Should we go to a and e?

[ChatterMonkey]

Dp has been feeling rubbish for a week now, with pain caused by constipation. He hasnt had a bowel movement for a week now. The pain is constant, with waves of agonising pain.

Hes struggling to be able to medicate it, as hes not allowed to have anti inflammatory medication for seperate issues, and is wary about codeine based medicine as that causes constipation. Paracetomol isnt touching the sides of the pain.

The plan was to get a doctor appointment on monday, but the pain was really severe last night, im not sure we should wait till monday. He mentioned yesterday that the blockage is starting to affect his ability to pee properly which i think is worrying?

Hes alsp worrying now that the constipation is a side effect of something more serious, as theres nothing we can think thats triggered it. Hes worried about gallstones, or bowel cancer.

Is it worth going to a and e, are they likely going to he able to do anything, even if its just investigate and rule out some of the more scary possibilities thats worrying dp? Or would we likely be waiting ages and then sent away with a box of laxido?

@ChatterMonkey Thank you for the update. I hope he keeps in good form. I use chickweed in salads and sandwiches, it really helps on a 'regular' basis. You can get chickweed capsules.

@ChatterMonkey
If the blood tests show signs of infection in addition to raised CRP, it's likely he'll be given Antibiotics

Have you tried prunes? They can do wonders. Hope he gets sorted, agonising for him. Should have been able to get a doctor's appointment if the system wasn't the sham it has become.

I was in A&E last week and had exactly the same symptoms. Diverticulitis diagnosed and i have to have a colonoscopy.

Its about finding stuff that you can eat and working from there. Its fairly important to have a low fiber diet until your inflammation levels reduce. And then reintroduce fiber slowly.

I had two rounds of antibiotics for mine so im not sure why they havent prescribed antibiotics.
Ive also been taking codeine with a low fiber diet and that seems to be ok for me.

Diverticulitis can be related to constipation and/or triggered by it. I had a completely unrelated injury that left me immobile and on oramorph for 10 days. I became slightly constipated from the inactivity and the oramorph and that flared the diverticulitis enough for diagnosis (I'd had short periods of stomach issues but nothing to worry too much about for a couple of years). A decent diet and keeping an eye on how often you poop is needed, and I think stress aggrevates mine too.

Not read it all so apologies if it has been said. If he is going into urinary retention he really needs to be seen. Go to a&e. Good luck and I hope he gets sorted.

Glad you got some answers, at least you know nothing was happening because the bowels were inflamed rather then blocked.

Reading this sounds exactly like what my dp went through last year, 4 days in hospital, lots of bloods, scans, prodding and poking in areas he wished they didn't. Our diagnosis was colitis! He end up having a couple of large polyps removed and seems to be ok since then.

@Jeannie88

Have you tried prunes? They can do wonders. Hope he gets sorted, agonising for him. Should have been able to get a doctor's appointment if the system wasn't the sham it has become.

He's been in hospital twice, treated well and had his condition diagnosed. He's now home and recovering so the NHS isn't a sham and prunes are not required. Please read threads in future.

@Mandyjack for goodness sake this post is ten pages long its a bit late to tell pp to ring 111 ,even if you don't want to read every comment at least read the ops updates !

@ChatterMonkey
I am glad your dh is home and feeling a bit better.
Been able to give the problem a name and look up advice / cures/ help will give you both something you focus on.
I hope all goes well on Tuesday. Keep us all posted when you have time

He has a bowel obstruction

@Tigger1895

He has a bowel obstruction

Maybe he has a ghost up his bottom

Ffs

@Tigger1895

He has a bowel obstruction

You dont even need to read the whole thread. You just need to read the OP's posts by using the handy, "see all" button. If you're too lazy to even do that then why bother to comment?

@Laiste

Are you at home OP, or waiting in the car again?

Reading your thread has taken me right back to last year when my elderly mother went into the day care eye hospital with swelling on her eye causing agonising head pains and vomiting and i couldn't stay with her.

2 hours from home and an impossible task to find anything out about a) how she was or
b) what they were doing or
c) weather they were going to keep her in and i could go home or
d) give up trying to find out and just erect a temporary home in the shrubbery of the car park!

Fingers crossed for you both x

What was the diagnosis, @Laiste?

OP, if it wasn't constipation, how come he had no bowel movements for over a week?

Pleased to see things are more positive OP.
Hope DH gets sorted v soon

I remember my gran being diagnosed with diverticulitis. Bran on everything she was told.

Why do you feel the need to ask for medical advice on an online forum, is beyond me.

@RJnH

Why do you feel the need to ask for medical advice on an online forum, is beyond me.

Why you feel the need to comment if you’ve got nothing constructive to add is beyond me.

@RJnH the op asked, got good advice, and her DH is being treated as a result

So glad your husband has a diagnosis, wishing him a speedy recovery.

@ChatterMonkey
I've only read until you said he was getting ct scan with dye, but I wanted to suggest that the very next time a nurse or doctor comes in with info as to what is happening that your DH should tell them he is going to call you before they say anything and tell you what is happening...it's the least they can do since you aren't allowed in to advocate for him

Glad I've seen that it's been diagnosed as diverticulitis, @ChatterMonkey.
This can be as serious as appendicitis - my mum had it, and one of the diverticuli burst, causing peritonitis and near-death. Luckily they got her into emergency surgery and had to do an emergency colostomy for her, including lavage of her abdominal cavity to remove the stuff from the burst diverticulum (this is what she was told happened) and she was in ICU for a week after.
They told her if she hadn't come in when she did, she would probably have died - she was within 24 hours of it.

So yes, they DO take it seriously and I would think the bloods they were taking was to check for signs of infection/increasing white cell count.

A point about diet - if your DP is an undiagnosed coeliac, or is wheat/gluten intolerant, wheat bran/fibre will make the problems worse.
He should consider getting that checked - and if there is an intolerance there, then other forms of soluble fibre are going to work better for him. Stewed apples (pectin), prunes/plums, oats (works for some wheat intolerance but not all, especially be wary if he turns out to be coeliac), psyllium husks/powder - all of these would be better than wheat fibre. You can look up more options by searching for "soluble fibre foods", but avoid wheat, barley and rye based options.

Hope he feels better soon - as someone who suffered from horrendous constipation all my life up until I went gluten-free, I sympathise!

That's not the point I was making!

The point I was making was that I didn't think social media is the best option for medical advice, on a potentially serious medical condition.

Summer 2020 something similar happened to me quite instantly. Long story as short as poss. One day I felt fine, went out for a dinner I didn’t fancy and that night I had a horrible stomach cramp and intermittent fever. Thought it was something I ate, Couldn’t go to the loo. Next day spent In bed with eldest taking my temp and offering water when I was awake, not often. That evening dj came home with some sort of laxative thing, tried that, went to loo, pain much worse. Called 111, they suspected appendicitis, organised ambulance then called back and asked me to get a taxi which might be quicker. Got to a&e, they prodded, took bloods (showed anaemia and some infection), arranged a ct scan. Ct showed a bowel issue, blue lighted to next major hospital. Rest of night in whilst they decided perhaps an overreaction and let antibiotics work. Next morning registrar came round, prodded, I screamed, he booked theatre. You’ve hours of surgery later they had removed part of my bowel which had ruptured. Two weeks later diagnosed stage 4 bowel cancer. I was 43 years old. I have two daughters, one is special needs. I have lymph node spread which cannot be surgically removed. Never never never put off going to a&e.

Sorry to hear that, @melhm :(