Where do people feel pain?

Greengoddess · Post by **Greengoddess** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 8:16 am

Hi all! More gastric drama over Xmas with an infection from the ghastly norovirus. Quite a mild one it seems but it left "sequalae"! One being the return of an early symptom which is pain in the right side. Seemingly not related to liver or pancreas. Is MC worse in particular places and do other people have painful places? It is this pain which has me taking Entacort which I don't usually.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:15 pm

Hi,

The few times I have pains, it usually sits in the "angle" between the transverse colon and the descending colon, and sometimes at the end of the descending colon.

I've also experienced pain on my right side - which I believe is the ascending colon (or the appendix?) a few times, but I've never been able to see any pattern between food intake (or any known occurence) and the pains.

PS: Do you take Entocort as a pain killer? Maybe this is a language misunderstanding :-)

Lilja

Greengoddess · Post by **Greengoddess** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 4:35 pm

Lilja wrote:Hi,

The few times I have pains, it usually sits in the "angle" between the transverse colon and the descending colon, and sometimes at the end of the descending colon.

I've also experienced pain on my right side - which I believe is the ascending colon (or the appendix?) a few times, but I've never been able to see any pattern between food intake (or any known occurence) and the pains.

PS: Do you take Entocort as a pain killer? Maybe this is a language misunderstanding :-)

Lilja

Not as a pain killer but usually that pain means that inflammation is getting worse. So I take it for that. I first experienced that pain three years ago and ct scans revealed nothing. Which only made me worried. It was only when there was a flare that another colonoscopy was done and a biopsy. I do not know how long I have had MC. I believe many could be undiagnosed here and told they have IBS.

UkuleleLady · Post by **UkuleleLady** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 8:08 pm

Seems more people report on right side pain than left. IIRC MC is more common in the ascending colon? Forgive me if I'm wrong.

However, when I experience pain, it's in my lower left side (descending colon?) I am not sure exactly because I believe sometimes it's referred pain and therefore I don't always know where it's coming from..at least that is my opinion.

It's usually if I eat too much fiber, salad or fruit, and I think there is a histamine connection, lke if I eat too much sauerkraut or canned sardines. Or two days in a row. It's a threshold thing for me.

I also think it's a histamine response because since I quit alcohol entirely, pain became infrequent. It used to be constant. I used to put back a few glasses of wine daily. Partly to cope with the pain!

Sometimes I still have pain in the morning but after I take a run or lift weights, it's gone. Now that could be de-stressing or adrenaline kicking in, I don't know, but I'll take it.

This is not to say y'all should quit alcohol and start working out! This is just what really helps me. Life is pretty good right now. I thought I would live with chronic pain forever, and I don't think that's the case now.

Cheers.

DebE13 · Post by **DebE13** » Sat Jan 03, 2015 8:40 pm

I rarely have MC related pain so for that I am grateful. I could write a novel on the other never-ending pains I have related to other issues but I will save you from my whining.

I get stomache aches if I eat something I shouldn't and sometimes get a very uncomfortable gut burning sensation. For that I assume it is caused by inflammation. Once in a while I will have cramping that can bring me to my knees but that was more when I wasn't careful with what I ate. All in all, I mainly have D and no pain. As an afterthought, hemorrhoids cause me great distress at times. Most the time they are just there, for the past three years and a whole lot of no fun. Not a great topic of conversation but it takes too much effort to be embarassed about it.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 7:51 am

I had trouble knowing where ascending and descending colon really sit in my body, and found this.

http://www.healthline.com/human-body-ma ... ding-colon

Lilja

Patricia · Post by **Patricia** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 7:51 pm

Most often, I have pain on my right side, sometimes wrapping around to the back. Also pain underneath the ribs (both sides), hips (mostly the right hip), right groin area, and right foot. I am not sure, but I have a feeling that the inflammation is in my ascending colon.

Hope you feel better soon!

Love, Patricia

Post by **tex** » Sun Jan 04, 2015 8:50 pm

Of course most GI specialists insist that pain is not associated with MC, because pain was not listed as a symptom in the original description of the disease. But they are wrong. The original description of microscopic colitis (collagenous colitis was described first) is incorrect, and contains other inaccuracies. But it's unlikely that anyone will change it anytime soon, because doctors simply do not understand the disease well enough to have the confidence necessary to make changes in the description. It's true that some patients do not have pain associated with the disease, but many of us find that it can be extremely painful at times.

The ascending colon (the right side colon) is the most likely place for pain associated with MC, because in most cases, the inflammation that causes MC is more concentrated in the ascending colon and the terminal ileum. Other sections of the colon usually contain inflammation, but it is often more scattered in those other sections of the colon. Contrary to what many people believe, the inflammation associated with MC is not found everywhere in the colon. Instead, it's typically distributed in random patches of inflammation. That's why it can be missed if a doctor does not take enough biopsies so that at least 1 of them is taken from an inflamed area. The point is, there are usually more of those inflamed patches in the ascending colon (and the terminal ileum) than anywhere else in the colon. I'm sure that there are probably exceptional cases with different patterns of inflammation, but most of us will have more inflammation in the ascending colon.

Pain on the left side (where the descending colon is located) is usually associated with diverticulitis, and doctors are familiar with that of course. In fact, when I had abdominal surgery (for a different reason), my pain was on my right side, but the doctors insisted that it couldn't be, because I also had diverticulitis.

They insisted that the pain had to be on the left side, because of the diverticulitis.

Doctors can be so naive at times. Why would they think that they knew more about the pain than the patient?

But with MC, other organs in the body can be inflamed, especially other organs in the digestive system, and near the digestive system. It's somewhat common to have bladder inflammation symptoms similar to interstitial systitis, gallbladder symptoms, pancreatic inflammation, and upper GI symptoms, such as heartburn, indigestion, acid reflux, stomach inflammation, etc., all triggered by MC. When my reactions were at their worst, even my hair hurt.

No part of my body was spared. Fortunately, it's usually not that bad.

Tex

Greengoddess · Post by **Greengoddess** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:45 am

Thanks Tex and all of you. This GF diet is taking some time and effort to implement. Today I have had to go without any lunch for the lack of such food! More planning needed. Not a great idea for anyone with gastric problems. But I do notice a quick response. First the psoriasis then the bladder. Then buring and itching. The rest may take longer, possibly the damage in the intestine is more serious. The very worst for me is the sublime fatigue associated with this and most AI conditions. Is it due to the inflammatory process or not absorbing nutrients? Both?

Post by **tex** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 11:03 am

It's probably due to both, but our immune system uses a tremendous amount of energy when fighting inflammation in the intestines. It uses certain vitamins such as vitamin D, and protein, at much higher rates than normal, at a time when we are less able to absorb vitamins and nutrients from our food.

Fatigue and brain fog will fade away also, but they are usually the last to go.

It's good that you are noticing a quick response to your diet changes. Yes, most of us plan ahead and take snacks and sometimes meals with us to make sure that we always have something safe to eat when we are hungry.

You're very welcome. Good luck with your recovery. It sounds as though you are doing well with your recovery program.

Tex

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 11:44 am

Deb,
Have you tried a squatty potty? I have been plagued with hemorrhoids since the birth of my first son 26 years ago....and even had them prolapse at the peek of my MC issues....but since the squatty potty, I have not had an issues with them.....just a thought.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 12:16 am

tex wrote:
Pain on the left side (where the descending colon is located) is usually associated with diverticulitis, and doctors are familiar with that of course. In fact, when I had abdominal surgery (for a different reason), my pain was on my right side, but the doctors insisted that it couldn't be, because I also had diverticulitis. They insisted that the pain had to be on the left side, because of the diverticulitis. Doctors can be so naive at times. Why would they think that they knew more about the pain than the patient?

Tex

Hi Tex,
Since my pain sits at the left side, in both the upper and lower part of the descending colon, maybe this is a diverticulitis? I was diagnosed with CC in 2010, but my last colonoscopy in September 2014 showed "no trace of CC", only 4 polyps. Several biopsies were taken, but I don't know exactly from which part of the colon. I have been on Entocort since May 2014, due to explosive D.

Should I consider a new investigation once I'm off Entocort (in May), or am I better off just continuing my diet and my B-vitamin regimen, and hope that this will resolve the pain problem? I have to add that I don't experience pain every day, only after having eaten a lot more than usual.

PS: I have a philosophy that the more you avoid the hands of doctors, the better off you are

And if they should find that I have diverticulitis, they would probably put me on antibiotics, which I really want to avoid.

Lilja

Post by **tex** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 12:05 pm

Hi Lilja,

If I were in that situation I would probably just continue with my dietary treatment and any supplements that I thought I needed. If anything was seriously wrong, it should have been found during the September colonoscopy. Sometimes when we are recovering, and our bowel movements begin to firm up, that can cause pressure/pain in the descending colon, because our colon has to adjust to the change in the stool.

It's also possible for Entocort to cause that type of pain. The pain may disappear when you wean completely off the drug. If the pain is still there after that, though, something may be going on, and maybe you should discuss it with your doctor.

Diverticulitis is usually extremely painful. It normally causes severe cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding. Yes, it's usually treated with antibiotics.

Tex

JamesEcuador · Post by **JamesEcuador** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 2:01 pm

I was wondering the same think Lilja. I was diagnosed with MC in January last year after pretty standard symptoms but there was no mention of diverticulitis. Since around April I have had constant pain (mild to strong) on my left side and below my naval. I didn't have this symptom at the time of my colonoscopy and it hasn't improved even by very strict diet whereas my other MC symptoms are definitely improving. My doctor said it was all part of the colitis but I'm not so sure anymore. Also my dad has suffered before with diverticulitis.

I really don't like the idea of going through another scope so soon after my last one to get checked out and I also don't trust my incompetent doctors to make a proper diagnosis anyway.

Lilja · Post by **Lilja** » Thu Jan 08, 2015 2:16 pm

tex wrote:Hi Lilja,

Diverticulitis is usually extremely painful. It normally causes severe cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding. Yes, it's usually treated with antibiotics.

Tex

Thank you, Tex!
From your description of diverticulitis pains here, luckily I don't fall into that category at all. I'm in good shape, maybe due to Entocort & my strict diet, but my left side pains just occur when I have eaten too much.

Good to know!

Lilja