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Sudden cramping....

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 4/5/2011 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, everyone! I'm 20 years old and lately I've been having really bad stomach cramps. Coincidentally, they appeared when I came on my menstrual period on Sunday (which came too early btw). At first, I thought they were just menstrual cramps but they felt so much different than what I've experienced in the past. When I have these cramps, I feel a sensation to go to the restroom. Yesterday, I was able to have 4 bowel movements (which is unusual for me as I usually only have 1 or 2). It feels like the stomach cramps you get from taking a laxative or when you have diarrhea. Today, I feel constipated as I haven't been able to pass any stools even though the sensation is there. My mother thinks that I'm being overdramatic and that it's probably not as bad as I make it out to be, which saddens me as she's the only person I feel comfortable discussing this with. The pain comes and goes; one minute I'm fine and don't feel anything, then the next I feel terrible. The cramps are bearable to a certain extent since they seem familiar from when I was constipated a few months ago. I don't know what I could've eaten to bring this on. I had some Nutella on Saturday but I've had it before and nothing like this happened. This is just so random and it's upsetting me to know that I probably will have to deal with this for the rest of my life.

I've been doing research on IBS and it seems like my symptoms are closer to this disease but I'm not sure. I don't have much gas and I don't feel bloated. So I was wondering if anyone has experienced this type of pain of before? I'm really confused right now.
Posted 4/5/2011 4:04 PM (GMT 0)
i am new to this sight. so i may not be doing this correctly but i am very concerned for my grand daughter who is 2 1/2 years old. ever since she was taken off formula at 1 yr. and put on reg. milk, she has had stomach cramping. she has been through many tests and the dr. at childrens hospital say her intestines are not developed so they put her on miralax once or twice a day. i don't think the miralax works. even when she takes it twice a day, she can have cramps all day long. she wil shake and sweat they are so bad. it breaks my heart. the dr. says she will out grow it. but when? does anyone out there have any experience with toddler cramping? i would appreciate your help.
Posted 4/5/2011 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Confused, if you had 4 bowel movements yesterday, you probably don't have enough stool today to have a movement. Maybe you had a little bug. The cramping you're feeling could be just spasms that will go away with time.

Nutella is not going to cause the kind of problems you're describing unless you ate the whole jar ;-).

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is not a disease. It is a syndrome.

Lindalee53, you should start a new post with "toddler" in the title. In general, I think her ped is right, although at 2.5 yrs old you'd think she would have a mature gut. Perhaps she is lactose intolerant, in which case she can take lactose free milk, instead of "regular" milk. It is widely available in your grocer's dairy.
Posted 4/5/2011 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
Ah, I see. Thank you for replying, kazbern! I'm gonna just wait it out and see what happens. I've been experiencing some cramps today and I run to the restroom every time and nothing comes out. It's frustrating! What should I do if the pain lasts for a whole week?
Posted 4/5/2011 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Call your regular doctor.
Posted 4/5/2011 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, I forgot to add that I only put some Nutella on some chocolate chip waffles so I didn't eat the whole thing haha

I haven't been to the doctors in a very long time so I'm a bit worried :/ I really hope this goes away soon but I have a feeling it won't.

Thanks for your help though!
Posted 4/5/2011 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
It is pretty common to have what you have during your period. I have IBS but I also have endometriosis which also can cause the extra bowel movements and cramping during your period. It might not be as extreme every month but like you I was also spending plenty of time in the bathroom the day before and the day of my period. It is terrible and sometimes I have maybe one or two good weeks out of the month if I am lucky. Good Luck to you and don't worry too much if you can.
Posted 4/6/2011 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
It's strange because I've never had cramping like this before. Are your cramps really intense one minute and then mild the next? That's what I'm experiencing. My period lasts for 3-4 days so I'm hoping I'll feel better tomorrow. Before my period, I didn't have any pain at all. I felt a little weak but other than that, I felt okay. I just woke up the next morning and was in a lot of pain. It feels like the cramps you get before diarrhea; it's awful. Fortunately, it only lasts for about 2 minutes and then comes back around 20 minutes later. I also have aches in my back, thighs, and hips which I think are regular symptoms during the menstrual cycle anyways. I'm going to look up Endometriosis right away!


Is there anything I could take to alleviate the pain a little? Midol has done nothing for me. My mother suggested drinking some green tea but that didn't do anything either. So far, everything I've tried hasn't worked.

Thanks and I'll try not to worry!
Posted 4/6/2011 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
heating pad on your belly.
Posted 4/6/2011 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
Midol never worked for me either and since I have pretty bad gerd/gastritis I really can't take anything at all, not even Tylenol! My cramps were very bad this time, actually the third day in I thought my ovary was going to rupture I was in that much pain and the the night before I was in the bathroom with D for about a half hour.
Since I have been diagnosed with endometriosis, which does cause the aching legs, back, hips,ect.. like you were saying it is hard to tell what is causing what.
Have you tried any otc pain relievers for your pain other than midol?
Posted 4/6/2011 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Oh my, that sounds terrible! I'm sorry to hear about that. My pain has never been that bad but I can kind of understand where you're coming from. I have really bad periods with blood cots, terrible aches, and painful abdominal cramps. Over the years it's gotten a lot better but I still dread it every month.

My mom got me some Aleve and Motrin and the Aleve relieved the cramps a little but the Motrin was useless. I put a hot towel on my tummy since I didn't have any heat pads and that ended up helping a lot! My cramps are a lot less painful today although I still get an urge to go to the restroom and nothing happens.

Have you been able to find anything that helps you at all?

Post Edited (Confused!!!) : 4/6/2011 3:47:08 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/6/2011 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
I totally get the having the "urge to go but nothing happens"..it is the worst, especially if you are out somewhere and don't have easy access to a bathroom! Very difficult. I only take meds for my stomach/bowel issues, zegerid/maalox that sort of thing. The period cramps are much better today. Glad to hear you are better too!
Posted 4/6/2011 10:03 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, I can't imagine! Fortunately I'm on Spring Break this week and haven't had to go anywhere. I really hope this goes away before I start going to class again next week! I actually have some Maalox in my home. Will this help the urges?
Posted 4/6/2011 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think so, I usually just take it when my stomach feels upset, nausea's. I haven't found anything to help with the urgent feeling at all. It sometimes feels as if it is all in my head, you feel like you have to go but nothing comes out!! That is all a part of the ibs that we have to deal with!! Mine comes and goes and seems to happen when I am feeling stressed out and my anxiety is sky high. Exercising seems to help a bit though with that.
Try to enjoy the rest of your break if you can though..lol
Posted 4/9/2011 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean! I did a little exercise yesterday and today and I did see some improvement. I feel a lot better than I did a couple days ago. I'm not under any stress or anxiety so I wonder why this happened all of a sudden. So strange.

Thanks, I'll try to! I just hope I don't have any bad urges while I'm in class. I'd be embarrassed for sure!
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