HOW I GOT DIAGNOSED WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE | First Symptoms and Diagnosis Process

a little video explaining how I was diagnosed with IBD and some details about the process xx
as always, my DM's on Instagram are always open if anyone wants to chat (@ibdlottie)❤️

[@Tronn1881]

Hi hope ur new treatment is working... I have crohns disease, I'm 46 n was diagnosed when I was 27... For the past year and a half I have been given imfliximab (hmm not sure that's the correct spelling lol) infusions every 8 weeks to lower my immune system, plus a tablet I take a few times a day called colosevolum that binds the bile in the bowel, helping the stools to solidify... Definitely seems to be helping... I also recently bought some probiotics and gut enzymes from amazon, oooh and colustrum (sooo gd for you)..
Funny though cos the biggest improvement I have had, is recently I have stopped adding dextrose powder the my protein shakes, n instantly the bloating n diarrhea etc stopped :)

[@mado3772]

Deeply upset by your experience at such early steps in life's journey we all have exactly the same symptoms same story all over the world and gets worse over time these videos on UA-cam are the best way help and understand this vicious disease plus what you don't see is pain constantly mucus blood foul smell cramps straining diarrhea depression anxiety urgency fecal incontinence fear social incontinence loneliness isolation side effects joint pain enamas steroids mesalazine not eating no quality of life and list goes on my recommendation to you is try high carb health a bit expensive but testimonials are there and random genuine people you could suffer 60 years or follow a strict diet for 1 to 6 months of your life hope it reaches you and please continue your videos

[@f098c]

heyy, so I went to the gp and they noticed i had inflammation and my doctor was male (i didn't book the appointment) and so when he asked me questions eg about my toilet habits I just gave quick answers w/o thinking bc I was uncomfortable eg ab diarrhoea at the time i thought it was a symptom of my period coming bc I knew other girls got that but ofc it's not, it's bc of inflammation SOO he put in a referral to the hospital but non-urgent bc i wasn't showing symptoms, now i realised all those cramps and toilet visits weren't period related and I've had a few since then, idk what to do rn. I'm planning on booking a new appointment and discussing w a female doctor but I'm also scared ab the hospital referral bc 1) waiting lists are ofc long (i got referred in summer i think, still not called in) and 2) what if its a male team?? are u allowed to ask ur doctor when they're making a referral to ask for a female team or does that happen at the hospital , it's all so stressful 😭😭

[@xSwordLilyx]

I am pretty sure I have Chrohns' or IBD as I have had stomach issues since I was 19 and I got acutely ill. I didn't go to the doctor at that time and I wasn't comfortable with it so to be honest (my family is strange about doctors) and I thought I was going to die and I wanted to die at home. But I started taking B12 and limiting my diet because if doing my own research and I recovered on my own. Around this time as well I had erythema nodosum twice. I did decide if I ever got it again I would pursue diagnosis right away but I have not.
I do have chronic dry mouth and have had dry eyes but it has been improving; previous issues with cracks in my mouth corners and overgrowth on my tongue; and chronic canker sores.
I still do have to limit my diet and anything hard to break down is off the table mostly; high fiber, grease, lots of seeds and nuts. I do my best to limit stress also. I have about one flare a year now but the flares have been ramping up.
I got a GP a few years later and started getting physicals and pursuing diagnoses, which included a genetic disorder that runs in my family that is still an ongoing pursuit because I was treated with suspicion (my sister is pursuing diagnosis as well), migraines that started at 21 and very severe and debilitating and only now are well controlled and I am 26; IC which I seem to have always had; I have had several ovarian cysts cause me pain and come and go; and PMDD which has really been ducking with me lately.
Also I am pursuing allergy testing due to problems with my ears seasonally (so I went to the ENT) which was derailed by chrohn's diagnosis pursuit/ my stomach pain.
I finally decided I was ready to see the gastroenterologist last year as my stomach started hurting all the time, and I also had poop that was just mucus and blood, I have had pale ones as well, pretty much every day, and I was sent for a CT scan and this month I had my colonoscopy. I have been feeling a bit better lately but still more pain when I eat than normal, I was given Bentyl which did help. But, no endoscopy or other tests and I have learned apparently chrohn's can ostensibly play peekaboo with the tests.
Which rather unsettlingly showed nothing but hemorrhoids (which I was told I did not have when I had severe pain).
I think I will see another gastroenterologist but I am still researching what to ask for. I will feel a lot better if I get a diagnosis. I honestly don't know what I'm doing (do you guys have advice?) but I also know the GI tract is very large so I'm not down for the count yet.
My main issuea currently is my stomach hurts when I eat/ bloating and is the constant one which is always hurts me to poop like 95% of the time and it is always different levels of urgency. I might be in remission which would be bad for good test results but I am definitely having issues at meal time and still some bouts of diarrhea.
I saw a message about next steps that was not very clear so I might message who did my colonoscopy and see them in their office. Who I saw initially was located very far.

[@user-rz9ux8eh1q]

hi there iv been going though this hard to tell sometimes cant tell if its ibs or ibd I have test next week is this life threating short live life its worry so much it over comes my mind thinking about it when i do go i dont get lot small stool i get craps when need go after iv been craps go away I don't get sharp pains sorry reach out like this your symptoms seem same not sure till test

[@liam_healey9693]

Burning sensation stomach pain?

[@jonnieclayton]

Good luck

[@IBDlottie]

thank you :)