Horrific Bowel Cramping :(

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Hey all

Have I got a sob story to tell you all about for some sympathy!

At about 10pm last night I got crippling bowel cramp pain and thought “oh better go to loo”. Went up there and got contraction style cramping which knocked the wind out of me, was doubled over on loo yelling like I was giving birth, waves of nausea, cold sweat all over, felt like I was going to pass out and hyperventilating from pain. Diahorrea from hell left right and centre. This went on about every 10 minutes for an hour, then every half an hour or so all through the night, until it was all just water and blood coming out. Yes, there was blood in ALL of it.

Stupid me thought it’d just stop and get easier so I put up with it until 6.30am when I just said “enough, I can’t take any more, we’re going to A&E, this level of pain is not right”

By then my whole bowels and lower back felt bruised from it all, severely agonising.

A&E - 6 attempts to get a cannula in before successful, a codeine and paracetamol for pain, a bowel examination which hurt like hell with him saying “Is there pain on the inside or the outside” and I’m going “Oh, errrrm, BOTH”, clutching the metal rails of the bed.

Bloods came back OK, WBC a bit low but had last taxotere tues, so expected.

Sent off with Codeine and Paracetamol and told if it gets bad again or frequent then I’ll probably have to be admitted to keep an eye on things.

I daren’t eat anything it was so painful to pass :frowning: I’m drinking water, have chemo mouth though, checked and it’s not thrush this time but still horrible and most things taste vile.

So what a night, the pain was excruciating. I thought I was going to pass out on the floor.

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That sounds absolutely horrible, poor you, sending a big virtual hug! I hope that it gets better today, and you don’t get a repeat, but if you do - Straight to A&E and don’t pass go! Not worth taking the risk. xx

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Hi Kat - I have Crohn’s so I can totally empathise (that does happen to me) and yes, you were right to go to A&E with that if it got that bad.

If you have any co-codamol or codeine at home, take it quickly next time as it slows down peristalsis (the cramping of the colon) so the pain/production of “issue” is lessened - that’s why codeine is a cause of constipation. Did they do an AXR (abdominal x-ray)? They can see my Crohn’s inflammation and ulceration on that. Did they take a blood/stool sample from your nether regions? Surprised they didn’t test for/suggest campylobacter etc infection and think about 'tibiotics.
Campylobacter (from birds pecking milk bottles for one source) can produce the exact symptoms you describe.

Rest up and take care and mention it to the Oncy!

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Jesus Ninja can it be that bad with Crohns??? Passing out nearly, cold sweats, yelling doubled over and can’t breathe?? I can’t imagine being stuck with that, god. Huge sympathy if it’s that bad!

I did have Codeine but didn’t dare take anything until I’d been to A&E, they gave me codeine there and paracetamol. Got a prescription.

No scans, no stool sample, they did an internal rectal exam (Nice) and bloods, said nothing showing on bloods except low WBC.

I daren’t eat. I’m starving but just daren’t.

They said if I’m still frequent or it gets worse then to go back and they’ll admit me into a side ward so I have access to a loo quickly. I want to avoid admission like the plague thanks very much.

I’ll try and keep hydrated at least.

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“Jesus Ninja can it be that bad with Crohns??? Passing out nearly, cold sweats, yelling doubled over and can’t breathe??”

Errr, YES!

Luckily mine is relatively mild so I haven’t needed surgery but yes, it is that bad. I get some PR blood loss just about every day and have to get up in the night to ‘go’ urgently. I have permanently ulcerated areas that are sore. It’s a bit like a permanent period :(( They can’t do anything more for me right now as the next level of meds would compromise my immune system and that’s not possible with chemo.

That’s why it is very different to IBS.

I don’t like the rectal exams but had to get used to them. They are a doddle next to a colonoscopy (shudder)

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Hi,

I saw you had tax last tues, I had these exact symptons throughout my chemo with tax and carbo, I can sympathise totally as it is extremely painful.
I can remember sitting in the bathroom one night for 4 hours doubled over with cramps, I used painkillerrs such as codiene but had to balance this carefully as it can cause constipation, then I took anti diahorea tablets due to severe diarohea but again had to balance this very carefully.
I spoke with my chemo nurses and onc who prescibed stuff to help.
Can you ring the chemo dept and ask to speak with some one they may be able to help more than a & e as they are used to complications and will know how to help.
It does improve once the chemo stops.

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So Kat, you can see that I both sympathise and empathise. Anyone who hasn’t had it cannot imagine how painful it is. It’s wretched. And frightening, during an acute episode, due to the continued blood loss.

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KernowDaisy - did you get copious, unstoppable blood loss too, like Kat?

I get a day of Tax Trots every week (I’m on weekly Tax) where it’s just like the River Nile coming forth for a few hours with terrible griping pains but the blood loss thing is another thing for me and related to my Crohn’s. Not had Tax Trots with blood yet; it’s bad enough without it.

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Oh Ninja you poor soul! How grim for you, I was crying last night on the loo because I was so fed up, yelling “oh no please” every now and again because I just couldn’t take any more. I know you have no choice but to deal with it - but how utterly nasty to have to delay treatment because of chemo too.

Yes the blood is scary, no clots, it’s fresh but scary, and everything feels so RAW now internally, bruised. I’m still going but not as often and its just watery blood now, cramping but not doubled over in agony.

I was worried about Codeine as that does bung me up, don’t want to then have to pass a huge drug induced one either (delightful)

I’d rather a rectal exam than a colonscopy too, I know about them and they’re worse the younger you are as your bowel isn’t as relaxed.
And you have to take what my Mum called “draino” too, nice!

I hope it isn’t anything more sinister!! I hope it’s a temporary thing. I’m going to bed now, I’m shattered. xx

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Hi El,

Did you get my PM?

Tax and side effects; You will get them but they differ with everyone. I found that taking anti diarrhoea tablets first thing on the day I had my tax and for the next 3 days worked well. Then comes the constipation. I coped with this by taking Dulcoease capsules which add lots of water to the stools and help them pass easily. You just have to work out your own programme which is not easy when you feel so ill.

As far as food goes I was only able to eat sweet things, yoghurt, trifle, creme caramel etc. New potatoes, carrots, garden peas and sweetcorn were fine. Anything starchy including floury potatoes, bread etc tasted awful. You really need to eat so try some of the above.

Hope you all feel better soon.

E

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If you are getting a lot of rectal pain you could ask either the hospital or your GP to prescribe something called PredFoam which will ease the pain and help it start to heal. I had bloody awful rectal mucositis during chemo and this really helped.

Hope it all starts to ease soon for you!

Nymeria x

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I had all this and also left it until morning to do anything about it. I ended up spending 4 days in hospital with drips (also running out of useable veins!). Second dose on Tax was better but the third was a hum-dinger. There’s no way I could have taken a 4th! It’s Satan’s brew!!

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Hi Em - I did and I thought I’d replied, may have chemo brain :frowning: Sorry if I didn’t xxxx

Thanks for all the tips all, it’s awful :frowning: I don’t want that again, still suffering now but it’s “bearable”.

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Getting it through the night is the worst thing ever - you just can’t get to sleep and it’s dark - I tend to keep the landing light on at those times to help guide me to the target!

TAX SUCKS! Big style.

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hi ive had this every 3 weeks whilst on my chemo its either one or the other its hell last time they sd the same to me i might have to go in but it stopped in the end im on pain killers but they dont do a lot this is day 20 my belly is still very tender im going up wed so will see what u say but i can understand how u feel with the pain and the cold sweats they are horrid ive not found any thing that works yet my sister as chrons as well so we have a idea what its like tc hope it settles down soon but be warned when it stops u norm get constipated u cant win laura

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hi kat, its me again liz, yes, yes, yes its the tax you actually feel like you are in labour having contractions, mine lasted for about 3 days gradually getting better,

I was told by my GP se of tax, my body trying to expel the poison, not to take anything to stop the evacuation of the bowel, but ok to take painkillers, not paracetamol,

Is horrible pain, but it does eventually go away,

you only have one tax now dont you? all the best liz x

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Seems quite a few people have had this. Its horrendous, I don’t know how we put up with it (not that we have a choice obviously)

Taxotere and me are not getting on AT ALL.
All this and i have the white chemo mouth so everything tastes horrible. One thing, I may loose some weight, big price to pay though.

Liz - 1 left, How the hell to poor people do this weekly??? I’m so greatful for not having mets. I dread having this happen again though, with all the leg joint pains and not being able to walk and then this diahorrea cramping agony etc, urghhh.

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Oh Kat, it sounds awful. Hope you’re feeling better now? How many more sessions do you have?

I’ve been dreading Tax (first one in 2 weeks) as I have AWFUL stomach problems anyway so was imagining spending my whole time in the loo. My biggest worry is when the bad stomach kicks in as I have up to an hour’s drive back from the hospital. I always used to get really nervous before journeys because I was always worried I was going to get caught short. Is it usually immediate? Later that day? or days later?

Thanks!

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I get it on day 3, 4 and/or 5 each week. I’m on weekly Tax.

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Kat

Really sorry that you’ve had such problems - hope you feel better soon. Sending gentle hugs x

Sandytoes, I’m now going to run the risk of sounding smug and upsetting Kat, but my last tax is tomorrow and (crossing all toes and fingers) I haven’t had this prob. Didn’t get the constipation for a few days I got with fec, but no squits either. I had a few aches and pains, but not much worse than I get with the neulasta anyway, and felt really bone weary tired - gravity got alot stronger! That didn’t kick in til 3 days after. Energy levels still aren’t back to normal, but I’ve been at work for the past week and a half. So far nails are Ok too…

The SEs do seem to get everyone differently - I’ve been lucky!
Dx