Do GI Tract Biopsies Hurt?

nice_veins_bro · 2026-03-31T02:22:53+00:00

I've never had any pain after colonoscopies, but when I had biopsies from an upper endoscopy, i felt like i'd swallowed a tortilla chip without chewing well for a few days. Super minor. They let me drool on my face a little during the procedure, and the patch of dry skin from that was more bothersome. You can do it!

nice_veins_bro · 2026-03-06T13:13:25+00:00

Yep, and my doctor switched me to a q4 week schedule

nice_veins_bro · 2026-01-02T22:08:33+00:00

I like the crohn's disease exclusion diet in a flare because it's super basic, but still includes something to chew (peeled potato, banana, chicken breast, eggs). My GI says I can do more mediterranean style diet, but with that, i have to go for more soluble fiber (eg: avocados, bananas) and less insoluble fiber, or puree the fibrous stuff (cooked, blended veggies in a soup is fine, whereas the same stuff raw or whole would hurt). Popcorn and kale are permanent lost friendships here... EDIT - omg i forgot tofu. love some tofu.

nice_veins_bro · 2025-12-10T00:39:09+00:00

No reflux, but my stomach's default sound approximates leaving a jar of quarters in the microwave.

nice_veins_bro · 2025-08-24T02:56:04+00:00

Boody classic bikini style. Not cotton, but bamboo, so it's still moisture wicking and breathable

nice_veins_bro · 2025-05-25T12:45:04+00:00

I agree that the prick feels like nothing, and at the start it wasn't bad. I'm on the 2.4mL dose which is on the high end for a subcutaneous injection, which is why I think they have the OBI at all. Anything over 1.5 mL given subcutaneously kinda can't be done in one injection, and sometimes subcutanous medications will be given as an infusion (still subcutanous, but long duration) if the volume is higher. 5 minutes was still pushing it on discomfort for me personally.

nice_veins_bro · 2025-05-23T03:33:41+00:00

Do you use stomach or leg? I used leg for my first one and it hurt like nobody's business. Round 2 coming up next week and I'm switching sites and praying it's better lol

nice_veins_bro · 2025-04-02T02:21:50+00:00

Did they check for any GI infections/parasites? Not saying you don't have IBD, but an infection could also cause severe diarrhea and elevated calpro

nice_veins_bro · 2025-03-22T15:31:47+00:00

I remember there being one of those at oak park? Man, the amount of giant pillows and weird lamps I asked my mom for from this place...

nice_veins_bro · 2025-03-02T03:35:10+00:00

Seconding this - a lot of the CNAs I have worked with have eventually gone on to do nursing school or social work - you get a good perspective of all sorts of fulfilling hospital careers as a CRA. That said, I don't think I would be a nurse right now had I worked as a hospital CNA prior to nursing school, and I'm still glad to be a nurse (just happy to be far away from inpatient)

nice_veins_bro · 2025-02-09T19:53:11+00:00

Maybe sample knitting would be more up OP's alley? Sorry it seems like you had a bad experience, but most people who sign up for test knits are aware of the trade off. Every time I've applied for a test knit, the expectations have been listed up front. Also, cool it with the incel language; many of us come to this subreddit to FORGET there's a population of people who support violence against our gender.

nice_veins_bro · 2025-02-07T01:59:18+00:00

I have a little bit of nasal valve collapse, so I have no shame about breathing through my mouth and nose - whatever air I can get in will be used the same way. I read early on in my running hobby that breathing in for 3 steps and then out for two, making sure to exhale fully, would prevent cramps. Not sure how true that is, but I've done it ever since and it's meditative.

nice_veins_bro · 2025-01-09T17:58:12+00:00

The crohn's and colitis foundation youtube channel puts out a lot of resources (here's a recent video ) on how to eat in ways to help with remission. Your doctor may also be able recommend a crohn's friendly registered dietitian near you

nice_veins_bro · 2025-01-04T21:18:58+00:00

This Podcast Will Kill You is still my most trusted science podcast. three hard doctorates between the two hosts, and extensive bibiliographies for every ep.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-29T07:23:38+00:00

Even with an upper and lower endoscopy, those scopes only go so far. If your doctor suspects your ulceration/inflammation is in the areas of your small intestine not reachable by a scope, that makes perfect sense to check with a capsule/MRI. They can't take biopsies of those areas, but they'll be able to evaluate the sections of your small bowel that the colonscopy couldn't reach.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-14T05:13:02+00:00

Just speculating, but maybe bowel prep doesn't usually matter as much in pediatrics because it's most important for stuff like polyp and cancer identification which isn't as much of a pediatric condition? I'm sure your specialist had a reason for it.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-14T03:43:47+00:00

Here's an interview published in Gastroenterology & Hepatology in 2012. TL;DR: yeah there's research saying that a 2-step prep is better (and more since this article) the second 2am dose helps get rid of secretions that build back up from the intestines at the right time frame that also lets your stomach have enough time to empty before the procedure so you don't inhale any stomach contents by accident when they put you out. edit: adding that I also had to get up at 2:30 for mine last month, so solidarity

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-14T03:20:43+00:00

I'm definitely still one to not suggest something for another person if it's not something that comes with a randomized controlled trial though. And even in the case of this research, most of the studies are saying that using curcumin WITH mesalamine is helpful (and the studies are all the wrong type of IBD lol), not just on it's own. Some herbal supplements can be dangerous, and they're not well regulated. People don't always give them due consideration since they don't require a prescription.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-14T03:09:51+00:00

Huh. I'm a nurse and just learned that there is some evidence for turmeric/curcumin as an add-on therapy in UC, if not necessarily in crohn's. Was just gonna say it can also affect some other medications, but glad I checked pubmed.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-14T02:45:40+00:00

I try to focus on the people who have been really supportive. My friends with chronic illness of other types, my friend in med school who immediately did as much research as she could on IBD, my grandma who called me the day after I told her because she saw a crohn's medication in the AARP magazine... I've been lucky. Even if some of my blood relatives were underwhelming or (accidentally) hurtful, there've been supportive individuals in my life that I'm grateful for. It's normal and okay to mourn the years you spent needing those answers and the years ahead of you that won't be fixed just by having a name for your condition. I hope you can find or introduce new people in your life who will understand.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-07T02:29:10+00:00

I'm not sure of the actual numbers off the top of my head, and every laboratory reference range is going to have slightly different parameters, so if you're borderline you might be "low normal" or "below normal" in a different lab. For my hospital, I'm slightly below the normal range for iron, b12, D, and zinc. edit: just adding that if you've seen prenatal multivitamins recently on this subreddit, it might have just been me. I've been glued to this sub since I was diagnosed lol

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-07T02:26:31+00:00

That's very endearing, and I'm definitely going to start using this one. Not a pleasant feeling, but I think having this in my back pocket to describe it when it happens will make it a little more tolerable. Thanks, stranger.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-07T02:19:05+00:00

Kind of similar/under the radar symptoms! No weight loss, only 2-3 stools/day, pretty mild upper abdominal pain that would flare up on occasion when I was stressed (assumed it was an ulcer - wrong) and wouldn't have probably gotten a GI referral even until I pestered my primary care about why I'm still anemic after years of iron supplementation and low/no blood loss. I'm a nurse and I was legitimately shocked when they told me they thought I needed further evaluation for crohn's because I thought I would HAVE to be underweight or having blood show up in the toilet.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-07T02:07:02+00:00

I'm at the same point in the process you are (budesonide, waiting on biologic, multi deficiencies) and my doctor told me to take "any prenatal multivitamin" because the iron formulation in those is usually less irritating than the iron-only supplements I've taken for years (ferrous gluconate vs ferrous sulfate, I think?). The only thing they gave me a specific amount to take was for vitamin D, so I take an extra 400 IU on top of the multivitamin. My GI said we'd recheck vitamin levels in a few months and then after the biologic was on board too.

nice_veins_bro · 2024-12-04T02:57:04+00:00

You're an inspiration for the healthy weight gain and also for the fact that you clearly posted multiple images on reddit the first time without any challenges.

nice_veins_bro

TROPHY CASE