I was diagnosed with Crohn's 8 years ago, after having a bad flare up. My symptoms have been pretty typical over the years: on and off diarrhea and constipation, lower abdominal pains, difficulty digesting roughage, etc. This September I just recovered from my 4th flare up since being diagnosed. All my flare ups have responded to a round of prednisone, and I'm currently taking imuran to keep me in remission.
But over the last few months, about two months after stopping prednisone for the last flare up, I've experienced my worst pain to date. Severe stomach cramping, mostly in my right lower abdomen, and a number of bad blockages (constipation, vomiting, horrible cramping), which I had never experienced until recently. I saw my gastro after three blockages and he told me that was pretty typical with the scar tissue that builds up after flare-ups, but nothing was done after that. I've always likes my gastro, and felt he was doing a great job, but now I'm at the point where I feel like something besides corticosteroids should be done. I've been reading about fistulas and abscesses (I've been told I've had a fistula for years) and I'm worried that my symptoms might indicate a need for surgery in the near future.
Anyone experienced these symptoms/ how long was it happening before you had surgery?