Bowel stricture??

I am currently undiagnosed for Crohn's but I had a barium X-ray which showed abnormalities consistent with Crohn's. I have a colonoscopy scheduled next week to confirm. For years I have had constant 24/7 pain on my right side when pressed. This was always brushed off by my doctor (gp) as part of my ibs. I was told, from my X-ray that there is something like 5 inches of narrowing and inflammation in my small bowel. I'm thinking that is what I've read to be a stricture. Is anyone familiar with this? My GI dr didn't have me come in to go over results and only talked to me briefly (I was kind of freaking out nervous so he may have just wanted to get off the phone with me). He did say not to freak out and we will know better what we're dealing with after the colonoscopy.

Sounds like it's possible. A lot of Crohns Shows up in the terminal ileum. which is on your right side of the abdomen. I always feel like its as if someone was squeezing my side or if I'm really blocked then it's a stabbing pain.

its weird though because I don't have pain there unless it's pressed on, more of an uncomfortable feeling but def worse when I'm blocked. I can actually feel the swelling when I press there. Than I get other pain like the stabbing, contracting kind sort of radiating all over where I can't even move until it passes. By the night my back is even hurting I guess because that's when the pains seem to be most intense and persistent. I'm just anxious waiting for the test and trying to keep my thoughts in a positive place. Thanks for the response JaimeM.

Hmm. maybe you're feeling the stool that can't pass.. My bowel is swelled above my crohns site due to stricturing.. It is sensitive when you touch it when I'm flared. Maybe that's what happening? Sometimes you can get the hard mass with an abscess but your colonoscopy probably would have shown that I'd think.

JaimeM said:

Hmm. maybe you're feeling the stool that can't pass.. My bowel is swelled above my crohns site due to stricturing.. It is sensitive when you touch it when I'm flared. Maybe that's what happening? Sometimes you can get the hard mass with an abscess but your colonoscopy probably would have shown that I'd think.

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So than stricturing is something you can live with without needing repair of some kind? That was worrying me that I've had this for years and nothing was done about it. I guess if the dr saw something that was a big problem he'd have me come in right away, I just heard abnormalities and got a little freaked out.

I have mild stricturing of my bowel due to scar tissue. It will stay there until I eventually have surgery. It makes it so I feel everytime I have poo move through there.. haha. but it gets worse when I'm flared. Stricturing can either be caused from scar tissue or inflammation.. Inflammation will go down eventually once they get a handle on your crohns. The scar tissue is caused from the damage of the inflammation. So the sooner you get that taken care of the better. There are a lot of easy surgeries to fix stricturing though. They can do a stricureplasty which is basically just putting a balloon in the bowel to stretch out the area. Or they can do a resection which is where they remove that part of bowel. There are a lot of options. I have 15cm of strictured bowel with swelling above the area(the poo has to stay somewhere until it can filter through) I haven't even had surgery mentioned to me yet.. However I may have a trip to mayo this next year to discuss it. I've also had crohns for 9 years now.

Thanks for easing my mind a bit . The wait and not knowing is hard sometimes.

I can definitely understand.. It took me 2 years to get a diagnosis and I work in the medical field. Knew something wasn't right, but didn't know what to do about it either. Thankfully I have some great drs helping me now. They give me a lot of say in what happens in my care. I do a lot of research and have a dr friend who helps guide me too. It's a good system support-wise and care-wise. Since you're just starting to experience symptoms I'm guessing yours isn't too advanced yet. Hopefully it isn't really crohns and just some viral thing that caused you to get an inflammation in your bowel.. We can always hope anyway

I've actually had symptoms for 18 years that I was told was ibs over and over. Then the pain in my side has been maybe 4 years and still my dr always shrugged it off. I always felt something wasn't right. I wasn't having much pain the last couple years, at least it was livable but the last couple months got really bad. I knew I needed to go to a GI. I think part of me was scared I'd get some really bad news.

well the good news is, is that crohns is very manageable.. It still stinks.. but like I've said, it makes me much more thankful for the good days I have. I don't tend to take my time for granted anymore. And there is a good group of people here to listen if you ever need advice or a good venting session

Hi L_Millas! I think treatment path will be dependent on how severe the stricturing is and whether it is scar tissue or inflammation. You definitely want to work with a good GI who can get you on a treatment path to reduce the inflammation and further damage to your intestines. I waited too long and my stricture(splenic flexure and part of descending colon) is so bad I have to have a resection.

That's what I'm really kicking myself for, waiting so long to push for more answers. You're right though with finding a good GI. I just learned the hard way that you need to take your health into your own hands. This time if I feel I'm not getting the treatment I need I'll be moving on. Good luck to you with the resection, Eridon2002.