Bentyl, Donnatol, or other anti-spasmodic meds

[jenstl]

I was prescribed Bentyl after I had my gall bladder removed 4 years ago when my upper abdominal pain continued even after surgery. Time went on and i developed SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) after a trip to Mexico and a round of antibiotics and was put on Xyfaxin with Bentyl. i would take Bentyl before eating to ease the pain from a meal. I was diagnosed with UC last month and was told to use Donnatol as Bentyl was no longer working. I find myself again taking it before a larger meal due to fear of upper abdominal pain.

Has anyone been prescribed an anti-spasmodic (Bentyl, Donnatol, etc) to deal with upper abdominal pain? How exactly does this stuff work?

Is the pain I'm feeling a "flare?" So confused about all of this.

Diagnosed: UC. 10/30/12
Meds: prednisone taper 40mg down to 10mg this week
Tried: Apriso - bad reaction and stopped - tongue swelled, cough, joint and neck pain.
New meds: Pending Prometheus bloodwork

 

[GutlessWonder86]

I use Bentyl for my small intestinal spasms. Usually I can tell between my Crohn's flare and a spasm. The spasm comes in small waves with minor pain but it's uncomfortable when I eat or even after eating. It usually takes 45 minutes or so to kick in to stop the gut from spasming.

If the pain is in one place on the abdomen, say and it's throbbing nonstop for several days even when I take Bentyl, then I call my GI to see if my Crohn's is flaring.

hope this helps. good luck to you. ~Gutless Wonderwoman

 

[jenstl]

Any idea why the gut spasms?

 

[GutlessWonder86]

Cramping pain alone, usually caused by bloating and an accumulation of gas, generally does not signify a serious condition. When abdominal pain and cramps are persistent or severe, they can indicate chronic underlying digestive diseases.

the disease itself can do this too. talk to your GI about the spasms you are having.

 

[Sparkle2012]

Hi all - I don't know if this is the right place for this comment. I had gallbladder removal and small bowel resection surgery. 3 weeks post op I started to have the most unbearable throbbing pain in my lower right quandrant. No help from the doctors; both said healed from surgery so??? I was using heat and not moving for about 5 days then I started wondering if this might be an abdominal muscle spasm or even gas pain which can be bad. Used some GasX which took care of any of that. Used ice on area 20 minutes every four hours -- with tylenol regularly and pain disappeared. I assume it was a pulled weakened abdominal muscle from trying to get in and out of bed after surgery with nothing to grasp onto. If it was a bowel spasm, ice helped me. And tylenol helped dull the pain so I moved around more freely --which I'm told also helps. Thought I'd post the info in case this might help one other hurting scared person.

 

[Phyllis Mimi Perkins]

As soon as the cramping be gins I take Donatal and prescribed diarrhea meds and lay down with a heating pad. It takes one to two hours, it is the only way to get relief. Before an ER doc prescribed donatal, they would become more and more pain, which then meant a hospital stay. (8-10 a year) now I haven’t had to be hospitalized for my Crohn’s in over 15 years. I am so thankful for that drug.