Sharp Lower right abdominal pain...bit worried

[Rick_1138]

sharp Lower right abdominal pain...bit worried

Hi folks.

Well i have had this before a few years ago, the first time it happened it was incredibly scary and i was sent to hospital for ultrasound tests and observation, but i found after passing wind for 4 days i was okay.

However i get the same pain now and then but its never been as intense as that day.

However this weekend i got it like it was that first time, and i had it the weekend before but it subsided during the week.

Basically it is in the lower right area just below my belly button and above my groin, when i get the pain, it comes in a wave and you can actually feel the skin raise up slightly and its harder than the left side if that makes any sense, a bit like a bubble blowing up inside me.

i have been to the loo a few times, and its been like water, the pain has subsided a lot from yesterday but still occurs.

I know it will go away, and its probably just constipation, maybe a slightly thickened wall i have now etc, i had a scope up the back door last year and they saw no notifiable change from my original scan some 6 years ago (which i suppose is good) but i just get a bit worried when i have these incredible pains.

It does go away a bit as you can feel, what can best be described as bubbles moving along inside me and the pain subsides, hence why i think its just gas\constipation.

I think i am just a bit worried as i have met a lovely girl, and she is so understanding about it, as i have been open with her with it, but until we have been together for longer than a week i am worried she will get sick of me as i have crohn's.

Probably just my paranoia. What i am really posting about i suppose is if anyone has similar symptoms, i.e. lower right abdomen sharp pains, slight expansion of the skin and what feels like running water inside you.

Is it just a bit of constipation or is it something else.

Suppose i just needed to vent a little of my stress here .

thanks all

Rick

 

[Jennifer]

Sure I get that but for me its not constipation. Its diarrhea and gas. As for how to stop those things from happening, that's something you'll have to contact your GI about. I take Lomotil for diarrhea and it helps most of the time but I don't take anything for gas because it hasn't been a noticeably huge issue. Its possible that it could be some slight narrowing or maybe the bowels aren't moving as quickly as they should be for whatever reason but at this point it sounds like its slightly bothersome which you should bring up with your doctor before it gets too out of hand you know? Always better to be safe than sorry.

Glad to hear about the new girl. Try not to stress about her thoughts about your illness too much. Just focus on keeping yourself healthy.

 

[Rick_1138]

well its died down a lot, no big waves of pain, but just a bit tender etc.

I thought it would be just gas\D etc, as i have had it before a few times. I do wonder if its maybe something i am eating, so trying to keep a list of foodstuffs, just in case.

Bloomin typical, i meet a fantastic girl, and stomach sulks haha. Though its calmer today and i am meeting her tonight and she is cooking me a meal!!

I will see how the tummy goes, if it goes away and doesn't recur within a week, i will leave it, but if it comes back again pretty quickly, i will see my GP. GI specialists are like hens teeth, i know they could exist, but never see tham...ggrrr

 

[Jennifer]

Do you have a GI? I know they can be hard to get a hold of sometimes but for me, seeing my GP would get absolutely nothing done (there are specialists for a reason and I know my GP is that reason ).

 

[silveyk]

Rick...

If you get a fever and have migrating pain from your belly button to your lower right quadrant of your abdomen and you still have you appendix...it could be appendicitis. Usually (but not always), it is associated with severe pain and nausea/vomiting. Never just assume it's constipation or your pissed off ileo-cecal valve due to Crohn's.

Dr. S (spouse of a Crohn's sufferer)

 

[Rick_1138]

Hi Silveyk,

I did consider this a possibility, but as i had experienced the exact same pain before, and wasn't in any feversih\high temp state, i expected it to just be the belly having a moan.

Its all gone today, now just ominous rumblings and breaking wind a lot haha.

But yeah, its annoying when 2 things that feel so similar but are actually quite different can give you a scare, crohns is just an inconvenience, appendicitis is very dangerous!!

 

[Jennifer]

Crohns is much more of an inconvenience to some people as many get horrifically sick and some have even lost their lives due to lack of treatment (this could happen for various reasons).

 

[Rick_1138]

Hi Crabby,

I meant more its an inconvenience for me, i know it can be horrifying for some as well.

I didn't mean that to read like i was bellittling crohns suffers, really, i meant appendicitis for me would be very dangerous compared with a crohns flare up that's all
:thumright:

 

[Astra]

'appendicitis is very dangerous!! '

not necessarily! The difference is acute or grumbling (chronic)


http://www.ehow.com/about_5332905_symptoms-grumbling-appendix.html

something to ask your doc about Rick
good luck
xxx

 

[Rick_1138]

Update!

Well it was sort of sett;led but i was still tender all the time for about 2 weeks since the royal wedding in April.

However i was a bit sore at the weekend and my new girlfriend was at mine but we had a party to go to that night on saturday, we went and i met her mates etc but through the combination of being sore and up all the previous night talking with my GF we both left at 11. However as we left i became stunningly cold and couldn't stop shivering.

MY gf was quite scared and she asked if she should take me to hospital so i cou;dn't have looked clever, she made a hot water bottle and then just hugged me in bed till i stopped shivering! (i really like her, she is very sweet!)

Anyway that night i was up to the loo and was basically just passing water, though the pain had subsided, this happened a couple of times and i felt weird all day sunday.

So doctors on Monday for emergency appointment, and he suggested i go back on prednisolone, last time was about 3 years ago. I was hesitant as side effects last time made my eczema come back. But it is worth it if my cramp\pain subsided.

So i am on 40mg a day reducing by 5mg every week for 8 weeks, have to say its been great, eased the pain a ,lot and i can relax for first time in a fortnight. So it must be my colon becoming inflamed that causes the pain, not just consitipation as was thought last time.

So hopefully this will ease it down, do the 2 month course and see what happens after that

We call prednisolone 'happy pills' in my house, unless i need a second 2 month stint, then they are not so much fun haha.

Very thankfull for a loving girlfriend who isn't freaked out by my crohns

 

[Alex]

Rick,

I actually found your post by googling 'discomfort in lower right abdomen crohn's' and really glad I did. I have had Crohn's for the past two years (or at least that it is when I was diagnosed) and have recently been feeling the symptoms you have described above. Feels a bit like a bubble passing through my bowel. Anyway, made me feel a bit better reading that it just subsided eventually.

I went to hospital last night to get it checked out and they said they could find no sign of infection but it just stresses me when I feel like this.

Just wanted to say that your post put me 'a little' more at ease.

Thanks

 

[Rick_1138]

No problem Alex, its what the net is for, information and discussion

Always best to get yourselfed checked out at docs, i am bad for thinking "it will go away" but why suffer when a simple tablet could take a lot of problems away, or the doc could find there is something wrong and you will get help.

Glad you are a bit more relaxed, as i know its a great player on the mind when you are not right.

all the best

Rick

 

[JJKees]

I have the same symptoms

Rick,

the symptoms you have described are the EXACT symptoms I have had for the last 3 days. Its a dull pain, below belly button about 1 inch or so and to the right about 2 inches and it feels like a bubble. And my poo isn't the greatest consistency today or yesterday, like water.

 

[JJKees]

I think it could be the crap food I've been eating lately, since I've been out of a job. And it is messing with my system. I have gas, and all that.

 

[Rick_1138]

Bit of thread necromancy!

Well an update on the trials and tribulations of my good self.

Basically my Crohn's has been good and bad for last few months, was on prednisolone last 2 months and as usual it sorted out all the problems, however gaining 5 kg is never good.

However after coming off the preds almost to the day i had a very bad bout of severe abs pain and tiredness, was off work for 3 days and felt awful. I had a trip down to nottingham that i had to cancel due to having the need to go to the loo suddenly a lot with little warning.

Was talking to my mum about it and she went and organised a private medical consultation with GI specialist in Aberdeen (she worries ), Called GP to let them know i want to be refered to a specialist and that ended up in a back and forth about which doc i should be seeing...why cant they just say OK!! all the GP ever does is prescribe steroids.

I was on Messalazine (asacol) taking 3 tablets a day, but the GP spoke to the GI specialist and he said i should double that straight away so am on 4800mg of messalazine (BIG pills 6 a day!) though i feel they do nowt.

So hopefully will be seeing thr GI surgical specialist at some point this month.

Even today i have the sharp bouts of gut pain, and i am having watery diarrheah almost exclusively, so its either a bad flare up and the messalazine doesnt do anything, been taking them for about 3 weeks now.

Hopefully seeing the specialist will gleen some new insight and either new tablets or some other idea.

The annoying thing is the GI said its been over 2 years since he saw me, and i should have seen him before now, but the GP never puts me forward for it, they only ever do anything if i come to them, but i have friends with Crohn's who get their GI asking to see them almost 6 monthly, so was a bit miffed about that as i hate feeling like i am wasting docs time so try not to bother them.

Just bit worried as i am taking ibuprofen nurofen daily to help pain and worried i could do damage or get addicted to taking pills.

 

[UnXmas]

Just bit worried as i am taking ibuprofen nurofen daily to help pain and worried i could do damage or get addicted to taking pills.

I don't have the knowledge to comment on the rest of your thread, but I hope everything works out well for you. I just wanted to reply to this though - ibuprofen isn't addictive as far as I know. Unless you're referring to one of the painkillers which mixes ibuprofen with other things (like codeine), it's not going to be physically addictive and shouldn't be psychologically addictive either.

If you take it at or below the recommended does, it should be safe. There is the possiblity of increasing gastric irritation, inflammation - is that what you're referring to? Are you getting symptoms (heartburn, acid, bleeding, etc?)?

I actually do better on codeine for this reason. It does build up tolerance and it causes addiction in some people, so you may want to avoid it, but it's a stronger pain killer than ibuprofen and it's far easier on the digestive tract (it can cause constipation - but this is a benefit for me!). It's about finding what pain meds work best for you.

 

[Rick_1138]

Thanks for that.

I did speak to my GP about it and he said as long as i am within daily dose i am fine.

i looked at getting paracetamol\codeine from the pharmacist but was getting the whole " oh its not for long term as in 3 days!, and you may die horribly and take small kittens with you etc" so was a bit annoyed as its not like i am taking them like sweets lol.

Hopefully i can keep the pain at bay with decent painkillers when it gets bad.

 

[katiesue1506]

While ibuprofen isn't a narcotic and isn't addictive, its not something you should take as a sufferer of IBD/IBS/Crohns/UC because it is processed through the stomach versus the liver. This can cause ulcers of the stomach and digestive tract. I wonder if your GP knows this... I know all my GIs have always said "no!"

Basically there are two receptors that NSAIDs like ibuprofen and aspirin inhibit to stop pain and they are called COX-1 and COX-2. Inhibition of the COX-1 receptor is what causes the gastric interactions. They made another NSAID that only inhibits the COX-2 receptors, but of course that drug (Vioxx) came with its own other cardiovascular side effects and it was pulled from the market.

Yay science!

Anyhow I would opt for the Tylenol (acetaminophen) if I were you. I know some people say it isn't as effective, but NSAIDs can start and/or worsen a flare.

 

[Rick_1138]

"Stand back, im about to attempt science!" Lol

Well i am thinking using paracetamol based codine painkillers from the pharmacist, as they arent gastro problem based.

Mum likes tylenol, always gets some when in the states, but in UK its a no go, issue is getting nurofen etc is available in the supermarket if i need in a hurry, codine type painkillers have to be had from a pharmacy counter so bit more of a faff.

 

[Rick_1138]

UPDATE:

Well i went for a private consultation last night with a GI specialist.

Some progress.

Basically he wants me to avoid steroids (which is a nice change) and has suggested Azathioprine for me.

However he is going to give me a mild stool softener in case i have a thinning of the opening causing issue.

He also wants me to get another colonoscopy but deffo check the start of the small bowel too as he thinks thats where it may be moving to, he also wants an MRI.

To get these on the NHS will take a while and he is holding off the Azathi till that is done, i may get my insurance to cover investigative work as they wont cover pre-existing conditions otherwise its on NHS wait.

I will need weekly blood tests at first then monthly for length of use.

Its good progress, just a shame i cant try the drugs sooner, as i know they can take a while to start to work.

Hopefully the stool softener will give me some pain relief till the scans.

Bit scary as i hate scopes, last time it was incredibly painfull and dont think the sedative did much

onwards i suppose.

 

[Madmom]

Hi rick .. I am too having these pains had X-ray last week and was told I was constipated with a back up in my intestine ... But I didn't understand as I still had loose motions .. So had to take laxatives to pass build up. Feel better now ... This was caused as for years I have been suffering had steroids hated them but eventually decided to go with azathioprine I was scared as I read all the bad stories .. Can I say it's the best thing I ever did my blood work is the best ever and the reason I am constipated is because their working to good . So now on a stool softener and everything is perfect ... Keep up your blood checks when on them and hopefully u will be ok