Endometriosis and Crohns?

[toomey2]

I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease about 6 months ago. I've stated on this forum before that I have a theory that my Crohns was caused by a bacterial infection I had last year. While being treated for the infection was the first and only time I had bloody stool. A couple months later I started to feel abdominal pain and was diagnosed with Crohns about a month after that.

After an appointment with my gyno a few weeks ago, she thinks I might have endometriosis. I have not been diagnosed nor have I had the surgery to confirm it. I'm wondering if my tissue is connected to my small intestines (as can happen with endometriosis) and when I got the bacterial infection, it made a connection for the bacteria to migrate to my small intestines, thus causing my immune system to start attacking my intestines and causing the Crohn's Disease.

Has anyone else had this problem? Is this completely nuts or is this a probable cause for my disease? Note I do not have any type of IBD in my family, I do not smoke or am I overweight, and I am not of Jewish descent. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

 

[AndiGirl]

You are not nuts, just confused and concerned. My sister is going through this same process. She was diagnosed with endometriosis years ago. She's suffered with all the typical symptoms off and on for years. She's also suffered with her share of gastrointestinal symptoms. She has some of the typical symptoms that accompany Crohn's Disease as well.

I think some of the generalizations about who gets Crohn's Disease can be a little misleading and even off in some cases. However, now that you mention it; we do have a very strong history of IBD. We don't smoke, but we do have some Jewish ancestry. As far as body size, we cover a range of sizes, but mostly hover around the normal range.

I understand that it can be very difficult at times to differentiate between the two diseases, especially if the bowel is involved with Endometriosis. Best of luck to you. We are hoping that my sister doesn't have both conditions, but it's looking like a real possibility.

 

[Jenny41]

In Nov. 2005 I had a total hysterectomy. My doctor informed me the morning after surgery that she had to remove my uterus and both ovaries because of a chocolate cyst and endometriosis. Everything was fused together. She stated it was "very bad". Two weeks after being released, I was admitted with fever and right sided abdominal pain. I begin experiencing diarrhea after eating certain foods and I always had a dull pain in my lower right side. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2007. My GI and GYN think that it may have been caused by endometriosis. So do I, because no one else in my family suffers from IBS.

 

[Allystyle]

I had both, endo first and had to have one ovary and most of other one removed.

Then yrs later crohns started up! Coincidence?

 

[BoyMama2000]

I am on this forum because my son may have Crohn's disease. He meets with a specialist tomorrow but after doing an endoscopy to rule out celiac, they found a graluoma in his 13 year old stomach and now are looking into Crohns as the reason for his delayed growth and puberty.

Anyway, I have endometriosis and have had GI issues throughout my life that fit into the irritable bowel category. I have had a sigmoidoscopy and endoscopy for another reaason with no signs of inflammation. My entire family is thin with no inflammatory bowel disease but we are of Jewish dissent.

I can see where both diseases casn correlate and confuse doctors. Constipation is more common with endometriosis. I don't think that bloody stools are seen with endo. Bleeding in-between periods is more common with endo.

Either way, both are autoimmune and once you have one autoimmune disease, you are more prone to others.

I wouldn't be surprised if they find some sort of link someday but don't think that one leads to the other. It is just that if you can have one, you are have the type of immune system that is more prone to the other.

Best of luck. My endo caused severe pain in my early 20's but was considered mild when they did the laparoscopy. I was able to have 3 kids and now have some GI issues possibly related to endo (constipation etc) but have few symptoms in my 40's. It never grew into a significant problem for me. So hopefully it won't for you or your loved ones either!

 

[Mayflower537]

I was reading about endometriosis. I am undxed as far as IBD is concerned, but I still have issues from time to time that make me think that maybe endo is a large part of my problem. I thought this link was interesting. For instance today, I am almost doubled over with abdominal pain from ovulation, and I'm having to go to the bathroom a lot. This is actually my worst symptom: This pain that accompanies ovulation. My periods are no sweat comparatively.
http://www.endo-resolved.com/symptoms.html