Coping with Acute Abdominal Pain

Most people get stomach aches from time to time, but acute abdominal pain is another animal entirely. Since my diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, which has steadily increased in severity over the last decade, I have come to redefine the words "chronic pain". When you deal with acute abdominal pain on a near-daily basis, you have to think of ways to ease the pain and to continue with your day-to-day activities.

Diagnosis

Of course, coping with acute abdominal pain is often the worst when you don't understand what's causing your illness. If you haven't been diagnosed with a disease or disorder, but experience chronic pain in the stomach or bowels, you might be exacerbating the symptoms by avoiding a trip to the doctor. I found that, after living with ulcerative colitis for more than ten years without a proper diagnosis, knowing what caused the cramps and other symptoms helped alleviate them, at least to a degree. It won't get rid of the pain entirely, but it will help you figure out a strategy.

You would deal with acute abdominal pain caused by an ulcer, for example, differently than you would if it was caused by Crohn's disease or by an inflammation of the bowel lining. Furthermore, a physician can give you tips and advice for coping with the symptoms of your particular condition if you've been given an actual diagnosis.

Position

As with any type of chronic discomfort, acute abdominal pain ebbs and flows. There are times when you feel as if you can't stand up, and there are times when it is just a dull, constant reminder of the damage to your gastrointestinal system. The trick is to take advantage of the times when the pain is less intense so that you can get through the periods of acute pain. A lot of this can be accomplished by position.

For example, I have an easier time coping with acute abdominal pain when I am standing, versus sitting or lying down. I have spent many a night pacing through the rooms of my house, focusing on just about anything but the pain in my gut. When a spasm of pain doesn't want to go away, experiment with different body positions to figure out which one is easiest on the pain. The fetal position works for some, while sitting upright in a comfortable chair works for others.

Temperature

You might also find coping with acute abdominal pain easier if you try variations of hot and cold compresses. A heating pad, for instance, can help sooth rapidly contracting muscles in your stomach and ease the pain of various gastrointestinal disorders. Some people respond better to cold, or to alternating between hot and cold, depending on their condition. An ice pack wrapped in a thick, plush towel often works wonders.

You will also find that the temperature of your surroundings can help you cope with acute abdominal pain. When I'm in the middle of an ulcerative colitis flare-up, I turn the thermostat down about fifteen degrees until the worst of the pain passes. A hot environment exacerbates my pain and makes me even more uncomfortable, and this might be true for you, as well. There is plenty to be said for contact comfort, and you can't huddle under a pile of blankets if the temperature in your home is 92 degrees.

Medication

Drugs are something of a Catch-22 when it comes to coping with acute abdominal pain. You want to put something in your body to take the edge off, but some medications will actually make the pain worse. For example, people with sensitive stomachs often don't respond well to Tylenol, and many people have strong negative reactions to acetaminophen. Your particular body chemistry will determine which medications you can take, but it helps to know how you'll react before you'd dealing with severe pain.

You can also talk to your doctor about prescriptions for acute abdominal pain. He or she might be able to provide you with a pain-killer that won't upset your stomach, or that must be taken with food or water to work effectively. Make sure you understand the potential side-effects of all medications, and discontinue use if the pain seems to intensify.

Relaxation

One of the major causes of acute abdominal pain is the contraction of muscles. As your bowels work to take care of whatever problem might be afflicting your stomach, the contractions of muscles moving at a steady pace can cause nearly unbearable pain. As difficult as this might sound, you must learn to relax if you want to ease the pain.

I've heard from some of the ulcerative colitis sufferers at my monthly support group meetings that abdominal massage is sometimes effective, but it wouldn't work for me. The last thing I want is someone touching the area that is causing me intense pain, but other types of massage do help. My wife took a course in deep-tissue massage for this very purpose, and often works on my shoulders and back when I'm in the middle of acute abdominal pain.

If you're suffering from diarrhea, which is often another symptom of stomach and intestinal problems that accompanies acute abdominal pain, you must also learn to relax on the toilet. This might seem like too much information, and no one really wants to talk about it, but twisting yourself into knots while trying to go to the bathroom will only increase the pain.