- Joined
- Mar 26, 2009
- Messages
- 5
I'm really looking for some advice around my story. I am 33 and I had three bouts of severe abdominal pain early in 2009 and then nothing until this week.
Each episode is exactly the same. Very sudden onset with diarrhea and severe,constant pain in abdomen and back. I compare the pain to labour contractions but not coming in waves, going to the toilet does not reduce pain. The diarrhea stops about five hours into the episode but the pain intensifies and lasts for around 12 hours in total. I am usually sick once or twice about three quarters of the way through the episode. I can handle pain well but this is so severe and normal over the counter drugs don't touch it. The last two times (once in 2009 and last week) I was hospitalised with it. They can usually get the pain under control after a couple of hours by trying different things. The pain stops as quickly as it starts with no tenderness left just a wiped out feeling.
The problem is they did further investigations later in 2009 and found nothing unusual- barium enema, ultrasound, xray of bowel, and magic eye procedure (not full colonoscopy though).
There was protein in my urine and I had an elevated white blood cell count this time. I have been receiving regular B12 injections for a deficiency picked up a couple of years ago. To me this seems to link to Crohns symptoms.
Following the tests last year they put it down to IBS as they couldn't find anything else wrong but one of the doctors I had seen said that IBS shouldn't be as painful as what I was experiencing.
Following my latest admission they have stated they will look at possibly doing a colonoscopy as an out patient.
Does anyone else have a similar tale? Does the fact that I had nothing for a year mean anything? Could I be in the early stages of Crohns? Have others had to wait a long time for a diagnosis?
Any advice would be appreciated!
Each episode is exactly the same. Very sudden onset with diarrhea and severe,constant pain in abdomen and back. I compare the pain to labour contractions but not coming in waves, going to the toilet does not reduce pain. The diarrhea stops about five hours into the episode but the pain intensifies and lasts for around 12 hours in total. I am usually sick once or twice about three quarters of the way through the episode. I can handle pain well but this is so severe and normal over the counter drugs don't touch it. The last two times (once in 2009 and last week) I was hospitalised with it. They can usually get the pain under control after a couple of hours by trying different things. The pain stops as quickly as it starts with no tenderness left just a wiped out feeling.
The problem is they did further investigations later in 2009 and found nothing unusual- barium enema, ultrasound, xray of bowel, and magic eye procedure (not full colonoscopy though).
There was protein in my urine and I had an elevated white blood cell count this time. I have been receiving regular B12 injections for a deficiency picked up a couple of years ago. To me this seems to link to Crohns symptoms.
Following the tests last year they put it down to IBS as they couldn't find anything else wrong but one of the doctors I had seen said that IBS shouldn't be as painful as what I was experiencing.
Following my latest admission they have stated they will look at possibly doing a colonoscopy as an out patient.
Does anyone else have a similar tale? Does the fact that I had nothing for a year mean anything? Could I be in the early stages of Crohns? Have others had to wait a long time for a diagnosis?
Any advice would be appreciated!
great to have you here. I hope you get things sorted soon as those 12 hour bouts sound nasty!!
