Question about Crohns disease

[Guest guest]

This doesn't have to do with me but I know that some of you have it

or are firmilar with it so I hope you don't mind me asking.

My husband has had horrible pain, cramping and diarrhea for years.

He was dx with crohns 2 years ago after a colonoscopy showed severe

inflammation of the terminal ilieum (last part of the small

intestine). He was on entecort and pentasa for a while and it

helped then for a bunch of reasons he stopped taking the meds and

didn't go back to the doctor (insurance, work, etc).

Anyway...I finally got him to go back in and he had another

colonscopy last week and the doctor (same one) came in and

said " well your intestines look fine, I was wrong 2 years ago, you

don't have crohn's disease " ?????????? What is that? My husband

still has all the symptoms and the pain and cramping can be quite

debilitating and I'm not sure what to do.

The nurse called yesterday with biospy results (they took them just

in case) and said that sometimes crohn's can go away if it is in a

certain part of the intestine. Is that true? Or could it just be

in remission?

We're confused but he's hurting a lot and needs help.

Thank you all for any information.

PSC 8/07

(husband dx crohns 7/05)

[Guest guest]

Some things to consider.

1Crohns can be a spotty disease. i.e. it can effect parts of the

intestine with other parts of the intestine that are completely

normal. So if a normal section of intesting is seen in the scope you

couldn't guarentee that the rest of the intestine are normal.yy

2. Crohn's activity can vary from progressive to remitting, to

smoldering. So it is possible that he is in remission.

3.The colonocopy just shows a tiny part of the small intestine, so it

is possible that there could be activity further upstream causing

symptoms.

4.Some times abdominal pain is caused by something other than Crohns.

So even if there is a history of inflammatory bowel, the symptoms

might be caused by indigestion, gallstones, diverticulitis, irratable

bowel .....

5. Sometimes a blood test of inflammation will give a hint of

wheather the symptoms correspond to inflammation. The best test if

probably a crp.

6. I think that there is some value in staying on medication to

prevent crohn's relapes even if there are no symptoms. Staying on

Pentasa has low risk of side effect and staying on it for life might

prevent a few flares. Endocort on the other hand has some absorption

and might promote osteoporosis if used for years.

Anyway, I would be very thankful that no disease activity was seen

where activity was seen be fore.

Best Wishes,

Von PSC, CD, LDLTx

-- In , " jmhette2 " wrote:

>

> This doesn't have to do with me but I know that some of you have it

> or are firmilar with it so I hope you don't mind me asking.

>

> My husband has had horrible pain, cramping and diarrhea for years.

> He was dx with crohns 2 years ago after a colonoscopy showed severe

> inflammation of the terminal ilieum (last part of the small

> intestine). He was on entecort and pentasa for a while and it

> helped then for a bunch of reasons he stopped taking the meds and

> didn't go back to the doctor (insurance, work, etc).

>

> Anyway...I finally got him to go back in and he had another

> colonscopy last week and the doctor (same one) came in and

> said " well your intestines look fine, I was wrong 2 years ago, you

> don't have crohn's disease " ?????????? What is that? My husband

> still has all the symptoms and the pain and cramping can be quite

> debilitating and I'm not sure what to do.

>

> The nurse called yesterday with biospy results (they took them just

> in case) and said that sometimes crohn's can go away if it is in a

> certain part of the intestine. Is that true? Or could it just be

> in remission?

>

> We're confused but he's hurting a lot and needs help.

>

> Thank you all for any information.

>

>

> PSC 8/07

> (husband dx crohns 7/05)

>