Diagnosis a Week Away

Good tidings to you all !

Just thought i'd vent before my colonoscopy next week. Symptoms started about 6-7 months ago - started off as;

Hard, solid stool, covered in mucus, very hard to pass - would frequently wake up to excruciating pains in my lower abdomen feeling the need for a bowel movement, would sit for an hour, nothing happening, then eventually vomit, then pass stool finally.

Stool changed after about 2 months to very loose, I think they call it type 6, or type 7 stool, just one below watery stool.

Finally noticed blood in the toilet, mixed in with the stool and on the outside - it would seep from the stool and was highly noticeable in the water.

Side symptoms;

Feeling sick, Nauseus, Fatigue, Constant stomach pains, A feeling of not completely emptying my bowels, Bowel movements 3-5 times a day (1 a day or 1 every 2 days hard stool was normal for me), shooting pains around body, still/sore joints, headaches, vomiting, fissures, unable to keep certain foods down (seems sporadic) along with a few other things I have probably forgot, although blood is very frequent now with each bowel movement.

Gastro think's it may be Crohn's, hence the colonoscopy, but could be anything really.

It's a horrible feeling, it's like a bad case of butterflies constantly, with the feeling I need to go to the toilet again! So annoying lol!

I think what might have triggered this bout off is the Norovirus I got 8 months ago, ever since then my symptoms have just been all of the above.

It's funny - around 10-12 years ago, I went to Glasgow and had a Curry, we all shared and eat the same thing, but something went wrong with me, I was soooo ill for days, although everyone else was OK. Ever since then for the next 2-3 years I had the above symptoms except for mucus and blood, doctor diagnosed as IBS without any tests - maybe she had her x-ray glasses on, i;m not sure !

Anyways, sorry about the vent, just needed to express some feelings as I feel like crap !

Oh, just to edit, I have also lost about 13lbs in 6 months without changing my diet or exercising, which is a bonus ! :lol:

Well, still not long to go until Friday - need to start looking at my prep for the Colonoscopy.

I think I will do it without the sedation, a few people have said it's OK, but really depends on the person.

My symptoms have been the same since my last post, although yesterday was the worst day in 7/8 months of having this.

I eat some chicken, which had a chilli spice on it - it wasn't too hot, but it was spicy, went in fine...

Anyways... Maybe an hour or two later I had awful pains in my stomach, and I felt really sick. This lasted for a good 4-5 hours before passing. I didn't eat anything during that time because I really didn't feel like it.

I went to watch a football match, and got a hotdog on the way... Eat that, 5 minutes later the worst pains in my stomach started.. I had to leave my sister to go and vomit in the car park, and spent the next 3 hours just in so much agony until I finally passed stool when I got home.

Sorry for the rant, but it was so horrible, guess I can't eat spicy food !

I'd have a little sedation. Just enough to take the edge off but not enough to put you under. That way you can watch what's going on and ask the doctor questions as you go rather than having to wait for a follow-up appointment. Hope it goes well for you

Good idea, and thanks for your input. I have heard different stories, some hurt, some don't - so I guess it's just down to how you feel maybe at the time ?

Just to clarify, I am undiagnosed at the moment, so it could be anything, but consulatant seems to be leaning towards Crohn's.

I had a colonoscopy the Wednesday before last and I can honestly say I didn't feel a thing, not even afterwards when the sedation had worn off. I think they must have given me just a little more sedative than usual as I don't remember the end of the procedure. The worst bit is not being able to eat for the 24 hours or so beforehand.

Being in limbo with the diagnosis isn't much fun. At least the scope should give you the answer one way or the other and you can start of be given the right treatment. Once you've got it under control you can lead a fairly normal life. Every consultant I have seen has said you can eat what you like but if something obviously triggers a reaction then avoid.

highlandsrock said:

I had a colonoscopy the Wednesday before last and I can honestly say I didn't feel a thing, not even afterwards when the sedation had worn off. I think they must have given me just a little more sedative than usual as I don't remember the end of the procedure. The worst bit is not being able to eat for the 24 hours or so beforehand.

Being in limbo with the diagnosis isn't much fun. At least the scope should give you the answer one way or the other and you can start of be given the right treatment. Once you've got it under control you can lead a fairly normal life. Every consultant I have seen has said you can eat what you like but if something obviously triggers a reaction then avoid.

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Yes, you a right - the 24 hours of no eating might just tip me over the edge which is why i'm leaning towards no sedation !

If I do get diagnosed with Crohns, i'm going to ask them about my other auto immune diseases too, which are Pericarditis, and Geographical Tongue, along with higher than normal ALT (liver) levels to see if any of it is related.

I agree, I asked to try without sedation once but they put a line in just in case: thank goodness, within about 2 minutes they had to sedate me, it was so painful. So if you think you might like to try at least it is good to have the option if necessary.

Funny, I had a curry in Edinburgh that seemed to kick things off! Since then, spicy and fatty food has to be avoided. Unfortunately.

Good luck, it sounds quite tough for you at the moment, I hope you find a decent doctor.

King of Orange said:

I agree, I asked to try without sedation once but they put a line in just in case: thank goodness, within about 2 minutes they had to sedate me, it was so painful. So if you think you might like to try at least it is good to have the option if necessary.

Funny, I had a curry in Edinburgh that seemed to kick things off! Since then, spicy and fatty food has to be avoided. Unfortunately.

Good luck, it sounds quite tough for you at the moment, I hope you find a decent doctor.

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Hi there, love your username, it's cool :tongue:

I'm still unsure, but the way my stomach has been and how painful it is at the moment, I might be opting for the sedation to be honest. I can't eat anything without throwing up and having severe stomach pains, so it's all a bit sucky right now. Ah well, only 2 days until Saturday !!

:ghug:

Dear Kicking Bird
If it's your first colonoscopy and you are feeling so nauseaous the prep is not going to be easy. I don't know which one you have been given, some you have to drink litres and litres and others a bit less. It is really hard work even if you are not feeling sick. If you have an early morning appointment for the colonoscopy then try and start the prep as early as possible within the given timeframe. That gives you more time to get all the liquid down - and to shed it all out as well. Although someone posted that as long as everything literally looks clear and no more bits coming out (my doc said like camomile tea) then you can stop with the prep.
Make sure you have some drinks in the house that you like the taste of to help get the stuff down. Some swear by adding a bit of squash/cordial, or apple juice, it depends on the taste of the stuff (and that varies from horrible sweet to neutral salty). Or have a sip of prep and then a sip of something else.
My next one is in April. The main concern is getting to the clinic without any accidents en route. And hoping that the waiting room and toilets are reasonable considering the circumstances.
Let us know how you got on!

King of Orange said:

Dear Kicking Bird
If it's your first colonoscopy and you are feeling so nauseaous the prep is not going to be easy. I don't know which one you have been given, some you have to drink litres and litres and others a bit less. It is really hard work even if you are not feeling sick. If you have an early morning appointment for the colonoscopy then try and start the prep as early as possible within the given timeframe. That gives you more time to get all the liquid down - and to shed it all out as well. Although someone posted that as long as everything literally looks clear and no more bits coming out (my doc said like camomile tea) then you can stop with the prep.
Make sure you have some drinks in the house that you like the taste of to help get the stuff down. Some swear by adding a bit of squash/cordial, or apple juice, it depends on the taste of the stuff (and that varies from horrible sweet to neutral salty). Or have a sip of prep and then a sip of something else.
My next one is in April. The main concern is getting to the clinic without any accidents en route. And hoping that the waiting room and toilets are reasonable considering the circumstances.
Let us know how you got on!

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Hi King of Orange.

It's my first one yes, the solution I have been given is Moviprep? But tonight I have to take 4 pills of immodium type ?

I'm feeling OK at the moment, but that's probably because my stomach is completely empty, I can't seem to handle an ounce of food right now without it making me feel really sick.

I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.

Just a quick update from me.

Colonoscopy done, without sedation, wasn't too bad, but hurt when going round the "bends", it was pretty excruciating to be honest, and I can handle pain quite well.

The GI said everything appeared to be normal, which I know is good news, but at the same time it's annoying as I was hoping for a diagnosis so I can start to correct the problem.

Has anyone had a normal colonoscopy but later been diagnosed with Crohns or something similar ?

3 biopsies taken, so just have to await those results now.

Strange seeing your insides on the big screen.

P.S - The prep was horrible, I don't ever want to do it again.

Hi Kicking Bird, at least you got the colonoscopy over and done with. One of the advantages of having an ileostomy - I don't have to have those preps anymore. The prep was the worst part for me. You're braver than I am to have it done without sedation.

It's completely understandable that you'd want the colonoscopy to show what's wrong. But it is still good that you've had it as it will have ruled out a lot of things, so it's still brought you closer to knowing what's causing your symptoms.

A colonoscopy only looks at the large bowel, so if someone has Crohn's higher up in their digestive system they could still have a normal colonoscopy. However, it's usually large bowel problems that result in passing blood, at least when it's red blood; bleeding higher up the digestive system tends to result in black blood/stool being passed. (And haemorrhoids also cause red blood.) Is the blood you pass red? How recently have you passed blood?

Tests to examine your small intestine and stomach may be needed. Personally I found tests on the upper digestive system much easier. When I've had upper endoscopies (camera into the easophagus, stomach and first part of small intestine) there's been no prep, you just can't eat on the morning of the test, no laxatives are needed.

Do you have a follow-up appointment scheduled? Hopefully your doctor will be able to suggest what your next steps should be.

Hello there UnXmas.

I'm glad it's done and out of the way, and you are right about the Prep - I didnt find the taste too bad, until right at the end, after the 7th glass or so when it started to grate on me a little bit. It's not fun at all, especially the speed it comes out, I couldn't believe it hehe...

I remember the GI saying something along the lines of "We can't go any further than here so we will take some biopsies" - and he took 3 from different areas.

He did say towards the end when he turned the camera upside down, that I had a couple of small haemmorrhoids but he didn't really seem to concerned about them, but they could be causing the blood, - it's mainly red (fresh) looking blood in my stool, so it could make sense it was the haemmorrhoids, although I don't really have any symptoms relating to them, I.E - painful bowel movements, lots of itching etc... I didn't know they were there.

I pass blood more or less every bowel movement, not a lot, but it usually seeps from the stool and makes the water red around the stool if that makes sense.

I had a CRP done back in December or early January which came up at 2.9mg/l - but I never heard anything back about what that actually means.

GI just said my Gastro would be in touch regarding the colonoscopy and biopsies... Again, I dont know how long this usually takes.

Actually your symptoms are very typical of internal haemorrhoids, which just cause a lot of bright red blood with bowel movements. I think it's only external ones that cause pain and itching. So that could account for the blood. Of course it doesn't account for your other digestive problems though.

Hard, solid stool, covered in mucus, very hard to pass - would frequently wake up to excruciating pains in my lower abdomen feeling the need for a bowel movement, would sit for an hour, nothing happening, then eventually vomit, then pass stool finally.

Stool changed after about 2 months to very loose, I think they call it type 6, or type 7 stool, just one below watery stool.

Finally noticed blood in the toilet, mixed in with the stool and on the outside - it would seep from the stool and was highly noticeable in the water.

Side symptoms;

Feeling sick, Nauseus, Fatigue, Constant stomach pains, A feeling of not completely emptying my bowels, Bowel movements 3-5 times a day (1 a day or 1 every 2 days hard stool was normal for me), shooting pains around body, still/sore joints, headaches, vomiting, fissures, unable to keep certain foods down (seems sporadic) along with a few other things I have probably forgot, although blood is very frequent now with each bowel movement.

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Looking at your list of symptoms and the order they developed in, do you think it's possible that your main (as yet undiagnosed) condition developed, causing the constipation, then diarrhoea? Then the haemorrhoids developed as a result of the constipation and diarrhoea, causing the bleeding to start. The feeling of incomplete emptying with bowel movements could also be from the haemorrhoids. While red blood is unlikely to come from higher in the digestive system, vomiting is an upper digestive system symptom, and diarrhoea can be upper or lower. So if you attribute the blood to haemorrhoids and take it out of the equation, your main digestive symptoms could easily be from the upper digestive system and so wouldn't have been detected by the colonoscopy.

I also noticed you included fissures on your list of symptoms. Have you had those checked out by a doctor?

All of my colonoscopies have been clean because my problems are in the ileum, so it won't be seen. I also relate with the constipation and mucus alternating with mushier stools. If you can get a capsule endoscopy that might be a good next step.

UnXmas said:

Looking at your list of symptoms and the order they developed in, do you think it's possible that your main (as yet undiagnosed) condition developed, causing the constipation, then diarrhoea? Then the haemorrhoids developed as a result of the constipation and diarrhoea, causing the bleeding to start. The feeling of incomplete emptying with bowel movements could also be from the haemorrhoids. While red blood is unlikely to come from higher in the digestive system, vomiting is an upper digestive system symptom, and diarrhoea can be upper or lower. So if you attribute the blood to haemorrhoids and take it out of the equation, your main digestive symptoms could easily be from the upper digestive system and so wouldn't have been detected by the colonoscopy.

I also noticed you included fissures on your list of symptoms. Have you had those checked out by a doctor?

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It's quite possible. I remember this all starting when I got the Winter Bug AKA Norovirus, that seemed to trigger it off. My stools were certainly more hard at the start and covered in mucus, and I didn't have blood back then, until they went to a softer nature, so you could be right.

Fissures are a self diagnosis due to blood on the tissue - No doc has actually said I do, but I have had someone look, gross I know, and there is a couple of small tears.

brooklyn23 said:

All of my colonoscopies have been clean because my problems are in the ileum, so it won't be seen. I also relate with the constipation and mucus alternating with mushier stools. If you can get a capsule endoscopy that might be a good next step.

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Thanks Brooklyn23 - I am going to ask for that next I think, or the Endoscopy (throat one) - not sure which is best really.

Kicking Bird said:

Thanks Brooklyn23 - I am going to ask for that next I think, or the Endoscopy (throat one) - not sure which is best really.

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An upper endoscopy (which has many other names btw. just to confuse us) looks at the easophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine, but doesn't look at as much of the digestive system as a capsule endoscopy (it doesn't get far down into the small intestine). But with an upper endoscopy biopsies can be taken and as far as I know they can see things more clearly than they can with a capsule endoscopy.

My doctors have ordered capsule endoscopies for me a couple of times but I've read on this forum posts where people say their doctors won't do them or the test just isn't available at their hospital. Personally I'd advise against requesting specific tests; it's good to discuss possible tests and ask questions, but ultimately the doctor should advise the patient. I know many people feel differently, but I feel that if I don't trust my doctor to know what tests I need, I should be seeing a different doctor.

DS had a normal looking scope ( upper /lower ) but the biopsies showed chronic & acute inflammation with granulomas in his stomach , duodenum, terminal ileum , caecum and rectum. Definitely crohns
Good luck

Thanks my little penguin... No sure what DS means - I see these terms on baby forums but never understand them hehe...

How long do Biopsies usually take, a couple of weeks ?

DS - dear son.
DD - dear daughter
DH - dear husband

I have had 3 colonoscopies and the inflammation was only visible in one of them.

I suspect that is one reason why some diagnoses can take such a long time.

I just had a scope done last friday. The biopsy results come back in 2-3 weeks. My scopes all showed extensive inflammation and bleeding ulcers (my GI has to "wash" the camera when he goes through the bloody areas). that being said I've had biopsies come back saying crohns and not UC.

In high school I had (I guess) constipation, didn't do the one stool a day thing and when I'd have a cold I'd pass mucous as well. I also had a lot of tummy aches and I never weighed over 100 lbs. After I had my son in 2006 I started passing blood every now and then but wrote it off as food poisoning. In 2009 I started passing bloody diarrhea in large amounts several times a day. The times I've had separation like you mention are when I had c-diff or when I was only passing blood and clots, for the most part the blood is dark(well it ranges from red to purple/black) and is very mixed in with the diarrhea. If I'm lucky I'll have some solid stool but it's still covered in red blood and is mixed/doesn't separate.

Sometimes you have crohns or colitis but it doesn't show. sometimes it takes awhile for it to become evident.

While I'm waiting for my biopsy results, my brother in law who has Crohn's gave me his supply of Ensure Plus drinks, it's a liquid diet.

Never felt so good in 8 months. Amazing.