Background: I found blood (lots) in my stool when I was pregnant over 2 years ago. After ruling out it being pregnancy related my OB sent me to a gastro who did a small scope in his office. He saw mild inflamation but since I was pregnant he and I agreed to hold off on a colonoscopy until after I had the baby. I didn't have any other symptoms (well I was pregnant so my whole body was out of whack) so my doctor thought it was something mild like ulcerative proctitus and just put me on canasa. The canasa helped my stools become solid again and the blood loss significantly lessened.
After I had my daughter the bleeding stopped as did the loose stools. My doctor and I decided on a flexsigmoidoscopy since I was breastfeeding and didn't want to be put under for a full colonoscopy. This seemed like a good idea for both of us since he thought the only affected area was the bottom of my colon. The results of this scope and the biopsies were inconclusive and there was no inflamation. The doctor said he would keep my original diagnosis (ulcerative proctitus) and that it was probably the canasa that had caused all of the inflamation to disappear so he couldn't see it in the scope.
Now, a year after my first scope and almost two years after I first started showing symptoms, I started bleeding and having loose stools again. This time I had major stomach issues when eating ANYTHING and I was getting to the point where I didn't feel like eating at all. I went for a second opinion and he said my first doctor had done everything right but now I needed to go for a colonoscopy. I went back to my original doctor, whom I like a lot better, and he scheduled the procedure. He also put me on Asacol in addition to refilling the Canasa (which I had taken myself off of after a month of no symptoms).
Results: The colonoscopy showed no inflamation in the bottom of my colon but major inflamation in the upper part of my large intenstine. The biopsy results were inconlusive so with these results it was unclear if it was UC or CD. My doctor gave me the new diagnosis of indeterminite colitis since the area affected is not a normal UC area although it was one continuous area and not spots all over like CD. He said he is 90% sure it is CD as that is what he has seen most cases of indeterminited colitis turn out to be. To treat this he has upped my does of Asacol from 1 pill 3 times a day to two pills 3 times a day and lowered my dose of Canasa from twice a day to once a day (since now he thinks it wasn't really getting to the affected area). My stools are now solid and I haven't had any bleeding for a while (I only bled for a short period of time this time) but there is still a lot of mucus in my stools.
My question is are there other tests my doctor should be doing to determine weather it is CD or something else? What about looking at the small intestine?
I really don't want to have to go to a thrid doctor for all of this because lets face it this is not fun stuff! But, if my doctor isn't doing all he can to diagnoise and treat me then I will do what I have to do for my health.
After I had my daughter the bleeding stopped as did the loose stools. My doctor and I decided on a flexsigmoidoscopy since I was breastfeeding and didn't want to be put under for a full colonoscopy. This seemed like a good idea for both of us since he thought the only affected area was the bottom of my colon. The results of this scope and the biopsies were inconclusive and there was no inflamation. The doctor said he would keep my original diagnosis (ulcerative proctitus) and that it was probably the canasa that had caused all of the inflamation to disappear so he couldn't see it in the scope.
Now, a year after my first scope and almost two years after I first started showing symptoms, I started bleeding and having loose stools again. This time I had major stomach issues when eating ANYTHING and I was getting to the point where I didn't feel like eating at all. I went for a second opinion and he said my first doctor had done everything right but now I needed to go for a colonoscopy. I went back to my original doctor, whom I like a lot better, and he scheduled the procedure. He also put me on Asacol in addition to refilling the Canasa (which I had taken myself off of after a month of no symptoms).
Results: The colonoscopy showed no inflamation in the bottom of my colon but major inflamation in the upper part of my large intenstine. The biopsy results were inconlusive so with these results it was unclear if it was UC or CD. My doctor gave me the new diagnosis of indeterminite colitis since the area affected is not a normal UC area although it was one continuous area and not spots all over like CD. He said he is 90% sure it is CD as that is what he has seen most cases of indeterminited colitis turn out to be. To treat this he has upped my does of Asacol from 1 pill 3 times a day to two pills 3 times a day and lowered my dose of Canasa from twice a day to once a day (since now he thinks it wasn't really getting to the affected area). My stools are now solid and I haven't had any bleeding for a while (I only bled for a short period of time this time) but there is still a lot of mucus in my stools.
My question is are there other tests my doctor should be doing to determine weather it is CD or something else? What about looking at the small intestine?
I really don't want to have to go to a thrid doctor for all of this because lets face it this is not fun stuff! But, if my doctor isn't doing all he can to diagnoise and treat me then I will do what I have to do for my health.
