ElfOnTheTopShelf has a question about the appendix, in sense of "grumbling" and "burst"

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

Okay, for those who have not seen my other threads, was taken to hospital on Wed til Sun due to suspected appendix problems, had ultrasound and everything they saw was okay, but they wanted to put a camera in my tummy to see my appendix. Pain got better and was gone on Sat so did not have it. Out of hospital Sunday, all well and lovely...
Been back to work today and I have a pain in my side (right) but I also have a pain in my left side as well. Not pain like I had before went into hospital in which I was doubled over and could not stand up. But just a niggle. The left hand pain is in the same sort of position as the right hand pain.
Is it likely to be a grumbling appendix? If so, what happens with that - how does the pain pan out, does it mean I have to have the appendix out, or does it just grumble for a while and then go back to normal?
If the appendix bursts, how painful is it before hand, does it hurt when it bursts, are you aware of it, how long before have to go to hospital etc?
What have been your experiences?

bump please!

bumping for the day crowd if that is okay!

Have you tried NHS direct? I have no experience with appendix's I'm afraid but they might be able to answer your questions? Good luck!

Elf I had mine when preggers and thought it was wind in the morning.... Then after lunch got more painful, so called. Midwife who said go to a+e in case of appendicitis.
duly did.
sat there being poked scanned prodded bled for a few hours then started experiencing severe pain, my temp shot up and I started vomiting. Felt dreadful.
they put me on urgent surgery and got to it just as it ruptured.
had it ruptured earlier I would have lost ds2 ....
did they rule out ovarian cysts?
tbh I felt the appendix pain on right side but after a few hours on both sides...
hope you're ok x x x maybe give your old ward a ring and they can talk to the drs who treated you?

Well, they scanned my ovaries (so far as I am aware) and no problems.
The pain I had on Tue/Wed was crippling, doubled over in agony type. Now it is just a little ache every now and again but on both sides. When I left on Sun, blood & urine tests were perfectly fine. Temp was 37.5 but I've not been hot since, and havn't been sick / upset tummy since Thurs/Fri

I would suggets you seek further professional advice..
FWIW I have a grumbling appendix.
Have been in hopsital 5 times in my life with appendicitis each time the pain stops totally,
the first 3 times had internal examinations to ensure it was the appendix - which it was then by the time we come to the surgery I feel totally better and I don't have the surgery.

this was more when I was younger havent had it for at least the last 15 years.

Did they find your appendix on the scan? Did you get any diagnosis? or advice? I will check if dd2's not appendicitis pain comes and goes a bit after she gets home from hospital. If it gets bad can you nip to A and E, or would you have to wait hours? (DD2 would, but we aren't in UK).

they didn't find it on the scan

I'd get onto NHS Direct too.

Don't know how relevant this is, but I had several bouts of severe stomach ache and vomiting over a period of about three months before I finally got taken into hospital for appendicitis. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it was obviously related. The pain wasn't on a specific side - it was just general pain low down. This was when I was 14. Between bouts there was no pain at all.

(When the offending appendix finally got removed, it was on the verge of bursting, apparently. I was on a school trip to France and the doctor's notes said that it was 'pre-gangreneuse', which I thought was hilarious, for some reason.)

Elf, I was rushed to hosp a month ago, with agonising pain on right side. Had thrown up a few times too. They thought appendix but didn't want to remove it if they weren't sure due to risk of MC (I am 14 weeks now, I was 9 weeks then).

I spent three days in agony. They also thought it might be kidney stones but in the end decided ruptured ovarian cyst. Anyway, fact is with appendix:

Surgeon told me a scan won't cut it for diagnosing. They diagnose by feeling (!) or with keyhole camera. They test your blood for suspect bacteria as well. How pregnant are you?

Basically though,they weren't sure what it was, that's the bottom line. However, my obstetrician told me last week that 9 weeks is the absolute classic time for ovarian cysts to rupture and she thinks it was that.

Oh, no, I am not pregnant at the moment. Docs kept asking if I were, but I'm actually on my period at the moment, not had one for months due to change in pill at Xmas.

Could be kidney stones, they hurt like hell. If you push in on the part where the pain is, if it's appendixs it's even sorer when you let go. IYSWIM

as in pressing on it relives the pressure and it hurts again when taking hand away, or its a niggling pain, pressing on it hurts but it hurts like hell when removing?

umm, hurts to press in, hurts like buggery when released. I only know this because a nurse did it to me a few months ago, when I was sent to A & E with pain in my side. (kidney stone).

Grumbling appendix is one of those conditions that doctors disagree on. Some say that either the appendix is inflamed or it is not, while others subscribe to the grumbling theory. Some doctors treat a grumbler with antibiotics, to see if that sorts it out.

I had my appendix out as an emergency, after a couple of days of fairly nasty pain. I didn't present classically, so they did a laparoscopy to rule out gall bladder or anything else, then they whipped the little b*gger out!

I'd had grumbling appendix symptoms for the previous 20 years but it always settled back down again. However, after I had the op I felt so much better than beforehand and as I recovered I realised the vague nagging pain I'd had on and off for so many years was gone.

DD's appendix didn't show up. She says the pain came and went for a few days in the same area (under tummy button) after the drip. Another mum has told me her dd went for months with odd tummy things before ruptured appendix.