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M

melissa.m

Guest
Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping to find some answers out there.

My condition is currently undiagnosed.
For the past 1 1/2 years I have been experiencing abdominal pain nearly every night; it starts usually around midnight & lasts until around 5-6 am. The pain is almost always alleviated after the morning bowel movement and doesn't occur during the daytime. On a scale of 1-10, often times its a 6-7. I also have occassionally experienced pain throughout the whole torso region - from the esophagus down.
But most frequently in the small intestines & ileo sical valve areas.

I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy a few months back...the results showed some minor polyps (which were removed) & a few minor diverticulosis (or is it diverticulitis), and gastritis. The gastritis is rarely a problem these days & seems to be alleviated.

I have seen allopathic & alternative medical practicioners - accupuncture, chiropractic (NAET), had the Great Smokies CDSA test , Bio-Meridian test, and spent much $ on supplements. I have done 3 liver/gallbladder cleanses (including Dr. Schultz's).

The only relief I have really experienced was with a very simple diet of rice, rice cakes, beans & cooked veggies - no dairy, soy, citrus, wheat, tomatoes, animal products,sugar. I am currently starting to try the EatRight 4 Your BloodType Diet for Type B (which is challenging since I am a vegetarian) and have a plan to try Dr. D'adamo's supplemental recommendations.

The onset of my digestive problems occurred after an extremely stressful time and coincided with menopause.

If anyone can offer support, suggestions I would appreciate it so much.
Could Crohns pain occur only at night? Something I have not tried at colonics.

I know this all might sound neurotic, but this pain is very real.
Thank you for an opportunity to express my story.
 
Hi Melissa. I usually get my Crohn's pains at night. In the day when I'm in a flare I'm more or less very tired, nauseated and feel like I have very bad food poisoning or the flu. My Crohn's is in the ileum and ileo-cecal valve region. Colonoscopy couldn't show anything in my case as they couldn't reach the ileum due to the highly inflamed valve.

Has your GI ordered a small bowel follow through or CT scan? these can show abnormalities in the small intestine and confirm more or less if it's Chron's as in my case. I also don't recommend colonicss. they are not good for people with serious intestinal problems.

I also advise you to have a second opinion, and maybe see another GI and ask him about the tests.

Wish you good luck and inform us what happens with you.
 
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E

Evagation

Guest
Hi, Melissa.

First of all--I'm so sorry that you're having such a difficult time, trying to simply get a diagnosis, any diagnosis. (The sad fact is that, from what I've read, we've all pretty much been there, as well. My Crohn's was only diagnosed when I was eight after a few years of trying to convince doctors that I really was sick, and then having to deal with all of the tests. Even though I don't have many memories of my life before my CD diagnosis, I distinctly remember what a relief it was to finally be able to put a name to what was making me so sick.)

My Crohn's is often worse at night. In fact, just last night, I tossed and turned in bed for hours before finally crashing out from exhaustion at around three in the morning. I always keep a heating pad right next to the bed, and I use it often to help with the pain. (Although don't fall asleep with it on! I've only done that a few times and it's not pretty. It irritated my skin so much during the night that it looked like I had a really bad stomach rash for a few days.)

It's also not uncommon for Inflammatory Bowel Disease to develop after a woman has gone through a major hormonal change. Docs have yet to find a reason for it, so it's pretty much based on anecdotal evidence. But I can't even begin to count how many women I've met who developed IBD after a pregnancy (I've also met women who were diagnosed with IBD as a kid, like myself, and that their symptoms actually lessened after a pregnancy--so, for some odd reason, it can work both ways).

Mazen also has some good advice--colonics are never a good idea for people with IBD (at least, that's what I've been told by my doctors, and docs that I've met through the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America). All of the docs have told me that colonics almost always exacerbate the IBD.

And getting a second opinion is definitely a good idea. My Mom had to get about five different opinions from five docs before we finally found the one who successfully diagnosed my Crohn's.

I also want to wish you good luck, and definitely feel free to ask more questions, as I said, almost every one of us has experienced difficulties with getting the right diagnosis.

Katie.
 
Welcome to the forum... also have you been checked for Celiac Sprue (sp?) Disease? That is an allergy wheat gluten. Since you've been good on the rice I was just wondering if maybe you had Celiac.
 
Hello Melissa.

Welcome to the forums where I'm sure someone has an answer to your questions.

I find my Crohn's worse at night, and using a heating pad very helpful.

Please feel free to roam the forums where there is plenty to read and learn.

Once again, welcome!:)
Nancy
 
M

melissa.m

Guest
Thanks for your responses

Dear Mazen, Katie, & KatieSue,

Thanks for your response & support.

I realize an accurate diagnosis is long overdue for me.
I have much skepticism/distrust of mainstream medicine, so it was a huge deal for me to go to an M.D. with my symptoms last year.

Since the pain comes only at night, I was hoping it was just temporary, due to food allergy maybe.

Is it possible to have Crohns without diarrhea or any change in bowel habits?
When it first started so many joints felt inflammed, awful like the body was turning against itself. Fortunately, the joint pain only lasted a few weeks & passed.

I experience dread & anticipation about the nighttime pain and often wake up in pain & realize I will be that way until daybreak.....it makes me feel sad, often exhausted in the mornings.

Anyway, thank you for taking time to read this, I so much appreciate this contact.
Melissa
 
Hi Melissa. I never had diarrhea. Only pain, nausea and fever. Maybe you can also get a blood test for Gluten sensitivity; you may be a Celiac as Katie mentioned. But I still advise finding a good GI and get his help. First try to get a diagnosis, and then move towards natural medicine if you want. At least you'll have a starting point.

Hope things get better with you. Take care
 
E

Evagation

Guest
Melissa--

Well, without much change in bowel habits, I'd say that it sounds like your symptoms are more similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It's basically a catch-all phrase for people with undiagnosed stomach/bowel ailments. Meaning that a doc can't say that you have Crohn's, or Ulcerative Colitis for sure, but that you are definitely having problems.

Hopefully you've got IBS, since it's much easier to treat and deal with. Do you take anything before going to bed? I used to take metamucil before going to bed (or another fiber treatment since my IBD means a whole lot of constipation) and it gave me tremendous abdominal cramps during the night, so I started taking it in the morning, when I could walk around after taking it.

In fact, I don't know why I didn't think of this before--but I take my evening meds at least three hours before going to bed because then my body has been able to work at digesting them for a while, and I don't eat after 7:30 pm (unless I'm starving and was "grazing" all day, then I'll have a bland snack), and switch to drinking only water. If I go to bed without too much stuff in my system, it usually means that I'll have a pretty good night.

My doc always reminds me to take a long, relaxing bath before going to bed, when I'm not feeling too good. After a while, that nighttime bath becomes not only a great way to relax, it's even a sleep-time trigger for my body--my body automatically treats the bath as the last thing I'm doing that night, so I'm asleep as soon as I hit the covers.

I never, ever exercise past 6:00pm. Sometimes this means coming straight home from work and putting off Oprah while I go on a walk, or do some yoga, but if I exercise later in the evening, it completely affects my ability to sleep.

So, perhaps if you maybe tried some different, extremely relaxing activities at night, you'll get a better sleep. My docs and I actually spent years working on a nighttime plan for me (no caffeinated products for me after 3:00pm because I'm super sensitive to them and, not only can caffeine sometimes cause cramps, it also kept me wired until late at night). I made a lot of little changes (no more TV in the bedroom was probably the hardest one) and I started sleeping through the nights, instead of waking up every few hours because of a crampy belly.

Except all of my good work went down the tubes now that I'm kicking this opioid addiction. The insomnia is my least favorite withdrawal symptom. But some nights are better than others, and the bath before bed still works when I bother to use it.

Good luck, and many hugs,

Katie.
 
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