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Pain for months

Posted , 9 users are following.

Twinster
Twinster

I have only been on this forum once before and received good advice so I'll try again. Last Friday I was diagnosed with DD by CT scan with contrast. I do not feel unwell or have had any bouts of diarrhoea or constipation but have had intermittent pain( not debilitating) for months. Lately it has become more frequent on a daily basis. It is mainly left hand side but can go all across the abdomen particularly when I walk. My appetite is normal and I take acidophilus 3 billion daily, plus aloe vera. It is now beginning to get me down as I really don't know what to do or where to go with this. My GP said no concerns but I'm sure you should not have pain daily. I have forgotten what it is like to feel 'normal" across the abdomen! I'm not sure if I've ever had a flare up but have not ever been given any antibiotics and the Consultant I paid privately to go see said eat anything you want. I do stick to a very high fibre diet and drink loads of water but I still get the pain. I do suffer from anxiety which does not help. I am not worried that it is anything sinister but I just wish the pain would go away. Any advice would be appreciated particularly as I'm on a cruise in a couple of weeks and would like to feel somewhat normal as can be with this disease. My GP is very good and I am seeing her on Tuesday about the pain.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • emma69977
    emma69977 Twinster

    Posted

    Try going on liquid diet for a few days, then slow introduce low fiber food , goes against all we are told,  but your insides need a rest, hospital gave me this advice, no pop...Keep taking the probiotic a,

    And  64 ounces water.  Know what your going through, take care

  • susan95516
    susan95516 Twinster

    Posted

    I have been like it for a year   Always have some sort of pain in the left side sometimes worse than others. I take fybergel mabevarine and a probiotic tablet everyday but still the pain never goes away completely. I was really worried at first  but now I have got used to it   My GP is really good but I don't think they know very much about DD   I hope this has helped. 

  • ruby05542
    ruby05542 Twinster

    Posted

    Read my other detailed posts. You should have been given antibiotics. Diet while pain should be clear liquid. After several days, very low fiber until pain goes away, then increase fiber SLOWLY. Probiotic.
    • Twinster
      Twinster ruby05542

      Posted

      Thank you Ruby. I will read your other posts. They told me I could not have antibiotics as no inflamation or infection according to blood tests. I will talk to my GP on Tuesday about them.
  • alexandra62000
    alexandra62000 Twinster

    Posted

    Unfortunately what you describe is not uncommon. It doesn't take much to upset things and cause pain which can then be a real problem to overcome. Anxiety and stress will certainly upset your delicate digestive balance so try to relax as much as you can. In terms of diet, the fibre must be the right type, so look up soluble fibre, and avoid skins, seeds, pips and nuts. I seem to have low grade discomfort a lot of the time, and then suddenly i have a period free. Don't get complacent and let your diet rules slide when you have good times however.

  • alexandra62000
    alexandra62000 Twinster

    Posted

    I agree with Susan, the pain doesn't completely go away, but it doesn't mean you have an infection or that you need antibiotics. DD is an inefficient and damaged colon, so processing food is not always going to be trouble free unfortunately. Avoid hard to digest foods like red or processed meats, and maybe try some home made veggie soups too, blended smooth.

    • Twinster
      Twinster alexandra62000

      Posted

      I used to only have the pain Intermittently but the last few weeks it has been pretty constant. It could be that my CT scan results took 3 weeks to get back to me which caused me no end of anxiety. I had previously had one in February which showed appearances of likely DD. I don't eat processed meats but haven't really changed my diet so I think it is a must now. I appreciate your advice and Susan's but I hope I can have some pain free days in the future.

  • cecilmccecil
    cecilmccecil Twinster

    Posted

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes your colon tries to kill you. I put up with it for a long time until it reached out and attached to bladder giving me a 24/7 UTI from HELL. Then I had no choice but to have my sigmoid colon removed. 

    I had it done at Stanford, the team there does 3 of them a day. They did it Laparoscopicly. It was still a nightmare. avoid surgery at all costs, but find some good surgeons who do this every day in case you need to have it done.

    I also found that clavamox stopped the pain, because with me the DV caused an internal infection. Once I took the clavamox I was 100% OK up until the DV attached to my bladder.

  • suzanne73924
    suzanne73924 Twinster

    Posted

    You have got all the advice these good people gave me, I've been pain free for nearly 2 weeks following their advice. I haven't wanted to take antibiotics constantly so have tried manuka honey with good effect...

    • Twinster
      Twinster suzanne73924

      Posted

      Yes i will take the advice these good people have suggested as i do not want to live with daily pain. How long should the liquid diet be for? I have read about manuka honey and will try that as well. The reply from Cecil above freaked me out but hopefully that is a rare complication. Thanks for the advice from everybody.
  • janice26479
    janice26479 Twinster

    Posted

    I agree with everyone about going on a liquid diet for a few days.

    But I am wondering instead of you seeing a GP maybe you should see a Gastroenterologist.  They might be able to pinpoint exactly what is going on.

    That is my thought after how long this has been going on.

    I feel for you, it is not pleasant.

  • nessmcd
    nessmcd Twinster

    Posted

    Hello, after months of lower left hand side pain (DD diagnosed March this year) I saw a dietician who put me on a low Fodmaps diet, and within two weeks the pain had gone. I am now at the stage of slowly introducing some higher Fodmap foods.

    I still get some pain when bending but am ok to put up with this; such a relief not to have the constant pain.

    The advice about not eating seeds, nuts and skins is apparently outdated and no longer medically recommended although many people on this site do avoid them. Everyone is different, I certainly need to avoid meat.

    Hope that things will improve for you, and that you will enjoy your holiday.

    • Twinster
      Twinster nessmcd

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your kind advice. I am tending to get pain most days now mainly on movement, walking / bending. I am trying the liquid diet for a few days but must confess to being hungry. The pain is low level discomfort and does not stop me doing anything ( except worry! !) It is mainly left hand side but sometimes I can feel it on the right. I do not feel ill at all, have no temperature etc but just wish I could have a pain free day as it is constantly on my mind day and night which is not good. I am seeing my GP Tuesday and may ask to see a gastroenterologist privately for some advice. Many thanks to you as I feel quite alone with this. I am just slowly recovering from health anxiety after the death of my brother in law who I loved dearly so this has not helped at all as there seems to be no end to it. I will get there eventually and will enjoy my cruise. Thank you once again.
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