Iv been diagnosed with ibs and have suspected crohns but how can I tell them apart?

[serenaindge1987]

Iv been suffering servere stomach cramps and pain,diarrehea hot sweats,sudden urg to go toilet but same time chronic pain,eating hurts like hell, at times I'm constipated but mostly loose stools,vomiting, weakness and very tired all the time.lost weight etc i was taken to hospital back in October 2011 for 4 days I was unable to drink eat sleep,gp took me by ambulance was sent home saying was viral, unfortunately it became worse,more often,more symptoms finally tests were happening, X-ray and blood tests showed nothing,stool sample showed inflammation in my bowels,a barium follow through showed my digestive system works far to fast diagnosing ibs,gi dr was unhappy with it being ibs sent me for a colonoscopy that was negative,then a capsule endoscopy finally showed suspected Crohn's disease aswel as ibs! Yes I thought I can start treatment.just this week I went for an mrie wel since then I'm having a flare up,I drank 1.5 litres of fluid they gave me I had chronic pain while in the mri hopefully this should show my problems am currently waiting for results but I'm in so much pain can't eat crying as the pain is unreal.im on a steroid 6mg daily but does nothing to help.can anyone help? I'm sure it's crohns and ibs I just want it to stop :-(

 

[acheallova]

Hi serenaindge,
Welcome to the family. So glad you have found us. It is a wonderful community of support, sharing, laughter, sadness and company along your journey. Do they have you on anything besides steroids?

Sometimes a hot soak in the tub helps. Also, a hot water bottle or a heating pad/ electric blanket can work wonders to " decrease" pain. Some use paracetamol ( acetaminophen), but the effectiveness may not be what you would like.

Have you spoke to your dr. about some type of pain therapy until all your tests come back for the official treatment plan. Staying well hydrated won't really help with the pain, but it will help the body to be able to cope with the pain somewhat.

With the weight loss, have you tried supplements like ensure/boost. If you can get thru one a day, it can be beneficial.

I hope you get some results soon and can start treatment. Hoping your pain gets under control too. Thoughts with you. - hugs-

 

[serenaindge1987]

Hi thank u for your welcome acheallova. I'm taking painkillers at mo I ate at lunch but nothing since I can not bare the pain, iv been drinking water. I'm hoping to ring gi Monday to get me in quicker then February as the hospital thinks that's too long await.
Have u crohns? Ibs? Or both ?

 

[acheallova]

Had ibs they said for years but now officially crohns ( diagnosed in may) but they believe I've had for ~ 30 years.

 

[Astra]

Hiya and welcome

here's the difference

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/ibs/a/diffibsibd.htm

Is your steroid Entocort (Budesonide) ? This will work in the small intestine but not the large. It's non systemic.
Can you see your GP monday, maybe you need a different steroid, Prednisolone to blitz the pain/inflammation whilst you wait for results. Pred is systemic, works the whole GI tract.
You shouldn't be vomiting, a red flag symptom that something's not right. Vomiting can/may be a sign of a partial blockge, but if the scope came back negative, I'm not sure now what's going on!
GP could also give you a short term supply of 30mg Codeine Phosphate to reduce diarrhea as well as a painkiller, it's addictive tho, but it will help til you see gastro again.
If not, try over the counter Co-codamol which is 8mg/500mg Paracetamol.
Good luck, Joan xxx

 

[xmdmom]

Astra,

Thanks for posting that link. I think the table (on the link you posted) is generally very good and it would be good to have posted somewhere prominent on the forum/wiki as many people have this question. I would add that some people with IBS may have some rectal bleeding (due to constipation/anal fissure) , decreased appetite (cause of the pain/bloating), and perhaps even weight loss due to the decreased appetite. I believe these 3 symptoms are far more common and more severe in IBD compared to IBS. Also, constipation and diarrhea may both occur in those with IBD.

It seems like many people with IBD on the forum were previously diagnosed with IBS.
It's a diagnosis that doctor give pretty liberally...

And then some doctors say it's IBS on top of Crohn's, usually when they think the Crohn's is under control by labs, scopes) but some symptoms persist. It's not clear to me that this diagnosis IBS on top of Crohn's is accurate.

serenaindge1987- what steroid are you on? 6 mg of prednisone is tiny and not generally a dose for inflammation. I wish you relief for your pain. {{{Hugs}}}