Source
r/CrohnsDisease•
DragoonDM

What questions should someone newly diagnosed with Crohn's ask during their first gastroenterologist appointment?

A close friend of mine was recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease, and has been more than a little anxious about it since the diagnosis--particularly since the initial diagnosis didn't really include much information.

She has an appointment with a gastroenterologist tomorrow morning and asked me to come along for support. I figured it would be a good idea to see if I could figure out what questions she or I should ask the GI. Not finding too much on Google, so I'm hoping you guys have some suggestions.

Posted Feb 14, 2017, 12:58 AM UTC

95
ZXZ939CD 2000, Humira, remission since 2012•
  1. How did you determine I have Crohn's?
  2. What medications will help my symptoms?
  3. What do my labs show for inflammation, iron deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, vitamin B deficiency.
  4. When should I make an appointmen to see you again?
  5. Who should I call if I have a bad Crohn's attack and I need pain or anti-inflammatory medications.
  6. If I need surgery, are there good colorectal surgeons in the area?
  7. Can you provide me a list of foods and activities to avoid? Asprin, alcohol, etc.?

Here are a couple off the top of my head. Good luck, and thanks for being a supportive friend.

9
jerooney86•

Can you provide me a list of foods and activities to avoid? Asprin, alcohol, etc.?

  1. Can you provide me a list of foods to start eating more, and activities to start doing more? More probiotics, water. Exercise, etc.
5
DragoonDMOP•

These sound like some really good questions to start with, thanks!

1
MirrorBrideC.D. | 6mp & Entyvio | ONE OF US•

Questions I would ask: Where is my disease located? How would you rate the severity? Can I get my vitamin levels tested (especially d and b12)? Can I get my iron and ferritin tested? What kind of treatments are there and what should I start with? Should I follow a low fiber diet? What symptoms warrant an ER visit?

3
raremage•

-What is your specialty with relation to Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Trust me, based on my experiences, not all GI's are created equal, with Crohn's you will want a doctor that is an expert in the treatment of IBD, not just any gastro.

2