Diseases - IlCat.org

Margie Said:

Could i have Crohn's disease?

We Answered:

Hi, i'm not sure if the blood tests rule out Crohns disease but if i were you i would suggest your doctor to test you for it or just tell him that you think it might be that, that way they are aware of it. Sometimes doctors try to rule out so many things they forget some diseases, so i would suggest mentioning that to them. Sorry i could not help.

Paul Said:

does it sound like crohn's disease?

We Answered:

there is a blood test which can be taken that determines whether you have the antibodies for crohn's, ulcerative colitis, or irritable bowel syndrome. if your insurance doesn't cover it, it is extremely expensive (the name brand of the test is "Prometheus", but i know Quest does a similar test now also,) but worth it.
continue to avoid foods that upset your stomach and STAY HYDRATED. a colonoscopy is probably also a very good idea to determine if there is visual evidence that you have inflammation. if bowel problems run in your family, you may not know it since diagnosis of these conditions are relatively new and it's something that wasn't commonly discussed years ago. remember that crohn's can affect your entire digestive system and ulcerative colitis only affects your large intestine. be sure to see a gastroenterologist, not just a primary care doctor.
check out http://www.mdjunction.com/crohn-disease and other support group websites for more insights and answers!

Caroline Said:

I've tested positive for an IBD serology showing consistency with Crohn's Disease? Does this mean I have it?

We Answered:

I almost answered with a link to www.wrongdiagnosis.com but the last line grabbed my attention- are you male or female and have you been overseas (military) or in contact with exotic foods (pork and fish mostly) and more personally, do you have or have you had any past problems with bowl obstructions or colon growths, small intestine or mal absorption issues, anal or rectal injury (child birth or major vein hemorrhoid problems) and are you in general a nervous person?

Ted Said:

Crohn's disease diagnosis?

We Answered:

Crohn's can be very difficult to diagnose, it took them a year to figure out what was wrong with me. I started to get sick when I was 15 years old but it wasn't until I was 16 that they told me I had crohn's. I am now 26 years old and have tried lots of different medication and have had 3 operations, my most recent being 3 weeks ago.

Surgery is a very last resort - only if diet and medication isn't working. Steriods (prednisolone) will usually be used to control symptoms, a dose of that will most likely bring everything under control again. Steriods however can give some unfortunate side-effects (they weakened my bones so much I fracture my spine when I was only 17 - I had the bones of an 80-year old). Because of these side-effects, they may use Budesonide, which is another type of steriod but with less side-effects. Budesonide can also get things under control.

If you are eligible for Infliximab treatment, they may want to try you on that (if your diagnosis is Crohn's of course). If you do get diagnosed with crohn's, there are a few options before surgery. I've had 3 operations in 6 years because medication was no longer helping me.

You may also want to change some of the things that you're eating. Anything that's hard to digest is going to put your digestive tract into over-drive and will cause a lot of issues. Most crohn's sufferers avoid nuts, spicey foods, fried foots and processed meats. When I was going through a bad flare-up, a dietition put me on a low-residue diet, which consisted mainly of white breads, white pastas, and easily digestible foods such as chicken and fish. I was also advised to stay off stringy vegetables like celery, and fruits and veggies with skins on them, like grapes, cucumber, peas and beans.

They may want to try a number of different tests to make sure they get the correct diagnosis. The test that finally diagnosed my crohn's was a barium xray. You need to drink yucky chalky type liquid and then they take xrays of your stomach to show the barium's movement through your small intestine - the barium will highlight the problem area.

I've also had colonoscopys, where they put a camera up your behind and take a look around - not pleasant but they put me to sleep for it. I've also had endoscopys, where a camera is put down the throat. I've also had CT scans of my stomach, as well as ultra-sounds.

It can be hard to adjust to crohn's but it does get easier, you will learn what you can and cannot eat and over time you will come up with ways to ease the pain and discomfort. Something as simple as sleeping with a hot water bottle against my tummy really helps my pain. Sleeping a particular way helps as well. Cups of tea can sooth the pain also. There are lots of medicines out there to help ease symptoms so make sure if you are diagnosed with crohn's that you get something to help you cope.

Good luck with everything and stay positive ... I hope for your sake that it isn't crohn's, but if it is - it's not the end of the world, you will be okay and you will adjust :) Take care.

Tyler Said:

Should I have all the aweful test's for Crohn's disease when they were done in March 2008?

We Answered:

Yes! In order to properly diagnose Crohn's the inflammation must be active. That is the only way, other than via scar tissue during Upper/lower GI or Colonoscopy that they can correctly diagnose. Too many people are diagnosed with this disease without catching it at the right time. I was lucky....my xrays lit up like the 4th of July.

Write back and let us know how it goes! This is NOT the worst disease in the world btw...

Norman Said:

Is there a part of your small intestine that tests can not see in testing for crohn's disease?

We Answered:

Yes, there sure is. If you're talking about "scoping" tests. Whether you have a colon or not, it's not possible for a GI doctor to scope you and pass the scope ALL the way throughout your small intestine. I had my entire colon taken out when I was younger, due to it being so diseased, and this is a common surgery for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. And even with no colon (I have a J-pouch and was originally diagnosed with UC), the GI doc can only go in so far. There is some test (can't remember the name of it), that they don't do much since it's risky and not such an easy thing to do. And it's when they put a scope in your mouth like they do when you have an upper endoscopy done, but they pass it all the way down to your small bowel. That sure isn't a test I'd wanna have done, even being sedated. haha. Normally, when you have an upper endoscopy done, they don't go down that far. I'm pretty sure they just view your esophagus, stomach, etc. And take biopsies of course.

But doctors CAN see all of your small bowel and your entire GI tract on an X-ray, if you get a small bowel follow through done. That is when you drink barium and they take a series of X-rays over a number of hours (however long it takes to get through you), so they can see different areas of your GI tract.

And the one person who answered made a good point with the capsule endoscopy thing. I have never had one done, and they seem useful, but I don't know how common they are in general. I was thinking just now how it would be cool if they could have it where the capsule you swallow for that test is able to take biopsies as it goes through you. haha. That would be pretty amazing. I hope this helps. :)

Julian Said:

I think I may have Crohn's Disease?

We Answered:

Your story sounds a lot like mine. I was diagnose about a year ago and recently had surgery to removed the disease portion of my intestines. I did not respond to drug treatments although most people do.
It really does sound like you have either CD or UC. People may try to scare you and tell you how bad it is but once you get it under control your life will be back to normal. They usually start drug treatments right after confirmation of you having the disease. They will usually start you on some anti-inflammatory meds and go from there. Many people respond well to steroids as well. I have confidence that soon after you get tested you'll be feeling much better.
To comment on one of the previous posts. You cannot die from CD or UC. If anyone did die and happend to have CD and UC its a coinsidence. Any medical lituratre that you read will firmly state YOU CANNNOT DIE FROM CROHN'S
Your probably very scared right now but don't worry. Crohn's for me was a blessing! I'm way healthier now than I ever was. I exercise and watch what I eat. If you want to talk to someone about it feel free to message me anytime. I know what it feels like to have no one to talk to.