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Bad Pain after surgery

Hello All
I am 11 weeks post op ileocolonic resection ,everything not too bad at first, although am really depressed about only having just over a metre of small bowel left, which I was not told during my stay in hospital, seen it on my discharge note!!!!
Well about 5 weeks ago started getting this horrendous pain under and by my left rib,like a bad burning pain,they put me on loperamide to slow down the Diarrhoa which made me bloated and having problems going to the toilet,so then I swapped and put on Questran sachets starting with one a day,same problem bloating and lots of wind when going to toilet.
One afternoon I went to the toilet,passed wind aNd it was just as though the wind needed to escape quicker than my faeces (this being small little poos and very thin)it literally took my breath away.
Anyhow that afternoon I started to develop these really bad pains around my left rib area and in towards my upper stomach, I have had a fundiplication op about 6years ago for acid reflux so was not worried that it may be that.
Anyhow I have not left this pain, I have been back to the hospital twice now to see two Gastros after taking myself also to the A &E which was a complete waste of time,the A&E Dr informed me ,my bloods I had done the day before, which are regular bloods for azathioprine updates were all fine and that my CRP was showing -1 and all others were normal except my Magnesium which was still slightly under the 0.7(lower end of normal )it was 0.68.
This Dr gave me Tramadol and sent me packing.
Anyhow I managed to get to see one of the Gastros that week and he examined me,and defintley said on examination that it was trapped gas/wind, I was really relieved at this, told me not to take anymore Questran etc and that it should eventually disperse,
The following week I was still in agony, again my bloods fine, but IBD nurse got me back into clinic, I seen my Gastro who went through the operation with me a few weeks earlier,.he got me too have an abdo x ray whilst I was in the clinic,come back and he would have the results,well the results came back on computer screen, I was shocked, I have no bowel at all on my right hand side, I asked him where was my bowel,as I was indet the impression it was only my small bowel they respected, is answer was ,it's all gone,I was shocked to my bones!i asked him where my join was, he said just below my belly button an then somehow my small bowel joins my large somewhere above my belly button,
Well he pointed to the left side of my rib cage and said just as I thought, your large bowel as large pockets of abdominal gas and this is what's causing the discomfort,I told him this is not discomfort, this is actuall burning, it's that bad is putting me into a depressive state, I cannot talk to anyone without crying,I am in some much burning agony.He told me to continue with 1-2lansoprazole a day if it helps and also told me to take buscopan 2 x3 daily, well this has not touched this pain at all, I was so bad with it yesterday had to go to my G.p,who to be honest could only give me a change of Antacids, pantAprazole 40mg twice daily.
I am really at my wits end now, I am scared to be honest what this pain might be, it is all under my left breast area by my ribs,but spreads into my upper tummy area.
I can eat with no problem, I do not feel sick, I can lie down in bed with no problems, it's when I sit in a chair and get up ,and walk about, iam constantly walking round holding my side, it also hurts when I cough and sneeze.
By the way the PPI I was given yesterday is also not doing anything for this pain.
As anyone ever had this problem?.:ybatty::ybatty:, I cannot live like this, it is sinking me into the ground, if it is wind getting trapped persistantly altnough I do not have any excess wind come out when going to toilet, however am I going to get this solved, altnough I am really thinking this could be my Crohns returning.I really hope not, Especially as my bloods are all within normal range and I am back on azathioprine,
Thank you for reading, I am at a really low place at the moment,I feel the hospital is probably fed up with keep seeing me,but I cannot live with this pain it really is dreadful,
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
Wow it sounds like you are going through a really tough time.
Firstly, it could be trapped wind from the op where they fill you up with gas but I'd be surprised if this were the case 11 weeks after the op. If it is wind then the more you move around the better.
Secondly it could be pancreatitis from the athathioprine, Have they tested your amylase and lipase? Athathioprine is well known for causing pancreatitis and it can develop quite a while after you start it. The area of the pain suggests it although the pain from it is usually constant and you vomit with it too. I think the first time I had it I didn't vomit just had the pain for days and it got steadily worser. So get your GP to test for it.
I'm not a doctor so don't be alarmed by my suggestion but given that you are on azathioprine I think it important that they check you for pancreatitis. Treatment for it is a hospital stay on nil by mouth until your symptoms go away, then of course not taking aza again.
The fact you recently had surgery probably has complicated matters in that everyone is looking to that as the cause but it may be something completely different.
Hope this helps you out and that you can get to the bottom of it.
 
I'm having pain below my rib age too Trish. I am 2 weeks post op from resection where50cm of small bowel were removed. This pain is not as severe to me. My nurse that comes to change my dressings said that when people have surgery because we are knocked out, we do not realize how rough doctors are with out insides. She said she has know surgeons to pull the bowels out and place them on a patients stomach in order to work on the area underneath, then put everything back together before stitching/stapling you up.
 

annawato

Moderator
Staff member
I think we all would be horrified to see what happens during abdominal surgery. No wonder we are sore from more than just the incision.
 
Location
Kent,
Hi Trish, I'm still in hospital after my resection last week - I too have had more taken out than anticipated. They have told me what they did, but haven't been bothered at all that it is mor - 50cms instead of 40cms of small bowel, and 1/3 of my colon when at colonoscopy 6 months ago my colon was all fine! I did discover that everyone's length of bowel is different, and they seemed to think i should be pleased they left me with 2/3 colon and 2
1/2 m of small bowel!! Hope your pain is better soon x
 
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