High abdominal soreness. Obstruction or "normal" flare-up pain?

[Steve_in_orlando]

Hi. I have often read about the terrible pain people experience with Crohns, and for some reason I've never actually gotten abdominal pain real bad where you bend over and can't function. (Maybe because my Crohns is limited to the upper and lower small intestines?)

But yesterday at around 4pm I started feeling gassy. I wasn't able to pass gas and the discomfort was not going away so I asked my mom to get me a box of Gas-X pills from the pharmacy around 6pm. Took the pills and didn't really notice a change and the discomfort got worse. Thinking I was constipated, I used one of those Fleet disposable bottle enemas. I was able to poop, but the gas still seemed trapped in my upper body.

I would move around and I'd manage to get some farts out, but not enough to ease the pressure very much. Different positions were less painful then others and eventually I fell asleep in my chair.

When I woke this morning my abdomen was really sore and it was hard to find a position that was comfortable. It helped when I stood up for a bit, but the feeling of painful trapped gas is still present.

I have been nauseous but that's usual for me. I think because I'm still able to pass a little bit of gas that it means I don't have a bad obstruction (?), so now I'm wondering if I should wait till my doctor's (actually his PA) appoint tomorrow afternoon, or go into the emergency room?

I've been eating a little yogurt and bread with creamy peanut butter, but I'm still worried what I'll feel when the food is being processed by my small intestines.

 

[Lisa]

I would at least make a call to the doctors' office and let them know what is going on. It could be something as simple as trapped gas, or as serious as an obstruction, or even an issue with another abdominal organ (gall bladder etc).....

 

[ronroush7]

Agree

 

[Steve_in_orlando]

Well I got out of the hospital. Turned out it was just a bad flare (which I rarely get and never like this). I think it might be because I took Creatine pills for the first time and it did not sit well with my gut. They gave me steroids injections (which always make me very antsy), bag after bag of IVs and bag after bag of various antibiotics.

They had even scheduled me for my appendix taken out the next day I was admitted, because CAT scans showed the end of it inflamed, but a G.I. doctor there overruled and waited to see what 24 hours of antibiotics would do. I think because appendixes tend to become inflamed with Crohns any way, during a bad flare, and one of the doctors said it was a last resort because when you start cutting things out of the gut of Crohns patients it tends to become a habit.

But on the upside it was a high class hospital, Orlando Florida Hospital (I know not to go to Altamonte one after so many bad experiences) where they treated me right. More than that, I was 216 pounds when admitted two days ago, and am now a sexy 199.9. :ybiggrin: