Will a colonoscopy show anything if no symptoms?

[jlgaustin]

My last outbreak of problems started out of the clear blue about 8 days ago, the diarrhea lasted for about 2 days and then just abdominal discomfort since then. Today has been even better.

I go for my colonoscopy tomorrow, if there is nothing going on will the GI be able to see anything?

Never had a history of abdominal problems before that crap in October.

In October I had a 7-8 day bout of something which they said was bacterial gastroenteritis, put me on Cipro and I was good in about 10-14 days after the initial onset.

About a week after that I had another 10-14 day bout of something that caused mild abdominal pain and diarrhea for about 3-4 days which started about a day or two into the abdominal pain/discomfort.

Was fine for about 3 weeks and it started again last Monday, but as of today things are better.

 

[Crohn's 35]

Most times yes, it will show but I have had many and had symptoms and it showed nothing. Make sure you ask to get lots of biopsies, they can be missed too. Good luck with your scope, let us know what happens.

BTW :welcome: to the forum!

 

[KWalker]

Pen is right. I don't have any symptoms beside the big D and when they do colonoscopies they can definately see the infection. Hopefully your prep isn't too bad

 

[sunflower]

That is why they go in there, because they can get a better idea of what is going on. They can take samples, pictures and even a video!

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Yes people can have no symptoms and chronic low grade inflammation or structure.

 

[archie]

My last scope showed a few ulcers back at resection site with mild inflammation and I have no real symptoms since the surgery just the odd dicky tummy which I relate to the resection and not active crohns. Good luck

 

[Cornfieldgal]

Your colonoscopy is definitely worth having even if your symptoms are going away. I had my routine biannual one in May and I thought I was in remission. The GI doc spotted some tiny ulcers and took biopsies. Long story short by the time I started Cimzia in September I was flaring big time. Without the routine colonoscopy I wouldn't have been back in remission so quickly.

 

[kllyeve]

Yep - my symptoms( mostly constipation, RLQ pain and chronic fatigue) and bloodwork(normal CR and ESR) lead you to think nothing(or only mild disease) would be found in my colon. Yet my colonoscopy show mod to sever disease.

 

[Cookie]

Yes, even in remission my colonoscopy shows evidence of scarring from previos flares. But the contrary can also be true. You may be in a flare and it may not be picked up on the colonoscopy. Depends a lot on where the disease is.

 

[jlgaustin]

I had my colonoscopy and he said other than a few small internal hemmoroids everything looked really good. He went all the way to my terminal ileum and said he took a long look in that area and everything looked perfect.

He also did a upper GI and everything looked normal as well, he took biopsies of my duodenum to test for Celiac Disease. Haven't got the results on that back yet.

So basically colonoscopy showed nothing, full pelvic barium CT showed nothing and ultrasound showed nothing.

So assuming the actual odds of having Crohn's is low to start with even with having a cousin that had it, I am doubting now that I have it.

The GI doc said it is most likely post infectious IBS and should resolve over time.