Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The list of things that can cause belly aches is very long- it includes "gas,", infectious enteritis, partial or complete obstruction, kidney or gall stones, PUD, hernia, appendicitis, pancreatitis, diverticulitis ("left sided appendicitis"), perforated viscus, ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy, ruptured aneurysm and even metabolic problems like porphyria....
The immediate problem is to determine whether it's an acute problem needing immediate intervention or if you can take time to observe & test more. As others have said above, failure to act in a timely manner can result in perforation, peritonitis, sepsis or bleeding out.
Our brains aren't programmed to tell what's gong on inside our bellies very well-- so pain often doesn't become "localized" over the actual spot of the problem until later in the course when the inflammation becomes so great that it actually irritates the inside of the belly wall over the problem organ.
OP, when I was in the Army (many years ago) one Saturday I experienced pain in my abdomen. As the day went on, the pain got worse. I was a combat medic and new it had to be my appendix. One thing we were taught was to lie down on the floor, put your feet together and keep you legs straight, arms by your side. You then lift you left leg only about 6-12 inches off the floor and let it down, repeat with the right foot. Usually you can lift the left foot no problem but if you are experiencing appendicitis then it just about becomes impossible to lift the right foot without sharp pain.
In my case the right foot was a no go and I knew I had to get to the ER before my appendix ruptured. I got to the ER at 8pm and I remember them starting IV's and woke up at 4pm Sunday, the next day.
Doctor told me I was very lucky as they rushed me into surgery and the appendix was ready to rupture on me.
Did they test for diverticulitis? If you have pain very low, especially if it is on the left side. You might want to visit the ER. In my case, the pain came and went, then came back with a vengeance. I knew I had pain along with cramps, but I did not realize how tender my low left side was.
You don’t want to mess with diverticulitus, or apoendicitis.
Wow, appendicitis is an emergency for sure. I've had kidney stones too, and they felt exactly the same; couldn't tell which it was without imaging. Both were emergencies, with sepsis on the way. I'm glad that little sucker is gone.
It's never a good idea a to blame a belly ache on anxiety...I have strong suspicions about that office's medical competence if they mentioned "maybe appendicitis" and "come in tomorrow" in the same conversation.
To clarify, I was talking about two different offices. Both are relatively close, but we prefer the first one because our primary doctor. It wasn't him I spoke to on the phone, but I know all the physicians there and who spoke to me.
I mentioned the symptoms to the other one and they said if the pain persists, to come back in on Thursday and they can try to figure out the cause.
The pain is a lot less worse than it was during the last couple of days. I took one of my prescribed medications for anxiety and have finally been able to sleep and also feel good enough to drive myself. If the pain comes back like it did before, we'll for sure get it checked out again ASAP.
Did they pump you full of antibiotics? I had what I now know was appendicitis and went to the ER. The doctor said that it might be a kidney infection and pumped me full of antibiotcs. A year later the "kidney infection" returned so I didn't go to the ER. My appendix burst and I was in the hospital for about 10 days.
There is such a thing as acute appendicitis and chronic appendicitis. Both can kill you.
OP, when I was in the Army (many years ago) one Saturday I experienced pain in my abdomen. As the day went on, the pain got worse. I was a combat medic and new it had to be my appendix. One thing we were taught was to lie down on the floor, put your feet together and keep you legs straight, arms by your side. You then lift you left leg only about 6-12 inches off the floor and let it down, repeat with the right foot. Usually you can lift the left foot no problem but if you are experiencing appendicitis then it just about becomes impossible to lift the right foot without sharp pain.
In my case the right foot was a no go and I knew I had to get to the ER before my appendix ruptured. I got to the ER at 8pm and I remember them starting IV's and woke up at 4pm Sunday, the next day.
Doctor told me I was very lucky as they rushed me into surgery and the appendix was ready to rupture on me.
Good luck, do not put this off.
Wow - very interesting - thanks for sharing!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
