terrible right sided back pain 22wks

[buttershy]

Hi everyone.

Just looking for some ideas as I'm all out..I woke up on Wednesday perfectly fine and lay in bed waking up for a few minutes after a typical good night sleep (I'm 22wks, baby number 1), all of a sudden I got an intense cramping feeling in the right hand side of my back, like a terrible period cramp, hard tight cramping followed by muscle trembly-ness but the pain pretty much remained. I got up and tried to eat breakfast etc and stay calm but the pain didn't go after a warm bath, a hot wheat pack on the area etc so I rang my midwife who advised to get a Drs appt in case it was a UTI. I saw a Dr who ruled out a UTI from my sample (I've been peeing as normal) but since I was in such a lot of pain, kept going faint with it he referred me to the pregnancy assessment unit at my hospital where they again tested my urine, fine, blood pressure, fetal heart beat etc and all was clear and fine. They didn't take any bloods or scan me but sent me home. Three days on and the pain has not subsided at all..it's terrible in the night and I have to get up and move and I've had to take paracetamol every four hours to cope with it. Some positions or movements seem to make it worse, eg bending over, laying on my back flat, but other things that you might think would help like a warm bath, massage and stretching brings no relief. I've looked up sciatica, SPD/PGP and they just don't sound right. I have no leg pain or hip or pelvis pain the best way I can describe it is terrible period pain (in your back) on and off for days. Might be worth mentioning that very unusually for me I'm badly constipated and that for a week now baby has been very low in my pelvis, this was commented on in my 20 week scan and for the fetal Doppler check in Hosp, I feel all my movements now no higher than my bikini line.

I'm seeing an osteopath on Tuesday and will book another Drs appt then. Just hoping someone has some ideas X

[lljkk]

kidney stones? Friend had them awful with one pregnancy.

[buttershy]

The Dr in the pregnancy assessment unit mentioned kidney problems because that's where I was tender on examination but they didn't investigate further because my urine samples were perfect and no blood in pee etc X

[CityMole]

I had terrible backache all week last week, which turned out to be some trapped wind! So do not underestimate the effect of digestive issues. I'd try to get that constipation under control and see if that helps. Movicol by mouth, glycerine suppositories by bum, and if that doesn't work ask your GP for something stronger.

[HopelesslydevotedtoGu]

Constipation can cause terrible cramping pains as your colon tries to squeeze poo through.

Kidney stones cause blood in the urine, so this should have been checked for when you were at the hospital.

In your shoes I would get your bowels moving, and if it gets worse in the meantime seek a reassessment.

I'm 25 weeks pregnant and drinking a fybogel right now!

[buttershy]

Thanks Hun I think you may be right..I've been very sick twice today and both times after wards it has eased temporarily. My husband bought me some fybrogel but it hasn't worked yet, didn't keep down the mangos, oranges plums I had this morning. Will try what you suggest and hope it's somehow all linked...

[cecinestpasunepipe]

Gall bladder? My gall bladder problems started during my first pregnancy. Absolute agony, but ignored by medics as just one of those aches and pains you get in pregnancy! It was only when I got attacks after the birth that it was properly investigated, and I ended up having it removed.

[CityMole]

Fybogel did nothing for me, although it is certainly better than nothing. If you have bad constipation then you are going to need something that really gets things moving.

[Mummyme87]

Sounds digestive. Trapped wind or constipation. See a pharmacist for over the counter meds

[buttershy]

But could it be digestive with no tummy ache or pain in intestines/bowel etc? My pain is all on the right side of my back (flank pain?). I hope it's all linked and the pain isn't serious. I ended up being sick after all three meals yesterday which means I've not been able to keep down fybrogel, pain killers, or any of the fibre/fruit rich food I was trying to get in, I think I'm starting to get dehydrated too. What would you all do?

[Mummyme87]

Flank pain can be pyelonephritis. If your feeling that crap I would suggest popping into your delivery suite triage/assessment unit to get your urine dipped again and have a full review

[CityMole]

I'll say it a third time and then give up- get some medication for your constipation, not fibogel or 'fibre rich foods' which is an inadequate remedy against severe accumulated constipation. I gave you some medication recs upthread. If you clear your backlog, any tapped wind will ease and if you still have no relief, then speak to your HCPs and have other systemic causes investigated. You have my deepest sympathy - constipation is the worst and plagued my otherwise lovely pregnancy until I discovered remedies that worked.

[buttershy]

Thanks, sorry not sure how to directly reply to your reply citymole, new to the forum! Haven't been able to keep anything down all day so will be off to the Drs tomorrow to see if they can give me something for the constipation like you suggest but will need to be able to keep liquid or food down for it to work first I suppose. Fybrogel came through my nose whilst being sick today, was hideous! My mum came over today to look after me (you know you're in pain when you just want your mum) and she helped me to calm down and stay on top of the pain with paracetamol strictly every 4hrs. The moment they wear off I'm back to sobbing and retching and pacing about.

[cheapredwine]

OP sounds really horrid. You can get Movicol (also called Macrogol, Laxido) over the counter, you don't need a prescription (so you could buy some if you can't see a GP tomorrow) In theory same with glycerin suppositories but pharmacists can be reluctant if you're visibly pregnant.

[buttershy]

Have heard of movicol before, wonder why they didn't give it as an option to my husband. Is it a tablet or powder you mix with water?

[cheapredwine]

Powder in sachets that you mix with water or squash - I'd go with the latter esp if you end up with Laxido, which tastes vile. A box is about £13 ish? It might take a day or two to get things moving but it's effective and safe in pregnancy. Fybogel is just a bulking agent AFAIK, it won't actually help you go.

[buttershy]

Huge thank you for everyone who helped and gave advice. Just out of hospital where I spent a week. Turns out that pressure from baby on my kidney caused the kidney to think it was injured, it sort of went into shock and stopped emptying urine properly, kind of like how they respond to a stone (they can't 100% rule out it wasn't a stone because of MRI/CAT scans being unsuitable in pregnancy but stones aren't in mine/family history). It has a fancy name and unfortunately will be a problem throughout my pregnancy, it's not super common but not really rare either, but should resolve after birth. I was treated for dehydration and given morphine, I'll have renal scans for the rest of the pregnancy to make sure the kidney is recovering and I have to be vigilant for signs of kidney infection. I was constipated for nearly 10 days, now on Lactulose syrup, but as I'm getting better I think it was linked to the cramping and pain and hopefully can phase it out.

Thanks everyone!