Question about Remission

[LindaS]

I'm wondering, can you be in remission, feeling fine, few bathroom visits, no diarrhea, etc., but still have active disease show up on a colonoscopy or other test? I'm not in remission, but I'm wondering if it slowly starts to get bad on the inside before you feel it, or if the two go together.

I'm mostly just curious. I did a search of the forums and couldn't find anything, but there are so many posts with "remission" in them, so I apologize if this has already been answered.

 

[hawkeye]

According to my GI, you can feel fine and things can look really bad on a scope. Not sure what percentage of the folks who have CD are like this though.

 

[KWalker]

According to my GI, you can feel fine and things can look really bad on a scope. Not sure what percentage of the folks who have CD are like this though.

I'll let you know on December 16th lol. I have had crohn's for my whole life, and if I didn't know I would have no idea I had it. The big D is literally my only symptom. I don't get stomach pain, I can eat anything I want, I haven't had a flare in years, and I'm on no medicine whatsoever. but on the 16th I'm going for a scope to see how things are going inside. I'm really curious to see how bad it is considering how I feel.

 

[Nyx]

I didn't know I had Crohn's till I had massive blood in my stool. That was my only symptom. I'm currently in remission, but I have a scope every year to check things out in there just to make sure things are still ok.

 

[Mountaingem]

I have had scope that showed active disease and I felt fine. I even thought maybe the doctor had the wrong pics. It shows up in the bowel long before you feel symptoms according to my GI.

 

[scl]

I had chronic diarrhea for 30 years (and no other symptoms) and was told I had a "spastic colon", "fussy tummy" and my favorite, "dumping syndrome." There was never any advice on how to treat it except avoid foods that disagree with me. Other than the diarrhea, I always felt great with lots of energy and no pain.

It took a blockage to finally have a diagnosis and bowel resection surgery to remove a stricture. I will be having yearly colonoscopies to determine whether the inflammation has returned. With my minimal symptoms I doubt I would be able to tell whether I was in the middle of a flare or not.

 

[brianncc]

I had my first flare, not a big one, five years ago. Got diagnosed, and five months later had another colonoscpoy for a second opionon. They did not see anything or find any evidence of Crohns. So I was in total remission and looked normal. They told me to stop meds because they did not think it was Crohns after all. This was Mayo Clinic. I had IBS sysmtoms over the next few years, and then a bad flare and was re-diagnosed. So it is possible to be in remission and find not trace. But everyone is going to be different.

 

[RochelleRudolph]

I have been in remission for at least 9 years, as in not had any symptoms, meds or colonoscopies. But i have lost my appetite in the last six months and consequently lost a lot of weight, but still had no other symptoms until some D in October, but even that has now settled down, yet i am still losing weight!
Been waiting for an appointment with a Specialist for nearly two months now, having not seen anyone for the last 9 years. I am really curious to know what is going on inside my bowel.
I have actually had some bad episodes of lower and mid back pain, left sided lower abdomen discomfort and some hair falling out.
I wish i had some answers - it is soooo frustrating waiting for an appointment. i have rang the hospital at least four times and today i was told my appointment will be in December - let's wait and see?