Hi There,
My name is Bethany and I am almost 32 years old. I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease in the Spring of my first year of college after what started with acid reflux and progressed to weight loss, stomach cramping, constipation, incredible stomach pain that would cause a spiked fever for a few minutes that would then return to normal, and finally bloody diarrhea and not being able to get out of bed that led to having to quit school that term. I ended up in the hospital for 8 days, getting a blood transfusion, iv food and prednisone, etc.
I had one flare up just over a year later which was treated with about 3 months of Prednisone. I was also on Asacol and I think Azothiprine (sp?) for about a year. I then lost health insurance and was feeling better so quit all meds.
Since then I have had minor issues like possible lactose intolerance and sensitivity to certain other foods that caused a day to 4 days of diarrhea. Then about 6 months ago I started to get more on and off diarrhea for more like a week out of every month instead of a day out of every month. In December I felt a little worse and has a little acid reflux.
Then in March I got my yearly women's exam. I have a growth in my cervix that needs removed and so the exam was painful. Afterwards I was in a fair amount of pain for the rest of the day. The next day I started getting shooting pains up my back, especially when sitting or laying down. They got worse, I called the dr and they said they were probably cervical spasms and should go away and to just use pain meds. Then like 4 days after the exam it turned into lower left side and later lower left and right side pain. I ended up going to another dr a week later, got a urine test done, and she said she thought it was likely my Crohns flairing up and that the uterus is close to the small bowel so this was probably where the Crohns was acting up in.
Since then I have been on vicodin until I can see a GI May 11th. I visited my sister in CA just after my exam/diagnosis and had mostly minor to medium pain but twice threw up, something I NEVER do. Once was after a Margarita (I rarely drink) so I thought it must be related to that even though it was one drink, or maybe related to taking my anti-anxiety meds not long after drinking it.
But then we went to Disneyland and I had pineapple juice. Within about 10 minutes I felt AWFUL and couldn't get up off the ground of Mark Twain's riverboat. I made it off the boat and across to the first aid station before throwing up outside of it and again in the restroom inside. I was in immense pain, the worst since my original Crohns symptoms.
Gradually since then I've gotten better. I also saw a reflexology doctor who gave me some digestive enzymes and meds for parasites he thinks I might have. He also recommended mostly a meat and veggie diet with no peppers, tomatoes, nuts or wheat. I have stuck to that about 90% since.
So my mian two questions are the following, 1) I am still primarily having pain that starts as middle/lower back pain and then turns into Crohns type stomach pain. I don't remember back pain at all when my Crohns was bad before, does anyone else have this? 2) Has anyone had a Pap smear or similar exam trigger Crohn's symptoms or a flare up?
Thanks so much,
Bethany
My name is Bethany and I am almost 32 years old. I was diagnosed with Crohns Disease in the Spring of my first year of college after what started with acid reflux and progressed to weight loss, stomach cramping, constipation, incredible stomach pain that would cause a spiked fever for a few minutes that would then return to normal, and finally bloody diarrhea and not being able to get out of bed that led to having to quit school that term. I ended up in the hospital for 8 days, getting a blood transfusion, iv food and prednisone, etc.
I had one flare up just over a year later which was treated with about 3 months of Prednisone. I was also on Asacol and I think Azothiprine (sp?) for about a year. I then lost health insurance and was feeling better so quit all meds.
Since then I have had minor issues like possible lactose intolerance and sensitivity to certain other foods that caused a day to 4 days of diarrhea. Then about 6 months ago I started to get more on and off diarrhea for more like a week out of every month instead of a day out of every month. In December I felt a little worse and has a little acid reflux.
Then in March I got my yearly women's exam. I have a growth in my cervix that needs removed and so the exam was painful. Afterwards I was in a fair amount of pain for the rest of the day. The next day I started getting shooting pains up my back, especially when sitting or laying down. They got worse, I called the dr and they said they were probably cervical spasms and should go away and to just use pain meds. Then like 4 days after the exam it turned into lower left side and later lower left and right side pain. I ended up going to another dr a week later, got a urine test done, and she said she thought it was likely my Crohns flairing up and that the uterus is close to the small bowel so this was probably where the Crohns was acting up in.
Since then I have been on vicodin until I can see a GI May 11th. I visited my sister in CA just after my exam/diagnosis and had mostly minor to medium pain but twice threw up, something I NEVER do. Once was after a Margarita (I rarely drink) so I thought it must be related to that even though it was one drink, or maybe related to taking my anti-anxiety meds not long after drinking it.
But then we went to Disneyland and I had pineapple juice. Within about 10 minutes I felt AWFUL and couldn't get up off the ground of Mark Twain's riverboat. I made it off the boat and across to the first aid station before throwing up outside of it and again in the restroom inside. I was in immense pain, the worst since my original Crohns symptoms.
Gradually since then I've gotten better. I also saw a reflexology doctor who gave me some digestive enzymes and meds for parasites he thinks I might have. He also recommended mostly a meat and veggie diet with no peppers, tomatoes, nuts or wheat. I have stuck to that about 90% since.
So my mian two questions are the following, 1) I am still primarily having pain that starts as middle/lower back pain and then turns into Crohns type stomach pain. I don't remember back pain at all when my Crohns was bad before, does anyone else have this? 2) Has anyone had a Pap smear or similar exam trigger Crohn's symptoms or a flare up?
Thanks so much,
Bethany
