Puzzled: no inflam in blood test and nth on CT-scan with contrast but symptoms

[want_to_be_well]

Hello everyone,

I am very, very puzzle. I feel sharp lower right side pain (now below my rib cage), have had D for a week (despite being in the introduction of the SCD diet and eating only turkey patties and chicken broth). My blood work showed no inflammation and my CT-scan with barium contrast did not show it either. I have no gallbladder since March last year and have been having this pain on my low right side very mildly for the past 6 months at least. It has become significant since mid-August (a month now), and D had been on and off for the same time (now persistently on). I have been diagnosed with IBS in 2001 but this feels different (much worse!). Life has become very restricted.

Anyone had good results form blood and scan but colonoscopy revealed IBD? How come?

 

[Johnnysmom]

My son's inflammatory markers were normal and so was his CT scan and yet he was diagnosed just a few months later with crohn's. He was loosing weight and his growing had stopped so those were the first signs. I can also tell you that I suffer with IBS and I have D probably 8 times a day and sometimes have pretty bad stomach pain too. So as my G.I. told me sometimes once they go in for the colonoscopy someone with relatively few symptoms can be severe and someone with horrible symptoms is clear. A colonoscopy/upper endoscopy is going to be the only way to know for sure. But a new test called Fecal Calprotectin will show inflammation in the stool and is also a pretty good indicator. This was one of the few things our insurance did not cover and it is about a $500 test but it might be worth asking your G.I. to consider. It is easy, fast and much less expensive than a colonoscopy.

I know that some people will have normal inflammatory markers but do have crohn's and I don't know exactly why that is. My son's tests showed the protein in his blood was low and a few other things were slightly low or high.

I hope you find some answers soon and are feeling better. ((((hugs)))))))

 

[KatyBuckeye]

Have you seen a GI about these new issues? What is the plan for follow-up? Are they doing a colonoscopy?

My blood tests have all been normal, as well as my CT scan, but I was diagnosed with Crohn's based on symptoms and a somewhat inconclusive biopsy (biopsy revealed an inflammatory polyp and acute colitis). I've now seen two other GI docs for another opinion. The 1st one called it lymphocytic colitis. The 2nd one (a top IBD doc) has not ruled out Crohn's. He said lymphocytic colitis is not likely. He is conservatively treating me for Crohn's and wants to do some additional testing. So, it is possible to have normal blood results and CT scan, but still have Crohn's. From my understanding, it can be very difficult to diagnose, with many different presentations. Keep us updated on your results.

 

[want_to_be_well]

Thank you very much, Johnny'smom and Katy!!

I will have an endoscopy/colonoscopy tomorrow. So hopefully I'll have answers. I suspected from reading this helpful forum that despite negative blood work and CT scan some are diagnosed with IBD, but my doctor said this would be very uncommon (?! -- you would think he would have seen this many times before).

I guess, we will see... The uncertainty is almost as uncomfortable as the symptoms. I've started to follow the SCD diet regardless two weeks ago.

I hope Johnny is doing better!

Best to all.

 

[KatyBuckeye]

Please post back after you get your biopsy results. I don't think it's the norm to have negative blood results and CT scans, but it is possible. I'm interested in your findings, so let us know. Good luck to you.

 

[Tantija]

Hi,

I am very interested as well. I was on SCD dient for almost 2 years, started December 2011. My blood tests doe not show any inflammation, however I had MRI scan few weeks ago and received the letter from the doctor saying: " Scan shows that you have stable appearances of the inflammation in your small bowel. Thiere is certainly no worsening of the situation." I am surprised that MRI shows inflammation and blood does not.

 

[Clash]

Tantija, my son rarely has blood work with inflammation markers out of the norm, blood work isn't a great indicator for him. We rely on the fecal calprotectin stool test which shows inflammation in the gi tract and it correlates nicely with the inflammation shown on an MRE and scope done at the same time. So although the three of these showed inflammation the blood work did not.

There are a fair number of members on here that also have unreliable blood work when it comes to inflammation.

 

[Tantija]

Hi Clash, thanks for so prompt reply. I had very high blood markers before the diet so assumed that once I do not have anymore it is fine. Thanks. I have never had stool test. Beleive I have to suggest to the doctor. What do you mean by scope during MRI please?

Thanks.

 

[Clash]

It wasn't a scope during MRI. He was hospitalized and had fecal calprotectin test and MRE(similar to MRI but better visualizes bowel) then the following day he had a colonoscopy as well.