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What are the chances that I have IBD?

I know most of you are not medical professionals but since many of you have at least one form of IBD I just wanted your opinion if you could give it to me.

For about the last 6 years or so I have been experiencing these symptoms:

1.) First week of March 2007 (when I was 26 years old) I had a very bloody bowel movement after eating Brussels sprouts, which I used to eat all the time with no problem. And when I say "bloody" I mean the bowl was FULL of blood. My stools were still quite solid but all blood red. Immediately following in the days ahead I started losing a lot of weight, turning pale, and just feeling overall sick and tired. I eventually went to the Dr. and he did a sigmoidoscopy but said he only found hemorrhoids. I decided to stop eating Brussels sprouts and I have not an attack like that since. However.....

2.) I get frequent bouts of diarrhea. Not like everyday, but especially after eating really greasy/fatty foods...foods that I used to tolerate very well before that initial attack. I really have to pay attention to my diet now or I will be sick.

3.) My abdomen is bloated and it became that way after the first attack. It has never subsided. I also get frequent but tolerable pains. Also my stomach makes a lot of strange and ominous noises that were few and far between before that first attack.

4.) And this one really makes me think it is Crohn's - my anus is really swollen. I can tell when I use the bathroom.

Extraintestinal symptoms:

1.) Every now and then one or two of my knuckles will become red and inflamed. That has been happening to me since I was 18. Also every now and then one of my knees will be very stiff and painful to move. That has been happening to me since I was a little kid.

2.) Kidney stones - I've passed a few of them right around and just before the first attack and one more since. I have some urinary issues too like suddenly having to go urgently and/or frequently.

3.) It seems like since that first attack my blood does not circulate the way it used to. My ears used to get very red from the blood but since that first attack they no longer get like that unless I am in a really hot temperature. Also when I used to let my arms hang down the blood seemed to circulate to them very well. But now when I do that my veins no longer bulge and my arms don't get the "heavy" feeling they did before that first attack.

4.) Fatigue. Ever since that first attack I no longer am the outgoing person I was. It just seems like I am tired a lot and get tired a lot easier.

5.) Brain fog/memory problems. I have a hard time thinking things through the way I used to, as well as concentrating and remembering things. I really have to force myself to do that and the rest of my body gets stressed as a result.

6.) Lack of appetite. Not that I am never hungry. I'm just a lot less hungry than I used to be.

7.) Frequent heartburn, some palpations, dysphagia, and migraines.

8.) Depression. But that could be a result of dealing with what I have so far.

That's about all I can think of at the moment but I do have more symptoms. And they seem to come in waves. When I'm not feeling good in the stomach, that's when some or all of the other extraintestinal symptoms show up too. I've been doing a lot of research and the whole picture looks to me like I have Crohn's, although maybe not as bad as many people. Whatever this is, it never really subsides. I just have bad days and not-so-bad days. And it all started pretty much after that first attack in March of '07.

***One thing I will say - hopefully I'm not violating forum rules as I have seen some posts on this - but my symptoms seem to all but disappear when I am high from smoking cannabis. That's pretty much the only time I get relief.

I can't really afford at the moment to go to the Dr. and all the tests they will no doubt want to do, so I just wanted an opinion from people who have IBD. And maybe on a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least likely I have IBD and 10 being the most likely) you could tell me what you think. Again, I know most of you are not Dr.'s but I would greatly appreciate your opinions. Thanks!
 
Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear all that you have been through.
As you probably read, there is not a list of symptoms that fit everyone diagnosed with Crohns/IBD. It sure seems like the colonoscopy and the biopsies are what really helps give a diagnosis. It sounds like you are not able to do that at this time.

look at as many people on this site and it will give you a better idea and more will add their advice too...

best of luck, and take care
 
Welcome to the forum and sorry to hear all that you have been through.
As you probably read, there is not a list of symptoms that fit everyone diagnosed with Crohns/IBD. It sure seems like the colonoscopy and the biopsies are what really helps give a diagnosis. It sounds like you are not able to do that at this time.

look at as many people on this site and it will give you a better idea and more will add their advice too...

best of luck, and take care
Thanks for your reply. I am fairly confident that I have CD at this point. I just wondered what others thought who are actually diagnosed. Even if I could make it to the Dr. though I doubt they would be able to get a scope up there at this point.
 

Kev

Senior Member
Hi Madman

Welcome to the Forum. We aren't doctors (well, the majority of us aren't).. but neither are you. I think that you are self diagnosing, but that these symptoms could be other than IBD. Blood in the stool.. sigmoidscope.. hemmorrhoids. That would explain the blood AND the swollen anus. Issues with certain foods, esp. greasy foods, AND you've got gallstones. I think you have a wonky gallbladder... stones block bile duct, bile builds up... messes you up... stone passes/disolves.. bile is realeased.. messes up your bowels.

The IBD is still up in the air. But, the gallstones are here and now.. and those could lead to pancreatitis. Believe me, you do not want to go there. Come up with a plan that will let you focus on getting the gallbladder issue settled once and for all. A burst pancreatic cyst (and those can be painful on a scale you don't want to discover, ever) can be every bit as life threatening as a ruptured apendix. So, if you have to prioritize which medical things to address first, my laymans advice to you is to take care of the gallbladder thing first and foremost. Once done, (except for the hemmorrhoids) I think your other issues may resolve themselves. Gallbladder issues, bile issues, that can create havoc in the body. If bile was good for us, we wouldn't have so many ways to get rid of it.... oh, right. We only have one... and if it gets stopped up, then watch out.
 
Sorry to hear about all you are going through. I do know that some cases of IBD are very difficult to diagnose. I was lucky (!) to be diagnosed fairly quickly as my symptoms are quite common. It sounds like IBD could be a possibility for you.

I think a colonoscopy is your best bet for a diagnosis, and it makes me sad that you can't get one because of $$$. I'm Canadian, and while we might have to wait a bit, at least they are free.

You could try cutting out fatty foods to see if that hurls. If your gallbladder is part if the problem it should help. Try no more than 10g of fat in one meal.
 
Sorry to hear about all you are going through. I do know that some cases of IBD are very difficult to diagnose. I was lucky (!) to be diagnosed fairly quickly as my symptoms are quite common. It sounds like IBD could be a possibility for you.

I think a colonoscopy is your best bet for a diagnosis, and it makes me sad that you can't get one because of $$$. I'm Canadian, and while we might have to wait a bit, at least they are free.

You could try cutting out fatty foods to see if that hurls. If your gallbladder is part if the problem it should help. Try no more than 10g of fat in one meal.
Thank you lgpcarter and Kev for your replies.

Yes I'm sure I have gallbladder issues because I do have intermittent pains in my liver area, but like the pains in my abdomen, they're nothing intolerable. None of them wake me up in the middle of the night or anything like that, like I have read about with some people who have IBD.

And yes, when I stay away from the fatty foods (I practically live on lean chicken, seafood and rice) it does help although sometimes I get non-bloody D anyways. But can gallstones explain the weight loss, nausea, blood leaving my face and arms, and the inflammation in my hands/knees? All those things in and around the bloody stool episode I had makes me think it's IBD. I don't know if gallstones can cause inflammation in other parts of the body.

I'm actually going through what I think is like a mini-flare at the moment that started on Tuesday - my stomach is making more noises, I have some more pains, the blood has once again all but vanished from my face, and my right thumb's knuckle is sore. No bloody D so far, but these are all things that have been coming and going in waves since that first attack I had, but I've never felt like I've been totally in remission. I just have bad days and not-so-bad days.

Sorry to ask here but since I can't see a Dr. at the moment you guys on this forum are the next-best thing. :)
 
My GI told me to talk to a social worker in the clinic to figure out ways to afford office visits and testing - I was worried about that as I was turning 26 soon, and about to get kicked off my dad's insurance. I found a FT job on time, but social services might be something you could look into.

Have you been experiencing depression before or after the other things? Either way, it would be good to see a therapist. I understand that money is still an issue, but I know that some therapists are willing to work around that. From my own experience, therapy has helped me alleviate a lot of stress, which in turn helped decrease the severity of of the Crohn's. Keep us updated on how you are doing; there's tons of support your way! :)
 
My GI told me to talk to a social worker in the clinic to figure out ways to afford office visits and testing - I was worried about that as I was turning 26 soon, and about to get kicked off my dad's insurance. I found a FT job on time, but social services might be something you could look into.

Have you been experiencing depression before or after the other things? Either way, it would be good to see a therapist. I understand that money is still an issue, but I know that some therapists are willing to work around that. From my own experience, therapy has helped me alleviate a lot of stress, which in turn helped decrease the severity of of the Crohn's. Keep us updated on how you are doing; there's tons of support your way! :)
Some depression, but I think it's mainly because my social life has declined so much rather than due to the disease itself. But it's actually making me very angry. Every time I want to go out I have to fear that I might have D. This makes me a recluse when I am actually a very outgoing person. So for me it's more anger and bitterness, and resentment at healthy people who don't understand and they're like, "Hey want to come meet us up at the bar?" And I'm thinking, "Yeah I'd love to. But because of some #&*@ luck I have something wrong with me and I #@!&*^% can't."

On a side note, I read up that cannabis is good for IBD so I started using it, and it did help quite a bit. But I've been off it for about a month because I've been trying to get a job. And what do you think happened? Since Monday I have been having burning yellow D and anxiety attacks.

I'm starting to get ticked.

REALLY ticked.
 
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