Question regarding bowel blockages

Do bowel blockages start from a flare?

I was reading back on my chart and I have had partial blockages back in 2008, 2011, and may 2012. They obviously fixed itself each time. All three times they were in different spots. From my small bowel to my large bowel.

I have not ad a BM since last Friday morning. I been having constant ache cramps and sharp pain that comes in goes associated with nausea and vomiting. I'm starting to think I have another blockage. My stomach looks like I'm 6 months pregnant. ale:

I'm no expert but there can be a number of reasons. Don't think it's necessarily due to the start of a flare, but over time there can be narrowings in the bowel because of scar tissue building up which can cause a blockage, or it could just be eating food that doesn't digest well.

I would certainly get yourself checked out though as it does sound like the symptoms of a blockage.

i would get yourself chexked too, sounds like it could be a blockage, they will be able to tell, Are you on an opieates?

No..I'm only on tramadol (non narcotic ) and zofran. Was suppose to start Humira in a week. I called and left a message with GI.

I had several partial obstructions in the past that were caused by external scar tissue from many abdominal surgeries that prevented the bowel from moving normally and so it would get kinked up. You may have internal scarring in the bowel from past flares.

Definitely get it checked out!

i find the more opeiates i am on the worse i get with non movement and i hurts alot x
hope your GI has some answers and gets u sorted
x

I have had a lot of stomach surgeries. My appendix, gallbladder and a c-section. My one chart said I had folding in the large bowel? Ever heard of that?

Is it possible to have the starting of a blockage with nausea and on and off pain but its not "complete" to cause dying pain? Don't get me wrong...I'm in a lot of pain but I feel it could always be worse.

Odd thing is...I'm SEVERLY bloated, no BM since Friday, no gas passing but I don't feel I need to go?? Just pain by my belly button and pain all over my small intestine (only when pushed). I will note I have only been eating 1x day because I found when I eat it makes everything worse.

I would call your GI doc and let him/her know. They can run a CT scan or something that can tell if you have an actual blockage or not. Also, I know that Zofran constipates the hell out of me, I cant take that stuff at all. Have you tried any laxatives?? I mean maybe you should not do that until you speak with your GI though, just in case there is a blockage. I would call your doctor.

Fosterfamily2303 said:

I have had a lot of stomach surgeries. My appendix, gallbladder and a c-section. My one chart said I had folding in the large bowel? Ever heard of that?

Is it possible to have the starting of a blockage with nausea and on and off pain but its not "complete" to cause dying pain? Don't get me wrong...I'm in a lot of pain but I feel it could always be worse.

Odd thing is...I'm SEVERLY bloated, no BM since Friday, no gas passing but I don't feel I need to go?? Just pain by my belly button and pain all over my small intestine (only when pushed). I will note I have only been eating 1x day because I found when I eat it makes everything worse.

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A flare can cause a blockage, but so can other things, including scar tissue from your previous surgeries. I hope your GI gets back to you quickly. If the pain gets unbearable, go to the ER.

I hope you get some relief quickly.

My blockage was partial and occurred during the worst of my illness. I was on prednisone and flagyl at the time. I also experienced distension in my stomach like I was six months pregnant. I was still having bowel movements and they were surprisingly normal probably because of the prednisone. I was young and didn't recognized the signs and ended up in the ER with a perforated bowel. I was in so much pain and my white blood cell count was through the roof. I never saw ER people move so fast. It took some time to find the perforation - like two weeks. It was small and in an area that was so scarred and inflamed. I had a resection of that area. Please get to a doctor as soon as possible.

Yes, I had a partial blockage and still had bm's. The build up of scar tissue over the years, wasn't even flaring at the time. But between the bloating it caused, I just knew something wasn't right, and when they x-rayed the GI told me it that I might as well have the surgery then, as it would happen soon enough with the amount of stricturing I had. You definately need them to check it out.

My GI sent me for an emergency CT. They sent me home and said doc would call me first thing. So I assumed no blockage? I do have a history ..on my chart says mild ileus? and Slight prominence of the post bulbar duodenal folds. Each time I had that they did noting...so unless I have that again and they feel I'm ok to deal with it at home? I'm so confused to if its that or a flare? My SED rate was slightly elevated (only by 2 numbers) and my CRP rate was normal. My last colonoscopy in jan showed no current information but biopsy confirmed IBD.

Any thoughts?? Sorry and thanks for all the help!!

When you say on my chart was that for this ct scan or previous?
Sed and CRP indicate you are not having a crohn's flare but that doesn't mean you aren't having a blockage or partial blockage.
Mild ileus suggests a small portion of your bowel is "paralysed" and not moving food along as it should. However I am not a medical expert so you should get your gastro to explain exactly what it means. Ileus is common after a resection which is why they restrict food until there is evidence the bowel is working. It can cause pain, distention and vomiting/nausea so maybe this is what is happening to you again.
Its very frustrating having to wait for doctors to get test results, but he is the best one to explain it all to you. I hope it resolves itself soon and you don't need hospital or surgery. All the best,

annawato said:

When you say on my chart was that for this ct scan or previous?
Sed and CRP indicate you are not having a crohn's flare but that doesn't mean you aren't having a blockage or partial blockage.
Mild ileus suggests a small portion of your bowel is "paralysed" and not moving food along as it should. However I am not a medical expert so you should get your gastro to explain exactly what it means. Ileus is common after a resection which is why they restrict food until there is evidence the bowel is working. It can cause pain, distention and vomiting/nausea so maybe this is what is happening to you again.
Its very frustrating having to wait for doctors to get test results, but he is the best one to explain it all to you. I hope it resolves itself soon and you don't need hospital or surgery. All the best,

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Yes sorry from pervious ct scans . Odd because the ileus was reported through my small and large bowel . I wounder what causes "temp paralyzed"? And I wounder why it keeps happening? Thanks a lot for the helpful information!! I def have lots of questions for the doc. And yes..my symptoms to the exact dot as you exscribed !

If you are worried that you are having a blockage ore paertial blockage or Ileus it could be worth following a liquid or low residue diet for a few days. This might help ease the pain until you see our doctor. In the wiki section of the forum there is info regarding low residue diet or you can click on the underlined words in this post to take you there. I can give you more info in a liquid diet if you are interested.

While I don't think they would have sent you home if you had an obstruction, it really depends on whether a radiologist was there to read it at the time you had the CT, or if they had to sent the CT out to a radiologist to read. I second the idea to follow a low residue or liquid diet for now, just to make things easier on you.

I hope you hear from the GI quickly.

LindaS said:

While I don't think they would have sent you home if you had an obstruction, it really depends on whether a radiologist was there to read it at the time you had the CT, or if they had to sent the CT out to a radiologist to read. I second the idea to follow a low residue or liquid diet for now, just to make things easier on you.

I hope you hear from the GI quickly.

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Each time I had ab obstruction (or the ileus ...not sure it's considered a blockage) they sent me home.

annawato said:

If you are worried that you are having a blockage ore paertial blockage or Ileus it could be worth following a liquid or low residue diet for a few days. This might help ease the pain until you see our doctor. In the wiki section of the forum there is info regarding low residue diet or you can click on the underlined words in this post to take you there. I can give you more info in a liquid diet if you are interested.

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I basically am following that now. I only eat once a day as I feel eating makes the pain worse. The only thing I found that does not hurt is white rice. But if I eat a lot of it then it does.

wow, I did not know you could have a blockage and have Normal formed BM's. My gastro doc said You would Not have normal BM's and that usually you are not able to pass gas even... How can you have a blockage and still have a normal formed BM??? How would the stool even get through the blockage?? Just curious... Oh, also does one vomit if they have a blockage??

Kimberly1967 said:

My blockage was partial and occurred during the worst of my illness. I was on prednisone and flagyl at the time. I also experienced distension in my stomach like I was six months pregnant. I was still having bowel movements and they were surprisingly normal probably because of the prednisone. I was young and didn't recognized the signs and ended up in the ER with a perforated bowel. I was in so much pain and my white blood cell count was through the roof. I never saw ER people move so fast. It took some time to find the perforation - like two weeks. It was small and in an area that was so scarred and inflamed. I had a resection of that area. Please get to a doctor as soon as possible.

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I have all the symptoms of a of a blockage...came to find out I ave a 4 cm cyst on my ovary.

Wow, did they say that is what is causing your symptoms??

Yes and I may need surgery

Ihurt~

My blockage was partial so that explains stool passage. I also had a small perforation, so tiny they said it could hardly be seen. They know it was there though because to this day I have barium in my body cavity where it leaked out during the the studies they did to diagnose me. It was odd the way it happened. I did not vomit but was in such severe pain I can't even describe it - I tell people it was clawing at the sheets, biting on a strap, kind of pain. The stricture I had was in the ileum. My theory is that once the waste got through that partial blockage where the pain was, the rest of the bowel, the large intestine did it's job properly, absorbed what it had to, and everything came out normal. I never had any disease in my large intestine. it was very concentrated. I was really fortunate not to have it in multiple places. I think the terrible pain was more from the perforation than the partial blockage.

Oh wow, that sounds so awful.. and so painful! I am so sorry that happened to you!! I have not even been diagnosed, I am still going through the whole motions still, but that scares the hell out of me. I mean it seems like over here anyhow that the doctors are not so hot. I mean I went to the ER three weeks ago in severe pain in my lower pelvic area or lower intestines. They did a CT scan and said it did not show anything so they discharged me. I mean later on I found they actually "did" find something. They found uterine fibroids, one which is a decent size, but neglected to tell me this. But ya know, I had to beg for the CT scan. Because I was not vomiting, and I had no fever and my bloods were normal they were just going to send me home on that. I always worry that if something really bad happens( like what happened to you), they totally would miss it here I am sure... It is so scary. Thank God you had someone with some brains that was able to find your issue. Sorry you went through that....

Kimberly1967 said:

Ihurt~

My blockage was partial so that explains stool passage. I also had a small perforation, so tiny they said it could hardly be seen. They know it was there though because to this day I have barium in my body cavity where it leaked out during the the studies they did to diagnose me. It was odd the way it happened. I did not vomit but was in such severe pain I can't even describe it - I tell people it was clawing at the sheets, biting on a strap, kind of pain. The stricture I had was in the ileum. My theory is that once the waste got through that partial blockage where the pain was, the rest of the bowel, the large intestine did it's job properly, absorbed what it had to, and everything came out normal. I never had any disease in my large intestine. it was very concentrated. I was really fortunate not to have it in multiple places. I think the terrible pain was more from the perforation than the partial blockage.

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Thanks. I am doing really well though.

It took me some time to find my way to great doctors, but they are out there. Where are you located? The key is to find a great GI doctor and make him your GOD!

Fosterfamily2303 said:

Yes and I may need surgery

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Sorry to hear that. I guess it maybe blocks your bowel from time to time so causing all your problems. But I've heard ovarian cysts can be painful in their own right.
Did the doctor mention any signs of inflammation or ileum in the bowel or is that all clear?
I hope it can be resolved soon.
Kimberly I had partial blockages like that and the pain was unbelievable at times, i can only imagine how bad it would be with a perforated bowel as well.
:heart: anna

Fosterfamily2303 said:

Do bowel blockages start from a flare?

I was reading back on my chart and I have had partial blockages back in 2008, 2011, and may 2012. They obviously fixed itself each time. All three times they were in different spots. From my small bowel to my large bowel.

I have not ad a BM since last Friday morning. I been having constant ache cramps and sharp pain that comes in goes associated with nausea and vomiting. I'm starting to think I have another blockage. My stomach looks like I'm 6 months pregnant. ale:

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Sometimes. You could have some narrowing from a prior flare up. If things ultimately pass through and the symptoms don't return, then you most likely do not have a flare up, and ate something you shouldn't have. From what you describe though, a doctor should check this out. Hope you're feeling better soon!

So I used mirlax, stool softner and an enema with NO BM STILL just lots of belly pain and nausea and vomiting. I do hear belly noises though while I haven't for a while.

I am from Chicago IL. I have seen many doctors here ( a lot not so hot). I have a pretty good primary care doc, but she is limited. My gastro doc is the nicest guy, but I think he is kind of laid back in a way. His bed side manner is wonderful though which I have noticed a lot of doctors lack...

Kimberly1967 said:

Thanks. I am doing really well though.

It took me some time to find my way to great doctors, but they are out there. Where are you located? The key is to find a great GI doctor and make him your GOD!

Click to expand...