Don't know what to think

I had a colonoscopy after reporting that I think I had blood in a stool (since found out rather embarrassingly that it was in all likelihood beetroot I'd eaten). I have never really had diarrhea but have suffered on and off with abdominal cramps from my teens (now 45 yo) but the frequency was/is very low (maybe 4 or 5 times a year) and were relieved easily by lying down for 10 minutes. Also have always had some mild tenderness on my right side primarily. I'd always passed it off as gas and a nervous disposition. Long story short the colonsocopy came back stating regional colitis in the rectum and the ileocece valve with small patchs of hyperemia and edema on the ascending colon. Pathology states mild inflammation of the mucosa in these areas. The doctor said maybe Crohn's and after reading a little I'm suddenly very worried. I feel bad bothering people on this forum who are having a much tougher time of it then I am but I'm just so worried now. Is it possible to go 30 years with no real symptoms other than some mild cramping and some slight abdominal tenderness and still have Crohn's? Should I go on medication when I have no real problem? Is this a ticking time bomb for Colon Cancer? Anyone with a similar experience I'd be so glad to hear from. thank you

Hi, it is possible that it's Crohn's and just a mild case. But if I was you don't stress until the biopsy results come back. Try and think of something else for the time being

Hi Chill. Yes it could be Crohn's, but at this stage and based on these symptoms it could also be a HUGE amount of other things. Some people have every Crohn's symptom in the book but still can't get a diagnosis, some people get a stomach ache one day and it turns out it was caused by CD. I myself have never really experienced any symptoms of Crohn's, but sure enough two Colonoscopies have confirmed it.

As Joshuaaa said, do as your name suggests and chill for the minute while you wait for your results to come back. You've just as much chance of it being Crohn's as anything else at this moment in time

Please keep us updated!

I do not think doctors really have a handle on the natural history of very mild Crohn's. It's true that Crohn's diagnosed as mild can become more severe but how many people are "undiagnosed" with mild Crohn's and perhaps never go on to clinically important symptoms. I'd say we don't know. With more testing, doctors find more disease and very mild disease may act differently than more blatant disease. For example, with more imaging doctors are finding tumors in seemingly normal individuals- will they progress? should they be taken out? can they be ignored? In many cases, these tumors are called Incidentalomas and ignored, because recent studies show they are fairly common and don't progress or cause problems.

Before we had so much testing, only the most severe cases were diagnosed. Now with more testing, milder cases of disease are diagnosed and sometimes it is not clear whether or what treatment is needed.

So even if it's Crohn's don't panic! The big question will be what to do if that's the diagnosis.

Couldn't agree more, i think there are a lot of people going about their business with either mild or no symptoms that have "Crohn's"... It's a very individual thing, some people suffer from constipation, some ppl suffer from the runs. The human body is such a remarkle thing with so many complex processes happening behind the scenes. I am of the school of thought that Crohn's is too broad a description for the condition, even with different locations like ileitis, or colitis, I think in the coming years/decade we will have more pin pointed diagnostic tools. But who knows. Anyway point is. Don't stress. Once you've got the answers of what it is, regardless of if it's Crohn's or not, you'll be able to treat it

Hi all
Thanks for your supportive posts. The doc was pretty dismissive today suggesting it may be Crohn's as if it she was talking about an ingrown toenail, she then suggested I don't really do anything as I'm not sympomatic however I did manage to get her to refer me on to a specialist. It's a bit difficult where I am as I currently live and work in Beijing and bedside manner is a little lacking. I agree about the mild cases though, I would never even had a colonoscopy if I hadn't been eating a plate of beets so I could have continued in ignorant bliss. At the very least I'll make sure I have regular colonoscopies.

Jam300 I noted that you had no symptoms either. Are you now on meds or are you just using diet to combat the inflammation?

If it were me, I'd want to get small bowel imaging (MRE or CT). If I wasn't having symptoms other than what I had had for my whole life, I'm not sure I'd want "treatment" and if I did, I'd choose one with few side effects. In any case, it would be something to monitor. Best wishes!

I'm not on any meds at the minute and never have been, only because the diagnosing GI never really checked up on me and I didn't realise. It was only one day last summer that I realised you couldn't cure Crohn's, I thought i'd gotten rid of it. I have an appointment with my doctor on the 28th, where I will be discussing the pro's and con's of me going on medication. I can't say what i'm likely to do yet because i'm not sure. Don't let me influence you though, you must do what is right for you, because only you will reap the benefits and setbacks of those decisions!

Keep in touch!

You guys are awesome. I hope you realize the good you are doing with a community like this. Eases my mind knowing whatever happens there are amazing individuals out there willing to help out strangers like myself. My best hopes for relief for your own symptoms I'll be sure to post the outcome after I meet my GI tomorrow and I'll ask about the MRE or CT scan as well. thank you all again

Quick update. I saw the GI today and he went through the biopsy and says it's not consistent with Crohn's or UC but is a minor chronic inflammation only affecting the very top layer but no signs of ulcerating, erosion or lesions, this however was based on a colonscopy from 3 years ago (that's an even longer story). He was still concerned about the slight tenderness of my abdomen so he scheduled another cscope and is going to check from the top end as well with an endoscope to see if I have inflammation elsewhere so I'm assuming he hasn't ruled CD out altogether. GI seemed pretty knowledgable and answered my questions thoughtfully though he said he few things which contradicted posts I'd seen on the forum to do with cancer risks from mild inflammation that was otherwise asymptomatic and not ulcerating (said no real increase in risk) All up I'm relieved to be getting another scope and to be checking the gut, knowledge is power eh! All the best and thanks again for all your suggestions, I shared your posts with my wife and I slept much better knowing whatever happened a community is out there ready to give great advice.

Hopefully it's not Crohn's bro but yea even if it is it sounds like itd be on the minor side. I wish you great health and happiness