Unclear advice from doc

[worrier62]

Had aches and pains in joints and raised ESR and CRP levels. After many discussions with GP, he decided I have Polymyalgic Rheumatica. I said i didnt think i did as the stiffness and aches had improved by 80% with no treatment. He had put me on sertraline and i told him it was affecting my bowel and making me very loose. (I was already loose after having a hemicolectomy for suspected crohns 36 years ago) .

He said it would get better. After 8 weeks on sertraline i told him it was just getting worse and he told me to stop immediately.

I asked if my raised levels could be bowel inflammation, he said no, it was PMR. I said i wanted bowel tested, so he finally relented and i have stool sample tests booked.

Can i just ask, with Crohns, if you have hemicolectomy, can you get it back 36 years later? I have had nothing in between and when they tried to check the records from my hemicolectomy, they are missing!

Am i being stupid and looking at the wrong problem with my body or should i persist?

[winfong]

What did he put you on for the PMR?

[worrier62 in reply to winfong]

Nothing as yet but wanted to put me on prednisalone, which i challenged as the symptoms just weren't there any longer

[winfong in reply to worrier62]

Ah, couldn't figure out if they had gone away after treatment (a sure sign you had PMR if given pred) or on their own.

Sertraline isn't something that would normally be recommended for PMR (though it can help IBS).

High ESR and CRP are pretty classic symptoms for PMR. You might to see a rheumatologist for a second opinion.

You might also want to join the PMR/GCA forum. I've got PMR (and GCA) and can highly recommend it.

[Viklou]

Crohns can certainly return despite hemicoloctomy. Crohns can affect anywhere in your digestive tract. Definitely worth a stool sample but Rheumatology referral would also be a good plan. Need to sort guts out though as they both could be linked