Hospital/ER: Is it worth it?

[bbizzowers]

Hello all,

I've had UC since 2008. I was on Asacol up until the end of June, when I got switched to Lialda after Asacol was terminated. I take 2 Lialda tabs every morning.

In the 6 years since my diagnosis, I've never had pain as a symptom... until now. I've been getting pains in my lower abdomen, starting in the center and radiating out horizontally, about every half hour. Some are dull and others are razor sharp, taking my breath away.

I called my gastroenterologist, and he wants me to go to the hospital. I love my doctor, and I trust his advice, but what can they do for UC flares in the ER? I don't want to go there, sit for hours, spend a small fortune, only to walk out with a script for a colonoscopy or something I could get from an office visit.

Any advice? I greatly appreciate your time for reading and responding.

 

[valleysangel92]

How long is it to your next appointment with the GI? Do you have any other symptoms?

I would advise you go to the ER if your GI has recommended it... they know how pushed the ER can be so they wouldn't send you there if they didn't think it was necessary.

I know that ERs can be horrible, but its better to go there and find they don't need to do anything than not go and find yourself getting sicker isn't it? I understand the worry about cost, I'm lucky here in the UK, but I'd still think its a better option than maybe ending up as an emergency later.

 

[BowelMeOver]

I'm sorry you are experiencing pain, bbizzowers, but I think it would be wise of you to follow your doctors advice and get to the hospital. One of the benefits to visiting the ER is you will have immediate access to a ct scan, and immediate lab results, as opposed to waiting for an appointment.

This pain may be nothing more than muscle spasms, or bad gas, but it could also be something more serious like a blockage or a perforation. It may even be something secondary to your UC, like a kidney stone, which was what my husband was diagnosed with during one of his visits to the ER.

I'm wishing you the best. Please keep us posted

 

[bbizzowers]

Thanks for the advice. I suppose the added wrinkle is that I'm at a new job, been here a month, and I know they frown upon sick time in the first 90 days. I know they would understand if I told them what was happening, but I didn't want to look like a bad hiring decision over this.

Pain and frequent bathroom trips are my only symptoms. I have minor, minor... as in a few drops... of blood when I go but that has always come and gone over the 6 years so I pay it no mind.

My GI wants to see me tomorrow, Friday, but again, I'd have to miss work to do that. He wants to see me at 7:45, which would put me in the office around 10. Work starts at 7:30. Alternatively, I'd worry that if I saw him on Friday he'd admit me to the hospital while I was there seeing his office is in a wing of the hospital.

I don't know what to do. I want to make a good impression on the new job front, but I also want to take care of myself. I just don't want to waste time at the ER if I can avoid it.

 

[valleysangel92]

Your employers will understand, and if they don't then they aren't good employers to be with when you have an illness like crohns. If you explain how bad things are and tell them that your GI has recommended this and you aren't just doing it on a whim, they should see that you're doing it because you need to and you aren't skiving. They chose to employ you on your good qualities, and those wont disappear just because you're sick, its not your fault.

If you don't get this looked at and treated it could get worse and then you'd miss even more work, so listen to your body, you know something isn't right. Please put yourself first. Whether you go to the ER or see your GI you do need to see someone soon.

 

[bbizzowers]

Going to see my GI tomorrow morning. Having pains every half hour and I've had 7 bms since midnight.

 

[valleysangel92]

Good luck, let us know how it goes.. If things get any worse, you get a fever or start vomiting please go to the ER

 

[bbizzowers]

Update: oddly enough, after making the doctor's appointment, I haven'd had a pain since about 6:30 last night. But I did have 10bms yesterday, so that's not so good.

Doctor is taking me off Lialda and putting me on Asacol HD, 2 pills 3x daily. The goal is to get me down to 5 bms after 2 weeks and eventually settle around 3 bms per day.

Doctor felt around my stomach and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. They want 3 days worth of "samples" though, which I am terribly excited to collect and store over the weekend (sarcasm).

Just thought I'd update.

 

[valleysangel92]

Thankyou for the update! Its good to hear you are in less pain, as you said not so good about the bms though. Hopefully the medication will help get things settled down and you will see an improvement. Im glad your GI has a plan in place for you now .

Good luck and please keep us posted!