Severe colon spasms send my husband to ER
#104394 - 09/07/04 10:37 PM
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My husband has IBS that has evolved in the past year to include severe spasms of the colon (whichever part runs across his upper abdomen near the stomach). (Yes, I am the wife and somehow I am the one writing to the message board for "help".)
My husband's spasms come on out of the blue and cause such severe pain that he nearly passes out. About 8 months ago, I had to call the paramedics because his hands were becoming numb and he couldn't breath because of the pain. His regular "antispasmodic" meds didn't work and only oxygen and a powerful narcotic pain killer delivered in the ER finally caused the colon to unspasm. After carefully following all of the diet and fiber recommendations on Heather's great website, he has managed his IBS so that he had none of these severe spasms until today. Today, my husband once again ended up in an Emergency Room after suffering the most severe pain ever from a spasm of the colon that lasted more than two hours and had him nearly passing out from pain and lack of oxygen.
Yesterday, my husband travelled for 12 hours and followed nearly all of his routines the same as always except that instead of taking the acacia fiber 3-4 times a day, he took many guar gum chewable tables...he says they provided a precise equivalency of soluable fiber, but it was in a new form for him.
I have several related questions....one, are these kind of severe spasms in the colon (in his upper abdomen)typical for IBS? After reading everything, somehow I wonder if it really is only IBS causing these...they seem separate from any constipation/diarrhea symptoms.
Second, could the switch from acacia fiber to the chewable guar gum tablets be the "cause" of his horrible colon spasm the following day? Is it possible that insufficient water with these tablets could cause the problem?
In general, when he has a spasm, should he analyze for the cause any changes in diet/fiber that occured 24 hours earlier or only an hour or two earlier?
And, finally, what can be done for him short of the Emergency Room when he does get one of these horrific spasms? He says that he has noticed each time that once given supplemental oxygen in the ER room that the spasm seems to moderate some and then once given a powerful pain killer the spasm will quite suddenly just release and disappear.
Help, please, I am desperate for suggestions. My husband has to travel for a living and is considering whether he will have to quit what he does. Also, the pain he suffers is just unbelievably bad.
Thanks for any and all comments.
Maureen, Wife of IBS Guy
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hi is your husband takeing hyscomine for his cramping?
if not this could help him with some of spasms pain he is having.
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ive had ibs for 8 years now. im learning alot on this web board. thanks again everyone
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Ok. Was he properly diagnosed? Did he have a colonoscopy done. I'd suggest that he needs to go back to his GI doc to talk about these attacks.
With IBS attacks, you have to look a changes that can go a day or two back, as well as build up of triggers like stress, tiredness, eating a teeny bit too much of a trigger, etc.
I don't know much about Guar Gum, but I know some people have trouble with it. I wouldn't go there myself!
Has he tried taking a codeine based painkiller at home?
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I agree with other respondents- this could be IBS- I know someone else who has similar problems, but it could be other things, so I hope he's had those ruled out....
also- the guar gum chewables by benefiber have sorbitol in them- which sets me off in even minute doses... I do take guar gum rather then another fiber supplement, but its the powdered form. I have no problems with it, but others have said they can't handle even a small amount of it as it makes their symptoms worse.
I know I can take my powder in small baggies or containers and then dump it into a single serving size applesauce and eat that out.. I've done it before.. that or a cup of hot mint tea- I do the latter at work, and keep a little container of fiber and a spoon at my desk... so far I've never travelled in a way were I couldn't either eat the applesauce warm (doesn't require refrigeration) or make a cup of tea... I do get soem strange looks dumping powder into thiose things at times, but its worth the looks to feel better.
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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Heather has pain-predominant IBS, and her books talk about pain so bad she passes out. "IBS - The First Year" mentions that she has stuff like Vicodin on hand for really bad attacks because it interrupts the spasms.
I can't provide much personal testimony here because I have boring old bloaty IBS-C, but maybe Heather can speak to this?
--AC
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I have severe pain when I eat a trigger or sleep on my sides. It takes all the energy I have and I usually fall asleep sitting up after it's over. My doctor gave me NuLev but it didn't help the pain. I say, if you can afford to go to the e.r., then by all means go and get some pain relief !
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Thanks for your reply. My husband has had a colonoscopy to rule out other sources of his problems. Unfortunately, he is a recovering alcoholic/addict and cannot have narcotic drugs around the house, so basically that is one reason why he ends up in the ER. Thanks again for answering.
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Thanks for the input. I'm sure my husband isn't aware of the sorbitol as a possible trigger...and I like your applesauce suggestion, too.
Maureen
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Yes, the few references in Heather's story about such severe pain that she loses consciousness were the only clue we had that this might not be way out of the bounds for IBS...I just haven't seen too many other people talk about spasms in the upper part of the abdomen rather than spasms and cramping in the lower abdomen. Also it is really so scary when it happens and the pain is so intense that it's hard to accept that this is part of IBS. I do believe that my husband has had all the other major diseases ruled out...
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I'm so sorry to hear this. I know just what he's going through and it is really truly unbearable pain. Not everyone with IBS gets hit with pain this severe, but it can happen. The fact that it's upper GI pain, instead of lower, is not classic IBS, but I have heard of this. He's right in feeling that it's a muscle spasm that can just disappear if things relax - it is literally the muscles of his GI tract spasming that cause the pain. Anything that makes those muscles relax will stop the spasm, and the pain. Unfortunately, I don't know of anything that will do that quickly and effectively except for narcotic painkillers - and they need to be injected for a rapid effect. The only way to get that is at an ER.
But - he might try a hot pack on his abdomen over the spasm, as heat can relax muscles. I'd also have him chew Altoids mints a few at a time - chewing 6 or 8 of those in a few minutes can get him enough peppermint oil to relax his gut. So can a cup of really strong, hot peppermint tea. If you use teabags, use at least four of them. For loose leaf peppermint use 2 tablespoons for the cup. Brew it so strong it's black - sips of that will help the spasms relax too.
If he's nauseous from the pain, it's not a bad idea for him to try and vomit. Sometimes, the violent contractions of vomiting kind of interfere with the spasms in the gut, and can get the gut muscles to relax. I've had this happen several times - not fun, but things are better in the end.
Were those chewable guar gum tablets Benefiber? If they were, throw that bottle out asap - those pills have sorbitol, an artificial sweetener in them. Sorbitol can cause cramps for people who don't even have IBS. It sounds like he may have taken quite a few of those tablets, and a pretty good dose of sorbitol along with them. That could absolutely have set him off.
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Hi,
I am so sorry about your husband's pain. Just wanted to ask if he has had his gallbladder checked? Reason I ask is my son had terrible pains in the upper stomach area and went to ER several times where only morphine helped him. He finally had his gallbladder checked and he was diagnosed with sludge in the gallbladder and it wasn't functioning. He had his gallbladder out and is fine now.
Also, beware of sorbitol.
Good luck
Barbie
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Wow Heather, I had no idea! I used to throw up all the time as a kid...the pain would wake in the middle of the night and the only relief was vomiting. My parents thought I was a hypochondriac...just wanting out of school. It was HORRIFIC PAIN! I would be rolling on the floor, sweating profusely, shaking...the works. It was awful being woken up in the middle night as a kid...I was terrified! The pain would be there for a couple of days sometimes before I would throw up. I wonder what I was eating that didn't help me out there...
Thanks for enlightening me (again)!! You're the BEST Heather!! *hugs*
Maureen, how's your husband doing today? I hope he's all better now...
Love,
Ruchie
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Formerly known as Ruchie
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