Hi everyone, I am a 48yr old female with a family history of crohn's. My symptoms started about 15 years ago. I started waking in the night with chronic diarrhea followed by bloody mucus. The bloody mucus stopped after few weeks and was left with loose stools on a daily basis and occasional bouts of watery diarrhea, I also had a reoccurring abscess which was treated with anti biotics. I had barium enema and was given a diagnosis of IBS.Over the years I have had frequent bouts of diarrhea during the night or after meals but has mostly been 1-2 fairly loose stools in a morning, sometimes not even managed to get to loo in time.
In June of this year things got a lot worse, started at work with really bad stomach pain followed by diarrhea then the bloody mucus started to the point that all was coming out was bloody mucus but this time the pain did not go away. I was getting some pain most of the day, mostly a niggly pain, the white knuckle pain always seems to be during the night and is always followed by diarrhea. I also have been getting random joint pains in my knees, elbows, feet and fingers and to top it off, have had another abscess which seems to come and go but never disappears completely.
My gp referred me to a colorectal doc, he said I had a few internal piles but they did not seem to be causing any problems, who sent me for colonoscopy. The colonoscopy came back normal, he examined me in his office and said the prep had irritated the piles, which he banded while there and there was something in the rectum which needed keeping an eye on, carn't remember what it was, was still reeling from having piles banded. He said it was probably IBS and would see me again in 2 months to check on whatever it is in rectum but would refer me to gasto doc for further investigation as he could not treat the other symptoms.
I have had referral to gasto department just waiting for appointment and would you believe my symptoms have started to improve. I am still going to loo about 3 times on good day 6 on bad day, some with urgency,but the pain has much improved, still niggly from time to time but overall a lot better. I dont now know what to do, do I carry on with investigations or wait to see if the symptoms get worse again.
In June of this year things got a lot worse, started at work with really bad stomach pain followed by diarrhea then the bloody mucus started to the point that all was coming out was bloody mucus but this time the pain did not go away. I was getting some pain most of the day, mostly a niggly pain, the white knuckle pain always seems to be during the night and is always followed by diarrhea. I also have been getting random joint pains in my knees, elbows, feet and fingers and to top it off, have had another abscess which seems to come and go but never disappears completely.
My gp referred me to a colorectal doc, he said I had a few internal piles but they did not seem to be causing any problems, who sent me for colonoscopy. The colonoscopy came back normal, he examined me in his office and said the prep had irritated the piles, which he banded while there and there was something in the rectum which needed keeping an eye on, carn't remember what it was, was still reeling from having piles banded. He said it was probably IBS and would see me again in 2 months to check on whatever it is in rectum but would refer me to gasto doc for further investigation as he could not treat the other symptoms.
I have had referral to gasto department just waiting for appointment and would you believe my symptoms have started to improve. I am still going to loo about 3 times on good day 6 on bad day, some with urgency,but the pain has much improved, still niggly from time to time but overall a lot better. I dont now know what to do, do I carry on with investigations or wait to see if the symptoms get worse again.
