What do you take/do to soothe stomach pains?

Ginger (either in capsule, tea or pill form) is a huge relief to me. I also use peppermint tea (but I saw that hurts you). Also you should invest in a heating pad, they are tremendously soothing for stomach pain/cramps... I use mine every day!

Hot water bottle! (more cuddly than a heating pad lol) I curl up with that when my stomach's giving me issues. Suprised peppermint tea gives you issues, I heard it helped with digestion so have it sometimes, it doesn't really do anything I find I just like the taste and it makes me feel like I'm being healthy lol.

For pain...immodium or bentyl for now. Sometimes the pain is so bad I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I was always told "not" to use a heating pad or even hot tubs becuase it spreads infection and makes the inflmmation worse. :( Too bad cuz' I'd really like it when I get the chills.

Chamomile tea, decaf. green tea with org. honey.

Meditation if the pain is not very bad. I often zone out when I am driving for example and if I have a passenger and they start talking it brings me back to the moment and I find I hurt more. Make any sense?

I found that heat helped until I got a severe flare and then heat made it worse.

Post Edited (FunGuy) : 3/10/2010 7:40:44 PM (GMT-7)

Well I woke up with crampy feelings this morning way too early and then my adrenaline rushes and I try to put the cover over my head and go back to sleep, but I was thinking of getting up and meditating on the floor, praying/breathing.

Heating pads are great. I can't handle ginger in any form. Drinks or spice or with sushi.

Rooibos tea is definitely amazing! it works wonders for me most times, I would only reccomend drinking it at night though because it is meant to relax and it REALLY works, I normally fall asleep within 30 minutes. I recomend the vanilla flavour because you don't need to put anything in it no sugar, no honey, no milk!!! it tastes great on its own. mind you im not a very picky eater, but I think its great alone.

--Peaceandhappiness -- there are nutritionists that can help!! talk to your GI they can send in a referral and someone will call you when the "crohns seminars" start which involves nutrition information!!! mind you it takes a while, however any nutritionalist will most likely help, just tell them what happens and they should be able to help with a diet or a cleanse or something. Also I reccomend keeping a food diary, write down what you eat during the day, and AS SOON as you feel something from it, write it down under what was most recently eaten. (do this for a week or two before seeing nutritionalist it will help him/her with a diet plan!)

ivy6 said...
Buscopan.

I absolutely endorse Buscopan, but it's not available in the USA. They have a similar, more expensive drug called Levsin, and another one called Bentyl.

US residents - make a trip to Mexico to get Buscopan. I'm not sure if Buscopan is sold in Canada, but Bentyl is.

Normally you take pills, but for complete obstruction when you're in agony and cannot take anything by mouth: injectable Buscopan. Where I live, injectable Buscopan costs $1/ampule (1 ampule=1 dose). When I was in the USA I asked about injectable Levsin and was quoted $150/vial (a vial being good for 5 shots, but once you open it you've got to use it up fast).

Levsin can be bought in a sublingual (under the tongue) form, an alternative to injections. Not as good as a shot, but better than nothing.

http://www.buscopan.com/com/en-next/home.jsp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buscopan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levsin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentyl

Note that these drugs should not be taken if you've got glaucoma.

Buscopan is avaliable in Canada

When I have my flares.. I found that "mind over matter" really helped me. (I know it sounds crazy) I would loosen my belt or even take my pants off and just lay in my bed and try to think of something off-topic so I could forget about my stomach. Five to ten minutes later, I was golden. I haven't had a spell as of recent, but that's what I used to do lol. When I feel heartburn coming on or have some constipation, I actually eat a bowl of ice-cream. Although I'm lactose intolerant, it keeps my acidity down and keeps the bowels moving when needed. Not a good practice for many of you I'm sure, but it helps me and I love my ice-cream.. A win-win

Also, I avoid coffee, tea and soda at all costs these days... They do nothing but damage for me.

--peaceandhappiness-- I also have thyroid problems and Rooibus tea causes me no damage, I definitely know what you mean about new herbs though!!! my mother has been trying to get me to try some new tea that I have never heard of and I keep saying no ... NEVER try something if your uncomfortable with it!!!! it can make things happen!! lol. no problem with the tips love, I'm pretty new to all this too so its kind of fun for me to be able to pass along some info :)

--vls-- When I use my heating pad I normally use it in intervalls, 20 minutes on, half hour off untill the pain subsides on a low temp and NEVER directly on skin, I always have a cover on my heating pad and lay it gently over my clothing not putting any pressure on it. I once fell asleep with my hot water bottle on my stomach and woke up the next morning with the design from the bottle very red on my stomach and on my white pajama top ... i stopped long periods of heat after that!!! just a tip, using in intervalls shouldn't cause any damage :)