What's going on with my painful, tender, bloated abdomen?

[Spidershidingbloodyeverywhere]

An excruciating cramping in my abdomen woke me at 3.30am last night. Everywhere below my waist, it hurt like hell, like a leg or hip cramp but low in my abdomen, and for about an hour. It felt as though everything was being squeezed and twisted down there.

I got out of bed and took ibuprofen and made a hot water bottle, and got back into bed and did labour breathing until it gradually lessened enough to go back to sleep. It became so painful at one point I ended up shaking and teeth-chattering - shock?

This morning, my abdomen felt like your legs do the day after you do way more exercise than you're used to - sprained, stretched, pulled - with a prevailing dull crampy ache. This has lasted all day, along with bloating (I can hardly do up my jeans) and tenderness - if I press in certain areas of my tummy, it hurts.

What is this?! IBS? I don't normally suffer, and haven't had much bloating/wind since giving up pulses a while ago. I went to the loo twice this morning - no diarrhoea, a bit constipated at first but then fine - and still the feeling hasn't changed.

I've just finished a period so it can't be menstrual. I'm 38 and have a 13-month-old (still breastfed) - hormones? Dehydration from loads of night feeding causing constipation (although it's not all the time and not much)?

I reckon an appendicitis would have got worse, not improved. The pain is too low for gall stones (at least I think so).

I don't know, but I'd appreciate some ideas. Do I go to my GP? I didn't bother today; I aim not to go unless I really have to (and I'd have to wait a few weeks for an appointment anyway!). But I felt proper scared by the pain in the night, so could really do with getting to the bottom of it.

Thanks for any ideas.

[SurroMummy13]

That's creepy.

[SurroMummy13]

Sorry! Sorry!!! Wrong thread. stupid phone X

[sadie9]

Could it be ovulation pain? Mark the calendar for the day you got the pain, then if in 14-16 days you get a period, then that's what it was.
Mine developed as I got older. When the egg was bursting out of the follicle I got a very sharp pain and bloating (a bit like needing to poo) for between 1 and 4 hrs.

[sadie9]

Ovulation pain here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelschmerz

[Spidershidingbloodyeverywhere]

Lucsy, thanks. I've had mild constipation on and off over the years, but never that has caused pain - just a bit of discomfort going to the loo. I had no idea it could cause lengthy and intense cramps. Hmm. It's possible I guess because I think I'm getting dehydrated fairly regularly - I don't drink much in the night because it wakes me up/makes me pee and disturbs my sleep further. But it could be drying me out.

sadie9, thanks. I am familiar with ovulation pain though - I get it sometimes, usually on one side. It's more manageable than this, and usually a week further on. Thanks, though.

[Indantherene]

Pain like that needs investigating, so yes I would go to GP, and quite soon. Incidentally for stomach area problems I've been told to avoid ibuprofen (can't remember what it does) and stick to paracetamol.

[FrizzyPig]

Could it be a kidney infection?

I suffer with these and they never present as cystitis or anything like that.

Once I had excruciating stomach pains like you've described.

If you think that you are not drinking enough water, it could be related maybe ?