Does this sound like Crohns?

Hi there, just in a bit of a bad headspace at the moment and at my wits end, and whilst not officially diagnosed I hope it's ok to post here and ask a question. So sorry for such a long winded post and sorry if in the wrong forum, please move if so.

58 year old man retired, was diagnosed with IBS at 21. Had years and years of bad symptoms finally having some luck with a medicine combination a good few years ago. Also type 2 diabetic have an irritable bladder and on quite a bit of medication from IBS meds like Imodium and mebeverine, diabetes meds, reflux meds, etc, all a bit of a mess really. Love my golf and a great way to exercise to get my diabetes under control but my stomach issues are starting to threaten that as stomach problems and 4 hours on a golf course don't really mix! So hence me reaching out as it's really getting to me.

Back in 2019 I started (and continue to have) bouts of proctalgia fugax, which in basic terms is a pain in the backside! Had a sigmoidoscopy and all was clear, nothing found bar some diverticula. Not sure if connected but I then started having some blood on toilet paper which was on and off between 2023 and 2024. Not often and every time it happened the GP asked me to do a FIT test. Eight FIT tests between 2023, including the national one, and most recently with my recent issues (no visible blood since 2024) and all negative. Again not sure if related but I had a really bad D&V bug July 2023 which took a couple of days to clear.

My mother then passed away in March 2023 and my stomach issues started to get a little off again and by Oct/Nov 2023 I started having my main issue still today, rectal tenesmus and stomach discomfort, which for those who aren't aware tenesmus is the feeling of needing the toilet even though you don't necessarily need it. Started out a day here and there, then it would go away for a few months, then come back. I had yet another sigmoidoscopy in December 2024, and yet again nothing found bar two internal haemorrhoids, not even the original diverticula they diagnosed previously were mentioned, and they just sent me on my way.

Where I am now it is pretty much tenesmus every day along with a lot of stomach discomfort. Not pain, just a real "off" feeling. Problem is now with the tenesmus sometimes I do need to go again, but only a little, or maybe just some mucus (sorry for being graphic), so my head says do I or don't I need to go? It's a nightmare.

A few months back my GP tried me on Buscopan, still thinking this was all IBS. I was incredibly fine for a week but then all the symptoms came back. Same as last week, I decided to come of both Metformin and Lansoprazole as both are apparently prone to giving stomach issues, even though I have been on them for years. Next day I was extremely well, no issues at all. The next 6 days were the same, all good, best I have felt in years, I thought I had solved it, but nope, on Monday all the symptoms came back, no rhyme or reason.

The really strange thing about all this is that when I get up in the morning I am fine. No tenesmus, no cramping, it all starts within minutes of a bowel movement, almost as if the BM irritates something. This goes on for the next few hours until mid to late afternoon and 99 times out of a hundred it goes and for the rest of the afternoon and evening I am absolutely fine. Appetite comes back, no cramps, no tenesmus, all good, until the BM first thing next morning and the loop continues. It's very strange. Have tried fodmap diets, lactose free, nothing works.

Few weeks back another GP was more proactive, she sent me for another FIT test, which was 5mg, considered normal. h pylori all clear. Here comes the shock, faecal calprotectin (which I had never even heard of), which as most of you will know is normal between 0-50, came back as 360! I was gobsmacked. She has urgently referred me to Gastro, although still waiting to hear.

Thing is I have (stupidly) checked Google. IBS doesn't show this inflammation, colitis is generally I believe in the rectum or bowel that a sigmoidoscopy would see. So according to Google it suggests that it could be either crohns or even cancer. Yep I know I shouldn't have googled!

I suspect Gastro will order a colonoscopy and endoscopy (had one of those in 2017 re reflux and only mild stomach inflammation was found) but waiting is really affecting my head.

So whilst I know no one can diagnose, does all these years of IBS sound like it could be crohns?

Again so sorry for the long post but I really didn't know where to go.