Question: Hi,
I have had diarrhoea for the last 2 years and a half, on and off. The first episode lasted for 5 months of continuous diarrhoea. The first time with diarrhoea was without any further symptoms. However, over the last year I have a few episodes of diarrhoea that lasted for a few weeks in which I also had abdominal discomfort, one of the episodes being very painful. At the beginning when I started with the symptoms, I was tested with stool samples that showed that I had Blastocystis Hominis. However, one of the gastroenterologist that I visited about this, seemed to think that my problem was related to something different, not the parasite. Then, later on, after an episode of diarrhoea, I underwent a sigmodoscopy that only checked the rectum and they saw that I had proctitis. They couldn't finish the whole sigmodoscopy as at the time I had haemorrhoids and the procedure was extremely painful.
My episode of diarrhoea finished and I have only had one more episode of symptoms after the procedure. At the moment I have no symptoms. However, it is an issue that I want to get to the bottom of it as I will probably have another episode of symptoms sometime in the future. I have been doing some research on the internet, and I have concluded that I might have spondylitis. This would explain the lower back problems that I have been having for the past 3 years.
So the question is, as I would like to check whether that is what I have, I wonder, considering that I currently have no symptoms and I haven't had any symptoms for a couple of months, whether having a colonoscopy would be able to see any signs of Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns disease. I understand that if I was having symptoms, the colonoscopy could potentially detect an inflamed colon and therefore the gastroenterologist (maybe by taking a biopsy or whatever the signs are to indicate Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease) would be able to tell what is wrong with me. But my doubt really is whether, considering I have no symptoms at the moment, I wonder whether there are going to be any signs or indications in my bowels so that the specialist can see what is wrong with me. Would I need to wait to have symptoms to have a colonoscopy?
Thank you in advance.
Kind Regards,
Javi

Hi,

Thank you for your response. I am still unclear whether a colonoscopy can detect IBD considering that I have no symptoms at the moment. You seem to be suggesting that a colonoscopy had to be performed while I had my latest flare up, but then stating that assymptomatic IBD exists. Just to clarify I am interested to see whether it would be worth me spending money to have a colonoscopy now that I have no symptoms, or maybe wait until I have symptoms.

I have consulted two GPs about this but have received contradicting views as to whether the biopsy that is taken during the colonoscopy will show any traces of IBD considering that I have no symptoms. I hope you can confirm which statement you believe to be true.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,
Javi