Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns

[Stubbsie]

Hi all, I need some advice.

I have suffered with IBS for 5 years but over the last year it has progressively got worse. Dec last year had a CT scan in Colon, came back clear, but stool sample had high calprotectin level of 325, so I saw my Gastroenterologist in March and repeated the test and it has come back higher.

I am waiting on an appt for a capsule endoscopy, but now symptoms have changed I have constipation, loose stool, bloating, nausea but no blood in stool or weight loss.

Gastroenterologist said he is looking to see if I have ulcerative colitis (which my dad has) or Crohn Disease

[SuzyQ67]

Your gi should do a colonoscopy with biopsies to determine what you have going on. The scope is the gold standard to make a diagnosis.

[Stubbsie in reply to SuzyQ67]

The CT scan on my colon is like a virtual colonoscopy, my Gastroenterologist said if the capsule endoscopy shows nothing then I will have a Colonoscopy, last colonoscopy not virtual colonoscopy was 5 years ago

[bantam12 in reply to Stubbsie]

No point in wasting time doing a ct or capsule endo, it's just prolonging the process, the only way to know is with a colonoscopy.

[Stubbsie in reply to bantam12]

5 years ago had a colonoscopy, nothing found, had an endoscopy in 2017, they found I had a hiatus hernia, gallbladder out in 2018, apparently there is inflammation somewhere a capsule endoscopy can look at the small bowel apparently an endoscopy can’t reach the small bowel and a colonoscopy can’t go up far enough, hence the capsule endoscopy that can take loads of pictures

[SmittyMcSmee]

That's scary, but even if you do have an autoimmune disease, whichever one it is, you'll be okay. I was diagnosed as "Undetermined UC" for a long time, meaning the doctors were leaving room open for Crohn's for a while. I was diagnosed when I was 25, but wasn't considered full on UC until I was 30. My dad and my older brother both have UC (Dad's deceased but not from that) and my brother's been in total remission for years. I, on the other hand, have had a tougher time. I'm 13 years in and still working on it. But I remember all too well the anxiety in the beginning, and I'm praying for you. It's so hard when your body's most basic functions don't function right.

My advice? Try not to put the cart before the horse. You may be experiencing the winter woes IBS, meaning it's just a rough patch for you right now and it will settle down. My intestines always hated winter. Spring was better. My daughter had similiar symptoms to yours plus high calprotectin levels after a bad bout of the flu last winter, and if you've had a virus this flu season, covid or otherwise, that could be the culprit as well. It can take months for that to right itself. Rest assured, your intestines are angry. There are many many ways out there to help them calm down once you know why. Hang in there. You're doing everything right. One test at a time. I hope all the best for you.