anyone ever gone to er for a blockage and what do they do for you?

They put me on an IV and let me wait till it passed... I actually was in the hospital for about 4 days waiting, worst pain I have ever experienced actually...if you are in pain I wouldn't hesitate about going in... they can atleast give you something to help eliviate the pain.

My experience was exactly the same... ER for about six hours. And though I laid there and did nothing, they did provide pain medicine via IV and did the initial x-rays. I was lucky in that my obstructed bowel passed on its own, but I also was in the hospital for about four days.

If it gets bad they put an NG tube in. It always helps me to go when I have a bad one because the pain meds actually give me some relief and allow me to relax enough to let things loosen up and clear up on their own.
I used to think obstructions were no big deal but they can become serious.
If you start to vomit then you should definitely go in.

i had pain all day yesterday, so didn't eat anything and did vomit a couple of times, but today the pain is gone, but stomach is very tender. i am passing little bits of stool now. i ate a piece of toast and half a banana so far and it's stayed down.

i guess the worse thing for me about going to the ER is the 5,6, (or more) hour wait til they finally see you. i have had a couple of blockages that always resolved on their own. one got so bad that i ended up so dehydrated that i ended up in the hospital anyway in kidney failure.... so.. i am trying to be careful that doesn't happen again. i think i am over the worst of it... drinking water. i will try to eat some noodle soup in a little while and hope things get moving again. any other suggestions as to what to eat for my tender insides??

i appreciate your replies... thank you...

I know how you feel! I don't think there is anything you can do for the soreness. Perhaps a heating pad would make it feel better. My husband would massage my tummy and it actually helped.
Also, something I thought I would suggest...I actually have it worked out with my doctor that when I get a bad blockage and need drugs that I call my doctor or whichever one is on call and they admit me to the hospital and I bypass the E.R. and the five hour wait. You might want to look in to something like that.
Take care and don't eat anything heavy too soon.
Lori

just had one a few weeks back they did admit me I was on Iv fluids the er it self did mothing but they did have a nurse come in with fluids from the back side and just flush me out until everything came out and boy! did I feel great for a day or so.. the blockage never came back but the normal stuff did after I had food of course.

Ask them to flush you they say 80% of blockages resolve them self. IF not they try that first if all else fails surgery if its bad enough.

I only had one blockage many years ago. The Dr on call insisted on an NG tube as I had been vomiting for awhile.I stayed 5 days in the hopsital on IV fluids and the blockage cleared without surgery becoming necessary.
I blamed the chinese food and that was 5 years after my surgery.

well, i was doing better, pain gone all day, then today i ate 1 piece of toast, 1/2 banana, a little cup of applesauce, then the other half of the banana, then started getting small pains again... just vomited again... green stuff...i am so upset! i really thought this was done with after waking up with no pains today. i was passing small amounts of stool a couple of times today. looked almost like 'grit'... God, i really don't want to go to the ER... do i have a choice??

I think it all depends on how much pain you are having. Could be you just advanced your diet too soon. Green just means it is bile and does not mean anything ominous. Could be that you are still partially obstructed. You know how it is in the ER. Of course, the safest route is to go, but you probably know by now how to tell when it is serious.

If you don't go, obviously, stop the solid foods and go back to clear liquids.

Good luck!

Jan

Sharon - I'm wondering if the banana could be causing a problem. I think some people have said that it's constipating for them.

If you think you need to go to the ER, you should go. If you decide to wait for a bit, start drinking warm liquids, take warm baths, walk around as much as you can, get on all fours and move your hips rapidly from side to side (it might help dislodge the blockage if that's what's going on), stand on your head (reverse gravity). I'm sure you know, but don't take any laxatives. Moving around seems to help most - even if you feel like curling up in a ball and never moving again.

Here's what worked for me the last time I had a blockage (after eating a whole bag of delicious dried apricots - what IS it with me and the orange food group?). I was writhing on the bathroom floor in agony. I was babysitting my granddogger - Ruby the Pug. Ruby was jumping around trying to help me. It wasn't working. I decided I'd go try to get some work done and went to my office - sat down in my office chair. Ruby sat in her office chair next to mine. I was sort of okay between the waves of peristalsis. During one of the pain waves I had my eye squinched shut trying to block out the agony. Helpful Ruby lept from her office chair right onto my belly. Now THAT hurt. But apparently she jumped just right and dislodged the blockage. Ruby the Miracle Pug!

Do you have any extremely needy small dogs lying around who can leap upon your belly?

I hope this resolves itself without you having to go to the ER. Let us know how it's going. I feel your pain.

kathy

thank you so much for replying so quickly!! i have been sitting here agonizing over what i should do. i am not having that much pain. i really threw up a bunch of stuff... all liquid. i had a feeling that i maybe shouldn't have been eating yet. i guess if i get bad pains i will go to the ER. i really thought i was over this... dang!

btw... i have just been drinking water... should i be having other things? how about popsicles?

thanks so much for your help~

kathy,
matter of fact i do have a needy doggie around who has actually stepped on my belly and yeah, it hurt! i can't imagine her leaping on it! i tried to stay active yesterday and today. i take the dog out several times a day to go to the bathroom and we walk around the house and i took her for a walk both days (not too long, i admit). i also put a mini vibrator on my stomach to help loosen things up. don't know if that helped or not.

wonder when i will know it is safe to start to eat again...hopefully, it will be someday...

I would drink something to help thin the stool such as: coffee, grape juice, prune juice..

Hi Sharon,
I feel your pain as I am currently nursing a partial blockage myself. I have had numerous blockages over the years. My main criteria for going to the hosptial is vomiting, followed by pain so bad that you have to literally peel me off the floor. Basically, what they do for me is pain meds and most important IV. You need water to help move that blockage through and if you cannot drink-ie vomiting-then you need this. Of course they have to take x-rays. Once the pain stops and things start coming out again-like a faucet-I'll wait till the next day and do mostly liguids, yogurt. If that causes no problems I'll move onto low residue for a few days. It sounds to me that your blockage has not passed fully yet. If you are still throwing up then you should get on some IV's. I hate having to go to the ER. Once, the nurse was so nasty, here I'm screaming in pain and she was like there are others in front of you. I waited for 2 hours and by then the blockage passed. I will tell you from experience the best time to hit the ER is in the middle of the night. I hope this email finds you better oh a heating pad and grape juice does wonders.
Susan