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Need advice -- extreme bloating and pain

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 4/9/2010 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Over the last few weeks i've had episodes where my stomach gets extremely bloated, sensitive to touch and painful.  It typically starts between 7-8pm and lasts through the night (I go to bed in pain and wake up feeling better).  There's no correlation to having eaten...sometimes its before dinner, sometimes after.  The first two times were on Fridays after extremely stressful weeks ... by Monday I was feeling fine so I never bothered calling my GI.  This week it's happened three nights in a row and I'm starting to get concerned.  BM don't relieve the pain/tenderness.  The first few times lying on my stomach made it feel better, but I can't even bare that tonight.  I've tried mint tea since that's usually calming, but no help there.  I can't take anything like Gas-X because of interactions with one of my meds.  At this point I'll put a call into my GI in the morning, but need some immediate relief.  Any ideas on how to relieve the pain?

Thanks in advance,

Melissa

Posted 4/9/2010 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
This happens to me all the time. I can't even wear regular pants, I have to have them custom fitted just so my tummy will hurt less.

Try chamomile with organic or unpasturized honey. If you don't have chamomile, try a decaf. green tea.

FYI (in case you don't already know): pasturization kills the natural enzymes in honey and may make you feel worse. Unpasturized honey may actually help.

Best wishes.
Posted 4/9/2010 7:07 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know if it will help right now but catnip tea helps reduce gas. I drink it a lot and it is a very mild fresh tasting tea. You just have to keep the cats away. lol
Posted 4/9/2010 1:49 PM (GMT 0)
Ask your doctor about a possible bacterial overgrowth. When I had this I had alot of bloating and stomach pain especially bad after I ate something. Just a thought!
Posted 4/9/2010 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Try lying on left side or on back with knees up. Also a warm bath might help you feel a bit better. Obviously you need to get rid of that gas. I think you have already tried lots of other things, Mint tea etc.
Posted 4/9/2010 10:48 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the helpful hints. 

Roni - I tried the honey last night and the chamomile tea today at work, which helped keep things at a bareable level.  I now have them both in the same place and will try them together...fingers crossed :-).

AzJohnny - I couldn't find the catnip tea, but I'll check out a HFS this weekend (I'm willing to try anything at this point) :-).

Nanners - I didn't see this in time to ask my doc when I talked to her this afternoon, but I have an appointment to see her on Wednesday and will definetely raise the issue then.  Now that you mention it, it's coming back to me that I had a similar (but less intense) issue about a year ago...at that time, I think my doc put me on a short course of antibiotics to reduce the bacteria.

Chatters - I'll try those positions.  I tried a bath a few times and it helps while i'm in the bath, but as soon as i get out all the pain is back. I might have to dig out my heating pad and see if that helps. 

Melissa

Posted 4/10/2010 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
If you are taking probiotics you might want to cut back or lay off for a while
Posted 4/10/2010 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Good point Funguy.  I do take them ... if it is bacterial overgrowth, I'm sure they're not helping.  I need to update my signature...I switched from VSL to Align at the beginning of the year.   
Posted 4/10/2010 3:27 PM (GMT 0)
Well I have had a few bacterial overgrowths and I do not agree with stopping the probiotics. Doc actually told me when he diagnosed the SIBO to start taking a better probiotic than I was taking. Took the 10 days of antibiotics with a new probiotic and in no time I felt WAY better. Good luck!
Posted 4/10/2010 6:00 PM (GMT 0)

Nanners, what Funguy said made sense at face value, but I think you're right on this one.  I was doing some reading on SIBO last night and the articles were suggesting a combination of probiotics and antibiotics as a treatment.  If my doc thinks its SIBO i'll ask her whether she thinks its worth switching back to something like VSL (it was her recommendation that I switch to Align and with the cost of VSL I was all to happy to switch).

Posted 4/10/2010 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
I think the Align will be fine to continue with, those "are" good probiotics. I was on a pretty mild probiotic at the time, and now take Primadolphilus Fortify and it has 8 billion CFU's in it. The one I was on was much weaker. Good luck!
Posted 4/11/2010 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you found the chamomile helpful. Sometimes I find green tea is better, sometimes not. It depends on the symptoms.

At work, I used to walk around with my button/zipper undone all day and a long shirt down to my butt. I was constantly having to pull up on my pants tho. Now I wear custom pants or maternity pants, as long as they don't put any or very little pressure on my tummy. Still hurts tho.
I miss jeans.
Posted 4/11/2010 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
I'm lucky in that it doesn't usually get bad until close to the end of the work day....i've been trying to wear loose fitting pants and keeping my fingers crossed that I can get home before it gets too bad, but maternity pants may be an idea if I don't find a solution soon.

I was talking with my mom about it last night...she was trying to think of home remedies and mentioned that her father, who used to be a pharmacist, always took charcoal tablets for gas pains.  She also mentioned that fennel tea is popular in Europe to help soothe colicky babies.  I went on a quest today to find the catnip tea and charcoal tablets.  I found some homeopathic capsules at whole foods that has charcoal, fennel and a few other things (I found the catnip tea at another HFS).  So far the chamomile tea has kept the pain at a mild level today....if i have the need to try the other stuff, I'll let you know if it works.

Posted 4/11/2010 2:17 PM (GMT 0)
I know of one of our members who drinks chamomile tea everyday. When I am having one of those tummy days, I will drink some chamomile tea and it does help some too. Good luck!
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