GUIDES

Discover ten important questions you should ask your doctor about Crohn's disease, so you better manage your disease and focus on treatment.

Published 04 March 2012
Written by Lynda Lampert | Reviewed by George Krucik, MD

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You’re in your doctor’s office and you hear the news: you have Crohn's disease. It all seems like a blur to you. You can barely remember your name, let alone form a decentquestion to ask the doctor. That's understandable for a first time diagnosis. At first, youprobably just want to know what the disease is and what it means for your lifestyle. For your follow-up appointment, you will need to ask more focused questions to know how tomanage your disease. Here are Ten questions that will help you focus in on your treatment.

1. Could any other disease be causing my symptoms? 

Crohn's disease is related to other diseases of the bowel, such as ulcerative colitis andirritable bowel syndrome. You need to ask your doctor why he thinks that you specifically have Crohn's disease and if there is any chance that it could be something else. Different diseases require different treatment modalities, so it is important that your doctor is
thorough and runs all tests to rule everything out.