Cramps question

[Colie]

Ever since I was first diagnosed with Crohn's I have gotten these intense cramps. It comes out of nowhere and can quickly progress to pain so bad that I can't even walk. It is one continuous cramp and not something that comes and goes. I have experienced those kinds of cramps that you get when you are going to need to go to the bathroom soon, but these cramps aren't like that. I always feel it at the bottom of my stomach and I get bloated.
I am wondering if anyone out there experiences this same pain? Is it caused by narrowing? I always try to think back on what I ate but it doesn't seem to come on from any certain food.
Right now, I take a bentyl, do a heating pad, and drink ginger or peppermint tea. Are there any other good remedies?
Thanks

 

[D Bergy]

One thing you can try to narrow down what the problem might be, and prevent it, is to eat certain food. By that I mean eat food that is ground up or similar to the consistency of baby food. If it is a problem physically passing down food it is not so much what you eat but the size and consistency of what you eat.

When I had a stricture, it would make me throw up as not everything was getting through the pencil size opening. If by eating food that is unlikely to get stuck due to a narrowing someplace, you may be able to determine if a stricture or narrowing is part of the problem. Either way if it continues you should have more testing done by a physician so you can correct the problem.

Good luck.

Dan

 

[Alexisnat]

Are physicians usually familiar with rangefinders for hunting and good at figuring this out?

 

[Lisa]

The type of cramping/pain you are describing is often due to a physical problem - stricturing, ulcers etc - the pain occurs when feed passes by/trough the area where the problem is. A lot of times, once the food passes that part of the intestines, the pain goes away.

Definitely consult your doctor to find out what is going on - they should do more testing to see exactly what is causing this symptom.

 

[Dyana]

I have the same cramping problem. I call it a crohn's attack. about every 3 to 6+ weeks something will get "stuck" usually something I have eaten before with no issues. I have a partial blockage, appears to be from old scar issue and inflammation. GI surgeon would like to wait for surgery if possible ( it will be number 4 and trying to save some intestines). Had one today-medium one. Progression today was bowel movement, cramping began and went from 4 in pain scale to at least a 9 very quickly. I took tramadol and pain was less for about 2 hours (maybe a 4) then ramped back up and continued. Next was oxy 5 immediate release and miralax. medicine really did not help a great deal. Took another oxy 5 immediate and pain was tolerable- 5ish. I have gone to the ER at least 5 times in the past 18 months. They usually take a CT scan and put me on a morphine drip and keep me overnight until it "clears" (have a bowel movement)- then released from hospital and a day of liquids then slowly back to normal. I have actually been taken to the ER and before they could finish assessing me I had to excuse myself for the restroom and had a BM and like a light switch- pain was gone. Crohn's is a weird condition and everyone can have very different problems. Since the whole get someone to drive me to the ER or take an ambulance the 20 minutes to the ER and all they can do is put my on morphine I choose to handle it myself. My GI is aware. If the pain were unmanageable I would go to the ER. But so far I have done OK. AND all those CT scans cannot be good, plus time, inconvenience and HUGE expense since they always take a CT scan and keep me overnight. I had to sign myself out when the obstruction cleared right when I was being assessed in the ER- but there was nothing for them to "fix" at that point- why waste everyone's time ?Good Luck and don't be afraid of pain meds- there is a difference in using them when needed and drug abuse.
-Dyana

 

[Colie]

Thanks for all of the replies. I know that they have spotted a stricture in the past. I guess I was just questioning these cramps and if bentyl is the right thing to take for them. It always seems to randomly come on and doesn't always coincide with other symptoms. I will talk to my GI