Hi did you find out what was causing your issues? Hope you are well X

Hey there! Just to let you know mine came back as over 6000 too, getting a colonoscopy this month. How did you get on?

Hi I'm 29 and FC came back as 1017 I'm still waiting on my referral to come through it was sent as 2 weeks urgent and 2 weeks was up yesterday so they must have a big back log maybe? I have suffered for many years on and off but I had severe severe stomach pains which resulted in diarrhea and then the next morning blood on its own twice in that day and then the next day blood in stool. So I'm not sure what it could be but still waiting hopefully hear off something soon 

Hey yes there is a big backlog - I only got an NHS appointment today! (I went private though as I didn't want to wait). The doc found ulcers in my lower colon and thinks I have IBD. I've been taking salofalk and that's been helping loads and thinks seem to have been getting back to normal with it after a few weeks, so fingers crossed! I would recommend doing your own research on what could help you - it could be inflammation in the body which diet can help with!

Hello I am so glad for you that you've been seen and you are taking something that reduces  your symptoms! Especially before Christmas too so you can enjoy it without that worry. Thank you for your advice I've still not been seen yet and still waiting xx

Oh no, I hope you get seen as soon as you can! Are you still getting the same symptoms? I've been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis now, and the blood and mucus comes from ulcers. Chances are if you're not getting any mucus passing then it could be something else – something innocent like fissures or piles! I found I could tell the difference because I would get excruciating stomach pain every time I needed to go which doesn't happen with those two things.

You poor thing, that sounds like me. Maybe see if your GP will give you a salofalk enema or any kind of anti inflammatory enema as that helped me as I was waiting to be seen - and stopped damage progressing. Also avoiding wheat and dairy helped too. And caffeine. Hope you get seen soon!

I'll ask about that, thank you so much for your advise! I hope so too fingers crossed it won't be long, have a lovely Christmas xx

Quick message from me while I pass the time in hospital.

I was diagnosed in 2003 with Crohn's. Not sure on calprotectin levels, controlled with various meds from steroid to biologics to blessed imodium. I had multiple ulcers that raptured. Took a long time for me to recover and go into remission. Skip forward to 2017 and I'm being prepped for a left-hemicolectomy (removal of the left 3rd of the bowel) as the ruptured ulcers scarred up and with nothing to push the scars apart like on the external skin surface, the scars shrank until my large intestine was a few millimetres wide. Much drama later and I went into a 5yr remission almost to the day.

5 weeks ago diarrhea hit and nothing could stop it. Imodium gave me some control but 7 toilet trips a day, dropping 14lb and feeling like a lorry hit me when I wake up, I go to the hospital 

They admit me, many attractive and awkward samples later I have a Crohn's flare with calprotectin levels in excess of 3500. Steroid treatment iniaited and I should be out in a few days with a new management plan to boot.

Short story, calprotectin can be high for many reasons, if you were tested without having diarrhea but recently can the flu. Yes it would be in the several hundred... Maybe less than 400. Elevated calprotectin levels over a sustained period of normal life, that's when you should be chatting with a gastroenterologist and letting James Cameron and his team have a look around you. 

Regular colonoscopy's keeps a (stink) eye on the gut health, diet control gives you stability throughout your life, drugs do work (prescribed ones*) and not being embarrassed to discuss your issues with someone qualified is always a great (and sometimes funny) idea.

The 2week wait that GP's are doing now is because of COVID delays and "normal" issues are being flagged as high priority normal issues. Which is a good thing! Just don't panic, if it was clearly a cancer symptom, a 2WW would be cut very short.

Happy pooping everyone