What kind of pain did you feel before you had your appendix taken out?

[Daxx]

I have had lower right side pain for over 4 months. In December I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst and had a repeat ultrasound to make sure it was very a cyst. By then the cyst was gone (now have one on my left side), but I'm still having pain. No fever and no elevated white count, so they say it's not my appendix. I am going to consult with a GI dr next week.

Def. do this! You can ask that your Dr. recommend a CT scan, too. However, these are not fun. Drinking that goo is nasty and the thought of having to do it makes me want to hurl. Even after antibiotics at home to get the wbc count back to normal, I still had an infected appendix and walked around w/it for almost 2 months! These things can be like a volcano -- stewing and not doing much until they decide to blow.

 

[wvrevy]

I would highly recommend going to the ER if the pain doesn't go away. I just had mine out a couple weeks ago (laparoscopically, thankfully), and mine did not present as a normal appendecitis case. I didn't have the usual "release" pain, just very bad stomach cramps just below my navel. It didn't hurt to touch, and I was running only a low grade temperature (less than 100). I originally went to urgent care, but they were unable to do anything because - like most of those facilities - they did not have a CAT scan. The blood tests and other things can indicate appendecitis, but only the CAT can confirm it. I was in the ER at about 9:00 PM, got to see a doc at around midnight, had the CAT scan at about 3:00 AM, and was in surgery by 6:30. The surgeon told my wife that if I hadn't come in when I did, the appendix likely would have ruptured.

Potential appendecitis is nothing to mess around with. It can present in any number of ways, so it's best to get checked out even if you only think it may be a problem.

 

[Daxx]

Appendix pain is very clear. There is pain at McBurney's point - trace a line diagonal from your belly button to the beginning of your right hip bone (the iliac crest)...press half way in between...if you are tender there that is a positive sign of appendicitis....also rebound tenderness and guarding...if you grimace when people come near that area or if you get pain AFTER you press on your right side then I would get to an emergency room ASAP. It's especially not good if you suddenly don't have pain anymore after being in pain for awhile. Your appendix can rupture.

No it's not always very clear. I didn't experience any of that!! I walked around for 2 months w/an infected appendix that was on the verge of rupture and, throughout, I didn't have any of that. All of my pain was in my back and when the Drs. did the rebound pain test (every time), I didn't have any symptoms of pain or tenderness. So, don't rely on just those symptoms.

If you even think it might be something, go to the ER!!! Don't think "oh, it's not painful on the rebound test". Go b/c it might be appendix or something else!

 

[of the seas]

Just back from Urgent Care. It is not my appendix!! Thank God!! It is my gallbladder. He said eat plain foods and make a appt. with my Dr. He said it is not life-threatining. But my pain is still here!!

Thanks everyone for your posts. It made me feel better!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When I was diagnosed in December with the ovarian cyst I was also diagnosed with gallstones at that time and had my GB out in January. The gallbladder pain should be in the upper right, kind of under the rigcage. A stone could be lodged, though, and hurting somewhere else. My dr even suspected that my current pain is from a retained stone and I had a liver function test, which came back normal. So that's why I'm referred to the GI dr.

Daxx, I am going to force myself to keep the GI appt, but I'm a little scared of whatever tests they will suggest. Also, I'll have a day or two without pain and think that I've gotten better on my own, but then start hurting again (happened yesterday).

 

[Chicago526]

It started out as a tummy ache, not bad but enough to be anoying, kind of like mild indigestion. It slowely got worse over about 36 hours, and eventualy moved lower into my belly (it hurt all over, but it hurt more if you pressed down on the right side) and got a lot worse. By the time my mother took me to the ER, it felt like someone was trying to rip my guts out. Never had a fever or any other typical symptom. It would up rupturing before they got to it and I developed an infection, docs were pretty worried for a while but I responded to antibiotics with no problems.

 

[MareQ]

The gallbladder pain should be in the upper right, kind of under the rigcage. A stone could be lodged, though, and hurting somewhere else. My dr even suspected that my current pain is from a retained stone and I had a liver function test, which came back normal. So that's why I'm referred to the GI dr.

Daxx, I am going to force myself to keep the GI appt, but I'm a little scared of whatever tests they will suggest. Also, I'll have a day or two without pain and think that I've gotten better on my own, but then start hurting again (happened yesterday).

Gallbladder pain isn't always exact either unfortunately. I had 7 years of undiagnosed Gallbladder attacks because my pain was in the wrong location @@ It never radiated toward my back until the day I had surgery scheduled - this was after they took out a stone blocking my common bile duct the day before. (Talk about fun - I WOKE UP in the middle of that lovely procedure....) My family OF COURSE labeled me as a baby with a low pain tolerance... They thought I was having indegestion or gas- yeah right - when your gas hurts MORE than labor - you let me know...

Don't put off your appt T&B.....

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Gallbladder pain isn't always exact either unfortunately. I had 7 years of undiagnosed Gallbladder attacks because my pain was in the wrong location @@ It never radiated toward my back until the day I had surgery scheduled - this was after they took out a stone blocking my common bile duct the day before. (Talk about fun - I WOKE UP in the middle of that lovely procedure....) My family OF COURSE labeled me as a baby with a low pain tolerance... They thought I was having indegestion or gas- yeah right - when your gas hurts MORE than labor - you let me know...

Don't put off your appt T&B.....

I had gallstones when I was pregnant, too, and of course at that point my gallbladder wasn't in the usual location. This time, though, my pain started on the left, moved to the middle, and then ended up on the upper right.

 

[RLccweems]

I had this happen to me last October...I got up on Thursday morning and my right side hurt to even walk. By Friday morning if you even touched me I wanted to crawl out of my skin fromt he pain. I went to the doctor that Friday morning and by noon I was in surgery having my appendix removed. If I was you I'm would be calling my doctor. Good luck....

lettie

 

[RyJMom]

I walked around with a ruptured appendix for about 6 weeks and did not know it. I had very little pain. I remember the weekend it happened - I felt a little like I was getting the flu and had a very slight crampy feeling in lower right side. (felt like mild female cramps). Felt better and all was fine till about 6 weeks later I started running low fever and feeling yucky. Went to Dr and told him my symptoms - we were about to finish exam and I mentioned that I'd had a mild crampy feeling every now and then. He felt around and I guess he could feel a lump - he sent me straight to the hospital. After several hours of tests they figured out it was a ruptured appendix. I had to have emergency surgery. Surgeon said it had been ruptured about 6 weeks. My body had tried to wall off the infection. I spent 7 days in the hospital. I was very lucky. Now anytime I feel a twinge I run the the Dr !!!

Veronica