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Is Watery Diarrhea A Symptom Of IBD?
Question: So far all tests have come back normal. It seems like my doctor is toying with the idea of ibs or ibd. (Ie. abdominal scan, blood and stool cultures, etc.)
Through my own research my symptoms don't match either. Also the medications given to me for IBS are not helping. If it is an ibd would I only have watery diarrhea or can stool differ?
Through my own research my symptoms don't match either. Also the medications given to me for IBS are not helping. If it is an ibd would I only have watery diarrhea or can stool differ?
Brief Answer:
Watery diarrhea is not a typical symptom of IBD.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
It would be easier to answer your question knowing what symptoms do you have and since when.
From the previous queries I can see you suffer from nausea, upper left abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Inflammatory bowels disease (Crohns disease or Ulcerative Colitis) are the group of autoimmune disease. The main problem in case of IBD is that host immune system attacks and destroys correctly functioning intestinal cells. This leads to chronic inflammation. Inflammation as a results causes a kind of scar in the intestine. Scar gives intestine narrowing and partial bowels obstruction as the main symptom.
IBD can be present in different part of intestines. So the symptoms vary depending of the inflammation location. Watery diarrhea is not characteristic symptom for IBD. IBD mostly give loose stools with blood and mucus, smelly stools, abdominal pain (cramps like), bloating. Weight loss, low hemoglobin level are also characteristic. Some patients can have skin changes (like eczema) or joint inflammation along with gastrointestinal symptoms.
The most important test to diagnose IBS is colonoscopy with biopsy. If you have watery diarrhea, stool test and stool culture test are negative, colonoscopy should be your next step.
If you have upper abdominal pain along with nausea and the symptoms are associated with foods intake, gastroscopy should be done as the stomach might be the case.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Watery diarrhea is not a typical symptom of IBD.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
It would be easier to answer your question knowing what symptoms do you have and since when.
From the previous queries I can see you suffer from nausea, upper left abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Inflammatory bowels disease (Crohns disease or Ulcerative Colitis) are the group of autoimmune disease. The main problem in case of IBD is that host immune system attacks and destroys correctly functioning intestinal cells. This leads to chronic inflammation. Inflammation as a results causes a kind of scar in the intestine. Scar gives intestine narrowing and partial bowels obstruction as the main symptom.
IBD can be present in different part of intestines. So the symptoms vary depending of the inflammation location. Watery diarrhea is not characteristic symptom for IBD. IBD mostly give loose stools with blood and mucus, smelly stools, abdominal pain (cramps like), bloating. Weight loss, low hemoglobin level are also characteristic. Some patients can have skin changes (like eczema) or joint inflammation along with gastrointestinal symptoms.
The most important test to diagnose IBS is colonoscopy with biopsy. If you have watery diarrhea, stool test and stool culture test are negative, colonoscopy should be your next step.
If you have upper abdominal pain along with nausea and the symptoms are associated with foods intake, gastroscopy should be done as the stomach might be the case.
Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
predominately for the past 3 months my symptoms include the following : nausea, loss of appetite, loss of weight (12 lbs), pain in abdomen in two distinct locations lower right daily and upper left under ribs on occasion but always same location. I'm also constantly fatigued almost lethargic and body aches and stiffness.
My bowel movements have varied in an episode fashion that last about 10 days. First I'll have severe cramping with multiple loose stools for 2 to 3 days. Then I number bm dwindle and stool becomes pencils thin. BM are always fowl smelling and occasionally contain mucus. during this time my appetite is minimal.
My bowel movements have varied in an episode fashion that last about 10 days. First I'll have severe cramping with multiple loose stools for 2 to 3 days. Then I number bm dwindle and stool becomes pencils thin. BM are always fowl smelling and occasionally contain mucus. during this time my appetite is minimal.
Brief Answer:
Your description makes Crohns disease very possible.
Detailed Answer:
This makes Crohns disease very possible. Lower right abdomen (where the small intestine joins large intestine) is the most common location for Crohns disease.
It is also very characteristic for partial bowels obstruction to give loose stool and narrow solid stools alternately.
Cramping appears when the intestine tries to push the stool through the narrow place. Loose stool should appear with cramping.
You definitely should have colonoscopy done.
Regards.
Your description makes Crohns disease very possible.
Detailed Answer:
This makes Crohns disease very possible. Lower right abdomen (where the small intestine joins large intestine) is the most common location for Crohns disease.
It is also very characteristic for partial bowels obstruction to give loose stool and narrow solid stools alternately.
Cramping appears when the intestine tries to push the stool through the narrow place. Loose stool should appear with cramping.
You definitely should have colonoscopy done.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
just playing devil's advocate here, but how likely are these the same symptoms just IBS?
Brief Answer:
IBS symptoms are usually less intense.
Detailed Answer:
IBS in extreme cases can give such symptoms indeed. But usually it does not give such intense symptoms.
Moreover IBS can be diagnosed only after ruling all knows gastrointestinal diseases. When we say that a patient has IBS we can translate it as 'we don’t know what is causing your symptoms'. So IBS is a group of symptoms caused by unknown issue.
Even if you do have IBS, colonoscopy is necessary to rule out Crohns disease.
Regards
IBS symptoms are usually less intense.
Detailed Answer:
IBS in extreme cases can give such symptoms indeed. But usually it does not give such intense symptoms.
Moreover IBS can be diagnosed only after ruling all knows gastrointestinal diseases. When we say that a patient has IBS we can translate it as 'we don’t know what is causing your symptoms'. So IBS is a group of symptoms caused by unknown issue.
Even if you do have IBS, colonoscopy is necessary to rule out Crohns disease.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Bhagyalaxmi Nalaparaju
thank you
Brief Answer:
You are welcome
Detailed Answer:
You are welcome.
You are welcome
Detailed Answer:
You are welcome.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
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