Flare up? Feeling strange

[Supernova1990]

Hi all,
I'm Charlotte and I'm new to the forum *waves*

I was diagnosed with UC in 2011 after being hospitalized with a severe flare. Since then I have generally been okay and it's been kept under control with Asacol and Pred, i've just had a few 'blips' here and there.

However, since around a couple of months ago my disease has become more active. I had a colonoscopy and they took some biopsies (during my diagnosis i had a colonoscopy, but i was so inflammed they could only get so far up, so this was my first full scope), they are now saying that i have some damage in my walls (i forget the exact medical term for this) and i have patchy inflammation, therefore they are now saying i have a high possibility of having Crohns Disease or 'Crohns Colitis' and i am waiting for them to investigate this further.

Anyway... over the past few weeks ive started feeling sick but i'm not sure if its a 'flare' or not? It's possibly the start of a flare but i'm not sure. I would just like someones advice really as ive only ever had one extremely bad flare... with the obvious bleeding, lost control of bowels etc this isnt as bad, but i still feel awful.

I'm having hot flushes, abdominal pain, cramping, more bm's than usual, more gas than usual, small amounts of blood but not daily, my iron is low so i've got really bad fatigue. The pain seems to be worse after i've eaten or it wakes me up in the night, i feel so tired i'm finding it hard to concentrate and i had to phone in sick today. My work are already pretty annoyed with me as ive had a few days off here and there and i'm wondering if its best to get signed off until get i sorted out properly i've had some tests and my CRP results came back okay, so i'm confused as to why i,m in so much pain and nothings showing up. Waiting on results of a stool sample and having a colonoscopy at the end of the month, possibly starting Azathioprine depending on the results.. Until then not sure what to do!

Sorry for the rant

 

[CrohnsChicago]

CRP isn't always the best indicator of inflammation. It is possible to have reasonable results and still be in a flare.

Your symptoms do sound like very common flare symptoms. And it can sometimes be hard to adequately diagnose IBD if it seems to be focused in your colon. I experience similar symptoms during a flare including bleeding. My crohn's is located in my colon and part of my terminal ileum. I have crohn's-colitis and almost received a diagnosis of UC. However my colonoscopy biopsy revealed a telltale symptom of granuloma cells which are found in Crohn's patients, not UC patients.

Make sure you ask your doc what it is specifically that makes them suspect you now have Crohn's instead of UC.

It sounds like your doctors are doing what they can at the moment to help get an proper diagnosis and get you proper treatment as soon as possible. In the meantime you can take it easy on yourself by getting adequate rest and paying attention to your diet to help ease symptoms. Try sticking to low-fiber, soft bland foods and limiting if not entirely eliminating your dairy intake. Your digestive tract will not have to work so hard to break down foods if you try eating this way. Try to avoid processed foods at all times if you can. Certain foods can irritate the lining of your digestive tract and make your symptoms feel much worse. If you still find discomfort eating soft, bland foods you can turn to juicing or nutritional shakes to give your gut a break while you figure things out. Keep a food journal to learn which foods are your friend an which foods are not.

Good luck with your tests and hopefully you can get some more solid answers from your doctor very soon! :hug: