In five days I am to get on a plane for about a 6 hour flight to go back to Iowa to visit my mother. And wouldn't you know it, my body has some new symptoms!

My takedown was about 5 years ago, and I have been rolling along with my assortment of issues that my doctors and I have been fine-tuning treatments for. . . and then in the last week I have developed cramping mid-gut. I wake up with it, I feel it on and off most of the day. Sometimes eating makes it worse. I am having my normal amount and volume of bowel movements and seem to have very few other issues going on. My self-dilating and treatment for the stricture and spasms of the sphincter are going well . . .

If this is a partial blockage, what is the best way to work through it? When you get cramping should you back off the immodium for a little while?

Looks like life just got more complicated . . .

According to this article on ileus
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1154.htm
such symptoms can be caused by low potassium, magnesium, or sodium levels,
as well as certain drugs (opiates, antacids(!), ...).

So it's no coincidence that chicken-rice soup (especially a "healty" variety
with more potassium), orange juice, bananas, and yogurt are often helpful.
Backing off of the drugs to "slow things down" should help.

Drink lots of Gookiniaid Hydralyte (now called Vitalyte) (thanks to Kathy Smith).

I would wonder if the low levels were the issue, but I take supplemental potassium and magnesium and rather doubt that sodium is the issue. And it has been such a long time since my last surgery.

However, if slight dehydration could be at issue, I suffer this with some regularity. I have a heck of a time keeping my hydration up. I have never used Vitalyte before (most hydration aids seem to use artificial sweeteners, which I can't use) . . . what is the best flavor?

It does sound like it could be a bit of a partial blockage and I agree with bobolink - back off the imodium a bit and see if that helps. Also, if it's not getting worse and you think that your upcoming trip is still a go - try eating soft foods before and during. Drink lots of liquids and yes, drinking Gookinaid/Hydralyte/Vitalyte seems helpful [as she sits here drinking Vitalyte mixed with Pellegrino]. I'm adding to this because you just posted - the sweeteners in Vitalyte are glucose and fructose. Can you tolerate those? And the sweetness is very, very mild. Go to their website here and see if any of the ingredients would not agree with you. You might actually have to look at each flavor because they're all formulated a little differently.

If it is a partial blockage, moving around as much as possible helps (even though you might feel like you never want to move again). Hot baths and hot liquids also seem to help. You can try to dislodge an offender by getting on your hands and knees and moving your hips rapidly back and forth or you can try standing on your head (reverse gravity).

Good luck!

kathy

I just bought some Vitalyte at the new vitalyte.com Web site (the
older gookinaid one appears to work but will no longer accept payment).
You might be able to get some of the packets at REI. On the REI
site there are 2 reviews, and they say to pick citrus or lemon.

A cup of OJ and a cup of yogurt each have a whopping ~ 500 mg of
potassium, and for a banana, this Web site is incredibly detailed:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20Tm.html
Wow, 800 mg of potassium! I've seen much smaller amounts in
potassium suppliments (100 mg), so you could still be low on that.
The colon is supposed to help with absorption of both water and
salts (sodium, potassium), so this is something for j-pouchers
to keep in mind.

Note that there is ~ 11 g each of fructose and glucose in a banana, so
if you can tolerate that, then this drink mix should be no problem,
since there's only 10 g of total carbs per serving.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bobolink713,

Bobolink,

www.traceminerals.com

click on trace minerals once on the page and scroll down to Stamina packets
compare the supplemental facts
this is what Chris started taking and it has been amazing
no need to drink tons of fluids
just mix with a small amount of water
32 packs cost $14.00 at the health food store
Hydralyte can only be purchased on line. I like to try before I buy and return if I don't like something and the health food store allows both.
Let me know what you think as far as a side by side comparison..

This message has been edited. Last edited by: "Holly2",

Actually Holly - I find Hydralyte extremely easy to purchase. I go to the site, order, and two days later I have it. As Bob said, REI also carries Hydralyte/Vitalyte and that would be easy to purchase as well.

Bob - I drink citrus but any of them are great. I really dislike sweet drinks (it's not a sugar thing, it's a flavor thing) and all of their flavors are great. The one advantage with the citrus flavor is that there is no added color.

kathy

It chould be your gall baldder if you still have one. Otherwise it just chould be pain from adhesions. Usually, or at least in my case with partical blockages either I will have very little stool passing or massive watery stools along with pain. I had that mid section pain on and off with the gall bladder for two years before any tests showed anything wrong.
Have fun on your trip
Susan

Ok . . . I cut my immodium intake by 50%, I got my hands on some gatorade (couldn't get to REI in time), and kept busy moving around. I felt improved this morning, but still have remnants of a slight twinge now and then.

All the while I assumed as long as you are passing stool that at least the gut is not an emergency situation. None of my pain reached above a 6 or 7, although it did "catch" me at times. I am maintaining a watchful eye, drinking lots more, and avoiding becoming too sedentary.

If it is a gall bladder, what are the other signs. . . and why is this so common with Crohn's patients?

I found out that Pedialyte (Abbot Labs)
http://abbottnutrition.com/products/products.aspx?pid=38
contains about twice the potassium per oz. as Vitalyte, and
more sodium. Pedialyte is easy to buy, hard to gag down.
They are doing research on a frozen concoction, because dehydrated
kids have less trouble keeping that down:
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/152/2/142

Gatorade G2 is a new, low sugar hydration drink:
http://drinkg2.com/
that, like regular Gatorade, has 1/3 the potassium (30 mg),
but more sodium (110 mg) than Vitalyte. So bananas it is ...

Debra,

The risk factors for gall bladder problems/gall stones include
being female, a mom, over forty, fair skinned, Crohn's, etc.

Your symptoms match a number of those on the list from the second
page of this informative article:

http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/gallbladder/a/gallstonessymtr.htm

which I am quoting below:

When the symptoms of gallstones occur they are often called an "attack"
because they occur suddenly. The typical gallstone attack includes:

* Steady, severe pain in the upper abdomen that increases rapidly
and lasts from 30 minutes to several hours.
* Pain in the back between the shoulder blades.
* Pain under the right shoulder.
* Nausea or vomiting.

Gallstone attacks often follow fatty meals, and they may occur during
the night. Other symptoms of gallstones include:

* Abdominal bloating.
* Recurring intolerance of fatty foods.
* Colic.
* Belching.
* Gas.
* Indigestion.

The following symptoms are indication that you should seek
immediate medical attention:

* Sweating.
* Chills.
* Low-grade fever.
* Yellowish color of the skin or whites of the eyes.
* Clay-colored stools.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bobolink713,

Pedialyte has Sucralose in it ... and I do not do artificial sweeteners. I am also finding it in many of the reduced sugar sport/fitness drinks. My GI doesn't like artificial sweeteners, and that is fine by me, as I never have been able to tolerate them.

I will be setting up my next appointment soon to discuss gall bladder with him, as it appeears that this could well explain many issues I have been having. Who would'a thunk?

Pedialyte has one "unflavored liquid" version with no Sucralose,
but I do not know if many stores carry that one. Maybe a squirt
of lemon juice would help.

I tried the citrus flavor Vitalyte today, and it is not bad.
No Sucralose listed in the ingredients section of the label.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bobolink713,

Wow, cut back on immodium and I am back to leaking at night. Phew! I am going to have to work out a balance between too slow and too fast!

I get on an airplane with my daughter in two days, and I sure hope this is under control by then.

That balance is so hard to find - and keep. I was doing 1 immodium morning and night, then 1/2 morning and night, then tried Lomotil and was doing 1 at night with the 1/2 immodium. Then I tried Lomitil in the morning instead of immodium and didn't like it.

My current trial is 1 immodium in the morning and 1 lomotil at night. Worked well yesterday for me. But that could always change in a day (bacterial change, foods I eat, etc.).