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?
My Life Changed
- As a truck driver you dont live the healthiest of lives but you do what you can to keep rolling. I started having severe diarrhea and blood. Cramping became unbearable With such an urgency to go often I did not make it in time. As a grown man this causes a great deal of mental anguish. As a driver my life began to revolve solely around the next rest area or next bathroom. I had a coloscopy and a CT scan. The meds cause nausea headaches and more diarrhea. Like I said. My life changed. I can not focus on work or life only the disease.
- —Guest Jeremy
Passing Blood
- My UC started in 2007 when my mum was diagnosed with cancer. It started with passing fresh blood rectally. I also had explosive wind and experienced lots of 'accidents' where I couldn't get to the loo in time. The bleeding stopped after a while but since then I had more flare ups and had a colonoscopy which diagnosed me as having proctitis. I was given mesalazine suppositories which I didnt use as the symptoms passed again. I had further flare ups when my dad was diagnosed with cancer and then each stressful event has sparked another attack. I have been on mesalazine 1600mg 3 times a day for a week now and also am having a Pentasa suppository at night. I am afraid that this treatment is not effective and am waiting for another consultant appointment in 2 weeks. I have had 2 further sigmoidoscopies over the last 2 years in order to keep a check on things. My father had colitis so i think for me it has been passed down to me! I am 44 now and imagine I will be incapacitated for life now.
- —Guest Jackie
My Story/IBD and the Military
- I started having chronic diarrhea and stomach pains while I was deployed in the Middle East. I went for 6 months without really getting anything done, the dr didn't take it seriously, suggested I not complain because I would have to be flown to Germany for evaluation. So after returning home I was referred to a GI. He did a colonoscopy, found inflammation and diagnosed me with UC. He started me on Apriso (Mesalamine) and sent me on my business. I felt like I couldn't get through to the GI, he wouldn't do anything when my symptoms were getting severe not going away. I ended up going to get a second opinion from another GI who said it was just IBS, told me to stop all meds. I had to keep on and on. I finally ended up seeing the first guy again when my problems came back two-fold. I had another colonoscopy with the initial Dr, didn't go too well, biopsies came back confirming Crohn's. I ended up being medically retired from the Air Force for the first diagnosis.
- —Guest Tyler
UC Diagnosis After Emergency Colonoscopy
- I had really bad acid one night after a lot to eat, and I threw up a lot that night. I never throw up. The next day diarrhea and stomach cramps. The cramps were so bad that I couldnt even get myself to the doctor. After ten days of this I went to the doctor who ordered blood tests and fecal and urine tests and also gave me an ultrasound for fear of my having appendicitis. When all those results came back clear they sent me to a specialist who surprised me by sending me for a colonoscopy the very next day. I had been reading that you need 48 hours to prepare for a colonoscopy and I live in Spain so his urgency frightened me. When I woke up he diagnosed me with UC, also internal hemorrhoids and he removed a polyp for biopsy. I was prescribed suppository anti-inflammatories for 3 weeks and to go back and see him in 3 weeks for biopsy results. So far the suppositories are having no effect, diarrhea ten or more times a day, totally watery and bad cramping.
- —shopewell
Bonnie
- I was 12 years old and had been bleeding rectally and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. Exploratory surgery-diagnosis ulcerative colitis.
- —Guest Bonnie Robbins
Antibiotics
- After aspirating acid during an acid reflux flare I contracted bronchitus. The emergency doctor treated it with an antibiotic -- this brought on all the symptoms of UC and they didn't go away. After a barium enima and a colonoscopy I was finally diagnosed with UC.
- —Guest Dean S
A Late Diagnosis
- I am 76. Since about age 73 I had off and on spells of diarrhea. Went to the doctor a year ago. No blood in stool. No cramps. Doctor said he didn't see anything with the colonoscopy so he took a biopsy and said it was UC. Took Asacol for 3 month and it stopped working. Am now on Entocort for last 2 months and seems to be working.
- —Guest kitty
Stomach Pain
- I was diagnosed while in the hospital. I was having stomach pain and nausea. I had a colonoscopy done after several days in the hospital. The doctor wasn't real clear if I had colitis or Crohn's disease. I am currently on Lialda and Nexium. I also take Anaspaz for stomach spasms and pain. I still have some stomach pain and diarrhea.
- —Guest Linda
I Woke Up Screaming In Agony
- At age 29 I had two really bad bladder infections one after the other, and the doctor did not look into it any further. I knew something was not right as I was also severely constipated and often went 20 days without passing solids. Two months later I woke up screaming in agony with a really bad cramp in my right hip, [which felt like] red hot coals [were] being rubbed into it. I jumped out of bed and fell flat on the floor as I could not stand up. I was rushed to hospital and was diagnosed with CD the next day from x-ray. The surgeon told me that I would have died if I left it until the morning to go to hospital. I am now on the disability support pension as my line of work (chef and telemarketer) became too stressful and was causing flareups. Ever since my teenage years I have suffered from really bad stomach cramps and gastric refux and the doctor always put it down to family history.
- —brindle0812
Stress Is A Major Factor
- I was diagnosed with UC when I was 13 and have had it since then. My flares are usually when I am stressed and to date [I] do not understand what is the connection. Mine has been a severe case since then, and now I am starting to practice Yoga and meditation which have helped me a lot.
- —Guest Wajida
How I Was Diagnosed With IBD
- After visiting a doctor who referred me to a GI consultant, with the symptoms described (bloody/mucos/diarrhea) He immediately did a sigmoidoscopy and diagnosed left sided ulcerative colitis which was then followed up with a colonoscopy which confirmed UC. Since then I have had a Gastroscopy which also picked up a hiatus hernia and gastritis but the diagnosis remains UC. I suppose I wasn't listening to my body with various pains etc, and probably didnt want to bother the doctor and just put up with it even though on some occasions the pain etc was debilitating. Don't ignore the symptoms and don't get fobbed off without proper investigations.
- —Guest UC sufferer
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
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