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I’m having pain like it’s another partial obstruction. It started yesterday and went away (7 out of a 10 scale). Tonight it came back again and it’s the same thing. I took some tums and gas-ex thinking it’s gas. It is usually like this when I get an attack - it’ll come and go until it hits full blast, in a few days time.

I’ve had multiple obstructions and partial and have just had many health issues (mostly auto-immune associated with my colitis). It’s just tiring! I need to vent! Now I’m dealing with drug induced lupus bc of the Humira and had to stop that.

Anyway, so I’m laying here, only able to take Tylenol bc the doc says IBprofen will do bad things to my pouch… but let’s face it..Tylenol does nothing to take the edge off. In the back of my head I have a back up plan for when I go to the hospital, if I can drive myself, if my hubby has to drive me, who can take my kid, if it’s the middle of the night, etc

The last time I went to the ER bc of obstruction pain, my surgeon saw the scans after and saidno obstruction🤷‍♀️ So the horrible pain I was feeling WAS an obstruction and it cleared before they did the scans or it was all in my head? Now I feel like an idiot and less likely to go.

MISC: I also have a brain aneurism that I am waiting to get surgery in July so I hate going to the hospital if I don’t need to. I was there literally last month with a horrible migraine and it turned out to be nothing super serious (just a mad migraine).

Soo…. do I wait out to pain at home or go in if it gets rough? I have 3 oxy from my last discharge that I can take of the pain gets excruciating but I will only take them if it gets horrible. I just don’t know what to do.

Last edited by Bubba1028
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Partial obstructions can be very difficult to see with imaging studies. Obviously it was real.

For the current problem, are you able to drink water? Are you well-hydrated, with light-colored urine? Are you able to hold down liquids with some nutrition, like grape juice? Are you vomiting? Are you still producing stool and/or gas?

A partial obstruction will usually clear on its own, but it’s important to stay hydrated, even if it takes an IV. A complete obstruction is a big deal.

Bubba, you sure have a lot on your plate! You are in good company as I know of no one who enjoys trips to the doctor, and especially the ER. Scott summed things up pretty well.

You have experience with this. If you can keep fluids down and have stopped all solids, it seems OK to wait and see if things sort themselves out or progresses to a serious obstruction. Tylenol isn’t going to do anything for this sort of pain. You are better off with a heating pad on your belly and self massage.

You will know if things get to the point getting yourself to the ER. But, the choice is yours. Only you know what your tolerances are.

Jan

Last edited by Jan Dollar

I am sorry about your suffering dear.

Whenever I had obstructions with my ostomy, I always went in no matter what. The doctor said I always did the right thing by coming in. I think its better to be safe than sorry. I always like to plan for the worse, that way I am always prepared and ahead.

A few tips for the future for possible prevention:  Drinking water before, during, and after every meal. And moving around after eating. Those tips help me always. A lot of people say those tips work for them as well. I hope this helps for the future.  

Would definitely recommend going to the hospital. Hope everything is okay, keep us updated

Thanks for your replies. A partial obstruction can still give you output I believe. Either way it is painful, no doubt about it.

This entire weekend I’ve had pain on and off which is really weird- makes me think it’s just gas. Today it’s bad enough (this morning and I obviously haven’t eaten anything all night) where I can’t really stand up straight. I called my surgeon to see what she suggests. It’s not going to hurt to tell her what’s going on- she said to call! I mean I don’t have any other organs down there besides lady parts and those won’t cause this pain! It’s not kidney stones - I’ve had those and this isn’t that pain!

I’ve been pushing the liquids like you all have suggested but I’ll see what she says. I did get hungry but did keep it to soft foods like plain pasta and bananas etc. Fingers crossed we figured it out. Maybe adhesions?

@Bubba1028 posted:

Thanks for your replies. A partial obstruction can still give you output I believe. Either way it is painful, no doubt about it.

This entire weekend I’ve had pain on and off which is really weird- makes me think it’s just gas. Today it’s bad enough (this morning and I obviously haven’t eaten anything all night) where I can’t really stand up straight. I called my surgeon to see what she suggests. It’s not going to hurt to tell her what’s going on- she said to call! I mean I don’t have any other organs down there besides lady parts and those won’t cause this pain! It’s not kidney stones - I’ve had those and this isn’t that pain!

I’ve been pushing the liquids like you all have suggested but I’ll see what she says. I did get hungry but did keep it to soft foods like plain pasta and bananas etc. Fingers crossed we figured it out. Maybe adhesions?

Your welcome, hope you feel better.

No obstruction. Nurse just called to tell me results but said doc will call me in the AM to discuss once she reviews. So why does it feel like someone punched me in the stomach? I mean something must be going on.

CT scan showed kidney stones but they weren’t big enough to obstruct. And that’s not where my pain is- it’s not in the side/back. My pain is stomach/abdomen. I’m at a loss.

Back in 1992 when I got my J Pouch  I was told by my surgeon that we are prone to kidney stones, and to maintain a proper level of hydration. However I never had any kidney stones in 29 years with a J pouch. I think there are genetic factors that predispose one as well. But the bottom line is they are prevented and combatted with excellent hydration hygiene.

Last edited by CTBarrister

Hi Bubba. Am I correct in thinking it is the kidney stones that have been causing your pain? And have things improved with increased hydration?

Also, I'm very curious about the lupus syndrome  you experienced following Humera and specifically how it has affected you (or is it effected? I can never remember the difference!). I felt like I was the only one on this forum who has experienced it. Humira seems to be a gods send for most people.

Thanks.

@Bubba1028 posted:

Yes you are correct. I believe people who have familY members who have them are also more likely to have them. I saw my doc today and I have a total of 11 kidney stones! Ugh! Need to drink more! Hopefully they pass on their own.

I would suggest in telling your doctor to putting you on Pottassium Citrate ASAP! Potassium Citrate helps to decrease kidney stones and even stop them from forming. I suggested it to someone on this forum before But I do not remember who it was, I believed it worked for her. My dad takes Pottasium Citrate 4x a day dosage of 1080mg and he has not had a kidney stone since. I would definitely suggest that medicine

Humm he didn’t mention the potassium citrate at all bit he did mention for me to swap my calcium carbonate that Intake for my bones (thanks to the years of prednisone) to calcium citrate so maybe that’s similar. He said it helps flush stuff out with the benefits of keeping the calcium. I’ll ask the next time I’m there. They’ll be doing another ultra sound in a month or two to see if they’ve grown/ passed. Im hoping that’s what the pain was from but the doc wasn’t sure. He says the stones were still in my kidneys so he just said “ they will be uncomfortable when they pass” but didn’t say if I’m actively passing them. Kind of obscure. I think I was so shocked as he counted up how many I had I didn’t know what to ask! I had a stent put in for some stones a few years back so at least he said we were there yet. These are able to be passed at this point.

jhendrix- as for the lupus- I don’t have any symptoms at all. The only reason I had to go off it was bc my blood work indicated I had high ANA, Histone levels, and a few other things. And my rheumatologist checked my blood work several diff times to be sure bc she didn’t want to take me off it. It’s drug induced meaning as soon as I go off it, my levels should go back to normal. I can go back on another drug like Stelera. I have tried Cimzia and Entivio and both failed- Cimzia worked well for a while though. Keep on trucking I guess. But other than that I feel good..

Kidney stones can be made of different materials, depending on what’s going on in the body. There’s even more than one kind of calcium stone. The proper treatment depends on the kind of stone, the wrong treatment can make it worse, and it’s best to ignore glib, uninformed treatment instructions. In particular it’s tricky when you’re trying to get more calcium into your bones but less calcium into your urine, and this balancing act benefits from thoughtful medical attention. The general recommendation to stay properly hydrated at all times seem to be reliable for most of us, though.

yes they did test the stone to see what type I had. Doc said to add citrus drinks like OJ and  cranberry which will help with my type of stone.

I also did a 24 hour urine catch to see how much urine I outputted. I outputted 400 CCs the average person outputs 2000 CCs. So I need to drastically increase. Ugh.

He said “well, if you drink more, I know you’ll go have more stool, and who wants to go like 8x a day, but it’s worth it in the long run.” And here I’m thinking, 8x a day? I’d be lucky if I did that! I go 12-15x! I know it’s not his area but he’s got no idea. Lol

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