How does IBS manifest over IBD?

[nogutsnoglory]

I have had Crohn's for a long time but I was wondering if I might have IBS on top of my IBD. How do the symptoms generally manifest? Could IBS symptoms focus on one area consistently or would it be throughout?

 

[Daisy123]

I have recently be diagnosed with IBS on top of crohns. I was on a low fibre diet which made my symptons, pain, pain and more pain worse and rendered me incontinent. I have to say I don't get spasms or cramps, just bloody pain. Generally you are diagnosed with it if your symptons are not pathological crohns (that is there is no evidence of scarring or inflammation). I am now low lactose and gluten and eating lots of fibre. My stool is way better, not so fatty or liquid, but still suffering with pain. I tried buscopan but that doesn't help, so am on horribly string pain meds (morphine).

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Interesting but won't the fiber aggravate your crohns? The typical crohns diet structure is the opposite of the IBS one.

 

[Daisy123]

Interesting but won't the fiber aggravate your crohns? The typical crohns diet structure is the opposite of the IBS one.

Yes, I am finding it horribly difficult. I am trying to eat as little processed food and meat as possible. The lactose is pretty easy as now I don't eat bread (found gluten free bread horrible), I am not tempted by butter. But lactose free cheese is rubbery and there is some normal cheese hiding in my fridge. I am hungry all the time so end up eating too much fruit and too many vegetables instead of snacking on crisps and chocolate. If I am honest IBS just means they are not sure why you have certain symptoms. In my case there were some small ulcers around the join but not enough to account for the severity of the pain. Having said this, my mum had IBS but with her it was mainly constipation. The dietician said something about probiotics, but we will discuss this when I am next at the hospital. It is not going well :lol:

 

[jnette]

:sign0144:
Oh my. This is all so confusing !!! :runaway:

I've had IBS since my early twenties..some 40+ years now. Was told I had IBD,UC, and also significant diverticulosis about 10 yrs. ago when I went for my first colonoscopy. So who knows how long I've had all this nonsense? Crazy.
I know I've had a LOT of pain, cramping, urgency, entirely too close calls, "D", and dumping syndrome all those years. Was informed this week by my GI doc that I also have Crohn's... but I'd sure like to see some pathology to support that before I accept it. *henh*

One thing I've NOT had thus far (thank goodness!) is all the rectal bleeding/bloody stools I read so much about here. So still holding out hope I don't have Crohn's after all. Maybe? Fingers crossed! All these different varieties of disorders, conditions, and diseases to choose from..and knowing how to differentiate between them... it's making my head spin! :ybatty:

 

[Daisy123]

:sign0144:
Oh my. This is all so confusing !!! :runaway:

I've had IBS since my early twenties..some 40+ years now. Was told I had IBD,UC, and also significant diverticulosis about 10 yrs. ago when I went for my first colonoscopy. So who knows how long I've had all this nonsense? Crazy.
I know I've had a LOT of pain, cramping, urgency, entirely too close calls, "D", and dumping syndrome all those years. Was informed this week by my GI doc that I also have Crohn's... but I'd sure like to see some pathology to support that before I accept it. *henh*

One thing I've NOT had thus far (thank goodness!) is all the rectal bleeding/bloody stools I read so much about here. So still holding out hope I don't have Crohn's after all. Maybe? Fingers crossed! All these different varieties of disorders, conditions, and diseases to choose from..and knowing how to differentiate between them... it's making my head spin! :ybatty:

There is some research that says that IBS can be a form of IBD with no pathology. And can in fact transfer into IBD.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16045602

So I suspect your diagnosis is in fact correct.

 

[jnette]

Thanx, Daisy. Yes, the IBD is indeed a fact, as is the UC. Was informed of this several years ago. Just curious now about GI doc telling me I now also have Crohn's. My last colonoscopy was not even a full year ago (I have to go q 2 years due to a massive polyp found and resected ten years ago when I had my very first scope).

Wasn't planning on having to have one this year. Or even having to see a doctor, PERIOD. Guess that's not working out too well for me now. My last two months have been insane. Still ruling out Lymphoma and now refocusing on GI issues. What insanity. Once you hit sixty, it all goes to ..well.. yeh. That.

Other than a lifetime of IBS, I've been super healthy and active. Now it seems like everything's just falling apart. :ymad: Not fair. *whine*

 

[Daisy123]

Generally it is about where IBD attacks, UC large bowel and Crohns small bowel. To add to confusion there are studies that say UC is a permutation of Crohns! Another scope isn't necessary. A CT or MRE can show areas of inflammation without being so invasive. It is just a matter of getting on the right medication which can transform your life.

 

[jnette]

Generally it is about where IBD attacks, UC large bowel and Crohns small bowel. To add to confusion there are studies that say UC is a permutation of Crohns! Another scope isn't necessary. A CT or MRE can show areas of inflammation without being so invasive. It is just a matter of getting on the right medication which can transform your life.

Yep. I do understand the pathophysiology behind the two..well, three. lol
I guess I just lived with what I always assumed (or WANTED to assume) was simply IBS for nearly all my life until I was informed I had both UC and IBD a few years ago. I continued to blow it all off as simply IBS... some kind of denial, I suppose. I never really researched it much until recently. Guess I wanted to be defined by more than my bowels, you know?
I've lived with this crapola for so long, it seems like my whole life has always revolved around my bowels, so I just tried to put it out of my mind, so to speak. Just accepted it as a severe and humiliating "nuisance". Not anything I chose to casually discuss... except with family, who know my history only too well.

I'm to go back next week to see my GI...will see what he plans next. Perhaps an MRI, as you say. Just had a CT last week to check for lymph nodes, so we won't be doing that again.

I'm thinking considering my GI history and the sudden 25 lb. weight loss in the past 2 months along with the sudden, crazy reversal in bowel habits, he just prematurely tossed out the "Crohn's" word. I guess we'll find out soon enough. He did start me on Mesalamine and Acidophilus, however. Guess we'll just plug away and see what develops. ::sigh::

 

[Essieluv]

My IBS symptoms are very similar to my IBD symptoms. The same abdominal pain, urgency, and pain during defecation. The only way I got the IBS diagnoses was a scope that showed clinical remission of my crohn's. On a side note, through that whole time I was still getting rectal and perianal abscesses, so I'm not 100% sold on the remission idea...but these digestive disorders are so confusing, who knows.

 

[2thFairy]

Yep. I do understand the pathophysiology behind the two..well, three. lol
I guess I just lived with what I always assumed (or WANTED to assume) was simply IBS for nearly all my life until I was informed I had both UC and IBD a few years ago.

UC *is* IBD. I'm confused by your posts. Both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) fall into the category of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBS is classified as something completely different from those two. So, when you say you were informed you had both UC and IBD, do you mean you were told you had both UC and Crohn's disease?

 

[jnette]

UC *is* IBD. I'm confused by your posts. Both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) fall into the category of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBS is classified as something completely different from those two. So, when you say you were informed you had both UC and IBD, do you mean you were told you had both UC and Crohn's disease?

Precisely. Sorry... the specific categories/classifications still get me all confused.

 

[LodgeLady]

I tell you, I am completely lost with this whole IBS diagnosis. So because my labs were not bad enough I am being changed back to IBS by a specialist. Well 2 weeks off of Entocort( which I felt great on) I have been doubled over in pain with severe nausea ( almost vomited but got zofran in before ). So how is this IBS? No it was not after eating something. Came on out of the blue. No flu going around. As I sit here still in pain with a heating pad I want to know who says this is IBS?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I'm happy to know that IBS can hit in one spot and not all over. Hopefully the pain of my resected area is just IBS and not sign of active inflammation or scarring.

 

[kristinat]

Yes IBS is definitely possible to have on top of the IBD. When I was younger I would go into bouts of extreme constipation..which is a symptom more of IBS than IBD. Some symptoms are difficult to differentiate, but I know it is way more common to be constipated with IBS. Feel better!

 

[raesunflower]

The whole thing is pretty confusing. Seems to me that the doctors label you as having IBS when they can't find concrete evidence that the Crohns is active. I have read posts on here from people who have had Crohns for years and then told they didn't have it, they have IBS instead. Which is kind of crazy to me, it's kind of like saying since my Rhuematoid Arthiritis isn't bothering me right now and is under control I don't have it anymore.