Are these really the effects of a block?

Others can share their experiences, but of course this isn't normal. The key questions to pursue, I think (though you might not get satisfactory answers) are 1) what caused it, and 2) is it likely to recur?

It might just be a one-time thing, whatever caused it. I hope so.

Hard to say, really. A blockage will cause pain, increasing in frequency and intensity - so if that was what it felt like, that's probably what it was. Getting that NG tube is kind of a last-resort but usually brings relief.

Not surprising your CT and x-ray didn't show a blockage. They are hard to see on x-ray. If you had happened to drink a bunch of barium and then had your x-ray when it happened, it would have been visible if there was a problem. That is why often doctors will schedule you for a small bowel series (SBS - sometimes called a small bowel follow-through) where you do drink barium and get periodic x-rays as it moves through. However, the SBS often does not show problems either.

After a year of putting up with blockages, my surgeon finally pushed me into surgery to remove the offending adhesions. It has helped me immensely, and I am glad she is willing to do that procedure when most surgeons won't (because "it will just cause the formation of more adhesions").

Steve