Convince me it's not appendicitis please?
November 21, 2015 12:40 PM Subscribe
For the last 48-72 hours I've had this mild nagging pain in my lower right below my gut. It's also been on the left a bit. My right shoulder has been in quite a bit of pain but, I put that down to my job. I took some aleve for the shoulder and it's got me backed up a bit (constipated). Also my stools have been rather hard for a week or two. My father also has ibs and I hear it's hereditary. The pain lasts for less than 1 second before it is gone. Other possible causes might be my new recumbent bike, pore posture, falling down the stairs a week ago etc. I also work a job pushing shopping carts and bending down to put water cases under peoples carts so I may have just pulled a muscle doing that. Am I being totally paranoid thinking this might be appendicitis? Or would it have escalated by now?
Response by poster: Damn now you got me more worried. I've lost 25 pounds since september and i hear that is a contributing factor to gallbladder
posted by mamamia88 at 12:51 PM on November 21, 2015
posted by mamamia88 at 12:51 PM on November 21, 2015
That's a serious amount of weight loss and I'd go see a doctor. Especially with the other symptoms you describe.
posted by paulcole at 1:16 PM on November 21, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by paulcole at 1:16 PM on November 21, 2015 [4 favorites]
Drink a lot of water over the next 12 hours, a quart and a half. Get some miralax, use the recommended amount , get something going on down there. Twenty pounds over three months is not so radical if you were very heavy to begin with. Right? So get your regular plumbing doing what it should do. Do not take herbalife to lose weight, that will tank your gallbladder. Avoid antihistamines until you get regular again.
But if you got a hernia moving heavy objects that can get contorted, and become a problem.
posted by Oyéah at 1:21 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
But if you got a hernia moving heavy objects that can get contorted, and become a problem.
posted by Oyéah at 1:21 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Do you have insurance through your job? Sometimes insurance agencies have a free nurse line listed on the insurance card that you can call.
posted by en forme de poire at 1:26 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by en forme de poire at 1:26 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
IANAD, but I would not be worried in this situation, and I really think you should take a deep breath and try to talk yourself down from some of this anxiety.
Here are my completely non medical professional thoughts:
I had symptoms of a possible gallbladder attack although an ultrasound more than a week later didn't show it. However, according to my doctor, the symptoms were textbook: Onset after a heavy/fatty meal, pain went from mild to severe over about 30 minutes or so. I had shooting shoulder pain and acute pain in my abdomen, particularly in the right upper quadrant (I think; this was a couple years ago). What I remember most vividly, however, was that it was excruciatingly painful and lasted for several hours.
I've never had appendicitis, but from anecdotal evidence, it usually escalated a lot faster than this. Nausea and vomiting were also present.
Some questions that you may want to answer for the sake of these answers or at the very least be clear on if you do go see a doctor:
You say the pain in your stomach only lasts for a second before its gone. How frequently does it happen? There's a big difference between pain that lasts one second but is happening every couple seconds for an hour versus pain that lasts a second and doesn't recur for another couple hours.
Is this tied in anyway to what you eat or when you eat it? It's my layperson understanding that gallbladder problems are much more likely tied to meals, especially fatty/greasy meals.
Like I said, IANAD, but to me this sounds like something that is much more likely to be tied to musculoskeletal pain due to any number of the things you listed here or maybe even something gastro intestinal like gas or tied into being constipated.
One thing I would do in your situation is to stop taking the aleve (or any other NSAID) unless the shoulder pain is so severe that you can't deal with the pain without taking the aleve (in which case, yeah, see a doctor). Not only can aleve cause constipation, it can also cause other general GI symptoms (heartburn, bloating, gas, etc). If you stop taking the aleve, it will also be easier for you to know whether your symptoms are getting better or worse without you having to wonder if the aleve is contributing.
Also, regarding the shoulder pain, is that constant or intermittent? Is it tied to the timing of the stomach pain? It sounds like from your question it's more of a constant, which again, leads me to believe it is a muscle thing.
Personally, I wouldn't go to a doctor unless the symptoms worsened or if it continues to be an issue after a week or two. Of course, IANAD/IANYD. I would also be much more inclined to see a doctor if the pain continues and you have nausea/vomiting.
Additionally, although I don't want to be dismissive of your symptoms, it seems like you may have a tendency to catastrophize physical symptoms based on this question. What leads me to say that is you seemed to be concerned about diabetes which seemed like a huge stretch based on your symptoms and the other more likely causes. That's not to discount your experience; I'm just trying to reassure you that it's much more likely this is your brain jumping to a worst case scenario.
When I find myself in this head space (and for me it's tied to being anxious about other things), I like to remind myself of this saying: When you hear hoofbeats in Texas, think horses, not zebras (or something like that). I've heard it most often used in medical situations to say, don't jump to the super rare/obscure diagnosis when there are much more common diagnoses that match the symptoms.
Oh, and regarding the weight loss: Were you trying to lose weight on purpose? Did you change your exercise or eating habits? Were you at a normal weight before the weight loss? If you haven't changed anything about your eating or exercise habits, then yeah, I would see a doctor about losing 25 pounds in two months for no discernible reason, but I wouldn't run off to an ER just for that.
Apologies for the length. I guess I'm just feeling long winded today, but hopefully some part of this is helpful
posted by litera scripta manet at 1:28 PM on November 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Here are my completely non medical professional thoughts:
I had symptoms of a possible gallbladder attack although an ultrasound more than a week later didn't show it. However, according to my doctor, the symptoms were textbook: Onset after a heavy/fatty meal, pain went from mild to severe over about 30 minutes or so. I had shooting shoulder pain and acute pain in my abdomen, particularly in the right upper quadrant (I think; this was a couple years ago). What I remember most vividly, however, was that it was excruciatingly painful and lasted for several hours.
I've never had appendicitis, but from anecdotal evidence, it usually escalated a lot faster than this. Nausea and vomiting were also present.
Some questions that you may want to answer for the sake of these answers or at the very least be clear on if you do go see a doctor:
You say the pain in your stomach only lasts for a second before its gone. How frequently does it happen? There's a big difference between pain that lasts one second but is happening every couple seconds for an hour versus pain that lasts a second and doesn't recur for another couple hours.
Is this tied in anyway to what you eat or when you eat it? It's my layperson understanding that gallbladder problems are much more likely tied to meals, especially fatty/greasy meals.
Like I said, IANAD, but to me this sounds like something that is much more likely to be tied to musculoskeletal pain due to any number of the things you listed here or maybe even something gastro intestinal like gas or tied into being constipated.
One thing I would do in your situation is to stop taking the aleve (or any other NSAID) unless the shoulder pain is so severe that you can't deal with the pain without taking the aleve (in which case, yeah, see a doctor). Not only can aleve cause constipation, it can also cause other general GI symptoms (heartburn, bloating, gas, etc). If you stop taking the aleve, it will also be easier for you to know whether your symptoms are getting better or worse without you having to wonder if the aleve is contributing.
Also, regarding the shoulder pain, is that constant or intermittent? Is it tied to the timing of the stomach pain? It sounds like from your question it's more of a constant, which again, leads me to believe it is a muscle thing.
Personally, I wouldn't go to a doctor unless the symptoms worsened or if it continues to be an issue after a week or two. Of course, IANAD/IANYD. I would also be much more inclined to see a doctor if the pain continues and you have nausea/vomiting.
Additionally, although I don't want to be dismissive of your symptoms, it seems like you may have a tendency to catastrophize physical symptoms based on this question. What leads me to say that is you seemed to be concerned about diabetes which seemed like a huge stretch based on your symptoms and the other more likely causes. That's not to discount your experience; I'm just trying to reassure you that it's much more likely this is your brain jumping to a worst case scenario.
When I find myself in this head space (and for me it's tied to being anxious about other things), I like to remind myself of this saying: When you hear hoofbeats in Texas, think horses, not zebras (or something like that). I've heard it most often used in medical situations to say, don't jump to the super rare/obscure diagnosis when there are much more common diagnoses that match the symptoms.
Oh, and regarding the weight loss: Were you trying to lose weight on purpose? Did you change your exercise or eating habits? Were you at a normal weight before the weight loss? If you haven't changed anything about your eating or exercise habits, then yeah, I would see a doctor about losing 25 pounds in two months for no discernible reason, but I wouldn't run off to an ER just for that.
Apologies for the length. I guess I'm just feeling long winded today, but hopefully some part of this is helpful
posted by litera scripta manet at 1:28 PM on November 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Yeah trying to lose weight on purpose. And i'm not worried about diabetes because i had it tested a month ago for work and was fine. Oh and this could easily be caused by stupid bs I brought on myself. Like right now I'm trying this while my entire body is slanted to the left with my keyboard and monitor on the right.
posted by mamamia88 at 1:38 PM on November 21, 2015
posted by mamamia88 at 1:38 PM on November 21, 2015
I've never had appendicitis, but from anecdotal evidence, it usually escalated a lot faster than this. Nausea and vomiting were also present.
My appendix ruptured when I was a kid. Inasmuch as I recall, I had a nagging, aching pain in my lower right abdomen for a couple days. Like bruise. I was up and walking around and able to play, no problem. Didn't even mention it to my parents. On about the third or fourth day, I woke up feeling sick and had a low-grade fever. My mom called my paediatrician, he suggested bed rest and fluid etc. Two hours later it ruptured. It was the most agonising pain I've ever felt; makes it tough to describe. Suffice it to say, and I mean this absolutely literally, I screamed with all my power for two minutes straight. Obv. after that I went straight to the hospital, had emergency surgery, and was in there for 10 days.
I am not a doctor, I have no idea if you're suffering from appendicitis. But it doesn't necessarily cause nausea in the early stages. I'd get it checked out.
posted by Diablevert at 2:30 PM on November 21, 2015 [3 favorites]
Odds are, if it was IBS, you'd have had some indication of it before now.
The shoulder could be related or it could be something else completely - when did that start?
No idea if it's appendicitis. Not to be alarmist (although of course it will come across this way :/) or add fuel to the anxiety fire, so please mostly IGNORE THIS - mentioning it just in case, on the extremely slim chance it might apply - heart attack symptoms in women are subtle and weird, and that's where my non-medical mind sort of went. (NB: I have medical anxiety.)
I think the far greater probability is that it's a minor and temporary gut thing + overuse injury in the shoulder.
All that's really to say that I think calling a nurse line is an extremely good idea, as is seeing your GP at the next opportunity, if it doesn't improve. If it gets tremendously worse tremendously fast (a la Diablevert's experience), ER.
posted by cotton dress sock at 3:30 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
The shoulder could be related or it could be something else completely - when did that start?
No idea if it's appendicitis. Not to be alarmist (although of course it will come across this way :/) or add fuel to the anxiety fire, so please mostly IGNORE THIS - mentioning it just in case, on the extremely slim chance it might apply - heart attack symptoms in women are subtle and weird, and that's where my non-medical mind sort of went. (NB: I have medical anxiety.)
I think the far greater probability is that it's a minor and temporary gut thing + overuse injury in the shoulder.
All that's really to say that I think calling a nurse line is an extremely good idea, as is seeing your GP at the next opportunity, if it doesn't improve. If it gets tremendously worse tremendously fast (a la Diablevert's experience), ER.
posted by cotton dress sock at 3:30 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
This doesn't sound like appendicitis. Anecdotal evidence, but I was vomiting a lot when I had it and the pain was constant, it didn't go away.
However, it does sound like you need to go to a doctor.
posted by tooloudinhere at 3:31 PM on November 21, 2015
However, it does sound like you need to go to a doctor.
posted by tooloudinhere at 3:31 PM on November 21, 2015
Your symptoms really don't sound like appendicitis to me, either.
When I had appendicitis, I had several days of constant aching in my lower abdomen, which then switched to more intense pain halfway between my bellybutton and right hip. (The location is important.) Shortly after the pain got worse, I puked and nearly passed out on the stairs, which finally convinced me to go to the ER.
posted by belladonna at 4:42 PM on November 21, 2015
When I had appendicitis, I had several days of constant aching in my lower abdomen, which then switched to more intense pain halfway between my bellybutton and right hip. (The location is important.) Shortly after the pain got worse, I puked and nearly passed out on the stairs, which finally convinced me to go to the ER.
posted by belladonna at 4:42 PM on November 21, 2015
Best answer: heart attack symptoms in women are subtle and weird
I am a doctor, but not your doctor, and this isn't medical advice, I wasn't even going to weigh in on this question, but I can 100% reassure you that pain in the lower right part of your abdomen is not heart related. It's the furthest part of the torso away from the heart, separated by many other organs. Heart attack symptoms in women are subtle and weird, but not THAT subtle and weird! (I'm also not sure that you are a woman or whether you're 20 years old or 80 years old, which makes a big difference in terms of the possible causes of abdominal pain for you)
Other points:
- You should see a doctor if this is bothering you. If you ask the internet stuff like this you're inevitably going to find information leading you to believe that your symptoms are cancer or heart attacks or whatever, whereas if you just saw your doctor they could tell you whether your symptoms are even worth worrying about and what tests need to be done to ensure you are healthy. It's a much better way to get reassurance. There is someone on call for your primary care office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so if you start worrying after hours, call that person, that's what they're there for.
- I can answer the general question "can appendicitis take several days before it escalates?" Absolutely. I see people who have appendicitis diagnosed after several days of symptoms all the time. I don't remember ever seeing anyone with appendicitis who described a pain that lasted "less than one second" (appendicitis is infection and inflammation and thus generally causes a constant, gradually worsening pain). But I definitely would not be comfortable trying to convince you that your abdominal pain is nothing serious with this limited information.
- You posted about having shoulder pain in May 2015, i.e. 6 months ago. Just putting that out there. Hope you've gotten it looked at since then!
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:51 PM on November 21, 2015 [9 favorites]
I am a doctor, but not your doctor, and this isn't medical advice, I wasn't even going to weigh in on this question, but I can 100% reassure you that pain in the lower right part of your abdomen is not heart related. It's the furthest part of the torso away from the heart, separated by many other organs. Heart attack symptoms in women are subtle and weird, but not THAT subtle and weird! (I'm also not sure that you are a woman or whether you're 20 years old or 80 years old, which makes a big difference in terms of the possible causes of abdominal pain for you)
Other points:
- You should see a doctor if this is bothering you. If you ask the internet stuff like this you're inevitably going to find information leading you to believe that your symptoms are cancer or heart attacks or whatever, whereas if you just saw your doctor they could tell you whether your symptoms are even worth worrying about and what tests need to be done to ensure you are healthy. It's a much better way to get reassurance. There is someone on call for your primary care office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so if you start worrying after hours, call that person, that's what they're there for.
- I can answer the general question "can appendicitis take several days before it escalates?" Absolutely. I see people who have appendicitis diagnosed after several days of symptoms all the time. I don't remember ever seeing anyone with appendicitis who described a pain that lasted "less than one second" (appendicitis is infection and inflammation and thus generally causes a constant, gradually worsening pain). But I definitely would not be comfortable trying to convince you that your abdominal pain is nothing serious with this limited information.
- You posted about having shoulder pain in May 2015, i.e. 6 months ago. Just putting that out there. Hope you've gotten it looked at since then!
posted by treehorn+bunny at 4:51 PM on November 21, 2015 [9 favorites]
FWIW, my son was sick for two days with what seemed to be a stomach issue - there was a lot of it going around at the time. Low fever that came and went. He's a stoic kid; he never really complained, but something kept nagging at me. He finally mentioned that the pain was sort of lower central abdomen (not on the right but my mind kept saying "appendicitis"). I took him to the emergency room, and even the doctor there didn't think it was serious. Until his results came back. And a few hours later he was having an appendectomy.
Again, FWIW, I thought I was having a reflux issue (GERD runs in my family) for three days. I was okay during the day, but lying down for sleep - I had such pain/pressure just under my breastbone and no OTC medication was helping. When my husband finally convinced me to go to the hospital (I was pacing the floor at 1am in such pain) I had an episode of vomiting before we left the house. Upon getting to the hospital, I realized that the pain sort of wrapped around my middle, though more severe on the right. A few hours later, I was having emergency gallbladder surgery.
I guess all this is to say - if it bothers you enough to seek advice here, go to the doctor. I was too stubborn to think something "bad" was wrong with me; my son was too stoic to say he was in pain. Don't wait too long to get reassurance or help, with whatever may be bothering you.
posted by annieb at 5:51 PM on November 21, 2015
Again, FWIW, I thought I was having a reflux issue (GERD runs in my family) for three days. I was okay during the day, but lying down for sleep - I had such pain/pressure just under my breastbone and no OTC medication was helping. When my husband finally convinced me to go to the hospital (I was pacing the floor at 1am in such pain) I had an episode of vomiting before we left the house. Upon getting to the hospital, I realized that the pain sort of wrapped around my middle, though more severe on the right. A few hours later, I was having emergency gallbladder surgery.
I guess all this is to say - if it bothers you enough to seek advice here, go to the doctor. I was too stubborn to think something "bad" was wrong with me; my son was too stoic to say he was in pain. Don't wait too long to get reassurance or help, with whatever may be bothering you.
posted by annieb at 5:51 PM on November 21, 2015
Yeah this: The pain lasts for less than 1 second before it is gone.
Plus the absence of a low-grade fever really points towards something other than appendicitis if you ask me (not a doctor).
Acute pain like you describe can often be muscular in origin; is there a noticeable trigger, does it occur if you are lying down still?
posted by smoke at 5:58 PM on November 21, 2015
Plus the absence of a low-grade fever really points towards something other than appendicitis if you ask me (not a doctor).
Acute pain like you describe can often be muscular in origin; is there a noticeable trigger, does it occur if you are lying down still?
posted by smoke at 5:58 PM on November 21, 2015
From my experience after losing weight on a low fat diet, it sounds like gall bladder. Watch the fatty foods and stress since they can bring on an attack. Think about what you've eaten before the pain starts appearing. That may help you hold off any more pain until you can get in to the Dr.
See the Dr. They can quickly determine if that's it and get it out almost as quickly. Not having a gall bladder isn't that big of a deal. Don't put it off like I did until I was rocking in pain at the ER waiting for the morphine to kick in or end up with the gallstones stuck in the bile duct.
posted by OkTwigs at 7:17 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
See the Dr. They can quickly determine if that's it and get it out almost as quickly. Not having a gall bladder isn't that big of a deal. Don't put it off like I did until I was rocking in pain at the ER waiting for the morphine to kick in or end up with the gallstones stuck in the bile duct.
posted by OkTwigs at 7:17 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Gallbladder pain, for me, wrapped around my chest/upper to middle back/ribcage and didn't let up for hours. It was difficult to endure, even with heating pads and eventual hydrocodone. It made me vomit -- to the point that I found out what real projectile vomiting is.
I will stress one more time: if you are concerned about SOMETHING, see a doctor. But to this non-doctor who is now missing a gallbladder, your issues sound nothing like the many, many gallbladder attacks I experienced.
posted by St. Hubbins at 7:44 PM on November 21, 2015
I will stress one more time: if you are concerned about SOMETHING, see a doctor. But to this non-doctor who is now missing a gallbladder, your issues sound nothing like the many, many gallbladder attacks I experienced.
posted by St. Hubbins at 7:44 PM on November 21, 2015
As a side bit of anecdata. Not the shoulder pain but the lower abdomen pain is consistent with what I experienced with my appendicitis. It never burst so I was fine, never got to vomiting or any other symptoms. . It was strange enough that when I chatted with my Mom (a nurse) she had me go into the ER just because of the weirdness and I had pretty good health coverage. Unless your concerned with your insurance this is something I'd get in about. If it's nothing you'll get sent home but at least you'll have peace of mind.
posted by bitdamaged at 8:16 PM on November 21, 2015
posted by bitdamaged at 8:16 PM on November 21, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it gets worse, you get a fever, start vomiting, etc, then I'd head to the ER as gallbladder can also become an ER thing. Otherwise I'd get into a GP as soon as you can.
I've posted before, but all my gallbladder tests were normal and it took a while to get mine out. But shoulder pain was one of the major issues.
posted by Crystalinne at 12:46 PM on November 21, 2015 [3 favorites]