Stomach pain during flare

Hi everyone,

Currently in my 2nd flare since diagnosis in 2011. It's been about 3 weeks now.. Sucks as its been throughout Christmas and looks as though it will be right through New Years too!

Anyway, for the first time during a flare I'm experiencing very very bad stomach pains, they come and go every half hour to an hour and they are very painful. I don't believe it to be heartburn nor trapped wind and I don't think it is related to eating habits.

I'm struggling to sleep as even the strongest painkillers only work for an hour or so.

I am on Asacol HD 800mg x 6 per day and I was taking 1g salofalk enemas but these weren't doing much so I haven't taken these for a few days - could this be a possible reason for the pain??

Any help would be brill as I don't know what to do other than keep taking pain killers and hoping it passes!!

Thanks, Ed.

there are many reasons for pain - mostly inflammation response - keep using the butt meds -

probably should try to figure out what caused your second flare and what you need to do to prevent #3

hang in there -

Thanks for the replies.

I went back onto the Salofalk enemas whilst and I'm pleased to report an improvement in symptoms.. Went from 10+ bms a day down to 2 albeit loose and not formed (due to enema?). That was the first 4 or 5 days but now for the last 2 or 3 days I haven't gone to the loo at all!!
Not sure if this is good or not.

I'm still having the pain but no bms even with the enema.

The pain is still unbearable!!

Any suggestions please.

Personally I cant think of any pain worse than the UC flare-pain, I cant believe how one can have a painlessly inflamed colon... What you are experiencing right now is called colon cramping, and it is the pain of death. And the UC trademark...

If you're having stomach pain when eating, the Zantac could help.

I'd suggest you start at the 75mg twice a day...I have the 150mg that I use once a day at night, but have used it twice daily on occasion. Yes, it helps.

When you say writhing pain with every mouthful...you mean your stomach, right?


Half hour before eating...
Worth a shot.

Continue with the enemas, however...if you could do them twice a day, it would be better....but you should call the doc and ask for a higher dosage of enemas such as the 4g. Save the 1g for tapering and maybe maintenance.

Keep us posted,
q

It have terrible gut pain while flaring. It's awful. I assume mine is due to inflammation.

Have you tried hydrocortisone enemas? That would be my first choice. You can take them with the enemas you're already using.

Have you considered oral Pred? You could do a short burst, 5-7 days where you start at a very high dose (40 mg) and taper each day to zero. Some even do 5 days of the high dose without a taper.

This is commonly done for acute asthma, rashes, etc. it's worked for me with UC.

With short rounds of Pred, the side effects are less severe -or non-existent - and adrenal suppression isn't an issue.

Bromelain helps with the pain and inflammation. When i first started taking Bromelain I was in the middle of a flareup and the pain was excrutiating and i have to use the toilet constantly. Anyway, i started taking the 3,000 GDU/cap take 2 caps three times a day on an empty stomach each day until pain is resolved then I reduced dose to 1 cap twice a day or 2 caps at bedtime on empty stomach. Now i do not have to worry about going out because of my bowel issues. Give it a try to see if it helps, God bless.

Bromelain is an enzyme extracted from pineapple, mainly from the core and stem part of the pineapple. It is used as a digestive enzymes, meat tenderizer and for pain and inflammation (when taken on an empty stomach). I 've tried alot of different brand but the one i've found to work the best is "Doctor's Best" brand (it contains 3,000 GDU/cap) but it is pricey though. A cheaper alternative that also works good is GNC brand which only has 2000 GDU/cap but cost half as much as "Doctor's Best". Another reason I take Bromelain is that people with IBS/UC have a higher rate of colon cancer and Bromelain has been shown to prevent cancer (probably due to the anti-inflammation effect since chronic inflammation contributes to cancer formation).

Post Edited (tydo) : 1/9/2015 11:13:25 AM (GMT-7)

A quick update, I visited my doctor who prescribed me with lansoprazole which is a form of PPI.

Whilst it offers some relief, it's not long lasting and the two days I have taken this tablet, I've been sick 4 to 5 hours after taking.

I'm so desperate for relief. I haven't slept properly for some time and I haven't eaten anything like a proper meal for about 2 weeks due to severe pain it causes.