Appendicitis Fear

[constantworrier]

Hi all,

I have had a bad bout of IBS recently, lasting three weeks so far. It has brought back my appendicitis fear cos i keep getting intermittent pains on right hand side of abdomen. I spoke with my GP who said i would have known about it by now if it was my appendix. He also said he didn't believe in "grumbling" appendix...appendicitis is an acute condition...you either have it acutely and are in agony and require appendectomy, or you simply don't...it doesn't just come and go.
I am confused now because i know a few people who say their appendix "grumbled" for a while before it became "proper" appendicitis. Maybe the "grumbling" wasnt anything to do with their appendix...and the fact they went on to develop appendicitis was just coincidental?
I guess i should believe the doctor...he is the expert...i wondered if anyone else had experience of appendicitis and could clarify what it's like...? I'm also scared to death of surgery ...of feeling pain either during or afterwards.

Thanks,

Best regards,


CW

:)

[Toffeeapple]

When I was little I got a really bad "grumbling appendix", and they thought they would have to operate but they didn't in the end. I remember missing quite a few weeks from school though.
In fact I'd forgotten about this until I read your post, but look I've still got it and I'm now 32! Touch wood that it stays where it is as well!! :)
Otherwise my sister got appendicitis when she was 16, and it started with really bad heartburn and belching, and then an excruciating pain in the pit of her stomach (just above her belly button), that bad she couldn't stand upright properly, and I made it worse by offering her a herbal tea and then she started vomitting. When the doctor came the pain had moved to the right handside of her lower belly and he got her admitted to hospital straight away.
I can tell you that this was in the space of a few hours (about 8 hours from the very first heartburn).
The operation went well anyway, it's really quite easy, and she recovered quickly.
Don't worry, I believe the doctor when he says "you would know by now if it was appendicitis". It all happens very quickly so don't worry.
This is no good, as I'm writing this, the right hand side of my lower stomach is rumbling and there's a slight pain there!! :scared15:

[Toffeeapple]

By the way you do know that you can get pain on the right side of your stomach with IBS don't you?

[belle]

I have IBS and my pain is generally over the left side (where the colon is i believe). I have niggles on my right side and think nothing of it. I put it down to IBS.

x

[countrygirl]

I hope my post about my having my appendix out a few days ago hasn't triggered your fear.

There is great divide in the medical profession regarding grumbling appendix.
Strictly speaking acute baterial infection of the appendix is a sudden life threatening condition that needs operating on and this does not grumble! but it is also possible to have a problem with your appendix that is not caused by infection and may never be life threatening but causes attacks of pain same as bacterial appendicitis.

My son had 5 yrs of attacks of severe pain around belly button with vomiting - he was rolling round the floor that lasted about 12 hrs. This happened 3 times a year. Whenever he went into hospital they did a blood test to determine if he was fightin infection and when that came bck clear the attacks were put down to colic. Finally after 5 yrs his last attack took him into hospital again and his blood test showed slight infection. By this time he was compeltely pain free but they operated and had a good look around as well and the only thing they found was a slightly pink appendix????? They were not convinced that this was the problem but removing it cured his pain attacks once and for all.

My friend had similar attacks that only lasted about 5 hrs and again no sign of any infection - eventually they operated just to eliminate appendix from diagnosis and found her perfectly healthy appendix completely adhered to her bowel - the pain was coming from bowel spasm but the cause of the bowel spasm was her appendix - so one healthy appendix causing pain.

I am in similar situation - there was no sign of any infection but they operated anyway and found a exceedingly long badly scarred appendix which may or may not have been cause of pain only time will tell but something was wrong for it to be badly scarred.

I have to say that my fear of hospitals operations and anything medical will be just as bad as yours but it wasn't anywhere as bad as I feared.

HOpe I haven't worried you any more but just trying to explain your Dr's attitude he is quite right that acute bacterial infection of the appendix cannot grumble and the other appendix problems are unlikely to be life threatening.

[slavetoanxiety]

By the way you do know that you can get pain on the right side of your stomach with IBS don't you?

can I just ask, Is the pain on the right side constant with IBS or does it come and go.

sorry to butt in on the post

regards

Slave

[Oceana9518]

I had my appendix out 2 years ago, i had been to the doc numerous occasions cuz of pain in my stomach, she said IBS. i developed appendicitis ( this was like a year later) and the doc said it couldve been rumbling appendix. The pain started at 7 pm as a feeling in your torso resembles feeling very bloated and basically felt like when you eat your food wasnt going all the way down. I then went to bed, woke up went ot work next morning, despite being in pain, i was aparently gray, and couldnt walk as i was bending over to do so. i was only sick once... my main symptoms was that i basically couldnt have a bowel movement, or pass wind. But every ones different. Went into hosp and had op same day, out within 3 days. Trust me if it was appendicitis you wouldnt be able to move. Seriously hun. You gotta bear in mind that if something was to happen, then your treated as an emergancy so you will receive the immediate attention you require :) docs and nurses are there to help you, and if you get really bad then call nhs helpline? helps me when i feel ill:) even if i want to double check .. hope this helps
Emma x
xx

[constantworrier]

Hi all,

Thankyou all for your replies.

Toffeapple, my pain has never been so bad that i cant stand properly, nor been constant. It is a pain that comes and goes....only lasting for a couple of minutes maybe, then disappearing for a few minutes...even hours, then happens again. My pain to be honest has probably niggled me right from childhood...which doesn't match with a sudden onset described.

Bluebell, i also suffer with IBS....the spasmodic nature of this is guess would match with episodic pains as the bowel contracts irregularly or too forcefully??

Country girl...your post did not resurrect my appendicitis fear. To be honest, reading it, i was relieved to find that somebody could have an appendectomy, survive it and indeed be walking about six days later...so it actually helped, thanks. I have regular bouts of fear...to be honest whenever i get a pain on the right hand side to be honest...I suppose it goes back to my childhood when any tummy ache was immediately "diagnosed" as appendicitis by my parents (they are NOT doctors)...cos they had both had their appendixes out...they seemed to think i would be next.

Slave, if it is just IBS i have, then my pain comes and goes. I guess everyone's experience of IBS is different though...i have known people with IBS who have constant pain...with others it comes and goes.

Emma, thanks for sharing your experience...it does sound like i would know about it if i had appendicitis and even with grumbling appendix....it wouldn't go on for in my case, 20 years or so and not come to anything?


When i was young, i had a general anaesthetic and remember vomiting soooo badly when coming round...i worry therfore that i am allergic to anaesthetics maybe?...This has led to the other problem this pain causes me: I get a pain in right hand side...I panic and think "Oh God, this is it...appendicitis"...then i get scared to eat...in case i need surgery and my having eaten either delays surgery...and my appendix bursts in the meantime...or i am operated on despite having eaten...and i am sick under anaesthetic...and choke!!! I often don't eat properly for hours even days just in case "this is it this time"...A no win situation huh?....yes .... i know...i am catastrophising...its easy to see this now when the pain isn't too bad....it seems so real though when the pain is here.

To challenge this thought process..... i suppose that anaesthetics have improved in the last 20 years and don't cause vomiting like they used to...?...Has anybody else found this to be the case?

Thanks,

CW

[countrygirl]

I have had 4 short anaethetics in my life up until this biggie with the appendix op and I always came round quickly and had no side effects so was expecting same from this op BUT this time I got massive doses of morphine IV as well in recovery room and for first time ever I was very sick about 5 hrs after the op. This was total suprise to me and told nurse that I had never been sick before and she said it was the morphine that had made me sick and alot of people cannot tolerate the two together - anaethetic and morphine but are fine individually. I also felt very very dizzy for 12 hrs after op but again told it was morphine. I refused the morphine pump they give you post op and sure enough 12 hrs later I could see straight again.