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Original poster

Excruciating stomach pain - what happened?

28 replies

FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 05:32

I'm not sure what happened to me last night. I've had food poisoning before bit this felt different.
I has been out with friends. Id had 3 drinks so a little tipsy but not drunk. We were a large group and food was ordered to share: paella with seafood, tuna tartar, ceviche among them (these were the potentially dodgy ones). I ate a bit of most things (but less than a regular full meal altogether so I hadn't overeaten).
On the way home, my stomach started to hurt. I went up to lie in bed and it just seemed to get worse and worse. Paraceramol wasn't touching it so took a tramadol i had leftover from ages ago. Even with that I was curled up on the bathroom floor in agony with pain radiating from my stomach. I vomited a little and had some diarrhea but nothing compared to normal food poisoning or stomach flu where you can't move from the loo. It was just rhe excruciating pain even with a strong painkiller.
I was really close to asking dh to take me to hospital (although the thought of getting there was horrific at the point).
However, after a few hours (its about 2am at this point) the pain does start to subside, even going and allowing me to sleep at about 4.
And I've woken up this morning with no diarrhea, no pain, no vomiting. Just feeling a bit bleurgh from the hard night.
What the heck could have caused this? Was this a weird food poisoning??? Dh thinks i should go get checked given how severe it was but since I feel fine now, I don't think its necessary. But I am now terrified of this returning!

OP posts:
Chocolateteabag · 27/02/2022 05:36

Maybe your gall bladder rather than stomach?
Food poisoning would have made you vomit out much more surely!

Longdistance · 27/02/2022 05:39

I can’t believe you had tramadol with alcohol. That could be why you were sick.
I have diarrhoea quite frequently and the pain is immense and travels until I go to the toilet. It could be a dodgy prawn, or you picked up a bug.

Suzi888 · 27/02/2022 05:44

Shouldn’t take any medication, just let it all come out. Whatever you do never take Imodium - your body needs to rid itself of whatever. Hope you feel better, boil water, let it cool and sip it.

Maybe it was the combination, if no one else was full- rich food.

Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 05:44

@Longdistance

I can’t believe you had tramadol with alcohol. That could be why you were sick. I have diarrhoea quite frequently and the pain is immense and travels until I go to the toilet. It could be a dodgy prawn, or you picked up a bug.
I had the tramadol hours after I'd had the drinks. I had my last drink at 8.30pm and the tramadol about 12.30am. I was in so much pain I didnt even think about any interaction between that and the alcohol at the time
OP posts:
Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 05:46

The other thing is I've asked a few people who were there and ate the same things if they got sick - no one else seems to have done.
It jsut felt different to any food poisoning I've had before. Especially that I feel quite ok now, usually I would continue feeling a bit rotten the next day

OP posts:
Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 05:49

@Chocolateteabag

Maybe your gall bladder rather than stomach? Food poisoning would have made you vomit out much more surely!
Exactly. Usually you can hardly move from beside the loo as it is coming out both ends! Envy
OP posts:
Longdistance · 27/02/2022 05:51

If no one else had food poisoning it’s likely to have had a bug that was passing through.
If you have stomach pains and diarrhoea again, don’t take any medication. Pp is right in saying it needs to pass through your body.
I hope you feel better now.

alexdgr8 · 27/02/2022 05:53

maybe go to a walk-in centre ?
if you go early may not be too busy.
you have to think of your husband's worry too.
it would reassure him.

Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 06:04

@alexdgr8

maybe go to a walk-in centre ? if you go early may not be too busy. you have to think of your husband's worry too. it would reassure him.
I'm in Thailand and its easy enough to get seen quickly here. He was very worried, bless him, don't think I've had pain like that since childbirth (and an ear infection once). But if I'm feeling ok now, not sure what they can do?
OP posts:
BusterGonad · 27/02/2022 06:10

It sounds like a bit of a bowel blockage. Was it cramp like pain that slowly built up over the hours and got more intense and closer together?

Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 06:15

@BusterGonad

It sounds like a bit of a bowel blockage. Was it cramp like pain that slowly built up over the hours and got more intense and closer together?
Yes But it seemed to jsut slowly clear by itself. So I start to feel uncomfortable about 9.30/10pm by 11.00 I'm in a ton of pain which slowly becomes excruciating and unbearable where you can't move or do anything. I have a little bit of vomiting (more like stonach acids coming up into the mouth) and a little bit of diarrhea but really nothing compared to what I'd normally expect. Then at about 2am it does start to subside and at about 4 enough that I can sleep. Would that make sense if it was a blockage? Nothing i had done seemed to have caused the pain to subside
OP posts:
amylou8 · 27/02/2022 06:27

You're describing a typical gal bladder attack, especially the pain was higher in you stomach, under your ribs.

2022NutellaPancake · 27/02/2022 06:41

Sounds like gall bladder … I’ve had a couple of attacks and sounds identical. More common at night too.

You need to be checked out at the doctors.

DingDongtheWitchisDrunk · 27/02/2022 06:50

@Suzi888

Shouldn’t take any medication, just let it all come out. Whatever you do never take Imodium - your body needs to rid itself of whatever. Hope you feel better, boil water, let it cool and sip it.

Maybe it was the combination, if no one else was full- rich food.

Old fashioned view and not true

Imodium is absolutely the right medicine for diarrhoea and stops the cramping.

Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 06:55

Thank you for all your inputs and thinking this through with me. The pain was so bad it was quite scary.
Actully the last few weeks ive been having stomach aches after eating sometimes. Nothing like last night in terms of intensity or length, usually passes within an hour or so if i lie down, but maybe this is linked.
Guess i should see a dcotor.

OP posts:
TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek · 27/02/2022 07:03

I was going to ask if any of the foods or drinks you had were particularly creamy, because my MiL had a very similar attack on a boxing day evening, and it turned out to be her gall bladder playing up, caused by eating too much creamy food.

We were driving her home, about 5 hours away, and she was in so much pain that we looked on the map for the nearest hospital (it was way before the times if mobile phones) however, before we could get to the nearest town with an A&E department her symptoms had started to subside, and she insisted she wanted to go straight home.

She did see her GP as soon as they opened again after the break, and he sent her for a scan or x-ray and took her bloods, which is when thry found out it was her gall bladder. She had to change her diet quite dramatically, but was willing to do so as she never wanted to have pain like that again. I do think that you should send your GP an email, and describe your symptoms, just to be on the safe side.

TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek · 27/02/2022 07:06

Sorry, crossed posts. I light of your other pains I agree that you should actually see your Dr. Even if it isn't your gall bladder, it does sound like it is somehow linked to your digestive system. 💐

Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 07:09

Food wasn't creamy or particular fatty and it was more nibbles than dinner. In fact. Dh and I picked up something to have at home as we were still peckish when we left (I didnt have it obviously)

I'll make an appointment with the dr. No gps here in Thailand, you go straight to a specialist!

OP posts:
BusterGonad · 27/02/2022 07:44

Ummm. This is my symptoms before being diagnosed with Crohn's, I'd have an attack maybe once every few years and then suddenly I was getting it every few months. Mine always started at about 3pm, a few cramps, gradually building up and by bedtime I'm in excruciating pain, it goes on all night until I can eventually do a stool or a bit of sick, usually at about 3 to 4am, and then I'm okay to sleep for a bit. The next day my insides feel very bruised and sore to touch. The pain radiates around the belly button area at the start.

BusterGonad · 27/02/2022 07:46

And NOTHING touches the sides. No pain killers work. Cosine dulls it a little but that's it.

BusterGonad · 27/02/2022 07:49

I disagree, if you don't know what's causing it you need to let it out.

BusterGonad · 27/02/2022 07:50

Sorry. Above post was suppose to have a quote.

Liamgallaghersparka · 27/02/2022 11:52

Maybe you were already harbouring a bug OP and it just happened to start on your way home? Or maybe a reaction to one type of seafood?
Either way I hope you feel much better soon, try to sleep if you possibly can to catch up on the sleep you missed last night, that alone will make you feel rough Flowers

Original poster
FarangGirl · 27/02/2022 12:54

Went to see gastroenterologist today. He thinks it was a gallstone in the bile duct and the pain stopped the way it did because it passed into the intestine
Nothing to do now since it's passed by itself but he said to come in to hospital for pain management and monitoring if it happens again. He also said tramadol is no good against this pain which explains why it didn't seem to touch the edges.

OP posts:
CovidCurious · 27/02/2022 18:35

Did the gastro do an ultrasound scan? Typically if your gallbladder starts playing up it will do so again. There could be more stones in there and you may think it is worth knowing whether there are or not.