Is it really Crohn's

[mlholland]

My husband was diagnosed with Crohn's back in April 08 just a few weeks before he was scheduled for gastric bypass surgery.  I've been very leary of the whole diagnosis for three reasons, 1st he weighs over 500lbs and 2nd he had a bout of c-diff at the same time as all the colonoscopies, he's had diarrhea almost daily since he had his gallbladder out in 1996.  

I suspected it had bile salt diarrhea and wanted the doctor to check before he had his surgery.  The doctor agreed since he had low iron that it should be checked out so she scheduled a pill-cam.  Prior to the pill-cam he had some dental work done and they put him on an antibiotic.  He then started having really bad diarrhea and we thought he was just sick.  They went ahead with the pill-cam.  The pill-cam came back showing signs of inflammation in the small bowel so the doctor ordered a colonoscopy and endoscopy so that she could do biopsies.  She also took stool samples since he was still having liquid diarrhea.  After the colonoscopy and endoscopy the results were inconclusive so she ordered blood tests.  I can't remember the exact order of things but somewhere around this time we found out he had c-diff and his surgery was post-poned.  The blood work came back showing that he had Crohn's.

After the c-diff cleared up (2 rounds of vancosyn) then he started getting treated for crohn's.  He's been on asacol, predisone, entocort, now sulfasalazine.  He still has diarrhea every day and he gained 25lbs from the entorcort to get to all time high of 585.  I still think this has something to do with bile salts but the GI doctor won't listen to me and insists that it is all crohn's.  I'm worried that that the c-diff interferred with getting a correct diagnosis on the crohn's.  This diagnosis is very importat because it is very difficult to find a surgeon who will do a gastric bypass on someone with Crohn's.  

Does anyone have information on c-diff mimicing crohn's or on bile salt's causing diarrhea?

Thanks!

[25years]

I am a fairly heavy person with Crohn's. I was diagnosed about 25 years ago. I am not the typical patient. Constant use of steroids is why I am overweight...was about 125 pounds when first sickness occurred. I have at times beenover 200 pounds.
The blood test is very reliable and helpful to those with inconclusive colonoscopies etc., according to what I understand from docs and articles. It seems very disappointing since it doesn't allow the other surgery now. Yet, maybe your doctors can do a phone consult together and hash out how to help him. If you only have one doc...get another opinion.

[sdleo]

He probably gained the weight from the Prednisone