Ouch, my stomach hurts

If you’ve ever experienced abdominal cramping due to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease or any other problems with the intestines, you know that they can be truly incapacitating. How do I know? I was hit yet again this week.

It had been a while since I had such bad cramping. While I  used to usually experience pain of about 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst ever, I think this week’s was 9, if not 10. And it just started out of the blue.

But when do you need to see a doctor for something like this?

My daughter was very concerned. She’s 20 and has experienced severe abdominal pain from appendicitis to gall bladder, so she was worried that I had something equally serious. Me, being me, knew that it wasn’t doctor-worthy, but it did hurt a lot.

The MayoClinic.com suggests that you should see a doctor if:

you have abdominal pain so severe that you can’t move without causing more pain or you can’t sit still or find a comfortable position. Also seek immediate medical help if pain is accompanied by other worrisome signs and symptoms, such as bloody diarrhea or chest pain.

and FamilyDoctor.org has this great schematic to help you decide if you’re not sure: Abdominal Pain: short-term

Of course, you’re the best judge for yourself. It’s never wrong to get checked and find out you have nothing serious and that is better than not going if you do. But stomach pains, like headaches, are a fact of life for some of us.

I am feeling much better – still the odd stabbing pain here and there, but it’s bearable.

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