Can anyone relate to my bowel symptoms?
Hi
I am new here, iam going through investigation for IBD.
I was diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis and sacroillitis in 2017 aftet years of pain. I was started on sulfasalazine the day i seen the rheumatologist. Later in 2017 i was started on benepali a biologic.
In early 2022 the sulf was stopped due to raised liver function. The benepali was switched to amjevita in summer 22 as it had stopped working.
Weeks after i stopped the sulf my bowel habbits changed going 5, 6, 7 times per day noticable bloating, men being men i let it go. One if the rheumy nurses advised me to get it looked at in april this year.
Off i go to the gp. Stool sample and qfit came back normal bloods were acceptable in line with the axial spa. I though fine and got on with it.... ibs maybe.
Family and i went on our hols in the summer by my bowels kept getting in the way.
I went back to the gp in august... bloods qfit done. If anything comes back he would let me know.
I had been noticing small amounts of blood and mucus in my stool... diarrhoea all the time, cant remember the last time i done a "normal" poop, getting this dull burning ache quite regulary now. I go to an appointment with the rheumy, i explained between my guts and joints life is a real struggle. It was there i found out my qfit was positive at 77 my lfts are slightlt raised and theres been an urgent referal to gastro made on the 22nd of august.... i have a colonoscopy on friday coming.
This a bit of a rant about how life is at the mo'
For the last 10/11 weeks there has been days i am going 15-20+ times per day and my hoop is on fire 🤣
Can anyones symptoms ralate to mines- chronic diarrhoea, some bloody mucus...sometines small clots and sometimes clear or light brown mucus, pooping 5-7 times most days and the 15-20 times other days. Dull burning ache with a bloated gut. I have read here and on other pages there pain is off the scale... i dont get anything like this.
Tia
Sorry you are experiencing all these symptoms. It is always tough to not know what is going on in your body. Having a diagnosis brings some sort of relief and then you can move forward to targeted treatment. It's a good thing you are doing a colonoscopy Friday. Make sure they take biopsies as well. You should get some difinitive answers with this procedure. All I can say is that how I was diagnosed with Crohn's was with a Colonoscopy with biopsies and blood work.
In the beginning, I had similar symptoms as you but I did have excruciating abdominal pain and alarming amount of blood when I had a bowel movement. Again, I think it is best to just see how the colonoscopy goes, you should get good answers from the results. Also, have you been tested for C-Reactive Protein levels? It is a blood test. Typically if that is raised it means there is inflammation in the body. Also a stool test to check Fecal Calprotectin is always a good idea as well. This shows inflammation in the bowels.
-Elizabeth (team member)GET A GASTROENTEROLOGIST
Hi
. On top of the excellent information from Elizabeth (which I can't really add to), I noticed that you have axial spondyloarthritis and want to let you know that we have a sister-site for that condition at https://axialspondyloarthritis.net/. There you can find the same level of information and support for that condition as you find here for IBD. Hope this information is helpful. Best, Richard (Team Member) 
Have you tried a strong anti-diarrheal such as Immodium? That's the only way I can survive the work day or special trips when my colitis is flaring. Also, I take psyllium husk powder daily, which also helps with diarrhea. I do agree with you that intestinal pain is truly "off the charts." When I'm in pain, I usually curl up in a ball and do deep breathing exercises. As weird as it might sound, deep breathing helps reduce my pain. But as I tell everyone, this all works for me. Each body is different.
Please let us know how the colonoscopy went. As bad as the "prep" is for colonoscopies, they are still the best method for finding out what's going on intestinally. In addition, I also agree with the person who suggested getting a gastroenterologist. They are specially trained for these medical problems. Not all GIs are equal, though. Find one that's a good fit for you. One that will listen and then assess instead of watching the clock.
I hope you are on the road to recovery, and I also hope you have a pain-free holiday season.
Sincerely,
Traci, UC-IBD Team Member
