# Stomach cramps



## Suze (Aug 14, 2009)

Do you ever get them? What do you do to ease the pain?

I've been getting them quite frequently lately and they usually last from everything to 1 up to 10 hours. It's _so_ painful and it bothers me alot. I can't stand up straight when it's at its worst. I wonder if I may be allergic to a certain foods, but I really have NO idea what this is

(This has nothing to do with "that time of the month".)


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## thatgirl08 (Aug 14, 2009)

I suggest calling your doctor, but just as some suggestions of what it may be - 

Do you ever get sick from it (vomiting, diarrhea, bad acid reflux)? I used to get _terrible_ stomach cramps and I couldn't figure out what was wrong until I started having really bad diarrhea, which I know is gross, BUT, this is the health forum and all.. and, turns out, I was lactose intolerant. I don't always get sick if I eat it but I almost always get stomach cramps, which is why it was hard to find the culprit because I didn't always react. If you're experiencing any of those type of symptoms, it probably is something you've ate. You may want to start by eliminating certain things from your diet and seeing if it gets any better.. start with common allergens.. milk, nuts, wheat, etc. 

Is it possible it's muscular? If you've been doing a lot of exericse you could be tearing a muscle or pulling something or maybe just working too hard.


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## Crystal (Aug 14, 2009)

*gross alert*

I know this will sound disgusting, but...maybe your intestines are impacted.

I have a few female problems, and along with those come digestive problems as well. I have a horrible time trying to use the bathroom and do not go every day like most people. I have to take Miralax sometimes (a colorless, odorless powder that you mix into water) in order to get my bowels moving. It works really well, is over the counter, and it has no taste. You can mix it into any drink and it works wonders. 

If I do not drink this at least once a week, I have HORRIBLE stomach cramps. I can't move, I can't find a position that eases the pain, and it's terrible.


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## thatgirl08 (Aug 14, 2009)

It may also be gas, which could be caused by a few different things but most likely something you're eating.


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## Suze (Aug 14, 2009)

Yeah, health related stuff can be really gross. Sometimes I wish this board was private!
It's sometimes vomiting combined with this (and I usually feel like throwing up everytime it happens). I doubt it's gas, since I don't... ok yeah I'll leave it there..
Good advice thatgirl08, I'll try eliminate stuff from my diet and see how it goes. It would break my heart to give up yogurt nuts, though ;(
Crystal, I'm going to the doctor next week, originally for some other stuff, but I can bring that up for her as well.

Thanks so far!


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## FA luver (Aug 14, 2009)

i used to get stomach cramps, they can be cause by stress, but the most likely cause is not going to the toilet when you need to....


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## Miss Vickie (Aug 15, 2009)

Suze, I'm glad you're going to go see your doctor. I wouldn't even know what to suggest because abdominal pain can be literally anything... gall bladder, pancreatitis, blockage, irritable bowel, ulcer, even stuff relating to our ovaries. Sure, allergies are possible, as is a stomach bug.

Definitely try to go to your doc with as much information as possible. What triggers it? Is there a pattern? What helps? What kind of pain is it -- stabbing, dull, achey, etc.

Let us know what your doctor says. I hope they can get you treated ASAP.


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## Suze (Aug 15, 2009)

Miss Vickie said:


> Suze, I'm glad you're going to go see your doctor. I wouldn't even know what to suggest because abdominal pain can be literally anything... gall bladder, pancreatitis, blockage, irritable bowel, ulcer, even stuff relating to our ovaries. Sure, allergies are possible, as is a stomach bug.
> 
> Definitely try to go to your doc with as much information as possible. What triggers it? Is there a pattern? What helps? What kind of pain is it -- stabbing, dull, achey, etc.
> 
> Let us know what your doctor says. I hope they can get you treated ASAP.


thank you, i will!


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## katorade (Aug 15, 2009)

How long have you had these symptoms? Do you notice them after eating anything in particular? Like thatgirl said, you may be lactose intolerant, or you might have IBS. You may have an intolerance to gluten and you might want to ask your doctor about Celiac disease and whether or not you may have other symptoms of it that don't necessarily link up in your mind with abdominal issues. 
Only reason I'm going there is that you said the abdominal cramps are accompanied by vomiting on occasion, and that you don't think it's just gas. I wouldn't be worried about that as an immediate expectation, because there's a myriad of things that can cause cramps and vomiting that are technically harmless, but it's definitely worthwhile to look into it just in case. Even if it's just a mild intolerance, some of the routines Celiac sufferers go through may help, specifically removing gluten from their diet. Could be that you would see benefits from even just limiting your intake rather than cutting it out completely.


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Aug 15, 2009)

Sounds like gal bladder to me. It sounds like the symptoms I had before I had mine out. Please ask your Dr. to check for stones.


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## Suze (Aug 20, 2009)

Hey, guys

Just a quick update:
Saw a doc today and must say I'm very disappointed. She didn't suggest running any tests or anything. What she _did_ do was basically asking me if i have a binge eating disorder. 

Doc: You must learn not to eat so much & fast
Me: Erm.... I don't have an eating disorder.
Doc: Well, you probably wouldn't have these problems if you ate correctly.
Me:  & 


*sigh* I've never been treated that way since childhood. She suggested i should come back if it got worse. In that case I'll use my regular doctor. She's usually awesome.


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## Miss Vickie (Aug 20, 2009)

Wow, that's very disappointing. I thought physicians were supposed to actually ASK about the pain, not make assumptions about what's causing it.  If this continues, it definitely warrants a trip to your regular doc. Are they in the same practice?


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## katorade (Aug 20, 2009)

Your response should have been "I'm sorry, I thought we made it through the dark ages and you made it through medical school so we could do something other than make wild guesses about what's wrong. The way this is going I could use a dart board for my diagnosis and I wouldn't even have to report it to my insurance."


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## Sandie_Zitkus (Aug 20, 2009)

Oh this pisses me off!

Make sure you tell your regular doctor how you were treated. And please see someone, pain like this should not be ignored.


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## MsGreenLantern (Aug 20, 2009)

Okay here are my suggestions: As someone who has had IBS for many years now, that ain't it. IBS is either diarrhea or constipation, it isn't stomach, though often people seem to be unsure of what is cramping, their intestines or their actual stomach. 

What I would look into: 
~Gluten, yes I agree! Gluten intolerance could totally cause your symptoms. I hope for your sake this isn't the one though, foods without gluten make cooking harder and snacks more expensive @[email protected] I'm glad I tested negative.
~GERD, if your stomach is making a ton of acid, you could be dealing with a big old ulcer in there. My acid reflux makes me nauseated once in a while if I don't have it under control, and it makes little ulcers in the back of my throat if it gets to that point as well.
~Spasms! That's right. A lot of people can have chronic spasmodic organs in their digestive system. If that is the case, food will not digest at all, or it will go through way too fast [out whichever up or down direction is more common to your body]. This one is the easiest to fix, just some antispasmodic pills!

You're not pregnant are you? I was told cramping and vomiting were early signs... like first month stuff.


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## Suze (Aug 21, 2009)

Miss Vickie said:


> Wow, that's very disappointing. I thought physicians were supposed to actually ASK about the pain, not make assumptions about what's causing it.  If this continues, it definitely warrants a trip to your regular doc. Are they in the same practice?


nope, they work at different places. the one i go to, practice on a private hospital and i don't really have the money to pay for that right now. it's probably worth it, though. this scared me a bit, so i don't want to have another disappointment. 


katorade said:


> Your response should have been "I'm sorry, I thought we made it through the dark ages and you made it through medical school so we could do something other than make wild guesses about what's wrong. The way this is going I could use a dart board for my diagnosis and I wouldn't even have to report it to my insurance."


that would have been a perfect response! too bad I'm not sarcastic when I'm stunned



Sandie_Zitkus said:


> Oh this pisses me off!
> 
> Make sure you tell your regular doctor how you were treated. And please see someone, pain like this should not be ignored.


yeah, it's the first doctor-person in ages that have acted that way
i'll tell her. it wouldn't surprise me if she called that hospital. (if that's allowed). she's our family doctor, so i really think she *do* care.

thanks gals :happy:
(i had to cut down on the images because of the rulez. )


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## Suze (Aug 21, 2009)

MsGreenLantern said:


> Okay here are my suggestions: As someone who has had IBS for many years now, that ain't it. IBS is either diarrhea or constipation, it isn't stomach, though often people seem to be unsure of what is cramping, their intestines or their actual stomach.
> 
> What I would look into:
> ~Gluten, yes I agree! Gluten intolerance could totally cause your symptoms. I hope for your sake this isn't the one though, foods without gluten make cooking harder and snacks more expensive @[email protected] I'm glad I tested negative.
> ...


Snacks more expensive? Seriously, that's baaad news ;'(
I'll write down everyone's suggestions and bring it up for her. There's a lot of good advice here!


> You're not pregnant are you? I was told cramping and vomiting were early signs... like first month stuff.


NO. WAY.


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