wbaltv.com
Woman's Doctor: Stomach issues can often be misdiagnosed as IBS in women
People (especially women) with recurrent stomach pain, persistent nausea, or bleeding can be misdiagnosed with IBS when they have inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s. Early recognition can prevent complications that may require surgery. This story highlights symptoms and red flags to discuss with a clinician.
Adult patients with chronic GI symptoms, newly diagnosed Crohn’s patients, parents/caregivers of teens with ongoing stomach problems, and clinicians evaluating presumed IBS.
What To Know
What To Know This local TV health segment shares one woman’s story of being initially diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) when her symptoms were actually due to Crohn’s disease.
The patient described long-standing abdominal cramping and nausea as a teen, later collapsing with abdominal pain and being found to have an abscess; that event led to a Crohn’s diagnosis.
Her gastroenterologist in the story explains that Crohn’s can cause intestinal ulcers and complications such as abscesses, strictures, or blockages, and that blood in stool is not typical for IBS.
The piece also mentions that because the disease went unmanaged for a while she needed three minimally invasive surgical procedures over about two years; the doctor notes most patients do not need a long-term ileostomy and scars can be small. The patient reports improved quality of life on treatment and urges others to advocate for themselves.
Who Should Pay Attention People with ongoing or unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, newly diagnosed Crohn’s patients, caregivers, and clinicians who evaluate patients (especially women) with presumed IBS. More Context This is a single-patient story broadcast on a local news health segment, not a research study.
It illustrates how Crohn’s can be mistaken for IBS and highlights serious complications (abscess, strictures) that warrant medical evaluation.
The segment does not provide details on specific medical tests, medications, or outcomes beyond this patient’s experience; it’s useful as a prompt to seek specialist evaluation when symptoms persist or include bleeding, severe pain, or systemic signs.
Single-patient local news segment — not a clinical study. The report emphasizes the difference between IBS (functional) and Crohn’s (inflammatory) and notes potential complications from delayed diagnosis. No treatment details or generalizable outcomes are provided.
