Crohn's Disease Marked by Dramatic Changes in Gut Bacteria

[knocker]

Could be some good news for future sufferers of this very debilitating disease.

 

 

The largest clinical study of its kind is revealing new insights into the causes of Crohn's disease, a periodic inflammation of the intestines. The research, which involved 668 children, shows that numbers of some beneficial bacteria in the gut decrease in Crohn's patients, while the number of potentially harmful bacteria increases. The study could lead to new, less invasive diagnostic tests; it also shows that antibiotics—which aren't recommended for Crohn's but are often given when patients first present with symptoms—may actually make the disease worse.

 

http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2014/03/crohns-disease-marked-dramatic-changes-gut-bacteria

[lassie23]

What kills the good bugs in Crohns sufferers in the first place, I wonder?

[knocker]

What kills the good bugs in Crohns sufferers in the first place, I wonder?

 

That hopefully they will discover. A couple of years ago when I was in hospital having part of my colon removed there was a young bloke on the ward who was suffering from Crohns. He'd been through hell so any advance is welcome as any on here who suffer from it will appreciate.

[lassie23]

How have you been since your surgery?

[knocker]

How have you been since your surgery?

 

I was weak as a kitten for a couple of months but, touch wood, since then fine. It wasn't Crohn's of course. I had a fistula from the bowel to the bladder that wasn't diagnosed for years. I was even told by one consultant it was probably cancer of the bladder. Fortunately a brilliant woman gastro consultant sorted it out. My GP, who I get on very well with, even apologised for missing the diagnoses. That was a first. I can safely say there is one thing you don't want, especially if living alone, is frequent severe bladder infections. A total nightmare.

 

Well that's Sunday off to a flying start.

[Jax]

This is something that runs through my family and we are all too aware of, I have first stage IBS because of it, my sister has full blown Crohns, my brother and father have not escaped either and my nan (bless her, 90 this year) has recently had an op to remove a cancerous section of her bowel.  And it is thought the incidents may all be linked to a common cause (no, not too much red wine) but the causes of these different problems may have a more common set of beginnings, but research is still ongoing and it is early days still.

 

 

Good article Knocker

[knocker]

You know as well as I do Jax that IBS covers a multitude of sins. I was diagnosed with IBS for years when I actually had diverticular disease.

[Jax]

You know as well as I do Jax that IBS covers a multitude of sins. I was diagnosed with IBS for years when I actually had diverticular disease.

It does indeed and the final "choice" whatever it turns out to be is never nice.