has anyone had crohn for 10 years or more and has gotten worst all the sudden? like having being diagnosed with mild crohns and gotten fistulas or worst sysmtoms after a long period of time????
Thank you for your post. I'm sorry to hear that you started experiencing flare-ups after 10 years. Sadly, it's not uncommon for the disease to go into a remission type period and then suddenly out of the blue start causing extreme pain again.
It can of course seem so much worse when you have been quite awhile without having these angry symptoms. Sometimes there seems to be no reason as to why the disease should have flared up,but at other times you can take a look at your diet or the situation around you and realize that it is possible that you have triggered off an angry about yourself.
If you have been lucky and not had too much problems over the years, you need to think about what you might have changed prior to getting a flare-up. Have you been eating something that is different? Spicy foods, dairy products, alcohol and smoking are well-known triggers but stress is too.It can really irritate everything. Stress used to be considered the cause of Crohn's disease but it has now been established that it acts as a trigger instead
It's important to stay positive but to seek out medical help if the pain and symptoms become very bad. Always ask for help. It's possible that the doctor may give you different medicines if necessary.
In the meanwhile do check out your diet and see if there is anything that might be a possible cause. Keeping a food diary can be really useful, especially if you have to return to your doctor as it can help them to make a more accurate diagnosis.
I hope this helps? Do let us know how you get on.
Best wishes,
Annette
yep, well kind of by: mike
I can't say it's been more than 10 since I was diagnosed a little over 9 years ago. For the last several years I've been symptom free for the most part, unless i did something dumb like eat habanero salsa. Other than that, drastic weather changes seem to be my biggest enemy and it's been a pretty brutal winter in the midwest. I'll tell ya my most recent bout if ya feel like reading. Starting october '08 i had some signs of a flare up. Stubborn me figured it'd pass as i got used to the season, just like ever year. Nope! It got bad, really bad. The usual gut rot and other problems, plus extremely sharp pains in my lower left abdomen was the icing on the cake. The pain was just about unbearable. I actually collapsed a few times, even puked.. that was a first. Not my first time for puking, but having that happen from pain, at least that's why I think it happened. Anyway, after the routine battery of tests, repeat violation by doc's(some had extremely cold hands...grrr..), scans, attempted scope twice, yes twice... (first time the prep didn't work, second one the doc OD'd me on the prep and my plumbing was spasming to the point he couldn't get the scope through, so he inflated me with so much air they thought he may have perforated my colon, then I wake up in xray for further violation and images). Anyway, after all that fun and the balloon tip catheter for the contrast, they tell me I have a new spot of crohns and a stricture spanning from mid to the sigmoid colon. The doc said it was so inflammed, anything the size of a pea could have caused complete blockage. Yeah, not good. They put me on 60MG/day of prednisone to bring down the inflammation which seems to be working, they started dialing it down bit by bit so I'm down to 35/day now, finally getting a some sleep, and I get to go in for another scope next week. Speaking of that, I should go install seat belts on the toilet, call it a prep for the prep if you will. Hopefully the scope goes well and they don't find anything that shouldn't be there.
So bottom line, you're not alone.
Worst after 10 years by: JoAnne
I had a mild case of Crohn's for and seven years into I had Internal Hemorrhoids, Fissures, Tears and six weeks after that I have a blockage. Then nothing for 4 years later I am know starting to feel something starting with my stomach. So mine is kind of like that. My doctor sometimes questions me if I really have Crohn's because my body show no systems until it wants to and then it is bad. So you are not the only one out there and I hope your doctor isn't as rude as mine is about yours. But I live in a town were there isn't many doctor's that treat Crohn's. Good luck!!!!
Fistulas by: Anonymous
yes I have. I am 35 and have had Crohns since I was 12, but just got diagnosed after 22 years of being sick with multiple surgeries. It seem like I have surgeries every 7 years or so, but last year was when I was at my worse and had a bowel resection and about 5 months after that I had my first experience with fistulas and had to have a Seton band put in. But since the Humira I am fistula free.
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