Strange "kicking" feeling in descending colon?

New here, here's a little info if you need. Diagnosed with left sided UC at 12 years old, I'm now 24. At age 15 (2008) I went into remission after leaving a stressful home situation, and didn't have another flare until May 2016, exactly one year after quitting smoking. So I've been flaring on and off since, recently been feeling better, was able to gain back some of the weight I lost and now I have a "loose stool" instead of diarrhea.

I don't take any medication, just supplements.

So anyway, yesterday today I noticed a kicking feeling in my descending colon, about 2 inches above my hip bone... it's been doing it consistently for about 3 hours. It isn't painful at all, just scary and you can feel it if you place your hand over it.

I've only been taking VSL#3 (capsule form- 1per day) and turmeric capsules for 2 days now. I noticed that it started about an hour after I took the turmeric curcumin caps, on both days. Could turmeric be bad for me? Is it maybe the good bacteria in the VSL killing off the bad bacteria? Is my colon about to explode? I have a referral to a gastro but appointment is months out and my PCP prescribed me Entocort EC, which is useless because it's for right sided colitis and Crohns.

Anyone have this happen? Possibly after starting turmeric or VSL? Any input would be great. I have loss of other questions but I won't ask them yet. So glad I found this forum, any and all comments will be so much appreciated. I also take imodium when I need to leave the house just in case, which I've read is not good for UC, but if I don't take it I'm stuck in the house all day thank you guys! x

I've had this happen both when things are getting better and worse. Our t-cells are constantly bullying gut cells that didn't ask for it and this can be very localized at times. If you're doing something new then it could be the result of that. Again, only time will tell if it's a good or bad thing.

Thank you eek! I feel it may be getting better and not worse so I will stop the turmeric and keep everything as is just in case.

iPoop -great name btw- my PCP prescribed me Lialda, but my insurance wouldn't cover it and it's $700 I'm not very sure what to do about this. They don't cover the VSL either, but that's only $54. The Entocort was covered.

Thank you guys for your input! I just woke up and the spasming went on for about 5 hours total and my colon feels sore and very raw today under ribs. Our poor colons

iPoop said...
There's always something that is covered by your policy. You are just going to have to do some homework. One of the biggest headaches with health insurance policies is getting an affordable and covered medication. Here's a basic survival guide to help you through it.

1.) Ask which UC medications are on the insurance's formulary (preferred) list and which are on their non-formulary (not preferred) list. For the lowest out-of-pocket cost, choose from the formulary list.

2.) Generics are the most cost effective. Brandnames are more expensive.

3.) Use the health insurance's price estimator tool (online insurance website, or call insurance, or ask a pharmacy) to learn what your copay will be. You will need to know which medications are applicable. The most common UC meds used are the anti-inflammatory, mesalamine-based medications that should be available in their price estimator:

• Apriso is brandnamed, comes in 375mg pills, a typical dose is 1,500 mgs or 4 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer.
  
• Balsalazide Disodium is generic of Colazal, comes in 750mg pills, a typical dose is 6,750mgs or 9 pills daily.
  
• Colazal is brandnamed, comes in 750mg pills, a typical dose is 6,750mgs or 9 pills daily.
  
• Delzicol is brandnamed, comes in 400mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800 mgs or 12 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer.
  
• Lialda/Mezavant is brandnamed, comes in 1,200mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800 mgs or 4 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer.
  
• Mesalamine DR is generic, comes in 800mg pills, a typical dose is 4,800mgs or 8 pills daily.
  
• Pentasa is brandnamed, comes in 500mg pills, a typical dose is 4,000 mgs or 8 pills daily. A copay assistance card is available from the manufacturer.
  
• Sulfasalazine is a generic,comes in 500mg pills, a typical dose is 4,000mgs or 8 pills daily.
  

4.) Once you've found a cost effective medication, call your gasteroenteroligist for a new prescription.

5.) Mail order prescriptions may have lower copays when you get a 90 day supply, instead of a 30 day supply. Check with your health insurance and ask about mail order options.

Wow, thank you for so much info! I had no idea they had ones they covered and ones they didn't, I just figure I was out of luck. Thank you for also listing the medications! When I was younger we used Lialda and Sulfasalazine, Lialda worked better for me but I was mainly on Prednisone for a very long time.

I will be calling tomorrow as I've just now seen your post!
I'm so fatigued all the time, that's the worst part, my mind wants to get up and go but my body doesn't. My hemoglobin levels are 10.2, so up from where I was before, but still kinda low so I've started taking liquid iron as well (which oddly enough made me fall asleep for 2 hours after taking it)

Excited to get on meds and finally feel better!

Old hat, your post scared me. I just got my referral to a gastro and the appointment is 2 months out.

I'm not sure how to differentiate between bouncing and kicking, I guess it's more of like a strong, hard pulse that is not painful. Today is day 2 without turmeric and it's continued, so I'm not sure it was that.

I am leaning toward it being the VSL first week battle going on. Do bowel obstructions cause constipation? It's been 4 days since starting VSL (1 capsule first 2 days, 2 capsules last 2 days-- D started when 2 capsules started) and now I'm having watery D with way more blood than usual. Going to go off of it completely to see if it gets better, then start back up with half a capsule per day.

Thank you, UC really blows.

Ramesses- is it very hard feeling? That's why I likened it to a baby kicking, it feels very strong. I really wonder what it is? Today it hasn't done it so much, thankfully but I am still taking the VSL which is causing horrid diarrhea heard that's the "healing crisis" or something? I hope so...

Hi Quincy! Thanks for writing -- I do have some hyosciamine, but I'm just wondering if it gas and spasming, if this is something I should allow to happen since it may the VSL causing it, or if it would be a good idea to take the hyosciamine? It gives me terrible headaches and dry mouth, the headaches are so bad I have to wear sunglasses to look at my phone, so I'd rather not take it unless it will help an obscruction or something more serious like that. Thank you for telling me!!

I'm very confused. Today is day 6 taking VSL#3, and yesterday was the first day my bloating has left. I was severely bloated (I thought I just gained all my weight back in my stomach- literally just looked like stomach fat) I looked 5 months pregnant, literally. It was so uncomfortable. Yesterday it was gone, all the way gone! I can see my muscles again and I love it, the bloating is gone today as well. So...the VSL seems to be helping for that, but I'm having watery D and a lot of blood now. So...it's helping but making it worse? I wish i could somehow make my GI appointment sooner.

I keep having a weird pain/pressure feeling in my lower right abdomen, about right where the ileum would be located. It almost feels like something is stuck there. Right before I have to go to the bathroom, I'll have a strong watery girgling noise and I can literally feel liquid moving from the right side of my transverse colon to the left, then I get urgency and have to go.

Just rubbed some peppermint oil diluted with almond oil on my stomach to see if it helps. This disease is so confusing. Wish I had answers and a sooner doctor appointment :/