Possible signs of Crohn's or Colitis?

[Jennifer]

My boyfriend recently told me that when him and his brother were younger, they had problems with their GI tract. He said that he had a fissure and surgery to remove polyps when he was 19 years old (he's 28 now and his brother had similar problems when he was 12 and both were sick the same year) and has dealt with bleeding off and on since then. Sometimes filling the whole toilet with blood. Why he didn't go to the ER, I'll never know. He says that it may just be hemorrhoids (since the GI doc years ago said that they saw some while they did a scope) but who gets those that often (he made it sound like it happens once a year and lasts for a few days but it may be more often)? He doesn't always tell me when he's having symptoms and he recently told me that he sometimes has pain in the mid to lower right quadrant of his abdomen since he was hunching over in pain one day but I thought he may be having an appendicitis but the pain went away and he didn't have any of the other symptoms (plus he didn't have insurance and refused to go to the ER). He was tested for crohns years ago by a woman in Florida but she only did a barium follow through and told him that it was negative.

He just started a new job as many of you know and doesn't have insurance just yet. We've been trying to get him some sort of health insurance for now because he hurt his back during the move and had to go to the ER. So if we get that insurance then we'll need to find time for him to start seeing a regular GP and then a GI specialist soon after. I need to start doing that as well. Sadly right now he works from 9-5 and asking for work off so soon seems out of the question for him anyway (if it were me I'd go to the doctor but he won't).

I guess what I'm wondering is if maybe he does have crohns or colitis and has for a while but was never diagnosed. What is the likely hood that its just hemorrhoids over and over again?

I just got my internet up and running again today and need time to do research of my own. Is it normal to have or get polyps in your large intestine just from a bad diet? Cause that's what the doc said it was from when he was 19. He would gain weight for football and then lose it all for baseball back in high school. But was eating lots of junk food and fast food.

Important points in bold. Thank you for reading!

 

[Jennifer]

Does anyone know anyone else who has similar bowl problems but has no chronic medical condition causing it?

 

[Swirl]

Well I did my second colonoscopy (I have colitis) and it show signs of chronic ulcerative colitis just on my left side of my colon along with hemorrhage of the anus and rectum.
They found out it was colitis with my first colonoscopy.

I seen my GI yestarday and was given a prescription for Cortenema 100 MG/60ML Rectal Enema.

I went a year without any treatment but this year got worst with heavy bleeding. I finally needed a blood transfusion.
The hemorrhoids is due to my Colitis. Reading about Cortenema, It may go away when I come off it if it stops the bleeding.
I also had diarrhea problems since I had Colitis.
The bathroom trips I make is because of the bleeding since I usually go 6 times a day with nothing more but blood. He may be going to the bathroom a lot.

Bad diet causes tons of health problems over the years. I think its hard to test people for IBD if they're in remission too, so he could have had it but never knew.

Anyway, is he going to the hospital to get himself check out?

Oh and before this, I had no problems. Just started going to the bathroom more often with bright red blood in stool. I was mostly home during this time when I started having problems during the winter.

 

[Jennifer]

No he isn't going to the hospital to get anything checked out. Can't do much of anything here without health insurance.

Basically I thought all of these signs pointed to a medical condition, not something any normal person would have to deal with so frequently. I guess bad diet is a possibility but sounds like a cop out and isn't the cause now cause I make his food usually and the food I make isn't unhealthy.

 

[DustyKat]

If it comes down to the question of whether this is normal or not, then I would have say, no and I don't know of anyone or have known of anyone suffering these kind of symptoms without a diagnosis attached to it. As to haemorrhoids, well he may recurrent issues with them but I can't see how they would cause the the abdo pain.

HTH,
Dusty

 

[Jennifer]

Thank you Dusty. Those are my thoughts exactly.

 

[teeny5]

I think he needs to go to the Dr. But you can't make him go. He doesn't have to go to the ER necessarily, I just went because my stomach hurt all the time. A few months and tests later...Crohn's. Maybe when he gets his insurance you could just ease him into getting a check up. That would maybe get him into see a Doctor and if he trusts one, maybe he'll open up. I hated the doctor and waited till I had been in pain for months. No one could have made me go. When I finally went in my doctor just said..."and you waited this long to come in?". He couldn't believe it! I had so much inflammation it was ridiculous.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[Jennifer]

Ya that's the problem teeny. He was just raised that way to where you don't go to the doc unless your head fell off. Even then I bet they'd do their grocery shopping on the way to the ER. I'm sure he'll start going once his insurance is figured out and his job is settled. I just hope he follows up and keeps going cause you can't get it all done in one day.

 

[Rob]

Ya that's the problem teeny. He was just raised that way to where you don't go to the doc unless your head fell off. Even then I bet they'd do their grocery shopping on the way to the ER. day.

lol sounds familiar lol
as a kid on the family campin trip I managed to remove my large toe with a shovel lol
well on way home from trip we "had" to stop at this famous playground so I could hav a play lmao
got a pic of me with a sock on my foot all bandaged up an on the slippery slides lol

- sorry bit off track
I'm gonna hav to say that if he has a similar attitude to "if
it ain't broke don't touch it" then ul hav to jus wait until he gets insurance

but IMO it sure does sound like uc or cd

keep us posted

 

[Dexky]

I'm with Rob. Might as well leave him alone Jenn. He ain't goin til he has to.

Will he have insurance through work after a trial period? That's usually the way it works. It's been so long ago, I think it was 90 days when I started UPS.

Glad to see you back Jenn

 

[Jennifer]

He says the most basic insurance through his work is free but he has to wait 2 months to get it. Not bad actually. I'll leave him alone for now but will still remind him from time to time, well, once things get in order with his insurance anyway.