Crohn's Newbie - Hi

Hello everyone,
I've been having a look through this amazing forum for the last couple of days since my first proper flare, and so I thought I'd finally say hello!

I'm 20 and have had symptoms of IBS/IBD/lactose intolerance since 2009. I finally had an MRI of my small bowl and a colonoscopy about 6 weeks ago, and I'm currently waiting for results, although the endoscopist diagnosed Crohn's immediately after the colonsocopy (is this an official diagnosis?)

I finally got prescribed meds from my GP on the first day of my flare a couple of days ago (which was amazingly painful!) - Prednisolone (40mg), reducing the dose by 5mg every week until stop, and is working wonders for my flare!

I'm currently finishing my first year at uni studying mechanical engineering, and hoping I won't get too stressed over exams and make my symptoms worse! :worthy:

Anyway, that's me, and I'm currently looking forward (not) to my blood test on Monday to investigate my anemia and get me on some meds for that as well.

Thanks for listening everyone,
Helen (CornishPasty)

Hi Helen, welcome to the forum. I would say you are officially one of us.

Hi Helen,
Welcome to the forums - they're a great place to chat with people who understand everything you're going through!
I wouldn't say that that's an official diagnosis, if you're awaiting results, yet they have put you on prednisone which is a common treatment for Crohn's. While it probably is Crohn's, I presume you have a specialist that will run down the results in detail with you soon. And that will be an official diagnosis. Possibly, at least that's what I went through. They didn't tell me anything until I saw the specialist and the results went through.
Anyway, regardless I hope the medications start kicking in soon and that you start to feel better!

And I totally understand the whole Uni stress and the like!

Welcome to the community. Here in the USA they usually like to wait for the biopsies to make an official diagnosis. Did the doctor discuss what medicine they'll use once you're done with the prednisone?

Hi guys, thanks for your replies and sympathies!

I had an appointment with a lovely GP on Wednesday after having a bad reaction to iron tablets (of all things!), and he was able to look on the computer system and confirm Crohn's from the MRI scan and biopsies, so good news I suppose because now I can be sure what's going on.

The GP rang my hospital and gave them a bit of an ear-full, and now I've got an appointment with an IBD nurse in a few weeks to discuss meds and to have an iron transfusion for my anaemia (yuk needles ).

Also the prednisolone is helping, so upwards from here I hope!

I'm pleased to hear your GP is stepping up for you. That's wonderful!

Please keep us updated as to how you're doing

Welcome to the forum, hope it's helpful for you!

Try not to stress out too much - I made it through engineering school with Crohn's the whole time. It's possible!

Thanks everyone. I had an appointment with an IBD nurse yesterday who was able to talk everything through with me, and decided to start me on Azathioprine in about 2 weeks. *sigh* more blood tests, but at least I'm getting used to them.

In the mean time she put my pred back up to 20mg, prescribed some calcium tablets, and also recommended taking some probiotics, which I think is just to make me feel better generally?

Hi Helen
Welcome to the forum! That's certainly interesting that your IBD nurse recommended taking probiotics as while there's research going on into the role gut bacteria plays in Crohn's disease not many GIs actually prescribe or recommend probiotics as the picture is not yet clear. Did she suggest a specific probiotic?

Do keep us updated and let us know how you do on Azathioprine!