Flare up or not?

[contepomi]

Hi folks,

I wouldn't normally do this, but I can't get a doctor's appointment right now and I'm a little worried about a potential flare up of my Crohn's, and I was wondering if you might be able to help.

I was out on Saturday and I'll be the first to admit, I overdid it a bit in terms of alcohol. I didn't experience any problems at the time, but I did have a bad hangover the next day and by the time I came back from my Infliximab treatment on Monday afternoon I was starting to feel unwell - almost like the flu, but with stomach pains. This got worse yesterday, and I've had a dull pain in my stomach since then that doesn't seem to be going away.

What's puzzling me is that it's had no impact on my bowel movements - I normally only go in the morning and that hasn't changed, nor has the consistency of the stool or the frequency. Whenever I've had a flare-up in the past, it's always involved vomiting and diarrhea, most often with blood in my stool, and that's making me wonder whether this is a flare-up or just a knock-on effect from my cold and my exertions at the weekend.

I'm stressing out, because I've not had a flare-up for three years, since I started the Infliximab treatment, and I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if I thought I'd brought this on myself by getting complacent and drinking as though I didn't have Crohn's Disease...

Anyway folks, any input you might have would be much appreciated - it's hard to get insight from people who've been through the same thing.

 

[ronroush7]

Hi. For me personally, with each flare up, it seems like the symptoms have been different. I would keep on trying to get ahold of someone in your doctor's office. I hope you feel better soon.

 

[contepomi]

Hi. For me personally, with each flare up, it seems like the symptoms have been different. I would keep on trying to get ahold of someone in your doctor's office. I hope you feel better soon.

I'll get onto them in the morning and pester them until someone sees me!

When you say your symptoms tend to be different, do you mean in terms of the severity or the symptoms themselves?

 

[jmp62575]

I agree with Ron. I am finding that out myself. My first flare was simply urgency and my last flare was urgency with stomach cramping and stomach pain. Unfortunately everyone with IBD is different. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago and when I went into remission I continued to drink (over doing sometimes) and it never effected the IBD.

 

[eleanor_rigby]

I think this is a result of the alcohol. I am on azathioprine and if I binge drink now the hangovers are far worse, last a few days and often lead to a terrible cold/ cough. I think it's because the liver is already under pressure to process the medication we are taking.

 

[ronroush7]

I'll get onto them in the morning and pester them until someone sees me!

When you say your symptoms tend to be different, do you mean in terms of the severity or the symptoms themselves?

The symptoms themselves.

 

[contepomi]

The thing is, aside from the stomach pain, which is mild enough even if it is persistent, there isn't much to set this aside as a Crohn's flare-up as opposed to a "normal" bout of ill health: fatigue, sore head, wooziness, etc. I guess more than anything I'm just trying to reassure myself until I can see a doctor or until this starts to clear up, it's the worry and the stress this is causing that's the most difficult part, no doubt.