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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 9/30/2011 10:32 AM (GMT -5)
Hello everyone,

I have been in remission for 6 years following an ileocecal resection for my stricturing cd. Lately, though, I have been experiencing debilitating fatigue, fevers (99.2 to about 100.3) nearly every day, bloating after some meals but not all...particularly in the pm, low central abdo pain like near where the uterus is that is tender to the touch too. I have never had d or blood, or weight loss, even at my sickest.

Been having weird red eye problems sometimes too recently.

I had a pelvic ultrasound which was clear, and gyno and urologist agreed it sounded like bowel pain so went to a new gi. He did a colonoscopy on weds and got up to the ti. Said it was normal so no active cd. Must be IBS? But my symptoms are not like IBS, are they? Plus, even when I was obstructed 6years ago I had 2 normal scopes so couldn't there be a problem higher up?

I am having an mr enterography next week but gi gave me the impression he thought it was a waste of time and I should start xifaxin for ibs. Grrrr. I hate being dismissed or feeling like I am crazy!!!!!!

Oh bloodwork was also inconclusive...crp and sed rate normal, wbc borderline, but platelets highly elevated and alt and rdw also high. All of those are inflammatory markers, aren't they?
Posted 9/30/2011 10:51 AM (GMT -5)
The crp and sed rate are the inflammation markers. And your Sed rate and CRP were normal. But....that doesn't always mean anything. My bloods rarely move too much.

Its possible it could be a flare or I even wonder about some kind of infection (because of fever). The eye irritation is a sign of a flare for some. I am glad you are doing the MRI Enterography, that might provide some answers about whats going on, and is able to see where the other tests can't. Keep us posted on how the test goes and I sure hope that your able to find some answers.

PS: We have a couple members (one being Zanne) that have gotten some relief with their Crohns (not ibs) with the Xifaxin. Hugs!
Posted 9/30/2011 11:07 AM (GMT -5)
Actually, platelets, alt and rdw are inflammation markers as well...particularly platelets. There are lots of 'em lol!

I really hope we get to the bottom (!!) of this soon, as I want to feel good again.
Posted 9/30/2011 1:25 PM (GMT -5)
I haven´t ever had high crp but high platlets always when the inflamation is active. And decreasing levels of Hemoglobin. So it´s not nessesarily so that the bloodworks tells everything.
Posted 10/1/2011 11:39 AM (GMT -5)
I forgot to mention that I have been off all meds since 2006 because I was living in the uk and trying for a baby then pregnant/nursing twice and the doctors there refused to allow me maintenance meds during that time. We recently moved back to the usa and I hope to get back on pentasa and imuran at least.

What bugs me is I dont seem to have ibs symptoms. Nothing resolves with a bowel movement or even seems to correlate with needing to go. My pain comes shortly after eating and is around the bellybutton, and then I am left with constant low level pain in the center low abdomen. When I look at a diagram of the gi tract, it looks like the ileum, but not the very end. I don't know.

Maybe it is an infection, but all of these pains feel exactly like my cd the first go round, when I was not obstructed. When it flared and I obstructed....man I knew it! But back then, I had pains, bloating, fatigue, fevers...but was si strictured I obstructed a lot. I wonder if maybe things are just starting to get going again, and no real damage has had a chance to happen yet, but I am still feeling the effects.

I guess I just hate the ibs dx before even the mre. It seems lazy and dismissive of my symptoms. Plus, after the colonoscopy, I was cramping like crazy high up and was pleading for something to help and the doc refused based on my apparently healthy colon. Told me to see my pcp...when I was laying in the hospital bed in front of him. That sucked. :(
Posted 10/1/2011 2:46 PM (GMT -5)
javamel, I lost my cool on the forum last week over the "ibs" diagnosis also. I understand your frustration. It is true, though, that a lot of us have bowel pain without any indication of inflammation or disease. On the other hand, a colonoscopy is not able to visualize the small bowel, where you certainly could have Crohn's activity. Are you a candidate for a pill cam? There's also a new endoscopic procedure that can image the small bowel. Perhaps the CT next week will give you some answers, too.

(I had a CT earlier this summer to help me resolve chronic upper right quadrant pain and the final answer was.....bowel full of stool. So I've started using a gentle laxative and it has helped a lot. Also you should be told that the contrast solution they inject will give you diarrhea for a few days).
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