I'm curious if remission is completely pain free? For a few weeks now my bowels have been decent with the occasional big D and I haven't had blood or very bad pain. That being said I do have pain daily but its liveable.

Does pain mean there is definitely still an inflammation? Or is it possible that one can be doing well and still have some pain due to the nature of the disease and it being chronic?

Remission is like life without Crohn's. Mine was painfree.

Crohn's can cause permanent damage that won't go away when you are in remission, which could cause pain. There's also the possibility of other conditions existing at the same time. A person can have IBS on top of IBD.

I've always found it hard to know when I'm in remission or when I'm flaring. I still have D and sometimes pain either way.

I'm very fortunate to be in a pain and symptom free remission at the moment. I feel exactly the same as I did before I got sick with Crohn's, however, I should point out that I am rather fanatical about adhering to a low residue diet and there are many foods I won't consider eating at all.

That said, my GI doc told me that when the medicine begins to work and the inflamed areas of the bowels start to heal, scar tissue may form and produce strictured areas of the bowel. So it's possible to be in a symptom free remission but still have pain issues from a scar tissue induced stricture.

I don't know ... I've never been pain-free before, even in remission. Back in the days when my remissions would last for months, I still had daily pain. Then again, this has been going on for quite some time for me, so I may just have lasting damage (as stated above) that keeps the pain here.

my advice? enjoy yourselve when your body allows. and fill every day up with memories.
sharon xx

I believe that many of us have had years of flares or years of remission, but I need to point out that as far as we seem to know about Crohns, the definition of "remission" equates simply to "lack of symptoms". I keep seeing people state that they've been flaring for 10 years or 1 day, or that they've never been in remission for the same. This sometimes gels with all I've read/been told because IBD has 2 states: 1--Remission 2--Flaring. You are either one or the other is what I've encountered everywhere but here. Some people will say they "flare for a few hours" or a day or two....symptoms should translate to flaring, absence of them should indicate remission...But what Wiles says actually makes some sense, the scarring/strictures....in which case, that COULD be remission with some residual symptomology from severe flaring....?? Like Han Shan and Katie said though, remission to me means no sign of this demonic leech of life.

Maybe Wiles is right... even in remission some of us are suffering from IBS!

Well I guess after 8 years of Crohn's, I still have some discomfort and pain even when I'm in remission. I think like everybody said it is due to strictures and scar tissue, which makes the intestines at the site of the inflammation less flexible and sensitive to food or other stuff....

I've been in remission for 3 years (according to dr's) but still have D and vomiting daily, they say there is no inflammation though. It's so frustrating to have all these symptoms, but not get treated. Tis poo. X

And lots of pain too.