Learning Ostomy

Question:

I also have moderate  inflammation in the terminal ileum (apthous ulcers), I’ve been told, it’s not necessary to treat it with medication (from my previous GI), since it cannnot get any worse. I haven’t been on medication since April, when my previous GI told me to look for another dr.. Even though I’ve have had 5 admissions in hospital, including a bowel obstruction, a stay of 2 weeks each and 4 observartions in ER for a stay of 3-4 days At the present moment, I’m having fever, swollen, tenderness on my right side, loose stools and if Idon’t eat at all, the pain is less…if I eat I feel crap…on Tuesday, I saw a new GI he said, I was in remmission, told him all the symptoms I was having, he couldn’t care less….and won’t repeat any tests…he just gave a few samples of Dicitel, which made the symptoms worse and severe cramps The next day, I was in ER, I didn’t know I was suffering from fever (just that I felt my whole body burning, as if they were cooking me in the oven). I was given another referral to see a GI, if I get worse I should go back to ER…. Tania

Response:

I remember reading somewhere that white blood cells in the stool is indicative of CD. — Pearl. L

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Pearl: Thanks for your detailed answer, but, yes, I have been through all that. Numerous colonoscopies, most of them finding mild to moderate inflammation in the terminal ileum (apthous ulcers) and eventually in the colon. I take 12 asacol pills per day and that has been VERY helpful. The "rare WBC" finding is a new one for me and I never heard of it. Mel MB, Have you been seen by a gastroenterologist? Did you have a barium enema, upper GI, colonoscopy with biopsy? While you say "probably CD" I don’t see anything that would indicate a compete work-up that would give a definitive answer. CD is treated with several drugs that are specific to the area of involvement. If I were you and I hadn’t been seen by a GI, hadn’t had definitive testing and thus appropriate treatment I would suggest you do so. In CD, if you are not diagnosed correctly, treated appropriately, you could possibly have a severe exacerbation leading to a life threatening event, possibly emergency surgery, etc. In any chronic disease one would want to suppress inflammation thus avoiding exacerbation. Treatment that is planned is far superior to treatment that occurs emergently. While many of the symptoms indicate CD, but you have not been treated for CD. Equalactin is used in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a collection of symptoms not a pathological entity. Many CD patients are initially told they have IBS. Unfortunately I was told I had IBS, hemorrhaged, spent 5 months in the hospital, my colon was removed and I have an ileostomy. Go immediately to a gastroenterologist. — Pearl. L I have probable CD (inflammation found in TI and colon from time-to-time over the last decade). 10 days ago, I suddenly felt very ill. I got a 102 degree temperature with nausea, pain, and diarhea (very watery 1-3 times per day). Within 48 hours, those symptoms disappeared except for the D. (I had eaten out at a buffet the day before) I am now taking mitrolan (like equilactin) which has worked superbly for the D. However, my family physician had me do some tests: blood cultures and stool samples. Apparently, all was clear (no c-diff. and nothing growing) except that they found "rare WBC" in the stool. He suspects the CD is acting up and has ordered a follow-up blood test (a SED rate). I wonder about the significance of the results. Wouldn’t it basically mean that there is/was an infection in the gut which could be anything?? Mel

Response:

Pearl: Thanks for your detailed answer, but, yes, I have been through all that. Numerous colonoscopies, most of them finding mild to moderate inflammation in the terminal ileum (apthous ulcers) and eventually in the colon. I take 12 asacol pills per day and that has been VERY helpful. The "rare WBC" finding is a new one for me and I never heard of it. Mel

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – MB, Have you been seen by a gastroenterologist? Did you have a barium enema, upper GI, colonoscopy with biopsy? While you say "probably CD" I don’t see anything that would indicate a compete work-up that would give a definitive answer. CD is treated with several drugs that are specific to the area of involvement. If I were you and I hadn’t been seen by a GI, hadn’t had definitive testing and thus appropriate treatment I would suggest you do so. In CD, if you are not diagnosed correctly, treated appropriately, you could possibly have a severe exacerbation leading to a life threatening event, possibly emergency surgery, etc. In any chronic disease one would want to suppress inflammation thus avoiding exacerbation. Treatment that is planned is far superior to treatment that occurs emergently. While many of the symptoms indicate CD, but you have not been treated for CD. Equalactin is used in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a collection of symptoms not a pathological entity. Many CD patients are initially told they have IBS. Unfortunately I was told I had IBS, hemorrhaged, spent 5 months in the hospital, my colon was removed and I have an ileostomy. Go immediately to a gastroenterologist. — Pearl. L I have probable CD (inflammation found in TI and colon from time-to-time over the last decade). 10 days ago, I suddenly felt very ill. I got a 102 degree temperature with nausea, pain, and diarhea (very watery 1-3 times per day). Within 48 hours, those symptoms disappeared except for the D. (I had eaten out at a buffet the day before) I am now taking mitrolan (like equilactin) which has worked superbly for the D. However, my family physician had me do some tests: blood cultures and stool samples. Apparently, all was clear (no c-diff. and nothing growing) except that they found "rare WBC" in the stool. He suspects the CD is acting up and has ordered a follow-up blood test (a SED rate). I wonder about the significance of the results. Wouldn’t it basically mean that there is/was an infection in the gut which could be anything?? Mel

Response:

MB, Have you been seen by a gastroenterologist? Did you have a barium enema, upper GI, colonoscopy with biopsy? While you say "probably CD" I don’t see anything that would indicate a compete work-up that would give a definitive answer. CD is treated with several drugs that are specific to the area of involvement. If I were you and I hadn’t been seen by a GI, hadn’t had definitive testing and thus appropriate treatment I would suggest you do so. In CD, if you are not diagnosed correctly, treated appropriately, you could possibly have a severe exacerbation leading to a life threatening event, possibly emergency surgery, etc. In any chronic disease one would want to suppress inflammation thus avoiding exacerbation. Treatment that is planned is far superior to treatment that occurs emergently. While many of the symptoms indicate CD, but you have not been treated for CD. Equalactin is used in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a collection of symptoms not a pathological entity. Many CD patients are initially told they have IBS. Unfortunately I was told I had IBS, hemorrhaged, spent 5 months in the hospital, my colon was removed and I have an ileostomy. Go immediately to a gastroenterologist. — Pearl. L

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have probable CD (inflammation found in TI and colon from time-to-time over the last decade). 10 days ago, I suddenly felt very ill. I got a 102 degree temperature with nausea, pain, and diarhea (very watery 1-3 times per day). Within 48 hours, those symptoms disappeared except for the D. (I had eaten out at a buffet the day before) I am now taking mitrolan (like equilactin) which has worked superbly for the D. However, my family physician had me do some tests: blood cultures and stool samples. Apparently, all was clear (no c-diff. and nothing growing) except that they found "rare WBC" in the stool. He suspects the CD is acting up and has ordered a follow-up blood test (a SED rate). I wonder about the significance of the results. Wouldn’t it basically mean that there is/was an infection in the gut which could be anything?? Mel

Response:

I have probable CD (inflammation found in TI and colon from time-to-time over the last decade). 10 days ago, I suddenly felt very ill. I got a 102 degree temperature with nausea, pain, and diarhea (very watery 1-3 times per day). Within 48 hours, those symptoms disappeared except for the D. (I had eaten out at a buffet the day before) I am now taking mitrolan (like equilactin) which has worked superbly for the D. However, my family physician had me do some tests: blood cultures and stool samples. Apparently, all was clear (no c-diff. and nothing growing) except that they found "rare WBC" in the stool. He suspects the CD is acting up and has ordered a follow-up blood test (a SED rate). I wonder about the significance of the results. Wouldn’t it basically mean that there is/was an infection in the gut which could be anything?? Mel

Response: