Intestinal tuberculosis?

[nycguy101]

I'm just wondering whether anyone here has any experience with getting tested to rule out intestinal tuberculosis. I know that the symptoms can be very similar, and western doctors don't normally test for it because its so rare in the U.S. The reason I ask is because of the bizarre progression of my symptoms. I first experienced my intestinal symptoms after a night of drinking about a week (low fever, vomiting, diarrhea followed by chronic constipation) after I started dating a girl who was in the U.S. on vacation from Russia. The intestinal symptoms resolved in about a month and then I was hit with a persistent very high fever (104) and a painful dry hacking cough for about 3 weeks and then a rash all over my arms and legs that lasted about 2 weeks (I was diagnosed with the flu at the time). Definitely the worst respiratory illness Id ever had. My symptoms resolved eventually and I was fine for about a year until............ she came back back. About 2 weeks after she came back, my intestinal symptoms returned, and I've had chronic constipation for about a year. All my abdominal tests and blood tests have been normal with the exception of some odd circular villous lesions in my jejunum discovered with the pillcam that don't fit the typical appearance of Crohns (see my other thread for pics). Pentasa did nothing for me. Is it possible that I have a latent infection that only affects my intestines?

Has anyone else here been initially diagnosed with Crohns and then had the diagnosis of TB, or have you had TB ruled out? Has anyone had any experience with this disease?

 

[Silvermoon]

I have not had any actual experience with intestinal TB, but it is possible. I had one client with TB in the kidneys, one with TB in the neck lymph nodes, and more than a few with pulmonary TB....

And it sure could be possible.... TB can affect ANY of the organs really... just MOST common in the lungs.....

Hope you find some answers.

 

[Lulu]

Before I had a definite diagnosis it would thought I had a parasitic infection, lymphoma or TB or the bowel. It really wasnt until the pill cam that I could a clear diagnosis as I suffered none of the usual symptoms of crohn's, just had extreme stomach pain come on suddenly which after ruling out appendicitis prompted them to open my right up to have a look, still didnt get a diagnosis from doing that though.

 

[nycguy101]

What was characteristic of your symptoms that allowed them to differentiate it from TB?

 

[DustyKat]

Here is a thread that may be of interest regarding CD and Intestinal Tuberculosis...................

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=9721

Dusty.

 

[Lulu]

I think they suspected intestinal TB as I had none of the 'typical' symtoms of Crohns, no bleeding, no diarhea, nothing except the severe pain in my abdomen which came on suddenly. When the opened me up they said it didnt look like 'classic crohn's' but think they ruled out the TB through a blood test. They thought they saw eggs in my bowel wall so was treated for a parastic infection and sent back home (interstate). So no other treatment (or symptoms) until about 2 months later an abscess in my stomach burst through the existing wound. I was again opened right up and cleaned out. Surgeon suspected crohn's and started me on Mesal and he was the one that suggested that when my wound had healed I should have a capsule endoscopy. In the mean time I had endoscopy, colonoscopy etc which were clear except the biopsies showed granulomas so he was pretty convinced then but wanted the pill cam anyway to get a better look.