Soooooo what next

[RayRay1992]

Hey everyone

Been awhile since i've been on here , well i went back to the hospital after my colonoscopy and everything came back normal , and i had a very pig headed doctor.

I told them that i have all the symptoms expected with crohn's and varies doctors have said that all signs are showing i have it, and i said well can i have a capsule endoscopy as that will show the entirety of my digestive tract and that way can rule out crohn's once and for all, and this doctor said no she felt i didn't need to have one, and she believes i have a hyper sensitive bowel, ibs and depression. Which i think its ridiculous, i tried the anti depression she gave me antitriptyline and that made me even more ill but i kept up with it for 3 weeks still no change but i still have all my symptoms.

soooo what next, should i just keep asking for the capsule endoscopy ?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

If you are not satisfied with your diagnosis you can see another gi. I think a colonoscopy is adequate though and a capsule endoscopy probably won't show anything different.

 

[Saralr]

Did she give you anything for the IBS or hyper sensitivity? Or suggest a diet change? If you haven't done anything besides the anti depressants, I wouldn't expect you to feel better no matter what you have. If it is IBS an elimination diet can help find your problem foods.

The capsule would be nice but it's a big cost if you really do have IBS. I'd try seeing if you can control that first. Although I this is based on me not knowing your symptoms or history.

 

[RayRay1992]

Did she give you anything for the IBS or hyper sensitivity? Or suggest a diet change? If you haven't done anything besides the anti depressants, I wouldn't expect you to feel better no matter what you have. If it is IBS an elimination diet can help find your problem foods.

The capsule would be nice but it's a big cost if you really do have IBS. I'd try seeing if you can control that first. Although I this is based on me not knowing your symptoms or history.

Hi there, no she didn't give me anything but i have already changed my diet since my symptoms started and did elimination food diaries etc, and i eat clean now but i still have bad symptoms regular,

and with my symptoms i have very frequent loose BM'S, pain after eating and bm's, fatigue , and generally feeling unwell, which made my first year of uni a nightmare.

I'm currently using codeine, imodium, caolin and morphine mixture and mebeverine however only the mebeverine doesnt really help

thanks for the reply

 

[If*]

What about a mri, mre or small bowel study? Since colonoscopy can not show the entire bowel. I keep seeing a calprotien test (is that right?)for inflammation what about that??

Hope you feel better.

 

[RayRay1992]

What about a mri, mre or small bowel study? Since colonoscopy can not show the entire bowel. I keep seeing a calprotien test (is that right?)for inflammation what about that??

Hope you feel better.

Hi there

Yes i've had an MRI that came back clear, and i had an endoscopy before my colonoscopy that showed redness of the rectum, the second doctor i saw said that it could be crohn's affecting my stomach rather then my intestines and bowel, however my current doctor refused with anymore tests and said that i had IBS which the first 2 doctors both agreed it wasn't due to the severity of my symptoms and how fast they occurred .

Thank you for your concern

 

[Cosmojo]

I think if your symptoms are severe, or you feel this doctor dismissed you then seek another opinion, I have never been of the opinion that a colonoscopy shows with confidence if you have Crohn's or not- it didn't for me at least, saw some minor signs in a colonoscopy but needed a pill camera and CT or MRE to really show it.

On the other hand, stress and worrying does tend to make people who suffer from an irritable bowel worse so you may not have Crohn's and be so concerned about it that you are literally make yourself ill. I have also found in the past that too much codeine can upset your stomach and make you feel more fatigue than you actually have.

 

[If*]

If you feel there is something not right it is usually best to listen to your body. Which you seem to be doing.
Several have been told ibs and later told CD, it is not uncommon. Sometimes symptoms manifest at different rates and can take time to show up visually.

hang in there.

 

[RayRay1992]

I think if your symptoms are severe, or you feel this doctor dismissed you then seek another opinion, I have never been of the opinion that a colonoscopy shows with confidence if you have Crohn's or not- it didn't for me at least, saw some minor signs in a colonoscopy but needed a pill camera and CT or MRE to really show it.

On the other hand, stress and worrying does tend to make people who suffer from an irritable bowel worse so you may not have Crohn's and be so concerned about it that you are literally make yourself ill. I have also found in the past that too much codeine can upset your stomach and make you feel more fatigue than you actually have.

Yeah it's kind of a vicious circle isn't it, worrying about something you might have may make you worse , and yeah i only take codeine now and then as i read that you can get addicted so id rather not have that aha,

Thank you for the reply

 

[RayRay1992]

If you feel there is something not right it is usually best to listen to your body. Which you seem to be doing.
Several have been told ibs and later told CD, it is not uncommon. Sometimes symptoms manifest at different rates and can take time to show up visually.

hang in there.

Yeah thats the only problem with crohn's is can be difficult to actually get a diagnosis ,

thanks for the reply and your concern

 

[UnXmas]

Doctors often misdiagnose IBD as IBS (or misdiagnose other digestive disorders as IBS), especially in young people where they are not concerned about ruling out the more serious conditions that are more likely to affect the elderly.

That said, there are certain symptoms which signify that a digestive problem should not be classified as IBS - these are mainly passing blood, unintentional weight loss and fevers. Without these symptoms, some doctors may feel extra tests may not be justified.

My doctors have recently referred me for a capsule endoscopy, because they want to get a complete picture and fully assess the extent of the inflammation in my digestive tract. My situation's different as I already have a diagnosis, but to me it does feel like the capsule endoscopy is going to be a bit of a waste of time. I've just recently had an MRI of the small bowel, as well as an upper endoscopy, and I don't have a large bowel any more since it was removed, otherwise I'm sure they'd be doing a colonoscopy as well, so to me it feels a bit like overkill with the tests. I assume that doctors have guidelines to help them decide which tests are helpful in which situations, but I think it also comes very much down to the individual doctor, and you need to find a doctor who is on the same page as you. If you feel you need more tests, you need a doctor who understands that. And if they understand what you want but still don't believe you need more tests, you at least want them to be able to give you very convincing reasons why tests are not necessary.

Rather than keeping asking for a capsule endoscopy, I think it may help to ask for the opinion of a different doctor. You shouldn't have to feel like you're having to convince your doctor that you need more tests, that your symptoms are serious, that you're not just suffering from depression and IBS. That makes it very hard work for you, when you are already trying to cope with being ill. It's important to have a doctor who you feel confident in, and who you are not having to keep trying to convince that you need more help. And if you do get more tests, you do have to be prepared for more negative results. Sometimes you can have terrible symptoms and still have normal test results. In that situation, it will be even more important that you have a doctor who will still take you seriously and still try to help you manage your symptoms.

 

[LodgeLady]

You may want to ask for an Upper GI with small bowel follow through.

I just had an upper GI with a small bowel follow through yesterday. I have inflammation markers ( increased sed rate) with ongoing mild anemia. A biopsy showed mild inflammation at TE but a follow up showed it resolved . I am still having pain and cramping with nausea. I have felt so much better on Pentasa but he wants to really see the whole picture.

My dr won't entertain a pill cam until he sees these results.

For those who were diagnosed via upper GI with SBS, what diagnostics came back that determined Crohn's? Ulcers, strictures, blunting of villi?