Hello from Australia

Hello everyone,
I'd like to introduce myself, I'm a male 42 from Melbourne Australia. After 19 odd years of Diarrhea (only once a day in the morn) I thought I better go get looked at. I had a colonoscopy 1 month ago and they found a few ulcers in my ileum. I was told I have crohns. I don't get any other symptom that I have read about apart from very itchy sometimes. So I'm wondering how I could have had this for 19 years and not had any other symptom if this is crohns. I eat anything and everything and nothing effects me, except roast pork, within one hour....toilet stop, and its not pretty...lol.... I have the one toilet stop in the morning every morning but as I said its on the runny side. So I'm confused, the doctor wants me on IMURAN, but the side effects of this drug is way way worse than the minor problem I have....I don't know what to do , I have made another appointment with my Doc so I can discuss alternative medicine.

Can anyone help or advise me , or has anyone had a similar case to mine.

Thankyou.

We are also from Melbourne. My daughter has been on aza for the last 22 months with no side effects.

126 views and only one reply... thanks Catherine.....The reason Im confused is because Ive been diagnosed with crohns, from blood tests and colonoscopy, but don't have any real symptoms over the past 19 years and don't think I should be on ANY medication, as I don't have any real symptoms to be concerned about...diarrhea once a day I can live with...have for 19 years...does any one else have minor symptoms on this forum and did it eventually get worse..??

You may want to ask for imaging of the small bowel to see whether you have disease where the colonscopy can't reach.

It may also be worth looking into a faecal calprotectin this test measure inflammation in the bowel.

All the meds Crohn's seem to have a large list of side effects, but pred and aza gave my daughter her life back.

Check out the diet section of forum.

Hi Mr B, from another Aussie
Certainly your condition doesn't soon too severe at the moment, and I understand your concerns when the"cure" is potentially worse than the complaint!!
My suggestion would be to gather as much information as possible - presumably the diagnosis was based on histologically tested biopsies? Also, what are your inflammatory markers doing? (ESR, CRP)
It's sometimes worth getting a couple of specialist opinions - do you have a sympathetic family dr who can help to access specialists, and interpret their assessments in a common sense way?


HD

There are many with milder crohn's who have some symptoms but can go for years not knowing they are ill or requiring medications.

As for the amount of views to your thread, many are prob not members and just people viewing but unable to respond.

ellie said:

Hi Mr B, from another Aussie
Certainly your condition doesn't soon too severe at the moment, and I understand your concerns when the"cure" is potentially worse than the complaint!!
My suggestion would be to gather as much information as possible - presumably the diagnosis was based on histologically tested biopsies? Also, what are your inflammatory markers doing? (ESR, CRP)
It's sometimes worth getting a couple of specialist opinions - do you have a sympathetic family dr who can help to access specialists, and interpret their assessments in a common sense way?


HD

Click to expand...

hi ellie..thanks for your reply...I did get ESR and CRP tests along with a heap of others, but I haven't been told any specifics apart from all came back negative, except one, which indicates crohns...I am goin back to talk to the specialist in a few weeks due to the fact I refuse to take IMURAN at this stage , so I will inquire the specific results to all the specific tests.....thanks for your reply.

Catherine said:

You may want to ask for imaging of the small bowel to see whether you have disease where the colonscopy can't reach.

It may also be worth looking into a faecal calprotectin this test measure inflammation in the bowel.

All the meds Crohn's seem to have a large list of side effects, but pred and aza gave my daughter her life back.

Check out the diet section of forum.

Click to expand...

hi Catherine...if I had inflammation in the bowel could this account for my lack of crohns symptoms..?. After all the reading of symptoms I can say my symptoms are so mild, its really not worth worrying about.....the only reason I went to the docs in the first place was because my dads brother found out he had stomach cancer, and I thought that I should go get my problem checked out to ease my mind.

Further testing may help you make a more inform decision because as it will tell you how much disease you dealing with.

My daughter disease is now confined to the small bowel.

Mr Bella,

I am Jay (29 year old) from Melbourne diagonised with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's in 2010. Still unknown because out of my 7 colonoscoplies only 1 suspect it is Crohn's.

Diarrhea with no blood is ok and once a day is cool.

I would suggest to book a colonoscopy again to determine what are the ulcers exactly is.

Also please do not forget to ask to take more and more biopsies. From biopsies pathologist will be able to make descision.

Cheers,

Jay

I agree, if it's not affecting your life to much degree, let sleeping dogs lie. Most meds can be toxic and if you aren't terribly sick why add to the mix. I
would still suggest keeping an annual appt with your GI though, as you need that connection if you ever do have a more serious flare. Here in
Ontario, if you don't see your specialist every 12 months, you need a new referral to them which can take months. Also don't neglect regular colonoscopies to ensure you don't develop colon cancer, as the risk is a bit higher with Crohns patients. Best of luck to you.

Welcome. I am on Imuran without any side effects."

2