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Readers Respond: IBD Can Be Diagnosed in a Variety of Ways
Responses: 9

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From the article: How IBD is Diagnosed
Inflammatory bowel disease is often diagnosed after a colonoscopy, but other tests may also be used. Some people are diagnosed fairly quickly. Others may have been initially misdiagnosed, or wait some time -- undergoing many tests -- to get a correct diagnosis. What tests were used in your diagnosis? How Were You Diagnosed?

how were you diagnosed?

My UC was diagnosed with colonoscopy and confirmed with a Prometheus blood test
—fleurdalisa

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease

I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease by an upper GI with small bowel series after years of bouts with what was thought to be a 24 hour bug...vomiting, cramps, etc.
—Guest Cynbear54@aol.com

mookies

I had an accident at a gas station -- they claimed they didn't have a rest room. I used the floor. The guy chasing me out was screaming "I- bee-deya-ess!" I relayed the incident to my gastroenterologist, and he said "Yes." I guess I have both. But the colonoscopy verified colitis for sure.
—Guest auramac

Blood & Stool Samples; Sigmoidoscopy

I was at home from college for the summer. I had bloody diarrhea for two weeks before I said anything to anyone about it. I finally went in to see a nurse practitioner, who said that it could be IBD, hemorroids, or cancer. She referred me to a GI who took blood and stool samples and did a sigmoidoscopy, which confirmed UC as a diagnosis. I had a diagnosis and was on medication before I went back to school. For me, it was a quick onset and a quick diagnosis (except for my initial denial of a problem--I blamed eating raw cookie dough for my symptoms). But, there may have been more subtle signs and symptoms that I didn't notice at first and attributed to something else. That being said, my symptoms have not been under control and I have not been able to stay in remission, though biopsies have confirmed UC several times. I don't doubt having UC, but its quick diagnosis may not be indicative of the outcome of the disease.
—Guest Anonymous

Wrong Inital Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with IBS several years before I was finally diagnosed with IBD (proctitis)after a colonoscopy.
—thermrussells

White blood cell scan

I was only 13 at the time, and I refused to have a sigmoidoscopy so the doctor performed a white blood cell scan instead. It was much less invasive than the sigmoidoscopy and showed inflammation in the last two thirds of my colon, leading to a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.
—Guest Sarah

Upper GI

I was diagnosed with an upper GI, plus symptoms that seemed to imply a problem. My brother had crohn's, but they didn't catch it until he already needed surgery from severe abdominal pain. That's when and how they made his diagnosis.
—Guest Anne

Stool Test

My doctor was insisting I had IBS, until blood showed up in my stool test. I was then sent for a colonoscopy which confirmed the diagnosis of IBD.
—Guest irene

Multiple tests Needed

I had a colonoscopy, x rays and stool samples done before I got my diagnosis. It took forever because I was having intermittent symptoms. It wasn't until the colonoscopy that they finally figured out that it was IBD.
—Guest Kristi

How Were You Diagnosed?

IBD Can Be Diagnosed in a Variety of Ways

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