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Crohns and constipation?

Hi there, i have crohns, diagnosed in 2008. I was just wondering if anyone else out there has constipation as the main bowl issue with this lovely disease? i do get the dreaded D but rarely and then it swings back to me not going for 4-5 days. i get stupid bad stomach pains, nausea, headaches, joint pain, fatigue and general soreness. because of the constipation i have heamerohids and tears. :redface: im currently on entocort untill we can find another treatment i can tolerate coz immune suppressants react badly with me :(
Any feedback would be appriciated :)
 

afidz

Super Moderator
Hello Chantelle
Have you had a CT or MRI to detect any strictures? If the intestinal wall is too inflamed or there is too much scar tissue it can me hard for bowel to pass through causing constipation.
Do you take any type of stool softener or laxative? That might help the bowel pass through the narrow opening (if thats what it is)
It is important to find a way to treat a stricture. If left untreated you risk the chance of a blockage or a bowel perforation, both of which require emergency care and sometimes surgery. What meds are you on?
 
Have had a MRI and there is some stricturing and i usually take a senna softner every few days if i cant go naturally. i always thought having crohns disease would cause me to have D? I thought with a stricture only surgery can resolve it?


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Have taken Humira for 4 months (2011)
Methetixate injections and tablets for 4months (made me very ill)
6mp, Imuran, mofetil (have established i can take any imunnosuppressant at all)
Currently on Entocort for the time being....
 

afidz

Super Moderator
Most of the time, a stricture needs surgical intervention, but sometimes it can be corrected if inflammation is brought down. Crohn's really can go either way with constipation and D, it depends on the person (where they are diseased and how severe). I think I saw you mention else where that you were going to the doctor this week?
 
ah i see! :) yes i have a clinic app to see what the next line of medication i can go down to help me. i tried to drop down in the entocort from 9mg to 6mg but i started to get really bad join pain so im now back up. this diease seems to be a see saw ride! lol. id like to get off now please.

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Inflamtion in the terminal illiem with some strictuing was the notes from my last colonoscopy.
 

afidz

Super Moderator
I hope its a good appointment and you can start getting things under control, let us know how it goes. Unfortunately our butts are permanently glued to the see saw. lol. We just have to find balance
 
My son has always had constipation and never gets D. His GI said it was mainly due to the location of his disease, upper GI tract. Diarrhea is an issue for people who have lower GI issues. My son takes Miralax daily and that helps with the constipation. It is really important to avoid overly large stools to prevent tears and (this is just in my mind) but I fear the crohns will spread if he has constant irritation in the colon/anal area.

I found with the miralax that we had to use it consistently every day in order for it to be effective. We haven't tried senna so I don't know how that is suppose to be taken. Miralax is nice because is just dissolves in water, is fairly cheap and easy to take.

Good luck, hope your GI has some good recommendations for you.
 
I'm so sorry to hear that your son suffers from this, I have 2 boys if my own and I worry I have predisposed them to this! I use senna because it gentle and natural and works overnight for me, if I find I need something else to help it I use a microlax ennema. Which isn't nice but effective :( my inflammation is in the terminal illiem but I can't get a straight answere outa my DRs if that location is why I suffer from constipation. They told me I could just have a slow system?
 
I was finally diagnosed with Crohns in 2009 after 30 years of being told I had IBS. I never had diarrhoea with my Crohns so can perhaps understand why I wasn't diagnosed earlier. Only when I started getting D in early 2009 did they think to look for it.
 
I have constipation also..actually I prefer that over diarrhea!! Things that help me go are coffee and blueberries. And If that doesnt work I use Miralax.
 
I tend to swing back from one to the other, some weeks I may be stopped up for four days followed by two days of "non stop action." No idea if its the norm, but it's how my CD seems to work.
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
Constipation here for DS as well
His is due to rectal inflammation.
Cause stomach aches nausea joint pain ..,.
He uses miralax as well.
But depending on when his humira shot is
We adjust that dose
 
Hi there, I suffer from Crohn's since I was 16 y old... now I'm 42. I was at the hospital for 1 week due very bad flare and with prednisone I got better with the inflamation in the colon, but now the flare is at the rectum. I'm having constipation, bleeding and so much pain. I'm using prednosedyl (ailment) to have some releive and baths. I'm current on Humira weekly, 30 mg prednisone and for the pain Hydromorphone.
Any suggestions please? Thank you
 
I get constipated too, with the occasional bout of D. Mine is definitely not stricture, had all the tests and scans etc, but it's definitely caused by the Crohn's. Until I got ill I used to go 1-2 times a day which was just normal for me, and not an issue at all, it was never D. I just had regular healthy BM's. Now it's so unpredictable!!!
 
Hi guys, so I hadn't appt with the clinic and my constipation is because my crohns is in my terminal illiem. I'm about to trial a new drug that's just finished its double blind tests and if I get no relief I'm onto infliximab infusions. Yippee. My joint pain is Kraft bad (cant drive coz I can't change the gears) and the entocort isn't really working. So what I'm wondering is if anyone is on any fiber supplements other than wheat dextrin ones that cause gas (I smell worse than my husband) and Epsom salts?
 
Hi guys, so I hadn't appt with the clinic and my constipation is because my crohns is in my terminal illiem. I'm about to trial a new drug that's just finished its double blind tests and if I get no relief I'm onto infliximab infusions. Yippee. My joint pain is Kraft bad (cant drive coz I can't change the gears) and the entocort isn't really working. So what I'm wondering is if anyone is on any fiber supplements other than wheat dextrin ones that cause gas (I smell worse than my husband) and Epsom salts?
That explains a lot, mine is in my terminal ileum too. I feel your (joint) pain! I don't take any fiber supplements, in fact I avoid it because it doesn't make me go, it just makes me bloat and feel gurgly and uncomfortable. I tried using senna, but that doesn't help me either :/ I have on occasion found that drinking black caffeinated coffee helps to get things moving. I hope you can find something that helps relieve it! :hug:
 
So glad I'm not the only one! I don't think I can take fiber either coz everyone on I have tried just makes me windy and sore. I was taking senna and found it worked ok but also made the cramps so much worse. The GI told me no more senna and to just have some Epsom salts in water (he obv hasn't tasted that himself) i took it once and prefer to be constipated! I have a coffee or 2 in the morning for breakfast and unusually can go but I don't wanna have so much coffee in a day coz sometimes I need 3 cups. Meh! This disease is so annoying.
 
Yeah I always find that I bloat and cramp with both fiber and senna. Senna makes me go but I have to take more than recommended, and it often makes my stomach really sore. My Nanna always tells me prunes, but they never worked for me. I've never had Epsom salts but it sounds awful!!

I've been given different things for joint pain, but the only one that really works for me is tramadol, but the only issue with that of course is that it makes me even more constipated. I've tried paracetamol, which works but I have to take a lot. I used to get mild joint pain before I had Crohn's and I'd take ibuprofen which usually worked but of course I can't have that anymore. They put me on a different pain killer called Acupam, which really helps with my stomach pains, but it doesn't help my joints, and it also makes me throw up. Literally can't win at the moment!!
 
Oh I'm hearing ya! Nurofen/panandol does nothing for me either, apparently Celebrex is the best one for crohns ppl but I can't take that because it interacts with the prozac I'm on for anxiety. I been taking over the counter mercyndol but I think I need something stronger. Prunes also don't work for me. Just had a heap of black licorice, so far lots of bubling but no joy :(
 
Eat beets and raisins usually do it too! I too get bouts of terrible D after having been hard as can be in the morning. It makes no sense to me. I eat normal food, no processed and yet, it happens.:(
 
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