# IBD or IBS? Please Help



## xJillx (Nov 7, 2011)

I need some serious help – do I have IBD or IBS?This is going to be long, so I am going to start with my question for those who don’t want to read it all. Do my main symptoms align with IBS?-Cramping (left side) before a BM-Abdominal pain – all over pain & point specific pain/dull aches-Mucus with and apart from a BM-Rectal pressure-Urgency-Loose stools (rarely D) about 1-3 times dailyLast month, my GI retracted my Crohn’s diagnosis which I received from my former GI in July 2010. She believes I have “post-infectious IBS”. However, I am not convinced. So, I am reaching out to those who have IBS. Do you think it is possible I have IBS and not IBD? Has anyone else had a similar experience? Here is my story (it’s long and I apologize in advance): My GI issues began during the spring of 2010 when I started passing mucus; prior to this I could eat & drink whatever I wanted without issue. Sometimes the mucus would be with a BM, other times I passed it alone. I dismissed it, chalking it up to eating too much fiber (I was on a major health kick). But then in July of 2010, I had a weekend where I was in and out of the bathroom with pretty loose stools, mucus, blood and felt fluish. This led me to make an appointment with a local GI. I had a colonoscopy, which showed inflammation & ulcerations in my terminal ileum and rectum. My GI immediately suspected Crohn’s disease, but my biopsies were normal. More symptoms developed, such as urgency and ab pain, so I started Lialda (used to treat IBD) in October 2010. However, things didn’t get better. So, I decided to see an IBD specialist at a large university hospital in Philadelphia. We did several imaging tests (CT Scan, MRI, Lower Bowel Series), lots of blood work, and a flex sig. All was normal. So, I continued to try to take it day by day. I added in suppositories and enemas as needed, but they didn’t seem to help. I also started hyocyamine (an antispasmodic) that did help with the pain. I rarely had days where I had to stop my daily activity until this July; ironically, exactly a year later from when my issues began. I woke on a weekend and was in and out of the bathroom 10+ times with loose stools and lots of mucus with blood. I got in to see my GI immediately for a scope. All looked pretty normal (my GI noted some “red areas”), but biopsies did show “acute colitis”. I started enemas again, but they didn’t help.As a follow up, I had a full colonoscopy in September, and again, all looked pretty normal. Biopsies were completely normal, as well. Being that the case, my GI concluded that I most likely have “post-infectious IBS” and not Crohn’s. Her theory is I had an infection during the time of my first scope (granted, my blood work was normal at the time), and my current symptoms are from IBS that was caused by the infection. I have stopped all medication, except the hyocyamine. To be honest, I am doing better since stopping the Lialda. My BM’s are more solid, and I am usually only going once daily. However, I am still not sure I truly believe my GI’s theory, though I would be beyond grateful not to have IBD. If I don’t have Crohn’s, why do I sometimes pass blood (usually among the mucus)? I was on Lialda during my testing, wouldn’t that make my results look normal? Why did biopsies from the July scope show “acute colitis”? Granted, to play devil’s advocate, could the Lialda been messing me up and causing the occasional bleeding all this time? Do I have IBS, hence why the enemas never worked for me? I am sorry this is so long, and I thank anyone who actually read it all. I just have been dealing with this for so long, and I am tired of being in limbo. I want to know what is going on with my health, so I can move on with my life. And more importantly, my hubby & I want to start a family soon. So, there is even a more pressing need to know if I have Crohn’s or not. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.


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