Help! Crohn's or C. Dif. or what?

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2005
Help! Crohn's or C. Dif. or what?
5
Thu, 10-06-2005 - 10:25am
This is long, so bear with me. A little background. I was diagnosed in 1994 with Crohn's disease. My symptoms were blood in my stool. After I began treatment was when it got really bad. Bloody diarrhea all the time, loads of blood. No real pain, just feeling "icky" all the time. After months on Asacol, some Cortenemas and Pred. (I HATE Pred!) I went into remission. My maintenance drug was Asacol. In 2000 I relapsed, first experiencing blood and mucous, then severe bleeding and "going" almost every hour, day and night again. Went into the hospital after the Pred. didn't work, eventually got Remicade. Came out having added 6MP to the regime. Back in remission. Got sick in 2003 but I don't know if it was Crohn's. Diarrhea, belly pain, fevor. Hospitalized after blood work in the ER showed nearly no white blood cells. Was in the hospital 3 weeks, sickest I've ever been in my life, doctors couldn't find what was wrong. Test after test after test. I was on pain meds for my belly. They thought maybe mono, but I'm not sure if they ever figured it out. The took me off the Asacol and 6MP. Near the end of my stay, I was given another Remicade infusion, then another 2 weeks later post-hospital, when I had an allergic reaction and was told I can no longer have it. For the Crohn's maintenance I was on Cipro only. Flash-forward to Spring of this year. Started having some slightly bloody mucous, every time I had a BM it was mucous. I was put back on Asacol, continued the Cipro. Dr. put me on Canasa suppositories and then Cortenemas (did BOTH every night). Felt better. Back to normal BM's. In the meantime I also developed, one after another, a couple really huge, engorged hemorrhoids where my "skin tags" are. They eventually went away, then I had peeling itchy skin on my bum, and was diagnosed by a dermatologist with "psoriasis" plus a yeast infection plus staff infection in my bum crack and around my anus. I've been on creams for that ever since, very messy, but they work. Then I started having diarrhea, not in frequency, but consistancy, all the time. Also had some cramping and nausea. The doctor put me on Flagyl, took me off of the Cipro, and had me tested for C. Dif. I of course waited to try the Flagyl until after I'd given the lab my samples. My C. Dif. tests were negative, so she told me to try the Cortenemas again. I was also still on the Canasa suppositories this entire time. After a few days, the enemas weren't doing anything, so she had me stop them, and added some other antibiotic I can't remember the name of, for the C. Dif. in case I my test were a false-negative. I saw her last week, and told her that my BM's were then soft and still pretty loose, but not watery, and we both agreed that my symptoms are not "normal" for me for a relapse of the Crohn's. She told me to try adding probiotics in case it was C. Dif. and my gut flora is all messed up from that and antibiotics. That night I had a couple beers, and since then my BM's are more watery, and I have some tummy discomfort and nausea all day long. I finished the 2 week course of that other medicine for the C. Dif. yesterday. I'm still on Asacol and Flagyl, and though I haven't gone to get the probiotics yet, I'm going to go buy some today. I don't know what to do now. I've had this "diarrhea" for a month now! I go maybe 3 times a day, not abnormal, but it's always loose and watery, accompanied by the nausea and "icky" feelings. Plus, this damn hemerrhoid is pissing me off! Any thoughts?

~Liz

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2005
Thu, 10-06-2005 - 10:30am
I wanted to add that my Crohn's has so far been limited to the lower part of my colon. A few weeks ago I had a sigmoidoscopy that showed some inflamation in the lower part, but my Dr. said it wasn't much, and she didn't see it as enough to cause all this stuff or warrant Pred. right now. I was thinking of asking her about Humira, the alternative to Remicade and doesn't contain the mouse proteins people react to with the Remicade, but I'm not sure if she'd try it without first trying Pred. :0(

~Liz

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Thu, 10-06-2005 - 6:38pm

Hi Sprite05!


Welcome to the board!

 
Community Leader
Registered: 10-01-2002
Fri, 10-07-2005 - 10:11am

Just

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2005
Fri, 10-07-2005 - 4:26pm
Thanks for the response. Like I said, I was on Asacol and 6-MP for a couple years until I had whatever that nasty illness was and had no white blood cells, so she took me off, replacing it with the Cipro. Now, a couple more years later, I'm on Asacol and more recently Flagyl, and just the other day finished the Vancomycin (in case I really did have the C. Dif.) You're right, I shouldn't have had any alcohol while on either of the antibiotics, hopefully that's all it is. I live outside of Boston, so if need be I'm sure she will send me to one of the great hospitals there. My last BM was a bit better, not as loose, so maybe things are looking up.

~Liz

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-14-2005
Fri, 10-07-2005 - 4:31pm
Right now, I am doing a sitz bath when I can, morning and again at night, and using "Nupercainal" ointment that the doc. suggested last time. I think it's shrinking, thank Gods, hopefully it will be gone soon. Not only is it painful, but I'm very self-conscious, even though my BF sees my skin tags and is not bothered. He even put an ice cube on my hem the morning I discovered it, bless his heart!

~Liz