Opie_Yates
Old Hand
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 473
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I was just wondering if IBS is a pre-cursor to Crohn's Disease, or if they are mutually exclusive syndromes? If so, how much more severe is Crohn's than IBS?
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I'm not a doctor, I just play one on a message forum!
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Crohn's is much, much worse. IBS is not a pre-cursor to Crohn's Disease, they two have no link other than some similar symptoms. There is no evidence that if you have IBS, it will lead to Crohn's disease, thank god.
What confuses some people is that Crohn's Disease is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), along with Ulcerative Colitis. Very different from IBS.
It is very possible to need surgery for Crohn's disease, like if you had an abscess or a fistula, though that was more common in the past before we had the meds we had today. Crohn's disease is chronic inflammation that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal system. If you have Crohn's, you may very well need to be on medication the rest of your life.
IBS on the other hand, while it can be distressing, is not nearly as serious. Some people have worse cases than others, but it typically can be controlled by medication and dietary changes.
-yawkaw
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Opie_Yates
Old Hand
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 473
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Thanks, Yawkaw!
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I'm not a doctor, I just play one on a message forum!
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Sky_Queen
Fly Girl
Reged: 12/03/02
Posts: 1966
Loc: Texas
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Good info Yawkaw, and thanks! I have IBS myself and have wondered that in the past. We have a member here - Lakjaw - she posts now and again - she has Crohn's really bad and probably could tell you more than you want to know, she's been hospitalized and deathly ill from it in the past. It's an awful, horrible condition.
Btw, I have been taking Zelnorm for my IBS, seems to be making a big difference. Unfortunately, it's for women only? Don't know why.
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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Crohn's disease has adversely affected my life (although I don't have it personally) for decades. My grandmother had multiple surgeries to remove large sections of diseased and dead bowel tissue and took drugs like Prednisone for years and years.
Chrohn's also gave her relentless, chronic diahrrea, that even with drugs like Questran and Lomotil, was never controlled adequately.
This painful disease was no "irritation." It was debilitating and limited every aspect of her life. In addition, her old-school doctor never once screened her for colon cancer--which has a higher percentage of occurrence in people with Crohn's. That took her life in 1994. By the time the cancer was detected, it was already Stage IV.
If you are diagnosed with Crohn's Disease, please get screened for colon cancer regularly. I would HOPE that with today's better treatment options and doctors who specialize in gastroenterology, chances of the disease ultimately taking your life would be slim.
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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Sky_Queen
Fly Girl
Reged: 12/03/02
Posts: 1966
Loc: Texas
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What a sad story Night_Shade. That's why I went ahead and schedule the colonoscopy, my grandmother died of colon cancer and I wanted to make sure. It's awful to not be "right" in that area - constipation is bad enough with these constipating meds we take - I wonder if Zelnorm would help Crohn's?
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night_shade
Threadhead
Reged: 08/26/03
Posts: 907
Loc: The State of Hockey
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It may help the symptoms somewhat, but ulcerative colitis/Crohn's is such an insidious disease. And is usually treated with steroids (which cause their own set of problems) and symptom-relievers.
But me...I don't have IBS--I'm just naturally irritable! 
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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
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susanO
Newbie
Reged: 12/15/03
Posts: 28
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Hi All,
I've had Crohn's disease for 35 years and had my second surgery to have a portion of intestine removed just last May. Sometimes the swollen area would swell shut all the way and this is called an intestinal blockage. There is NOTHING more painful in the whole world as that and that includes giving birth naturally (which I've done). Even the medical world considers it a 10 on a 1-10pain scale. It would last 2-3 days before it opened up and besides the constant throwing up and excruciating pain there was always the chance that this would be the time that it wouldn't open up and instead it would burst and I would die instantly, from being full of sh** (ha ha) but it's true. Since I didn't have insurance I would suffer at home and if it hadn't opened after 48 hrs. I would go to an emergency room where they treated me like horribly. There is no cure because after surgery it can come back but the first time I had the surgery, I was lucky and it didn't come back for many years. Also, when a portion of intestine is removed there are certain vitamins that the body won't absorb anymore (like B12, for me) and have to get a shot of it every couple of months. Prednisone should not be taken long term. The side affects are horrible including making your bones brittle, growing a hump on your back, making you gain 50lbs. and much more. Oops ... didn't mean to go on so long.
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