Stomach: ER or panic attack? Graphic bowel post!

So today on “Should I Go to the ER or am I Just Having A Panic Attack?” we have stomach cramps, weird stool and gas and visions of sepsis dancing in our brain.

A few days ago, I started passing white blobs and a little bit of fresh blood (hemorrhoids). I’d had hemorrhoids last month that cleaned up nicely with some
Preparation H. A week after treating (should no longer be remnants of cream in the rectum, right?) I started having rather explosive wet gas and passing some liquid and white tissue-looking blobs, but it was accompanied by normal-formed stool (I.e, it wasn’t diarrhea).
I would have a sudden urge and go to the bathroom, usually in the evening, have some stomach cramps and a rather forceful evacuation with a few of these blobs and go to bed worried bc it was the weekend and I couldn’t reach a doctor. By morning I was tolerable.
(Note, I at first suspected hemorrhoids again but knew that if I used cream, it would come out blobby and be confused with whatever was happening in my stool; so I haven’t used hemorrhoid cream in a week).

So Monday I was going to call the doc, but by Sunday everything cleared up, Monday I had a nice normal BM and I figured it was just something I ate, adjustment from traveling or maybe yeast.

Woke up at 2 am with extreme urge and had another explosive gas with a few white blobs, followed by extreme movement/cramps as if I was doing a big job, but only some small stool came out. The urges and cramps intensified but nothing really happened. They came in about 3 waves, with only minimal stool, then subsided.

Meanwhile, I started imagining what this could be, in an attempt to determine whether I should wait til
morning, go to urgent care, a GP, or the emergency room... and induced a panic attack.

Now I don’t know what’s my body being sick, or just panicking. I’m bloated, having some cramps, and feeling like there might be another urge but I’m scared to death of going to the toilet. Chills, flushing, difficulty breathing, dizziness, in waves= panic.

No fever (usual low temp of 96.5-97),
Stomach ache is right in the middle of the belly, bloating, cramping, and sick feeling.

I’m not on antibiotics and haven’t changed my herbs recently.

I would wait til morning but I guess my biggest concern is a perforated bowel or something that is leaking into my body and will cause sceptic shock...

I expect “it couldn’t hurt to go to the ER” but I’m sick of waking my spouse and causing misery in our lives and part of me would rather die and get it over with than drag him out of bed yet again for nothing.

Just looking for ideas, has this happened to you, what would be the warning signs of a serious problem (and how to distinguish from panic symptoms)? Anyone awake at this ungodly hour?
Thanks.

BabsBunny said...
So today on “Should I Go to the ER or am I Just Having A Panic Attack?” we

Now I don’t know what’s my body being sick, or just panicking.

Just looking for ideas, has this happened to you, what would be the warning signs of a serious problem (and how to distinguish from panic symptoms)? Anyone awake at this ungodly hour?
Thanks.

It sounds like you have a gi roto type virus of some sort or food poisoning. If you feel you need to just go, better safe than sorry. I have had several such viruses or food poisoning in the past 2 years, two last spring, where I had vomiting and runs. No fever as I recall. The last was food poisoning I think, but I read that most of the time fp is a virus transmitted by a restaurant worker who didn't wash their hands etc. not from the actual food. The worst I had was salmonella years ago from a turtle.

Post Edited (meowee) : 11/20/2018 10:04:04 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks guys.
I tried to post yesterday but HW went down for me.
I called the Nurse Line from my insurance company and described the situation. She said it was concerning but since I didn’t show any clear signs of distress or shock (no vomiting, fever, jaundice, severe pain, flowing blood, dizziness, etc) that I should see a doc in the AM but not go to ER unless things changed.

My GP had an opening! So I went and she said the same thing. I got a sampling kit to send in (trying to beat the holiday rush or collect samples at my parents?!) and was told to eat a liquid and soft gentle diet (homemade bone broth, tea, etc).

I’ve had a stomachache all day but eating mostly broth does help with the weird bits. Someone pointed out to me there’s a Romaine lettuce recall again and I did have some in a salad mix. Husband is not affected but maybe my immune system caught what his could fight? Still doesn’t seem severe enough to be E. coli though.

Who knows. I’ll keep you updated if we figure it out!