New symptoms

[old hat]

For the last few days, I have had some new symptoms. I go to the GI doc tomorrow but I was wondering if anyone else here had ever had them.

Abdominal pain is nothing new but this feels different. It's higher up and on both side instead of just the right side. It's a different kind of pain too. Kind of a dull, sick ache. It extends around to the side and lower back instead of just being in the front of the abdomin like normal. It feels like it is getting worse rather than better. Has anyone else had symptoms like this?

 

[Cara Fusinato]

Could be a lot of things from gall bladder to pancreas to kidney stones . . . Let us know what the GI doc suggests. . .

 

[Nancy Lee]

That is usually were I suffer from my Crohn's pain....
but since it is different for you...yes, see your doctor.

 

[old hat]

http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/drugShowLfts.asp?fname=usp0537.htm&title=6-MP&cid=HT

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common

Black, tarry stools; blood in urine or stools; cough or hoarseness; fever or chills; lower back or side pain; painful or difficult urination; pinpoint red spots on skin; unusual bleeding or bruising

I am starting to suspect that the 6-mp is doing impolite things to my kidneys.

 

[old hat]

I have most of the symptoms of acute kidney failure. I have to stop looking up my symptoms on teh interweb. I am just scaring myself.

 

[Leah]

Yes, I just had these symptoms 2 weeks ago. I went to the dr., was sent to the emergency room and the dr. said it was a kidney stone. He sent me home with a strainer and pain meds. Got so much worse. Had to go back to ER and it was a very bad kidney infection. Stayed in the hospital for 5 days 800 mg. Cipro daily.
I hope ypu feel better. Like you said, I knew something was wrong, the pain was not just on my right side...

 

[old hat]

I went to my GI doctor. She prodded my abdomen and provoked some spasms but didn't know what was causing the symptoms. She was concerned about the cough and the possibility of nephritis because of the immunosupressive meds I am taking. She is displeased that my symptoms are getting worse with the remicade and so on. She wants me to have surgery to remove my stricture. She referred me to a surgeon today. Well, technically yesterday now. She really, really wants me to have surgery now. I could dither and say that I don't know how I feel about that idea but I would be lying. I know exactly how I feel about that. I don't like it. However, she is right. The meds aren't working and, at this point, are unlikely to.

She also sent me to my regular doc to be checked for kidney problems.

My regular doc just bounced me back to my GI doc. At that point the GI doc wanted me to go to the ER to be evaluated so off to the ER I went.

They poked and prodded me. They took blood. They did a CT scan. The whole spiel.

The good news is thay all my internal organs are fine. No kidney failure. No 6-mp induced pancreatitis. Nothing like that. My innards are fine. Well, fine except for that stricturing Crohn's Diease thing.

The annoying part is that they didn't find anything. I still don't know what caused and continues to cause my symptoms. I have a bottle of Vicodin (and am perhaps ironically watching my House MD DVDs) and no idea what caused this. It all seem somehow unsatisfactory but at least it isn't that nasty acute kidney failure thing.

edit
I have also added another ER doctor and another surgeon to my growing collection along with a psychiatrist. Gotcha catch 'em all.

edit mark 2
and they just had a guy with IBD in the clinc (in the show) who is taking the same meds I am. They aren't working for fictional guy either. Weird day.

 

[TammySue62]

Hi old hat
I have had these symptoms one to many times.
Believe it or not but it is called trapped GAS. Yep
thats right gas. It hurts like hell could last for days
and you can feel it moving around.
This one you just have to play the waiting game.
At first I thought it was my kidney or pancreas and
gall bladder also,but they were wrong. Its GAS
and I still get it from time to time.Nothing works
except waiting.
Sorry for the bad news. I hope I"m wrong.
Goodluck Tammy

 

[HostileJava]

Hi old hat
I have had these symptoms one to many times.
Believe it or not but it is called trapped GAS. Yep
thats right gas. It hurts like hell could last for days
and you can feel it moving around.
This one you just have to play the waiting game.
At first I thought it was my kidney or pancreas and
gall bladder also,but they were wrong. Its GAS
and I still get it from time to time.Nothing works
except waiting.
Sorry for the bad news. I hope I"m wrong.
Goodluck Tammy

It's the absolute worst when your inflamed. I can move to the left or right, sit up, or lay down and feel it moving around. Every twist and turn causes it to shift and causes more pain. I've dealt with it to and there's not much you can do accept wait.

 

[old hat]

Hi old hat
I have had these symptoms one to many times.
Believe it or not but it is called trapped GAS. Yep
thats right gas. It hurts like hell could last for days
and you can feel it moving around.
mmy

I have had what you are talking about before. This felt different. There was no sensation of gas moving around like the other times. I have had what you are talking about too and this wasn't it.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

Vicodin could be making the situation worse, though, as attractive as the pain relief sounds . . . vicodin is VERY constipating. If you have a stricture (I do too), anything at all constipating could actually end up blocking you up. When I had my very first flare-up and subsequent diagnosis, I had been taking codeine cough medicine for a week (same situation) and it played a huge part in causing my pain. You may wish to try some other non-constipating forms of pain relief. My GI doc wanted to cut out my stricture from day one but I found a way around it and a year later I'm doing really well on alternative treatment. Anyway, been there, felt that, vicodin is a no-no in my universe.

 

[old hat]

It might have been a partial small bowel obstruction but that should have shown up on the CT scan. I have had two in the last month. Neither showed anything 'worrisome'.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

I get those too. Just kinda feels crummy for a day or two and then seems to go away. Must avoid pizza! Did they do upper GI w/small bowel follow-through? That was the most clear picture anyone could get of me at the time. CT didn't show it, colonoscopy couldn't get through the stricture to see what was on the other side, barium series was the only thing that actually showed where and how much of a stricture I had. I sweet-talked the x-ray tech into giving me an insight into what it looked like (good ole Clovis Community!). I hope things start to improve for you. . .

 

[old hat]

Vicodin could be making the situation worse, though, as attractive as the pain relief sounds . . . vicodin is VERY constipating.

I have only taken a few but so far they haven't even put a dent in the diarrhea. Forget constipation.

edit
Prior to this, I haven't had any prescription pain medication since I was recovering from surgery back in 2002.

 

[Dekar]

sometimes my lower back hurts like hell and i can't move at all, just sit and wait, and after like 10 mins are so i let out gas and its healed lol

 

[ReeRee]

She is displeased that my symptoms are getting worse with the remicade and so on. She wants me to have surgery to remove my stricture. She referred me to a surgeon today. Well, technically yesterday now. She really, really wants me to have surgery now.

I did not do well on Remicade either. It started messing with my heart and I had to get off it. Then my doc decided to try a med that's been around for over 30 years, but with all the "new" stuff out now, docs don't prescribe it much anymore. It's called Methotrexate. It can be taken by mouth in the pill form, but I have strittures and obstructions and you name it and the pills don't fully absorb. I do the injectable kind and it has done MIRACLES for me. I weighed 104 when I started taking it (I'm 5'10" tall and have the skeleton of a linebacker). I was in the hospital for 2 and 1/2 months while they waited for me to die, which I did twice. That's when he decided to try the methotrexate. Within 3 months of weekly injections (which I do myself at home), I was in remission and gaining weight. I had to have a temp colostomy to bypass all the colon damage, but I was eat up with fistulaes.

If you haven't tried it, talk to your doc about giving it a try first and then if that doesn't help you show improvement, then ya'll can go ahead with surgery. If you do end up having to have surgery, chances are you will have up to 10 good, almost normal, years.

 

[old hat]

I get those too. Just kinda feels crummy for a day or two and then seems to go away. Must avoid pizza! Did they do upper GI w/small bowel follow-through? That was the most clear picture anyone could get of me at the time. CT didn't show it, colonoscopy couldn't get through the stricture to see what was on the other side, barium series was the only thing that actually showed where and how much of a stricture I had. I sweet-talked the x-ray tech into giving me an insight into what it looked like (good ole Clovis Community!). I hope things start to improve for you. . .

Clovis Community? I just spent three days there. Fully obstructed this time. They took an x-ray and admitted me. Three days of IV fluids and it resolved itself. That was an uncomfortable experience.

I thought I could put this surgery off until July. Doesn't look like it. It's scheduled for Wednesday now. I am on a liquid diet until then. The timing is very inconvenient. It's not a good time for me to be out and off work. I don't think I can put it off any more though and neither does my GI doc. It looks like it is going to be this week. Terribly inconsiderate of my bowels.

 

[old hat]

Has anyone ever vomited little black specks before? It looked like I was puking up pepper or something.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

Where are you having your surgery?

 

[old hat]

Where are you having your surgery?

This new surgery center place on Fresno street. That's where the surgeon wants to do it. I haven't seen it but it's new and it's supposed to be nice with all private rooms and a new surgical facility with all the newest doohickeys for him to use.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

WOW! We just missed each other. I was supposed to go there to have a CT scan Wed. but had to reschedule because I work that day. Not sure why they would send me THERE, but it's probably kick-back or insurance related. How strange! We coulda been in the waiting room at the same time!

 

[Maggie-Muffin]

Trapped gas is really painful,I get that durning a flare up alot.Nothing works but waiting it out