnosed and most likely don't know as much as you guys, I've just never heard that before.
No worries littlemiss, I've been having THE WORST couple of days, and I get in a really bad mood when I'm in pain. I came on here to distract myself from the pain, and then I just raged and felt like a king supreme butt doctor. I do that sometimes haha. I'll be more careful about posting when I think I'm dying haha