Do I have crones or colitis?????

Hi, I am 17 years old and I have had really bad abdominal pain on and off since about the 12th of December. I took magnesium citrate the day after Christmas which cleaned me out but I was still in pain. On new years eve I went to the ER, and they gave me a enema as well as lots of test. Most came out close to normal and they sent me off.I went to my doctor and she tested my stool and rectum for blood both came out negative. I am still worried because of the pain I am feeling whenever I eat or after I go to the bathroom. Another weird thing is that I feel like I have to go and when I sit down it does come out unless I open my rectum with my finger. What is going on???

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a detailed clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include GI/ GU infections/ inflammations, motility issues, neuro-muscular causes etc. I would suggest getting this evaluated by a primary care physician initially and depending on the cause diagnosed/ suspected, it can be managed accordingly or specialist care may be sought.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!

[cuteboots236]

Thank you,
  I went to the doctor and she said there was nothing she could see that was wrong with me but referred me to a specialist due the the fact I have had this going on for a long time. The thing is they cant see me until February and I don't know what to do until then. I have had a lot of mucus and its so gross and makes me feel even worse. Should I be worried?

[djcwiley]

The difference between Crohn's and Colitis is rather simple.  Crohn's disease is located at the end of the ileum (end of your small intestines) and the beginning of your large intestines (colon).  Colitis disease is located at the end of your colon and the beginning of your rectum.

Any irritable bowel disease can affect your entire digestive system and requires a strict diet that must be designed specifically for your condition. Unfortunately I ended up with a permanent ileostomy because I suffered from severed from UC which lead to colon cancer that was caught in time but ended up with other intestinal complications. PLEASE DO NOT GET DISCOURAGE AND FIND A UPPER GI SPECIALIST. It took several years before they diagnosed me correctly and it did not happen until I went to Northwestern University Hospital and saw an oncologist.  

If I went to her earlier, I would not have a permanent ileostomy.  Please send me a message if you wish to learn more.

Good Luck
Debra (djcwiley)