Hey everybody, I'm Mike. I live in CT. I was diagnosed this past October 2012 with Crohn's Colitis. Here's my story...
When I was around 22 or so, I started having these odd fevers and pains in my legs. I would have night-time fevers and night sweats and in the morning, generally felt better. This would go on for two weeks. Doctors couldn't figure out why my white blood cell count was high. No stomach pain at this point, mystery virus went away after two weeks of agony.
Several years later, my brother was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. He had a full on flare-up and ended up on several drugs. The disease was so far along he had to lose a foot of intestine. He is now currently in remission, though he takes Humira every two weeks through self-injection.
Around 2006 I ended up with a fistula after an abscess burst. At first I was diagnosed with Crohn's, but after several tests, including an Upper GI and a Colonoscopy that didn't go well (My doc couldn't get far enough up because I woke up in the middle of the procedure and ended up getting knocked right back out; Was in too much pain for him to proceed and he couldn't get any higher,) they determined I had IBS. I was put on Bentyl and Flagyl and had two surgeries for the Fistula (Learned an important lesson...sitz baths should be performed even after the surgeon tells you to stop Sitz baths. Second time around, it healed.)
A few years went by, and I had a few other small bouts with stomach pains (Mainly on my left side of my stomach and lower back,) with fevers and achy legs.
In the beginning of 2012, I started having more pain, specifically at night when going to bed. I went to the hospital one morning, they said no cancer or other issues. They recommended I see my Gastro though.
After several more months of on again, off again pain and some scary blood in the stool (Wasn't much...maybe two quarters-sized?) I ended up back at the Gastro for a colonoscopy. It was at this time they learned I indeed had Crohn's Colitis.
I was immediately put on Lialda (I've been taking Dicyclomine for the IBS) and things were much better. My bowels were loose and things felt better. This past Februrary though, things got worse and the pains and fevers came back several times off and on again.
The big symptoms when I know I'm having something go on involves the night chills/fevers, pain in legs, and pain/discomfort in lower left (and sometimes right) part of my stomach. I don't lose crazy amounts of weight or throw up. My Gastro wants to now put me on MP6 (or 6MP.) He has upped the dosage for my IBS medicine to a different kind of drug (Can't remember...something with an H....a white scentless, chaulk-like pill,) and we're testing that to see if there's any improvement within a few weeks. Regardless, it's only a matter of time before I am put on MP6.
Currently going through a bout of tummy problems. I've been celebrating my 30th birthday and feel that this has contributed to my bowel movement issues. Still having back/left side tummy pains/discomforts...sometimes wakes me up at night and makes me go to the bathroom. Very little comes out during BM, and when anything does, it's small amounts of Diahria (sp?) Currently switching temporarily to a liquid diet to clear me out (gummy men's multivitamins for loss of electrolytes/vitamins, green jello and prune juice.)
Thanks to all who read this. I'm in the beginning stages of getting all this sorted out. It's nerve-wracking and confusing and scary but hopefully when they put me on the MP6 things calm down a bit.
When I was around 22 or so, I started having these odd fevers and pains in my legs. I would have night-time fevers and night sweats and in the morning, generally felt better. This would go on for two weeks. Doctors couldn't figure out why my white blood cell count was high. No stomach pain at this point, mystery virus went away after two weeks of agony.
Several years later, my brother was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. He had a full on flare-up and ended up on several drugs. The disease was so far along he had to lose a foot of intestine. He is now currently in remission, though he takes Humira every two weeks through self-injection.
Around 2006 I ended up with a fistula after an abscess burst. At first I was diagnosed with Crohn's, but after several tests, including an Upper GI and a Colonoscopy that didn't go well (My doc couldn't get far enough up because I woke up in the middle of the procedure and ended up getting knocked right back out; Was in too much pain for him to proceed and he couldn't get any higher,) they determined I had IBS. I was put on Bentyl and Flagyl and had two surgeries for the Fistula (Learned an important lesson...sitz baths should be performed even after the surgeon tells you to stop Sitz baths. Second time around, it healed.)
A few years went by, and I had a few other small bouts with stomach pains (Mainly on my left side of my stomach and lower back,) with fevers and achy legs.
In the beginning of 2012, I started having more pain, specifically at night when going to bed. I went to the hospital one morning, they said no cancer or other issues. They recommended I see my Gastro though.
After several more months of on again, off again pain and some scary blood in the stool (Wasn't much...maybe two quarters-sized?) I ended up back at the Gastro for a colonoscopy. It was at this time they learned I indeed had Crohn's Colitis.
I was immediately put on Lialda (I've been taking Dicyclomine for the IBS) and things were much better. My bowels were loose and things felt better. This past Februrary though, things got worse and the pains and fevers came back several times off and on again.
The big symptoms when I know I'm having something go on involves the night chills/fevers, pain in legs, and pain/discomfort in lower left (and sometimes right) part of my stomach. I don't lose crazy amounts of weight or throw up. My Gastro wants to now put me on MP6 (or 6MP.) He has upped the dosage for my IBS medicine to a different kind of drug (Can't remember...something with an H....a white scentless, chaulk-like pill,) and we're testing that to see if there's any improvement within a few weeks. Regardless, it's only a matter of time before I am put on MP6.
Currently going through a bout of tummy problems. I've been celebrating my 30th birthday and feel that this has contributed to my bowel movement issues. Still having back/left side tummy pains/discomforts...sometimes wakes me up at night and makes me go to the bathroom. Very little comes out during BM, and when anything does, it's small amounts of Diahria (sp?) Currently switching temporarily to a liquid diet to clear me out (gummy men's multivitamins for loss of electrolytes/vitamins, green jello and prune juice.)
Thanks to all who read this. I'm in the beginning stages of getting all this sorted out. It's nerve-wracking and confusing and scary but hopefully when they put me on the MP6 things calm down a bit.