Why does it sometimes hurt like a appendicitis?

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Somedays, today is particularly nasty...I hurt in my lower right quad.

But my Crohns is in my small bowel...what's going on here?

Usually happens on a day when I have lots of activity. (Movement.)
Anyone else get this? :confused2:
 
My occasional pains were in LLQ, so not sure. I just got a message left on my cell from one of the nurses at my GI office and she supposedly had asked the question I left with the UNTRAINED receptionist at the office about the LLQ pains, and the nurse asked my actual GI doc...it's like that game you play when your a kid called telephone where the message gets all mistranslated and it's nothing like the original context from the start... but the nurse answered with "well pain in the abdomen is quite common with a diagnosis like yours [meaning IBD I guess]..."

This is sort of bothersome...what if I was to have a small stricture or some sort of ulcer forming, and I reported it only to be told essentially "you'll live, it's part of the disease"....frustrates me....stupid office there has already cost me hundreds of wasted dollars when they messed up a mail order perscription for Asacol, now they're impeding my treatment and my concerns by not accurately relaying what I told her about my questions for he doc. I actually asked something quite different than was evidently asked to the GI doc. That's a whole other can of worms and I'll shut up now as otherwise I'll type up a novel on all the frustrations I have with that office....:ymad:

Anyways Kittee, just keep an eye on it, you've been through a lot recently, probably is the "norm" if that can even be said, just make sure if it gets out of hand you take the proper steps...or if it's that bad maybe report it tomorrow?
 
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Thanks for responding Bws. ;) *hug*

It's eased off some now. Thank god. it was pretty bad a few hours ago.
 
The Terminal Ilium is in the lower right quadrant isn't it? I have been assuming the slight pain I used to have there was the Terminal Ilium, since I did have some inflammation there.

Any anatomy majors here?

Dan
 
That's weird you get pains in the appendix area too. Last time I went to ER, few weeks ago here, he said that's the are aof appendicitis, but told me to do an interesting test...
If you stand on your tip toes, and immediately step back down, if its your appendix your pains will feel worse.

~ Lisa ~
 
Erm if you have small bowel crohns and its towards the end of your ileum (as Dan rightly says), then yeah its possible to have appendicitis type pain.

Some folk have actually had surgery for what doctors thought was appendicitis and turned out it was crohns.

The reason for this? You appendix is at the start of your large bowel where the large and small bowel meet. So if your small bowel crohns is towards the end of your small bowel or in other words your teminal ileum it is possible the pain travels to the start of the large bowel where the appendix is.

Does that help any? Apologies if I havent been very clear with my explanation as havent slept great overnight. Yell at me if I need to simplify it more or explain it another way.
 
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hi Kittee,

I have crohns of the terminal ileum and my symptoms started off as pain in my lower right side. The GP thought it was appendix but when I went to the consultant he said that the diseased part of my bowel was just above appendix and thats why they thought it was appendix. I had the diseased part removed and a resectioning done. Had scope last year and was told that crohns isn't active but he could see a large mass of inactive disease. If that makes sense.

I had the pain in my right side for 4 years and the GP couldn't diagnose me - kept saying it was rumbling appendix. It took my consultant just one scope and crohns was diagnosed.

Hope this helps with your question.

Geri
 
soupdragon hit the nail on the head. Your terminal illeum and appendix are right next to each other. Often your illeitis can extend into the start of your large intestines and cause your appendix to become inflammed as well. As long as you dont feel nauseous you are probably ok, but just pay attention to the pain levels and see your doctor if it gets too bad. This happened to me in January and luckily they did a CT scan of my intestines to determine it was my crohns rather than appendicitis because I had all the symptoms of it minus the nausea. The scan was sorta sucky, but saving 8 inches of large intestines because they couldnt close the incision from removing my appendix would have been a lot worse.
 
After just having surgery and lrq pain for 4 months I can say with some certainty that it can be chron's....I had 8-10 inch removed. I also had llq pain in that time but the lrq was worse and my incision internal pain right now from the resection itself is all right side - the left has to do only with the ab muscles.....feel better soon:)
 
When I was first admitted to hospital before diagnosis, my symptoms were severe pain in my LRQ and fever, so they immediately thought it was appendicitis. After a CT scan it showed that my terminal ileum was inflamed so they suspected Crohn's. A colonoscopy showed nothing as they couldn't reach my ileum. A small bowel follow through confirmed Crohn's.
 
The problem with that question is that only folks who've had appendicitis knows what it feels like... And, of course, now that docs know what an appendix does, it sort of adds insult to injury to those who have had their appendix out N crohns.
 
My Crohn's is in the terminal ileum which is very close to the appendix. It's the connector of the small and large intestine. Last night I could've sworn my appendix was about to burst, but no, it's just a flare up. I've always had the pain in the lower right side.
 
I was told I had Appendicitis and guess what... I had to have my Terminal Ileum removed and was diagnosed with Crohn's. The pain I had was inflammation and a stricture of the small bowel that translated to the Lower Right Quadrant. CT scans and drinking contrast were the only ways they could pinpoint what it was.
 
i had appendix type of pain before. it was what prompted me to initially go see my doctor. it sort of felt like a balloon expanding and contracting, but painfully. my doctor pushed on the area and i didn't scream, so she didnt send me to the ER. she did have me get a blood test stat to see if my white count was elevated.
everything was fine, it wasn't till almost a year later that my other doctor (my GI ) determined that i had crohns. my colonoscopy revealed a normal appendix, but my illiocecal valve is badly ulcerated. she said that the pain i was having was the bowel moving past the valve

oddly enough i find that sometimes when i push hard when i'm going number 2, i can feel a slight pain right there. although if i push and hold my hand there at the same time, i get no pain. its not a bad pain, just something to notice
 
my crohns was in the large bowel when i was first diagnosed, around the area of the appendix and below. so yes, i also had appendix-type pain, and appendicitis was queried but obviously proven not to be the problem. it felt like a sharp-cornered brick in my lower right abdo, just in from my hip bone.

my daughter had acute appendicitis, resulting in immediate surgery. her symptoms were severe - vomiting, unable to stand up straight, spiking temperature, and extreme pain.
 
my daughter had acute appendicitis, resulting in immediate surgery. her symptoms were severe - vomiting, unable to stand up straight, spiking temperature, and extreme pain.[/QUOTE]

Those symptoms match mine just before my emergency resection in March...but a CT showed it was the chron's and an obstruction with a ballooned part of the intestine...size of grapefruit. So, must be similar indeed!
 
Pen,
Do you remember where you read about the stones after a resection? I've had stones twice now after my resection 10 years ago - I've been trying to find some more information.
- Joshua
 
I think (but could be way off the mark, anyone with better info please jump in) the potential increase risk of stones has to do with inflammation AND/OR resections causing a loss of calcium absorption, either just by itself; or else in conjunction with frequent or extended periods of dehydration. Dehydration alone can cause episodes of stones... In the 'old' days, once you started having stone issues, the common recommendation was to lower/limit calcium. However, I believe the current practice is to maintain/elevate calcium levels in order to limit/lower recurrence of stones. I haven't a clue as to the rationale behind this approach; or even if that recommendation is still in vogue. Anyone who recently had a stone attack; were you placed on a calcium reduced diet??
 
That's weird you get pains in the appendix area too. Last time I went to ER, few weeks ago here, he said that's the are aof appendicitis, but told me to do an interesting test...
If you stand on your tip toes, and immediately step back down, if its your appendix your pains will feel worse.

~ Lisa ~



I was admitted to the hospital through the ER, and scheduled for an appendectomy. I was at a teaching hospital and I wasn't really sure about one of the doctors, therefore I asked for a second opinion. Thanks k fully, I also had a nurse that encouraged me to have more testing because I'd had the pain longer than most people would have with an appendicitis. I'm glad I stood my ground because this guy was a bit of a bully and I finally asked to have him removed from my care team, completely. They did contrast testing and also a nuclear test and found that I have crohn's in my terminal ilieum as well as other areas. I was scheduled for surgery ans had I not asked questions, I'd now be sans-serif appendix and might not have found that my ilieum is also affected. I have had crohn's for over 10 years. I was 98 pounds and on a lot of medocation. I was scheduled to have part of my affected area removed and decided to try an alternative route. I went on a crohn's diet and tried to reduce my stress as best I could. Yoga and pirates were part of this regimen. I eventually came off all the med school and t9 date have never had surgical intervention. My attacks can be mild to awful enough to almost have an appendectomy but it has been manageable ans I maintain a fairly consistent women's size 8. I've had a few drops in this time period, but for 9+ years, it's been a handful of times when it used to be constant. I'm not sure if this would work for you but it was better than wearing a bag and staying on mess, for me it may not always be the option as I'm now in my 40's but I am open to any options when things get tough. Finding a doctor and having had a primary doc who's seen me through has been very helpful as well. Thanks for all the insight. I'm currently having a flare up and a few tylenol a warm water bottle and some reading here has almost broken the pain cycle. Thanks for all the input.
 

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