First ever MRI - think it caused a flare-up

Hi all, my first visit to this site/forum so please extend me a hearty welcome (on second thoughts, I don't really want to have to visit this site too often :thumright: so maybe scrap that)

Intro/Background - gloss over if it bores you

I was diagnosed with Crohns in 2001 by a gastro - i had the classic symptoms (v high CRP, cramps, diahhroea etc) so he did not even do a colonoscopy, just a blood test I think.

For that flareup I was prescribed Prednisolone (I think 50mg, but tbh so long ago I cant really remember) which I was on for about 7 months. It did the trick. I was also on pentasa for a while.

He also put me on a low-fibre diet (not fibre-free) so I've not had any brown bread or beans for 10 years! He also advised against nuts/sesame which could irritate the intestine so I have avoided those too.

Over the last 10 years, I've had intermittent flareups which a short dosage of Pred. has always sorted out. Never had the need for surgery, thank god.

About 7 years ago my gastro put me on Azathioprine 150mg daily. Other than that, no medicine. As I say I've had very intermittent flareups but generally been happy and healthy.

Recent MRI

A dr I saw two weeks ago was amazed I never had a colonoscopy and booked me for one and for an Ultrasound and a small bowel MRI.

The day before the MRI I had a lot of sweets at work (I am a bit of a candy freak so nothing unusual there) and had a bit of diahhrea at the end of the day.

I did not enjoy the pre-MRI contrast solution but drank it all anyway (1 litre). I then had occasional cramps and diahhrea the rest of the day -and over the next few days since. Most worryingly I feel a bit bloated in my right side - near where I used to have inflammation (terminal ileum).

Does anyone know if the solution causes cramping/diahhrea? If yes, it would really help me calm down and be less suspicious that I've just had a flareup. Conversely has anyone had a flareup caused by the solution??

Thanks everyone.

Hi there, yes it is very common to experience the symptoms you have described after drinking the contrast, it should pass and settle down again fairly quickly.

Hello and welcome, hope you come iften, its a wonderful resouce for Crohn's!
like said above it is common for those symptims and they usually pass ina day or two.how are you feeling now?

Hello mate,

Had my first ever MRI yesterday and i'm currently experiencing similar. Felt like someone was blowing a balloon up inside me yesterday and my stomach feels a little unsettled still today, so i'm sure it's all fairly normal. How are you feeling now?

COYS!

I'm shocked you were diagnosed with crohns without any test to see your innards. Are you sure you don't just have IBS?

The MRI contrast solution cannot induce a flare. You might have diarrhea and cramps as a side effect for a whole but it would not make the disease worse.

As everyone has said, it is common to feel like that.. The solution that they give you is a very weak laxative, at least that's what they told me, so it's not usual to feel a bit rough for a couple of days

Also, if you we're a bit stressed about it, that wouldn't help your situation, I know some people don't like MRIs because of the confined space

Happy to report that all symptoms settled down, albeit after a week or so of cramps and diahrroea. (It could also be that as these are symptoms of a flareup too it made me worried and stressed and that in turn excacerbated the sensations.) Either way, happy that all now stopped.

nogutsnoglory:

yes, at least 2 other doctors were shocked. But the gastro who diagnosed me is meant to be one of the best. My CRP was 170, btw, at first diagnosis.

Glad your doing better now. Just FYI CRP and ESR are measures of inflammation in the body. If one knows they have crohns and nothing else than its a good tool to see disease progression. Without a formal diagnosis there is no way to know the inflammation markers aren't up because of inflammation for another reason ie: sickness, joints etc.