I've been having pretty life-interruptive bowel problems since I was 17. Got diagnosed with IBS at age 18 but have recently been questioning that diagnosis. In November (Age 21), I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis/Undifferentiated Spondyloarthropothy. A number of forms of IBD are often associated with these Spondy conditions. My rheumatologist suggested it might be microscopic colitis given my symptoms and lack of Crohn's/UC symptoms on my Colonoscopy in '08.
My GI doc thinks Crohn's in the portion of my intestines that the Colonoscopy/Upper Endoscopy couldn't reach is another possibility. Oof. I thought we had gotten Crohn's off the table for good after my Colonoscopy. One of my good friends had his colon removed due to his a year or two ago, and that crap terrifies me.
I'd say the fact that I've never noticed blood in my stool is the main way my symptoms may not line up with these big bad conditions. I do have pretty dark stool sometimes though, so who knows...
Here are the symptoms I can think of currently:
10+ sizeable bowel movements daily, usually loosely formed
Mucus in stool
Spasming/urge to have bowel movement at least once an hour while awake
Intense pain that comes and goes in low left and low right abdomen, alternating
Reflux (I have a hiatal hernia)
Seemingly excess gas production
Nausea
Food Avoidance got me down to 103 lbs last year.. I was back up to 120 for about 6 months but lost 10 lbs last week after a steroid injection. It's been suggested I just had water weight from my arthritic inflammation.
Hyoscyamine usually helps with the "urge to go" feeling, but not at all with the low abdominal pain
I'm on 10mg desipramine to help with the IBS but so far have noticed zero improvement
Fiber and probiotics do not help at all
There have been plenty of days I've missed work or school because I'm stuck in the bathroom in terrible pain. I'm ready to get this crud figured out. I don't know what diagnosis I want. I don't want anything worse than IBS but none of my IBS treatments cut it, so I'm hopeful that maybe with a more accurate diagnosis I can get more effective treatment.
I have a flexible sigmoidoscopy next week, joy of joys, I guess to biopsy for microscopic colitis. Had a small bowel follow thru on Tuesday. Doing a pill cam sometime soon to check for Crohn's again. I'm so sick of being sick.
My GI doc thinks Crohn's in the portion of my intestines that the Colonoscopy/Upper Endoscopy couldn't reach is another possibility. Oof. I thought we had gotten Crohn's off the table for good after my Colonoscopy. One of my good friends had his colon removed due to his a year or two ago, and that crap terrifies me.
I'd say the fact that I've never noticed blood in my stool is the main way my symptoms may not line up with these big bad conditions. I do have pretty dark stool sometimes though, so who knows...
Here are the symptoms I can think of currently:
10+ sizeable bowel movements daily, usually loosely formed
Mucus in stool
Spasming/urge to have bowel movement at least once an hour while awake
Intense pain that comes and goes in low left and low right abdomen, alternating
Reflux (I have a hiatal hernia)
Seemingly excess gas production
Nausea
Food Avoidance got me down to 103 lbs last year.. I was back up to 120 for about 6 months but lost 10 lbs last week after a steroid injection. It's been suggested I just had water weight from my arthritic inflammation.
Hyoscyamine usually helps with the "urge to go" feeling, but not at all with the low abdominal pain
I'm on 10mg desipramine to help with the IBS but so far have noticed zero improvement
Fiber and probiotics do not help at all
There have been plenty of days I've missed work or school because I'm stuck in the bathroom in terrible pain. I'm ready to get this crud figured out. I don't know what diagnosis I want. I don't want anything worse than IBS but none of my IBS treatments cut it, so I'm hopeful that maybe with a more accurate diagnosis I can get more effective treatment.
I have a flexible sigmoidoscopy next week, joy of joys, I guess to biopsy for microscopic colitis. Had a small bowel follow thru on Tuesday. Doing a pill cam sometime soon to check for Crohn's again. I'm so sick of being sick.