Question about a one time episode...

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2004
Question about a one time episode...
10
Sun, 01-07-2007 - 11:52am

I've lurked here quite a bit and have read some interesting topics.  So I thought maybe someone here can help.


About 6 or 8 weeks ago I had this episode that scared me but because of well.. a long story in between, I haven't talked to my doctor about it.  This is what happend and I'll try to be as descriptive as I can, which won't be difficult because I can recall it like it was yesterday....


One afternoon I started having this pain in my left side that started right below my breast.  After about 5 minutes it got worse... then before I know it it was getting worse by the minute!  I ended up laying on the couch and the pain got so bad that I could barely breath!  Eventually I went into the bathroom thinking maybe I had to go ( I have IBD).  I started getting extremely hot and eventually managed to throw up.  But the pain didn't get better.  I tried laying in bed but that didn't help and it seemed like laying down just made it worse.  So I had the urge to walk.  I paced back and forth from the living room to my bedroom in excruciating pain.  I couldnt stand up straight and could barely breath.  But still my body had the urge to just walk so thats what I did.  My husband wanted to take me to the ER but it was so bad that I could barely talk.  Eventually, after about an hour of this.. sweating and in excrutiating pain.. I could literally feel as though something passed down from underneath my breast.... slowly down into my bladder.  And when I say literally I mean it.  I could feel something that felt like it dropped into my bladder and then it felt like it was weighing my bladder down.  After that the pain went away and the weight that I felt didn't hurt it was just a weird feeling.  I was so exausted that I layed down in bed and slept for 3 hours.  I woke up and felt fine again. 


At first my husband said it might be my appendix but thats on my right side.  Along with my gall bladder.  So then I thought maybe it was just gas!  Could that dropping feeling just have been a gas bubble? 


I'm wondering if anyone has ever experienced this before.  I haven't had this episode again but I'm still afraid it will happen.  Is this something I should still mention to my GI doctor?  Since I have IBD could it be something related? 


Thanks in Advance!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Sun, 01-07-2007 - 6:41pm

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Yikes Sarah, that definitely sounds like something to mention to your GI doctor. I have never had a similar incident and cannot even try to guess what it might have been, but you probably should have had your dh get you to the ER when it happened.


Not to cause more concern, but women don't have the same symptoms as men when we have heart attacks. The 'classic' symptoms don't mean a thing for women and unfortunately, many ER docs brush off our issues as being hormone related, or 'just' anxiety.


I don't have IBD, so I can't comment on whether or not it is related to that either. Please let us know what the GI doc thinks about it, OK?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2002
Sun, 01-07-2007 - 7:38pm

Sarah that just sounds like an awful experience and I don't envy you having to deal with it. Scary stuff. Since you're already being following for your IBD then I definitely would recommend you mention this at your next visit. However I think perhaps it isn't related to your IBD. Sounds more like gallbladder to me and those attacks are horrific when they occur for some people. However perhaps since you probably take immosuppressive type drugs for your IBD...it wouldn't be a bad idea to get your some liver function tests done as well....IBD drugs are notorious for causing liver function test results to be abnormal. Either way I guess I'm suggesting you get it checked out. You don't want something important to go untreated. Of course the kidney stone is also something to consider but generally that pain in high and in the back region. Good luck and please keep us posted.


Sandra

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2004
Sun, 01-07-2007 - 10:29pm

Thank you both for responding!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Mon, 01-08-2007 - 8:53am

If it should be something serious, will it show up in my blood work on Tuesday?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-24-2004
Mon, 01-08-2007 - 3:42pm

I just wanted to let both of you know that I talked to the nurse at my doctors office today about this.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Tue, 01-09-2007 - 1:04pm

I'm glad you decided to mention it! What is the Rx for? I'm sure you know this, but you'll have to get the Rx filled and not hold on to the paper script. Most pharmacies put a limit on how long you can hold on to an Rx, so you might want to call and check with yours. It would be awful to get that pain again, expecting to get that Rx filled, then learn that it was past its limit.


Like you said, hopefully you won't experience that pain again!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2004
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 9:49am

Eeekkk... sorry for the "hat"!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2002
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 10:54pm

Sounds great Sarah....the CMP for your info is a great lab test....it is very diagnostic and here's a link to what it covers. The amylase and lipase of course are both liver enzymes and these tests are to check if the liver is being over taxed by alcohol or in your case immunosupressants. Good luck and hope you don't have to use it either...but if you will be starting on Remicade you definitely will need baseline bloodwork.


Sandra


http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cmp/cmp.html

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-04-2005
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 8:56am

Thanks for sharing this info Sandra. I often wondered what certain blood tests are for and this info was helpful to me.


I have a liver function test done twice a year, based on the pain meds I take.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2002
Fri, 01-12-2007 - 7:47pm

Oh you're very welcome Elise. Glad you found it informative. Take care.


Sandra

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