Crohns Complications

    One of the Crohns disease symptoms that seems to be a harbinger of things to come is the abdominal pain associated with Crohn’s disease.  This has been very true in my personal struggle with Crohn’s disease.  There are different types of Crohn’s pain, both in their severity and cause.  Inflammation in the intestinal walls can cause pain ranging from mild to extremely severe. 

    Fistulas and ulcers, especially in the duodenum, can also result in pain until these problems are corrected by medications,  surgery, or other forms of Crohn’s treatment.  Cramping associated with the need for a bowel movement, usually diarrhea, can range from intense pain to a dull ache to a varying degree of pain over time.  Many Crohn’s sufferers also report varying degrees of pain after eating, sometimes immediately, while other times a bit later.

 

Crohn’s Treatment For Pain

    My personal worst experience with Crohn’s pain has been while having a bowel obstruction.  Usually this occurs when the inflammation to the walls of the intestine increases so that the opening in the intestine for food to pass close up so nothing gets through.  Nausea and loss of appetite usually accompanied obstructions in my case.  In most cases, a patient who normally has frequent bowel movements will be unable to have one until the inflammation decreases and the obstruction passes.

 
    If the obstruction is severe enough, the pain can be described as beginning with a low, constant level like a dull tooth ache that will suddenly spike into a crescendo of severe pain that can last for many minutes.   Finally, the pain level drops back to its initial level and you wait for the next crescendo.  This will continue until the inflammation decreases. 

 
    Even if your abdominal pain calls for medication, painkillers can work against you since they tend to “slow” the system down making it harder for the anti-inflammatory medicine to work to relieve the obstruction.  If the obstruction does not clear on its own or via drugs like prednisone, Crohns disease surgery may be the only option as an untreated obstruction can lead to death.

 


 

Crohn’s Pain can be Helped.