That people in their 50s don't get appendicitis?

[lolaflores]

Pain in my right side. NOt unbearable pain but bloody uncomfortable. Like a knot just beside my pelvis.
Been coming and going for a week.
Had gallbladder out December. Surgeon told me I Have loads of adhesions around the general area.

But I keep thinking, it's not my appendix is it? At 55?
No temperature.
No appetite but no vomiting.
I'm buggered if I know what to do but AIBU to think I'm too old for appendix?
And I love hearing peoples appendix legends and stories so feel free to chip in.

There’s no age limit. Mine ruptured in my 30’s. I was vomiting, in agony, but it did ease off towards the end and if I hadn’t have been in hospital waiting surgery I’d have thought I was getting better. That was because the pressure eased as it went gangerous and was starting to rupture. From being in no pain 2 days prior to that was scary. Had an open surgery as they couldn’t get it out via keyhole as it was stuck to my abdomen wall. Go to A&E

what else could it be

Anything - ovary, bowel, bladder, scar tissue, muscular, ligament, possibly appendix though doesn't sound acute

Does it create a build contration pain which then releases and aches before building up again? If so it could be irritable bowel, I was diagnosed with this years ago and intially thought it was appendix problems. You should see your gp, if it is ibs it can come and go, it leaves me feeling very bruised after an attack.

Ah jaysus.
I am having the idea I could be in with a shout with appendix.
Its the very thought of a&e on a Saturday. I live in London so it's a war zone at the bestbof times.

Not A&E. You're uncomfortable and it comes and goes. Call 111 if you're concerned, but I'd see the GP instead of viewing this as an emergency.

My ex mother in law had her appendix removed last month, at 69!

Well DH was 61, so not in his 50s you're right, but not right about it being because it's too old. Appendicitis is completely unrelated to age. He had no fever, no stomach issues, no vomiting and had a an uncomfortable rather than agonisingly painful sensation.
A CT can confirm whether or not its appendicitis And bloods will show if its likely.
Adhesions can however be EXTREMELY painful. I've had surgery to remove some as they cause so much trouble so they could be to blame but don't ignore potential appendicitis, it could kill you.

Could be phantom gallbladder - I've had pains intermittently since having mine out 30 years ago

OP I had mine out a few months at 46. Are you able to eat, does the pain come and go? I didn't have any pain in my bellybutton at all it was all lower right, sort of like when you need a poo. I couldn't twist to my right the pain was excruciating. I could walk but it was unpleasant, wasn't sick but really lost my appetite. Mine came on fast. Also initially the pain would rise and fall but then it settled to steady and unpleasant after about 5 hours. I would go to A&E if you're feeling ropey, mine was gangrenous but hadn't burst fortunately.

I know of an 85 year old who had a burst appendix. Appendicitis pain generally starts in the middle of your abdomen and then moves across to the right side. I had appendicitis very swiftly diagnosed by a GP who made me hop on my right leg- extremely painful!

Edward VII and Winston Churchill both had their appendices out. Edward's coronation had to be postponed because of his. Edward was around sixty, Winston pushing fifty.

You can get appendicitis at ANY age.

I had mine out at 42. I also rang the doctor thinking they would say I was too old but I was admitted to hospital within 24 hours of pain starting. Mine felt like a bug at first then it moved to my right side, I could not sit, I could not stand, I could not lay down I couldn’t get comfortable at all.

I'm in my 60s and ignored my abdominal pain for a few weeks, thinking it wasn't that bad and would go away. I ended up in hospital for a month with a ruptured appendix and sepsis. Get it checked out, you're not wasting anyone's time.

I developed peritonitis (burst retrograde appendix) at 45 and became very unwell very quickly. As did DM, DB, DGrandpa and his sister, and Dcousin in their 40s or 50s.
I had no nausea, but couldn't stand up straight, felt rough, high temp and right side abdo guarding.
I've warned my DC to be aware if they get symptoms In their 40s as it's obv something weird in our family.

I thought the same OP, until my boss got appendicitis in his early 50s. He'd thought the same too.

MIL had appendicitis in her 80s. DH had it in his 50s. It can happen at any age.

I had mine out at 40, started with "hmm, could do with visiting a toilet" to rolling on the floor with waves of pain a bit like labour in about 6 hours.

Zero appetite, no vomiting, some gas both ends.

Had the classic rebound pain (hurts more on release) and apparently it's also relevant if jarring is worse than swaying (pot holes vs going around bends). Definitely liked potholes (and my own footsteps) less.

Can happen at any age, and can be missed if not classic presentation.

Can someone explain the term guarding to me. Is it the area is really sore and you don't want it touched or are you doubled over

Should say my pain was lower right but when the doctor pressed to the left of my bellybutton it was seriously sore. I'm guessing people mean avoiding touching the area because it hurts, with the term guarding. I wasn't doubled up at any point, but did a lot of leaning against a wall wishing the pain away whilst in A&E!

Call 111. DD did that when she had stomach pain - they got her a GP appointment, the GP then sent her to A&E to do tests and get her appendix checked.

Tummy pain can be down to nothing much, but appendicitis can be fatal.

You can get it at any age. My grandfather died from appendicitis in 2020. His only complaint was he had a “sore bum” from diarrhoea. Next thing we knew he was in a coma and he died later that day.

Really? I was kept in for two nights with abdominal pain that might have been appendicitis - when being triaged I'd had a slight temperature, which caused some concern. Was told they'd have to do surgery to find out if it was appendicitis or not. I turned it down, turned to be a benign ovarian tumour when I had an ultrasound a few months later.

Unlikely but possible, don't ignore recurring pain even of you're managing to cope with the discomfort because there will be a reason!

My dad got it in his late 60s