Is it IBS?

[McM17]

I was diagnosed with Crohn's almost a year ago, but have had symptoms for almost five years now. Through a lot of trial and error I found that I can't tolerate dairy well at all, and my symptoms get worse when I have other random foods like apples and eggs. I have been tested for allergies and I'm not allergic to any of the foods that I can't tolerate.

When I mentioned this to my relative (my cousin also has Crohn's) she said that I probably have IBS as well because the foods I eat shouldn't make a difference. I've read that lots of people have problems with high fiber foods and nuts, etc. but my doctor hasn't ever said much when I mention this to him. He just tells me not to eat things that bother me, obviously.

I have heard it is possible to have both Crohn's and IBS, but nobody else has ever suggested this to me. Is it normal to not be able to tolerate some foods? I can't seem to tolerate eggs well even when I am in remission.

 

[SarahBear]

Hi, McM17!

I'm not quite sure what you mean. People with Crohn's do have sensitivities to certain foods - and it can be anything. Common trigger foods include high fiber foods, nuts, popcorn, dairy, spices, and caffeine, but it can be just about anything else as well. Being sensitive to foods doesn't indicate IBS on it's own.

However, it is possible to have IBS as well as Crohn's. Do you have frequent stomach pains while you're in remission (if you have been in remission)?

 

[UnXmas]

Personally, I don't believe IBS is a real diagnosis. It's what doctors name digestive symptoms when they haven't found another cause for them - consequently many many different diseases end up being labelled IBS. And many people who are told they have IBS later find out it's actually Crohn's or some other disease causing their symptoms.

People with Crohn's can be told they have IBS. In these cases it's when there are digestive symptoms present when the person's Crohn's is in remission, or when they have symptoms that are more severe than the objective findings of tests would suggest. IBS can be used to name the symptoms that Crohn's supposedly cannot account for.

However, McM17, it's very common for people with Crohn's to find they can't tolerate some foods. I suspect the reason doctors sometimes say diet doesn't matter with Crohn's is because diet can't actually cause Crohn's, and no particular foods have been proven to put people into a flare or increase inflammation. But most people with Crohn's find that diet does affect the symptoms they experience - and many doctors and dieticians recognise this too. So eating a particular food may make you feel worse and may cause you to experience symptoms. Or it may not be particular foods that affect you, but the overall content of your diet - e.g. eating a high fibre diet may give you more pain or more diarrhoea.

So while from some people's perspectives it is possible to have IBS and Crohn's, the fact that you don't tolerate some foods in no way means that you have IBS.

Hope that made sense!

 

[Kit_Kat]

I was just having this discussion with my GI doc yesterday. I was in remission from age 20-34, and then I started having symptoms again: bloating, nausea, vomiting, pain - but no diarrhea or fever. They're telling me I have IBS in addition to crohn's, but I don't think they're 2 different conditions. I see my current symptoms as a mild form of crohn's. I remember the year before I was originally diagnosed with crohn's, I was having symptoms much like the ones I'm having now.

One of my test results indicated mild inflammation in the ileum, and I know that's a site of heavy immune activity. I find it very frustrating that physicians like to make these stark distinctions between IBS and crohn's, even among people who have a history of crohn's. I also know several people with crohn's or UC who have family members with IBS. So, I think IBS *can* be a mild version of crohn's, although there are many people with IBS who don't have immune problems and are able to get better simply by adding fiber. Believe me, I'm not one of those people.

 

[McM17]

Thank you for the responses!

SarahBear- I never have any pain, the only thing I've ever noticed is that when I'm in remission and I eat eggs I have one bout of diarrhea, and when they're out of my system I go back to normal.

I was just confused because my relative believed that food has no effect on Crohn's, and according to them I should be able to eat anything. Thanks for the clarifications! That makes a lot more sense.

 

[carrollco]

I was diagnosed with IBS and suffered with it for nearly 20 years. When I reached my 50s they ordered a colonoscopy where it was finally diagnosed as Crohn's. I think of all the times I went to ER or begged for help only to be told it was just IBS or I was sensitive to gluten even after I dropped 45 pounds in two months. IBS is a catchall for HMOs like Kaiser who do not want to spend the money on testing. I was told so many times it was IBS I became fearful of talking about it even though it was ruining my life. A good PPO and an insightful doc caught it right away.

He asked one question, "Does it wake you up at night?"

When I answered, "All the time!"

He said, "IBS doesn't wake you up at night. It doesn't work that way."

And the rest is history.

Louann Carroll
www.louanncarroll.com
Crohn's survivor and advocate
Trying the natural method that's not working so well right now. I DO NOT recommend this to anyone.

 

[mccindy]

I was originally diagnosed with Crohn's and now my current GI says the original diagnosis was wrong and that I don't have Crohn's. He says that I have "IBS with multiple food intolerances". Which to be sounds like the BS way to say "I don't know what's wrong with you, but don't eat the foods that hurt you". He put me on a new medication that is specifically for IBS and it did not work for me at all. So now I'm back to square one as well. I have known a lot of people with Crohn's and it always seems that there are foods they can't eat. Just because there aren't specific foods for each person, doesn't mean that Crohn's can't be food triggered. I think the truth is that there is a lot about the gut that doctors just don't know.

 

[raesunflower]

I agree, sometimes I think IBS is just a doctor's way of saying we don't know what wrong with you so quit complaining. Carrollco, it's funny that you should say that about being woken up at night. I had told other doctor's that before but the one I have now was the first doc to ask and then say well that's not IBS, something else is wrong if you are getting woken up at night. And then he kept looking rather than giving me some muscle relaxers that don't work and sending me out the door.

 

[carrollco]

They diagonised me with panic disorder, patted me on the head, told me I just needed to relax, and sent me out the door. I was so embarrassed I never discussed it with anyone again until I nearly died. Which was so stupid. But I really thought it was nerves.

Louann Carroll
www.louanncarroll.com
Crohn's survivor and advocate
Trying the natural method that's not working so well right now. I DO NOT recommend this to anyone.

 

[Kit_Kat]

The doctors in my rural hometown (Idaho) originally misdiagnosed me with IBS. They hadn't even bother to do x-rays or a colonoscopy, and every time they did a stool sample, there was blood, but they totally wrote me off. Then, after I lost a bunch of weight, they declared I had IBS and anorexia. Luckily, my parents found a specialist in the nearest city who ordered the x-ray and colonoscopy and found all the deterioration and narrowing, etc.

So, I tend to bristle whenever any health care practitioner utters the words: "irritable bowel syndrome."

 

[carrollco]

That is my story as well. Lost 45 pounds in two months with constant diarrhea. No tests just take a Xanax and get on with life. *sigh* Some docs should be slapped.

Louann Carroll
www.louanncarroll.com
Crohn's survivor and advocate
Trying the natural method that's not working so well right now. I DO NOT recommend this to anyone.