Question about pain

[AuburnKelly]

Hi all - I've had Crohn's Disease for 20 years. Seems like I should have a better handle on this after all this time. Before a bowel resection in 2003, I had lower abdominal pain that was constant with ebbs and flows during a flare. These flares would last two weeks or longer. After surgery I had about 6 years symptom free. When the symptoms returned, my flares are completely different than they were before.

Now, I have upper abdominal pain that is acute and unbearably intense. I often throw up and always end up rolled up in a ball in bed. This pain normally only lasts for 12-24 hours and for 3-4 days after I'm sore enough that I have to wear loose clothing. The only comparison I can make to the kind of pain I feel is intense food poisoning.

I've asked my GI about pain medication and she doesn't really have any suggestions for me regarding the pain. I've taken extra pain medication I've had left from a kidney stone and also from gall bladder surgery. Toradol and Darvocet. Neither worked.

I'm just wondering if this kind of pain would even be helped by any kind of pain meds. Does anyone else have this kind of pain and if so, do you take anything for it or just ride it out?

 

[Lisa]

You say this new pain is upper abdominal - and you mentioned gall bladder surgery...did you have your gall bladder removed? I would get checked to see if there is something else going on besides Crohns symptoms.

 

[AuburnKelly]

Yes, I did have my gall bladder removed. The pain I feel now is similar to the pain I had before that was removed, but it covers a larger area. Never thought that the pain could be something else, but it's worth the question. My GI is aware of the upper abdominal pain. I do small bowel follow through every year and it always shows about the same thing.