Left Side Pain and Hardness

Hi I'm new DX IBD Undetermined type 12 yrs ago. Not on any meds at the moment for that. I started today having left sided upper quadrant abdominal pain and noticed right where it hurts the most I can feel a hardened mass so to speak. I'm pregnant and also have kidney stones. I got a stent out just two days ago on the left side but this pain feels different and I'm stone free on the left side now. Anyone had experience with this type of pain? It's pretty severe...like going to ER severe. I normally have left sided pain during bowel movements so tried that and didn't help instead I just got stuck in the bathroom unable to move from the pain I ate lunch and that's when the pain started. Thoughts? I have been on heavy pain meds from the kidney stones so have been constipated where as normally I go 15 times a day. But this pain seems pretty severe to just be constipation and I have been going over the past week just not every day

I don't normally deal with constipation but I do know that if you have pain that's bad enough for the ER (especially since you're pregnant) I'd go to the ER. You could be dealing with a partial obstruction that's causing the pain as food passes or could be a full obstruction if the pain is constant, I have no idea. In my opinion its always better to be safe than sorry. Its been over a full day now since you posted though so how are things now?

I'm feeling a little better. The pain seems to be worse after I eat. I will think I need to go to the ER and then it subsides. I Definetly believe I'm in a flare up. I have yet to gain weight this pregnancy (I'm 4 1/2 mths) where as with my son I had already gained 15 lbs by now. When I was pregnant with my son my symptoms improved, but it seems this time they've worsened. My last flare was last August where I took Prednisone tapering dose until it subsided. I am worried about a partial obstruction so do plan to go to my dr next week if I do not go into the ER before then.

You said that you're currently not on any meds but do you currently have a GI doc? You can let them know your symptoms over the phone and they will tell you to either come in and see them early, got to the ER, or order tests for you etc.

Check out the Parenting Subforum to see if there's any info that may be useful. I've never been pregnant so I can't help too much in that area as far as weight gain etc or what meds are ok during pregnancy. http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=45

I don't currently have a gi due to moving around with the army. I did go to my OB today as the pain was unbearable. They pretty much wrote it off saying I'm not running a fever and my vitals were ok. I nearly started crying. So I go "ok so I'm just suppose to be in pain? Can u at least refer me to a GI?" she was like yea ok but all they'll give u is Bentyl cux they won't be able to diagnose you while pregnant. I was like I already have a diagnosis IBD. I've been diagnosed for 12 yrs! (since I was 12!) and she Then responds well "all the do is give Bentyl for ibs anyway" Uh how that erks me! I kno IBS can be serious but that's not what I have I actually have inflammation hints the IBD diagnosis. So I still have no clue what's wrong and I have a script for this Bentyl crap I've never heard of. *sigh* I realize she's just an OB (an army one at that) but she didn't even order labs....just a urine (cuz of my kidney stones). I feel like they focus on my kidney stones instead of the real route to all of this: my IBD. The thing that causes the stones in the first place! Sorry for my vent I'm just so defeated and hurting!

I'd hold off on the Bentyl unless you know for sure it wont affect your baby. It says not to breast feed with that med and to tell your doc if you're pregnant. At least ask your pharmacist first. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000810/

Did they at least give you a GI referral? And no GI docs don't just prescribe Bentyl. That's laughable. I know there are some people on the forum who've been pregnant or are currently and that some are taking meds. If I were you I'd still make a separate thread about it (what meds are ok during pregnancy but your doc will likely help you with that once you actually get one and I hope you do soon).

I ended up taking the Bentyl because I'm desperate for relief. My OB prescribed and knows I'm pregnant obviously as well as the pharmacist so I going to assume its safe. She did put in for a GI consult but with the army that could easily take a few weeks to a month. Let's hope it's not an obstruction right? I'm so pissed about this appointment! I see my Midwife for my full apt on Friday so I plan to talk to her about it again then. I'll def post again as a more specific one to pregnancy thanks for ur help!

The only thing I find that semi helps is a warm bath but it can't be too hot so it doesn't cook my lil baby so it only helps for a little while I usually get severe pain in a flare but this is slightly different

TxArmyWife,
I am sorry you had to deal with a horrible appointment. It is so frustrating when you go to them for help and they seem to do the opposite - and it is worse when they do not listen.

I checked what I believe may be your drug. Bentylol (dicyclomine hydrochloride) from Aptalis Pharma, Canada Inc. If this is the correct thing it is an antispasmodic and is Pregnancy Category B at doses up to 40 mg/day (meaning you can supposedly take it in pregnancy).

It is an anticholinergic drug so there are some drug interactions to be aware of. I have attached the Prescribing Information:

http://www.aptalispharma.com/pdf/Bentylol-En.pdf

and more information

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000810/

Sorry I could not help more. I have had no experience with this drug.

Bath is fine during pregnancy as long as it is not too hot.
Feel Better,
J

I am sorry you are having trouble. I did to with my pregnancies. Alot of late night trips to the ER.
If thats what you need to do. Do it. Sometimes the ER docs are more aggrssive and after a few visits if not the first one will call a GI doc in.

Good luck!

Lauren

I would ring back and get that referral to a GI.. The Ob can tell you all she/he wants but I'd wanna hear it from the GI myself. Plus they should be more usnderstanding of IBS symptoms your dealing with . You and your baby is what's most important.
Be pushy, you have every right to see a GI.. x

Thanks. I go to my midwife this afternoon so plan to bring it up again. The pain is unbearable. Thankfully it does come and go (unlike kidney stone pain I've experienced in the past) so I do get some relief...eventually. I just get aggravated when medical professionals call it IBS and when I correct them (inflammatory bowel disease) they reply right "IBS." This is usually when I just drop the subject. I'm just not really sure what this pain is. It seems to be progressively getting worse and to be honest I cannot afford to be sick! I've already been in the hospital twice this pregnancy and undergone 3 surgeries just this pregnancy (I'm only 17 wks!) and I have a family and school on top of that. My only concern is my last scope was in 2008 :-/ blah being sick is never at a conveint time

Hang in there, and keep us posted.. Good luck..

Well my midwife was concerned so had me see an OB yesterday who just said my bowels were making a lot of noise so it's def my bowels causing the pain which is typical for IBS. So I corrected him like I'm always having to do lately and say I don't have IBS I have IBD which resembles Crohns. He then told me I needed to drink more water because my mouth was too dry. (easy to say for someone who isn't puking or pooping every 30 mins)
. He gave me a script for Percocet and said he'd try to hurry along the referral to the GI. If I wasnt getting better then to call ambulance or go to the ER. Keep in mind I was crying the entire appointment because I was hurting so bad. Im just very aggravated. I don't understand why they're comfortable giving me continued narcotics rather than something that could actually help the problem rather than prolong it

I'm just sitting here shaking my head for you!! It must be frustrating.. Did he say how long a referal takes? Hang in there, hopefully he comes through with this referal soon.:rosette2:

It's the army so could be a month before I get in. I'm hoping it'll be next week tho! A girl can sure wish.

Fingers crossed. x

Well I ended up in the ER we will see if they do anything for me

Hope you get some answers Txarmywife. Good luck mate. Keep us posted.

Hope the hospital staff will be able to do something for you. Keep us posted when you have a chance.

Hospital visit went better than I thought. Most of the time the doctors like to focus on my kidney stones since the pain is in the same location as stone pain. But both the resident and head doc actually listened to me and took me seriously when I told them the pain was different and like a flare. Because I'm pregnant they couldn't run any real tests besides blood work and an ultrasound. Saw my little bundle of joy who was busy sucking his or her thumb and perfect hubby kept askin if they saw a penis. (He's hoping for another boy) I'm 18 wks but they didn't tell us the sex boo ultrasound showed a healthy baby, no hydronephrosis of the kidney and no free floating fluid or abscess whic was good. Bloods came back ok which isn't surprising as I never show markers. I did have a UTI (get them regularly because of the stones) so they gave me Rocephin IV. After fluids, Morphine and Zofran and blood work they discharged me as "Active Crohns Flare" with Prednisonolone and Cefdinr (sp?) antibiotic. Told me to see my OB within 48 hrs so they can speed up the GI consult. The pain is still there but I haven't thrown up blood since last night.

Throwing up blood!? I don't recall you mentioning that. I wonder if its possible for them to do and upper GI scope while you're pregnant. Its possible that there could be bleeding ulcers in your stomach or around there. The Prednisone should help but I don't know what dose they gave and usually they only give it for about 10 days or so which may not be long enough. I really hope you can find and start seeing a GI soon. Keep us posted.

I just feel so defeated and caught in the system. I can't help but cry. I went to the OB as the ER told me to follow up in 1-2 days to hopefully speed up the GI referral. The dr I saw (it's a large practice for all of the army post with 30+ OBs, midwives, etc and you meet see the same dr for acute appointments) basically was like why are you here? I expressed my concern for still having to wait 2 weeks or more to see a GI and he said he couldn't do anything. I told him the pain has been worse particularly after I eat, still throwing up blood, and now going D 10-20 times a day. He basically said I was lying because my labs didn't show I was dehydrated and my vitals are normal...basically so suck it up cuz you're not really sick!! the ER only gave me 5 days of 40 my of pred. No taper...just 5 days. I don't see this helping me until I can get into the GI and obviously I can't count on the OBs to help me

The hell, isn't there somewhere else you can go? These people could kill you. Can you contact the person who handles referrals (the doctors just write them, they don't usually call up offices for you to go to) and let them know that its an emergency? I've had to contact the one here before (there should be a direct line) and was able to speak with them over the phone and they got what I needed done within the hour. Sometimes they are more understanding than doctors and listen to you when you talk about your general well being and even your life and the life of your baby for that matter.

I called the referral branch and my referral was approved. They gave me the office number of where I'm being sent to and I called and they didn't have authorization or anything. With Tricare you have to follow the referral process just so or they won't pay for off post care. I will call again tomorrow and express my concern and my symptoms. My husband said I needed to complain. It's this one woman and then her husband who I saw today that treat me this way! Apparently even talked about my case with someone else because Friday when I went in and my Midwife sent me to acute care, the lady at acute care said "oh yes I know her. Dr. XYZ said we can't help her she has to see her Urologist." that's when I burst out crying saying "it's not my kidneys!!" why do they focus so much on vitals instead of the patient in front of them?? I'm still feeling so crummy but as though no one cares. It's depressing! Plus with my pregnancy hormones I'm an emotional wreck today

Ya I'd try calling the referral office again to try and speed up the process cause this isn't a regular referral case, its more of an emergency. Even crying over the phone helps (unfortunately). Maybe even try calling your insurance company?

Txarmywife, I wish I could slap them for you.. this husband and wife team..
Stay strong and like crabby said ring them back tomorrow.. Sending you a big hug! :hug:

GI apt scheduled for Monday