Is IBD hereditary?

[PVail]

I have undiagnosed IBD , My father has had a resection done three years ago. He had a fistula between bowel and bladder. Is this condition in the genes ? We talked today about this and or stories are identical . Why does my GP ignore this. My father and brother are also diabetic, does this play into it ?

 

[bozzylozzy]

it is a question worth pondering. like i said in your other post that im undiagnosed too.
but my uncle (on my mothers side) has crohn's colitis and both my mum and grandma have the same issues as me (although they have never had investigations) but my mum and grandma also had a "grumbling appendix" too which ive been told is quite rare in comparison to the usual acute appendicitis... hmmm..

i dont think its hereditary, but maybe more genetically pre-disposed to developing an IBD if a close relation has it too

 

[Emily]

There is a link but they still don't know which chromosome the gene is on/if there's a gene...etc. Always lots of research to be done.
But yes, I think many people on here have found links in their family. My mother has Crohn's but our patterns are different. She was dx'ed at age 18, I was at age 7.

Your GP probably is ignoring it because it hasn't been proven to be genetic and correlation doesn't always mean causation which doctors have learned to be very careful with.

 

[Kev]

There is a genetic risk factor. If someone has it, their children have a much greater chance of getting it. I've heard (read) but was unable to confirm (I e-mailed the author to find out where she got the numbers she quoted in the article, but never got a reply) that offspring of someone with IBD are ten times more likely to develop it than the general populace. I've asked several GI's; they all said there was an increased risk, but wouldn't put numbers/percentages to it. (I don't know if they weren't sure themselves; or if that it doesn't matter what the risk factor is.. if you have it, they just treat you.)

 

[DustyKat]

Figures vary wildly as to the risk of developing Crohn's disease when you have a family member affected. The various Crohn's and Colitis associations believe there is an hereditary tendency under these circumstances and many articles will quote a 10-15% chance of developing it.

Both of my children are affected by Crohn's and when my daughter was diagnosed we were told by the GI that there was a 30% of a sibling also developing it. Well we fell into that 30%. I would be hard pushed not to believe, in our case, that hereditary and genetic factors make up most of the puzzle. Not only do they both have Crohn's but it exactly mirrors each other, too exact to be coincidental as far as I am concerned.

Dusty. xxx

 

[PVail]

Well you know when you are told you have you fathers eyes and you mothers nose well why I cant have his IBD. I think we carry on so much of are parents in the way we act the way we move our mannerisms I would be very suprised if we dont inhereit some pathalogical issue too.
Just the same when a family member gets cancer, now they want to test other members for any sysmptoms. I think GPs decide when they want things to suit or not. I am amazed of the lack of commitment by my GP. I was told to stop looking for an answer . Im a grown man but I actually left the surgery and sat in my car and cried . I havent done that since I was a child. So the alternitave is to be in a haze of pain 24 /7 and all the rest of the mess that comes with it.
Thats all a bit of a rant but not having a good day !

 

[DustyKat]

As far as I'm concerned...no reason at all!

Maybe time to change docs?

I hope you're feeling a little better today...:hug:

Dusty. xxx

 

[CyCrohn'sGuy]

My grandmother had Colitis, my mother has Colitis, my older brother has Diverticular disease, my other brother died of septecemia due to gangrene in the intestines, my youngest sister has Celiac disease, I have Crohn's.....only one other sister remains unaffected thank God.

Need I say more?

Costas

 

[PVail]

Thanks for your replies and sorry for blowing off. Nearly had to leave work last night as the pain or my Alien i call it was so intense I was not coping well. I guess i need to get a suitable pain relief medication that will let me work. Last night of shift tonight so tomorrow I will get some rest and hopefully get to see a doctor for some relief.

Current Meds : Asacol 800mg 3 to 4 a day, was given neurontin for pain but it made me much worse.

 

[CyCrohn'sGuy]

I hope you get to feel some relief soon.

 

[PVail]

Actually im so glad i joined this forum as does help in may ways. I glad im not going crazy as i was begining to think i was. Talking is good and in itself is a form of relief . Im goin through a bad patch at the moment, you know ,doesn't matter what you eat, what you drink waht meds you take its just bad. I know it will probably ease off at some stage and I will just have to be patient and try to be positive in the mean time.

 

[robbo87]

In my family as far as i know I only have a cousin who has UC. but they are looking into the possibilities of it being hereditary. I signed up to some testing at the hospital where i get my treatment for research and stuff.

I can see why your GP might be cautious in diagnosis but has he not ordered any sort of tests? If i was you i'd try to get a second opinion.

 

[PVail]

I have had three colonoscopies in th last 18 months, a CT scan ,a barium follow through and multiple blood test but they say they can't find the root cause of the problem. Last time they said inside of lower left side colon was very red but biopsies did not show anything. Right side colon had a lot of spasm.. The pain I have now is constant in right abdomen :rof::rof: I am next going to a pain clinic ,not sure what happens there but I am worried that they will just kill the pain and the source of this will get worse. Haven't really had any accurate test done of the upper bowel ( I believe this is where the problem lies ) I am goin to ask for a test for this but I suppose this will be their call .

 

[Kev]

Well, my birth mother has Crohn's, five out of six of my half siblings have it, and I have it. So, in total, 7 of 8 people. Now, we happen to live in the hotspot of IBD occurance. Odds of getting it here are 1:200. So, when you combine a genetic disposition (vulnerability) to the disease, and add the risk of exposure to whatever (virus, bacterium, alien probing, etc..) causes it, I guess the odds equate to the reality my family tree has with Crohns.