Crohns Disease - Any idea on what medical problem I may have?
Expert: Odette Yuhas - 3/17/2005
Question Hello,
I am a 28 year old female who for the past three and a half
weeks have had constant diarrhea. I will mainly get it in the
morning but it's not uncommon for me to get it also a couple of
times during the day. My first visit to the doctor did not go so
well. He thought it was a viral infection that I had of my
intenstines. He said that if I still had diarrhea next week to
follow back up with him. Well I still had it the following week so
I went back in and the doctor then had me do stool samples and
a blood test. After another week of the same pain in my
stomach (kind of like a hunger pain, but sometimes more
intense), diarrhea and blood in my stools, I finally received a call
from my doctor today telling me that the stool sample was
negative for parasites or any other bacteria but it was positive
for blood. They still don't have my blood results back. I still
cannot eat anything without it going right through me. Last
week I had a day or two where I thought that I was getting over
it but then it started again.
At this point I am being referred to a gastro doctor. I cannot get
in to see him until next Wednesday and that is only for a
consultation. I feel that I am going to be fighting really hard
with them to give me a colonoscopy. I know that at my age that
they may think I am too young, but I am scared at this point.
Some things to point out, I have had lower GI (bowel, diarrhea)
problems on and off again for about 7 years. Usually this goes
away though in about a day or two at the max. I don't have any
fatigue, no significant weight loss (except for the 8lbs I have lost
due to not being able to eat), no headaches, no vomiting, no
fever. Just a little bit of stomach cramping with lots of diarrhea
and blood in my stools. My grandfather(maternal), both paternal
grandparents, my father and my aunt have had problems. My
dad, my grandparents with IBS and my aunt had colitis. I don't
know what to do at this point. I don't want to wait another two
weeks before getting some tests and I eventually need to get
back to work. This is interrupting my life, work and my
marriage. I also have a Alaska cruise coming up in May.
Do you know how long you can have IBS? Can diarrhea last for
more than 3 weeks if you have IBS or colitis? Do you think by
me going to an ER I will get any results faster? I appreciate any
advice you can give me.
Thank you for your time.
Kindest Regards,
Jennifer
Answer Hi Jennifer,
First of all, I am so sorry you are feeling so poorly.
Well, I know little about IBS and Colitis other than having friends who have this. Yes, with Colitis and IBS you can have diarrhea for long periods of time, but with my friends, it depends on what they eat that causes their attacks. I am concerned about you having the blood in the stools though. It is a sign of something that should not be going on. However; it could also be because you are going to the bathroom so much. Maybe the blood is not in the stools and could be from your anus being raw? Is there streaks of blood in the stools, bright red? Also, are you hurting when you eat? Doubling over? Let me know if that is the case. Also, when you see your doctor, ask him/her to give you a CT scan. Better that than a colonoscopy and should you have Crohn's Disease, they will be able to diagnose that much easier. In the meantime, eat stuff that will bind you. Rice, no fried foods, no foods with fiber in it. Stay away from Salads, Pork, any fried foods. It is hard on the bowels and will make them work harder. For a day or so, just eat clear liquids (popsicles, broths, jello). The reason for this is that your intestines will not have to work as hard and may also give you some relief.
Also, please don't use any imodium! If you do have an infection inside, the imodium will cause more problems than help.
IBS is a lifetime problem also Colitis. Both can be taken care of with medication. Also, if it is Crohn's Disease, it can also be held under control using meds.
I sure hope this helps somewhat. Wish I could help more but since I am not a doctor, I can only tell you what I know.
Please let me know what they tell you and if you have any and I mean any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
