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New stomach pain

Posted , 3 users are following.

nic87
nic87

Hi guys,

This is my first post on here so bare with me! I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2013 after years of being too embarressed to see my GP, I'm used to the usual lower abdo cramps, spasms etc but the last couple of weeks I've had a pain higher up in my stomach, the best way to describe it would be it feels like someone is squeezing my stomach as hard as they can whilst pushing down at the same time. Along with this I feel sick 95% of the time I'm awake, with the smell of food making me even more nauseous. Although the smell of food makes me nauseous, eating is the only thing that seems to calm the pain without taking strong pain relief. 

Does anyone else have this problem, know what it could be or have any advice on what could help? I'm not normally a person to get down about anything including having Crohns but lately I just feel poorly and weak constantly!

Thanks in advance, 

Nicole

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Joyalb
    Joyalb nic87

    Posted

    Sounds like your liver, go t.o doctors or read up on bile salt malabsorption, I have this along with Crohns, I have 'morning sickness' but just retch, too much in depth to go into but your liver produces the bile ready for digesting any food but the Crohns stops it being absorbed, hence the urge to eat, see your IBD nurse for managing it 
    • nic87
      nic87 Joyalb

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I don't have an IBD nurse but I am due to see my consultant next week. I had weekly bloods for 4 weeks the last one being 2 weeks ago, will it show on my blood results??
    • Joyalb
      Joyalb nic87

      Posted

      Yes, I was admitted to A&E and ALL my bloods were tested in two hours, inflammatory levels up so you should know something and you must be prepared for lots of tests, scans as they need to know exactly where the swelling is, ask for the IBD nurse, they know more than your GP will! My Calcium levels are also up so there is 'active' stuff going on, hopefully the steroids may put me in remission for a while as my pain has stopped now but staying on the steroids for a few more weeks, good luck
    • nic87
      nic87 Joyalb

      Posted

      Thank you. I'll speak to my consultant Thursday, he's really good. Probably helps I know him quite well as I work at the hospital lol
  • sheila51371
    sheila51371 nic87

    Posted

    Hi Nicole

    I am so sorry you are feeling so low and in pain a lot of the time. I am afraid the pain of Crohn's is hard to live with and not only that it lowers your ability to cope with things down to 80% and lower, and you are constantly having to convince others that you are ok really. I had a marvelous Consultant with this and eventually got to see a Professor in St Marks London. I am interested to hear that smells affect you badly, I think it is part of the complaint, like people who have allergies to various things in the air, with us it is more what we are allergic to inside, like you I feel physically sick. My butterfly stomach I call it was slightly cured by taking Cholostyramine (Questran Light), 1 sachet a day, and hear I am 45 years later, still taking it, as a way to cope. The tiredness and lethargy is also something you have to deal with. It's constant pain that does that. When I have bad times I tend to stick with jacket potatoes and cheese with pineapple on top. I find that the pineapple and potato feeds and calms my system down. Try it and see. One of my big mistakes was chewing sweets continuously - not a good idea as the chewing mechanism wakes up your bowel and its waiting for food - not sweets!!!  I am a lot older than you but I hope this helps and if you want to know anything else. Please get in touch again. One thing I did forget is that you often suffer anemia and need iron. I have B12 injections which have sorted that out.  Best wishes and I will keep my fingers crossed for you.  Sheila

  • sheila51371
    sheila51371 nic87

    Posted

     I was just reading one of your replies, about the terrible pain in your back, I agree with Joyalb. I get a blocked bile duct sometimes, and there is no way you can get to the base of the pain. I usually get a supply of antibiotics to get around this. Another very important helper is don't eat pips of any kind - I cut them out of tomatoes, and cut out the sweet corn.

    Sorry to sound bossy, but it does help.  Sheila

    • nic87
      nic87 sheila51371

      Posted

      Hi Sheila,

      Thank you so much for your reply. The pain of Crohns isn't easy to live with but I try to remind myself there are always other people out there worse off than myself, especially as I work in a hospital so come accross them. My partner is amazing but he worries constantly and I know he feels bad when I'm in pain and theres nothing he can do to help.

      Going back to the smells, the smell of things i genuinely love and my stomach tolerates well are making me nauseous. For example, I cooked a roast chicken last weekend and put the leftovers in the fridge, the next day I opened the fridge and literally retched at the smell. I later ate the chicken in a sandwich for lunch, as long as I dont smell the food I'm eating its fine...

      Like I mentioned in my original post I'm not normally one to get fed up or dwell on the fact I have Crohns, I think lately I've let it get to me as its stopped me doing things more than usual. I had to take a month off work in Feb then my partner and I moved last month and I feel like I've been relying on him far more than I should be, he's been doing things I can do myself but just havent had the energy to do. He also has 2 children whom I love to bits but again I feel guilty as I dont have the energy to run around with them and be my normally happy self, to be honest I just feel like I'm letting them and myself down.

      Although I've always known I am not alone with Crohns disease I never realised how helpful and comforting it is to talk to others in my situation so thank you both for your replies!!

      Nicole x

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