My doc says that blood work is just part of the picture and it isn't always conclusive, although he always runs blood work to see where I am at with my UC.

If your doc truly suspects IBS based on your clinical symptoms and is just trying to rule out Crohns, I think starting with blood work is sound. If the blood work comes back kind of shadey, then probably the next step is a colonoscopy.

My bloodwork is always inconclusive. I would not have been diagnosed properly if it wasn't for swallowing the pill camera. My colonoscopy showed mild Crohn's and the pill camera revealed severe Crohn's throughout my small intestine. I definitely would push for a colonoscopy.

When I had blood work done for inflammation it showed none, so I was relieved. But, then I had my colonoscopy and the whole left side of my colon and my rectum were inflamed.

I don't mean to be negative, but if you pass the blood test you shouldn't assume you're in the clear.

I have a family history of Crohn's and when I started getting prolonged diarrhoea and mouth ulcers I asked my Doctor to test me for it.

I passed the test and he told me I had a stomach bug. A few weeks later I was in hospital, and was diagnosed with what the GI described as "extremely aggressive Crohn's".

To cut a long story short, if you're in doubt push for a colonoscopy.

And if in any doubt, I'd avoid medications that people with IBD should avoid just in case, esp. anti diarrhoea medications such as loperamide (imodiium), unless your doc tells you otherwise.

My blood work is always OK; no major deficiencies except my Iron is usually low. My sed rate was very elevated which was what finally propted my PCP to send me to a GI doc. I agree with the group, colonoscopy and pill cam will show your doc so much more and biopsies can be done. I had a flare in May and felt bad all summer and fall. I was starting to feel a little better, blood work was great, CT scan and pill cam showed small intestine was beautiful but a colonoscopy in Dec showed that my large intestine was severely jacked up! Good luck to you!

My Dr. said that he thought I had IBS and therefore didn't want to subject me to too invasive diagnostic tests when the chances of me having Crohn's was slim in his eyes.

for me, i just hate not knowing. i wouldn't care if he had to do a one off conoloscopy to make sure everything was ok. I don't think he agrees with me tho.

he wants to see me in 6 weeks so maybe if his treatment for it hasn't really done anything then, then I am definitely going to ask for more tests. (if the blood work comes back inconclusive)

Do you have blood in your stool or are you anemic? My doc said typically with IBS, there's no blood in the stool.

If you don't have blood in your stool, that may be why your doc is leaning towards blood work at this point.

Hi there,

In England if your Doctor suspects IBS then all the tests have to be taken, and only when they have done this and found "no apparent problem" can you be properly diaonised with IBS,so for your doctor to be so sure that you have IBS a colonoscopy has to be preformed. Lets get things straight IBS has all the same systoms are a lot of serios illnesses and therefore IBS ruling should not be given without a colonoscopy's at the least - blood tests are not enough and i would actually be quite scared if my doctor was saying that to me, its neglectful to be honest! If your blood tests showed normal signs of inflamation but you did have Crohn's you would go untreated for how long before your doctor did his job right!!?? My advise would be to push for the correct tests and question his competancy or change doctors!! Good luck with that one!! And remember we only have one life, one body, look after it!!

I had the blood test to determine if I had Crohn's or UC. The test came back saying that I had both diseases AND none. So much for a conclusive test!

Firsty there are no blood tests for Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis at all. The blood tests (CRP & ESR's & WCB) that doctors us only show if there is inflamation in the body. Other test are done to see how other organs are reacting to either Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis. The only true test that gives a complete diagnoses is a biopsy done after a sygmoidoscopy, colonoscopy or gastroscopy.

If everyting is negative then a doctor will diaganose what a person is dealing with is IBS and an IBD. Though there are people that have suffered through being told that they don't have IBD and after many years (up to 20 years) that they have IBS. I know that this doesn't help those that are trying to gain a diagnoses; but, it is all the doctors have to assist them in diagnosing and IBD.

I wonder has your doctor done any stool samples and had them tested. If they find blood cells in the stool (not just on the outside) then they will do further tests to see why it is there. Most people with Crohn's and Ulcerative Collitis don't realize that they have blood in there stool because it is not always visable.

Just remember the blood tests and stool samples are only used as markers to see how Crohn's and Ulcerative Collitis is progressing.

If you have any doubts dear ask them to do a small bowel follow through or a scope procedure where hey take a BIOPSY!!! That w how they found mine. I kept getting the run around for a year until a friendly PA could see changes and took blood work but also sent me to a prestigious hospital to see a specialist who only found the crohns at that time as mine was microscopic but enough to make my life miserable. By catching it early I was put into remission in 3-6 months. It came back with a vengeance a few years later but early diagnosis will help if you have it. If they won't I would be glad to tell you how a local naturopath here helped me with diet and herbs that could help and sure can't hurt as the body only absorbs what you need and disposes of the rest
through your elimination system.
PLease take care adn stay in touch if you need me.