Help! do I have Crohn's or not?

[TD]

help! do I have Crohn's or not?

Hi everyone1 I just signed up today. Kind of in desperation mode at the moment. Can't seem to find a name to my condition. One Doctor says two blood test point to Crohn's but another Doctor does'nt think I have it. I don't want to have it, but I want to know what is wrong with me. Is there a test that will tell me for sure weather I do or don't have Crohn's? Thanks for any help at all.



Okay I have another question... I have narrowed down what I can eat and what I can't eat. I can eat meat and eggs without symptoms, but if I eat ANY carbs ( fruit, vegs anything) I have severe pain and bloating. Still waiting on Diagnosis. Does this sound like crohn's to anyone out there?

 

[lookame]

The best way is to get a colonoscopy. You can also ask for a serology 7 blood test which would help in a diagnosis as well...but I must say either way you may still have conflicting statements. Right now I have bloodwork and biopsies which say I have crohns but my pain, symptoms and visually it looks like I have UC.

Have you ever gotten a CT scan, abdominal scans, small bowel follow through, colonoscopy, endoscopy? You probably don't require all the tests but CT scans and colonoscopies reall help determin inflammation ect.
Good luck I hope you find answers soon

 

[Crohn's 35]

HI there :bigwave: Glad you found your way here but it would be great if you could tell us your symptoms, it helps us a bit more. Crohns is very hard to get a full diagnosis. The one that found it,is probably right. Lookname told you the answers to your question.

Let us know what you find out. Good luck!

 

[TD]

Well I have had some blood work and was going to get a ugi small bowel follow through but didn't know if it would show for sure or not if I have crohn's. i don't want to get exposed to the radition if it won't tell me for sure. My sypmtoms to me are not like crohn's I don't have much diarrhea. But extreme pain and bloating. But my bowel habits have changed though . I have had diarrhea this week but one day and then nothing for 4 days. By nothing I mean nothing no regular bowel movement or diarrhea. ( realize i probably should not have gave first and last name since I am spilling my guts here,no pun intended). No blood in the stool. So just don't know what it is but I can go 24 hrs without any food and my stomach doesn't growl and I am not hungry. And the only thing I can eat that doesn't cause pain is bland chicken and even sometimes that does cause pain and bloating. I don'tknow if a colonoscopy would help because all my pain is upper abdomen. maybe a Ct would help though. Thanks for any and all help you can give me.

 

[Emily]

You'll need more than blood tests to know if you have Crohn's or not. I would get the colonoscopy and endoscopy. I don't really know for sure, but I've never heard of a radiation risk for them. As my GI says, they are the gold standard for getting a quick, relatively easy, good idea of what's going on. I'd give it a shot. The prep is annoying but it does give really good answers. And the colonscopy and endoscopy each take like 10 mins.
Also, there's no standard symptoms for Crohn's! everyone is different. Not having diarrhea by no means rules out Crohn's.

 

[Jessi]

Hi TD. Welcome to the forum. I hope you've been able to feel the love that we share here. We all are so different, but we really understand each other.

There is a lot of great friendship, support, and advice in the Undiagnosed Club that may be beneficial to you. http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=75 See if you can find more answers there.

I hope you find out soon what's going on inside of you, and that you find a way to feel better and eat again. We're all here for you. :hug:

 

[TD]

Jessi, Thank you for the link. I will look at it right now and a special thank you for your kind words!

 

[TD]

Okay I have another question... I have narrowed down what I can eat and what I can't eat. I can eat meat and eggs without symptoms, but if I eat ANY carbs ( fruit, vegs anything) I have severe pain and bloating. Still waiting on Diagnosis. Does this sound like crohn's to anyone out there?

 

[PsychoJane]

I have narrowed down what I can eat and what I can't eat. I can eat meat and eggs without symptoms, but if I eat ANY carbs ( fruit, vegs anything) I have severe pain and bloating

Unfortunatly, crohn disease acts differently with everyone of us. Not being able to eat carbs, such as cereals, could be something like celiac disease. Fruit and vegs, it could be linked to irritable bowel disease. Intestinal diseases aren't easy to "classify". Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, pill cams and such tests, as mentionned before, are usually good to establish a proper diagnosis. Blood tests by themself cannot really lead to a diagnosis. They are good indicators once the diagnosis is made, to infirm or confirm you have a relapse let say but they aren't perfect.

You will have to be perseverant with the test and as far as the radiation go... I know it's annoying to have to expose yourself "voluntarily" to that, but it sometimes need to be done. And as Emily said, some doesn't involve radiation. It is important, I believe, to go through appropriate screening because certain IBDs can be vicious if left untreated.

Prevention is always the key.

I hope they quickly find what is wrong with you and that you feel better soon!
Good luck!

 

[TD]

thanks!