Pain/tightness in upper stomach…

[Iscrewedupbadly]

Hello, for the last few hours I’ve been having waves of cramp/tightness in my upper stomach (kind of just below rib area). It starts with a tightening and then just consumes me. I have to rush to the loo as my bowels just explode (sorry tmi), and this last time it’s made me vomit quite a bit. I also break out in a sweat and feel downright awful.
I’ve tried a warm drink, rubbing my stomach, I’ve managed to get out a couple of burps as I thought maybe trapped wind!

it’s not massively painful just extremely uncomfortable and takes my breath away a bit, and I just don’t know what to do with myself! When it’s happening nothing at all helps. Laying down on my side is impossible, standing just makes me feel sick.

i don’t want to go to A&E as I don’t think it’s needed, I’m waiting a call back from Out Of Hours, but god knows when that will be!!

I’ve just got over an episode that lasted about 20 mins and feel absolutely fine now, but I know it will happen again!

this happened once before a couple of months ago and by the morning I was absolutely fine!!! It’s probably trapped wind isn’t it?!

More likely a gastroenteritis or food poisoning

sip water and try and rest

unless you vomit blood, can’t keep any fluid down for many hours or the pain is totally unbearable I don’t see what a doctor can do.

Have you eaten anything different OP? There's a few foods that give me a reaction like this - presume I have an intolerance to them (runny/loose eggs, mushrooms and bananas).

Eggs are the worst offender. It's a really horrid, gripey pain in the area you describe and makes me feel like I need the toilet or I do go. Doesn't make me vomit though.

Having said that, it tends to be fairly up and down for an hour or so, then goes away - doesn't stop for 20 mins at a time.

If it's a one off its probably just a stomach bug or as you say, trapped wind which can be painful. There's a few bugs going round. Hot water bottle on your stomach?

Sounds like gastro to me. Lots of norvirus going around. Or something you’ve eaten: when I had campylobacter I thought my insides were turning inside out. Awful.

lots of fluids and rest. Maybe try no food for 24 hours.

Get this checked out Op, it sounds like you're passing gallstones. Getting one stuck can be life threatening and it's a much more difficult operation if that happens. If it's happened once it will in all probability happen again without such a good outcome.

Bad advice . . .

If it’s happened before and pain is in the same place and on the right hand side could be gallstones as they are common so best to see GP or 111 as you have done . Hope the pain goes soon

The strength of the intestines and the surrounding muscles is something else. When something's wrong and they contract - for me it's agonising because the strength of it is hideous.

If you have a bug, food poisoning, dodgy food then the contractions can be significant. Buscopan helps that but you want whatever might be in there out asap I guess. A and E is such a horrible place believe me. If it gets worse and the pain too much, get yourselves down there. Middle of the night is going to be quieter on a Sunday.

Hot water bottle on the stomach can help the tightness from the muscles.

I think you have gallstones. Sudden and rapidly intensifying pain in the upper right portion of your abdomen or in the center of your abdomen, just below your breastbone, and nausea and vomiting are classical symptoms.

Thanks all, great advice. Sipping on some warm water, feeling absolutely fine now. I’m just waiting for the next bout to start! Not eaten anything unusual today, roast beef dinner at lunch time and some chicken and rice for dinner!

husband is sorting out a hot water bottle for me and I’m going to try to get some sleep in a bit x

Gallstones would have been niggly for a while each time you ate fat and then occasional huge pain. The OP suggests this is a one off or at least not a regular occurrence?

Gallstones are usually troublesome if you eat a fatty mean as your gallbladder tries to pass bile to help break the fat down and the gallstones get stuck. So maybe a roast might have sparked it off? Has it niggled for a while? If not then probably a bug.

I'd also be concerned about gallstones.

For nausea, as soon as you feel that sweaty weird pre-vom phase, open a window or go into a cold room, lie on your left side (if you can) and keep very still. If not your left side, don't try the right side. Lying on your right tips your stomach upside down. If you can't lie down, just try getting as cold as you possibly can. If you're already vomiting, run the cold tap over your wrists and face as much as you can in between.

I've had bouts of unexplained vomiting for several years now so I'm a bit of an old hand with puke attacks now. The cold is the best thing I've found to calm them down.

I’ve had this once before back in October and it was awful, just like this time. I get so hot and sweat like I’ve been in a shower. This time I have vomited quite a lot. It’s weird as it’s not painful, just really intense and it makes me shake, I just don’t know what to do with myself to make it better.

no pain in my back or shoulder thank goodness.

now this particular “epiosde” has passed I feel like I can take on the world! X

I mean that does potentially sound like a gallstone attack in that you can be in agony one minute and then back to normal the next! But the attacks would probably would come more frequently than every few months so you probably don't need to worry! Hope you feel loads better soon OP!

I had same symptoms and it was pancreatitis caused by gallstones. I'd definitely go to the hospital for vomiting and those symptoms. Do you have any signs of jaundice too?

thankfully no signs of jaundice at all x

You used the word explosive - to be gross are you projectile vomitting? If so it suggests norovirus to me. Especially the griping pains and the swearing.

Sweating. Although you may be swearing too

Not projectile vomiting, it’s the other end that’s explosive, but I think that’s from me cramping up and feeling hot!! It’s so hard to describe, so much going on at one time it’s hard to pin point what’s causing what!

thankfully after the last episode touch wood it seems to have calmed down!

it’s been a fun few hours that’s for sure. This is exactly what it was like in October - absolutely fine following day, wouldn’t know I’d been rocking back and fore in the bathroom sweating, swearing and praying to a god I don’t believe in lol x

Just thought I’d update you- after a few more episodes of the above, I met with a consultant and had a scan, blood tests and endoscopy. It’s my gallbladder/gallstones. He’s made a referral with a surgeon to discuss removing the gallbladder. I’m seeing him on the 21st March and will hopefully get a date for surgery then.
thanks for all your responses xx

That's good OP. Gallbladder surgery is really straightforward. Laparoscopic so just a few nicks and you'll be out of hospital that day. I didn't have to use the painkillers they gave me and you just need a few days in bed. So it's a good result that that's solvable.