To be panicking this is appendicitis?

[Joseyprocey]

I am starting to get really anxious and upset at the thought of going to hospital at this time and I have terrible health anxiety which is making everything worse.

On Saturday night I ate a pizza before bed and it didn’t sit well. I woke up with stomachy cramps around the top of my stomach. It dissipated over the day but when I woke up yesterday I had what felt like gassy pains in my lower right abdomen. They aren’t agonising, I still have an Appetite and no fever, nausea or anything. I have lots of gas and rumble sounds going on but this is really uncomfortable (not painful) especially when I move/walk - it almost feels like I’ve pulled a muscle in my lower right abdomen.

I’m getting upset now and panicking. I’ve taken Rennie. AIBU to leave it a while and hope it goes away before calling a doctor?

Please don't take medical advice from anyone over the internet. Please call your GP or 111 if you are worried.

Best of luck

I can only speak from experience but I had appendicitis last summer and it wasn't how you describe. It came on pretty suddenly (over about 6 hours), I went from having stomach ache to be doubled over in agony. I had no appetite. I had abdominal tenderness (but no rebound tenderness which was atypical). The pain just got worse and worse and worse.

In hindsight, I think I had a 'grumbling' appendix - I had a few bouts of pretty severe stomach pain in the 18 months or so leading up to the actual appendicitis, so it could be something like that.

If in doubt, contact your doctor.

When my DS has abdominal pains, the dr ruled out appendicitis by getting him to hop.
Sounds strange, but apparently you can't hop if you have appendicitis...
However, as others have said, if you're worried then contact your doctor.

My appendix burst a few years ago. I’m not sure if my pain was worse because they burst but it came on very suddenly, it was excruciating, I was vomiting and could barely get off the bathroom floor for hours before I managed to call someone to help get me to the hospital. It could well be appendix, before this I went to the drs a few times over the course of a few months complaining of sharp pains on the side. Each time I was fobbed off without an examination, until they finally burst. I’d ring 111 if I was you just to be safe.

I had a grumbling appendix. The only Pain I’ve felt that was similar was childbirth. I called 111 and the person I spoke to called an ambulance. The paramedic touched my stomach and then let go. The pain when he let go was astronomical. Worse than being pressed. He said that was common, for it to really hurt on release.
Ring 111 and talk to someone who knows what they are talking about.

I had my appendix removed at the end of March following an appendicitis diagnosis. Mine presented with central abdominal pain which came on over the space of about an hour, made me vomit with the pain, it was like a contraction but without the gaps in between, I was doubled over in pain it was so bad. Having taken some paracetamol and managed a couple of hours sleep, I woke up with a sharp pain on my lower right hand side, whilst not as bad as the central pain, it didn't come and go and I couldn't walk it was so painful.

I was instructed to go to A&E by 111 and was of course nervous since at the end of March the Covid situation was still emerging, but I was seen very quickly, taken to a non Covid ward and diagnosed via a CT scan within a few hours. Surgery a few hours after that.

The surgeon who operated said I'd done the right thing by going in when I did, as by presenting early, they'd managed to remove it before it ruptured. Much later it would have been far more serious, he expressed concern at the number of people staying away due to Corona fears.

I was also told appendicitis presents in different ways - my bloods for example showed no elevated inflammatory markers which they would usually expect, however, it did end up being appendicitis.

I really think you need to speak to a medical professional asap. Good luck OP.

My appendicitis experience was similar to Edwin's. Sudden onset pain in the middle of my abdomen just before dinner (so about 7pm). I thought it would be 'just one of those things'. Three hours later I was doubled over and vomiting. There was a very, very tiny bit of relief for about 10 seconds after vomiting, and then it would start up again. As Edwin says, like labour but with no let-up. I went on like that until XH rang whatever the NHS non-emergency number was then. By then I had a temperature and the pain had moved slightly to my lower right hand side.

They said I should go to A&E, so I somehow managed to stagger, bent double, into the car. and then out of the car and into A&E. They put me on an anti-emetic drip and gave me a shot of morphine, and said it wasn't appendicitis. Some hours later, they said they would stick a camera inside me to have a look. When I woke up, they said it was a burst appendix, and I was told off for not having complained enough I was brought up not to make a fuss, so I didn't!!

It was 12 years ago, and I still remember the pain now.

It sounds as if there's no one way for appendicitis to present itself, OP, so perhaps do try 111 and see what they suggest?

DH had appendicitis a few years ago now. He was perfectly healthy in the morning on the way to work, had breakfast all normal. By mid morning he felt really sick and tried indigestion tablets. About half an hour later he decided he was too ill to work so drove home. By the time he reached home he was very sick and then was rolling on the floor in pain while on the phone to 111, we were in hospital and the Dr was injecting him with morphine by about 1pm. He had emergency surgery over night.

How are you now op?

I had appendicitis in December and had it removed as an emergency.
It started like a sharp stabbing pain in bottom right of abdomen very low down, And was agony to push on it. then spread upwards overnight. I actually went to work the next day as I could sit down but walking or straightening up was very painful. I didn’t have high temp or vomit, but I did have diahorrea once. It turns out my appendix had completely necrosed and was virtually black, not everyone has all the symptoms so it’s still worth getting checked out as mine wasn’t completely agonising.

Could you have gallstones?

I say this, as I have been checked for suspected appendicitis and gallstones before, very similar symptoms. Turns out I my gallbladder doesn't work properly and I need it removed as soon as they start doing surgery again locally. But it's quite common for gallstones to present in the same way. Worth getting checked out.

I had appendicitis last year and it started off like a severe stomach ached in my upper abdomen, and I was sick. About 6 hours later it moved to my lower right side and felt like a stitch - I could barely walk .

It does sound like what you have could be appendicitis. Go to A and E... I was in A and E a few weeks ago and it wasn't like normal A and E, I got triaged immediatly and taken to a ward, there was no waiting around.

Call them. Mine started like this. It was agony when the doctor pressed and worse when he did an internal up my bum!

It sounds very like gallstone pain, Especially as you say you had a greasy meal prior to it but please get medically checked.
If you call the gps surgery I'm sure your doctor will be able to advise

Thanks everyone, I will call my GP today ...it’s no worse...and it’s been 3 days now of very low level (2-3) pain, mainly when I move around. It is slightly tender in the area but doesn’t hurt to press on it and i still have NO sickness/temp/loss of appetite- 111 said to make a gp appointment based on my symptoms. So I think it will be a telephone appointment.

I am not sure what it could be. I know a few of you have mentioned gallstones but this is very much lower abdomen. I think I’ve had a gallstone attack before and it was much more intense. I did have a bout of diarrhoea on Sunday night so I’m thinking it might be related to that.

I have a high risk underlying health condition for covid so really don’t want to be going out to urgent care/a and e unless I have to. Thanks for all the advice. I don’t know what it is

I haven't RTFT but my friend works in theatres and recovery and currently they have a whole different side of the hospital for Non covid. So if you had to go in for emergency surgery, you would be in a different area and no where near any infection zones. I know that's not completely risk free, but nothing is sadly at the moment.

I hope it turns out to be constipation

How are you OP?

Thanks for asking it’s totally eased off today so I’m thinking maybe an IBS attack or some kind of bug or infection...am feeling 99% better and so grateful for that x

Glad you're feeling better OP.
Dd had very similar symptoms 2 weeks ago and GP thought it was constipation & a UTI.
3 days of antibiotics and she was fine again.

My daughter had these symptoms late Feb, I knew the hospitals were going to get busy so I kept going to A&E / GP every day for a week to get an answer. She had an xray, it was a fecal impaction from IBS issue, and strong laxatives over a couple of weeks sorted it out. I too thought she had appendicitis. It was very painful for her. Glad to hear you're feeling better.

I knew it wasn’t any time of constipation as my bowel movements were fine. I would have considered urgent care if the pain wasn’t so low level but it really was quite mild and didn’t effect me working from home etc. I think it’s always good to err on the side of caution with health but I do need to be careful with my health anxiety I do have a tendency to think worse case scenario with a small issue.