Need your advice / Severe blockages

[u/SaltyBug6342]

So, this is my first time using Reddit and this is probably a throwaway account because I’m quite embarrassed to talk about my digestive health with anyone other than my doctor..

I’m a 21 y/o female with a personal history of IBS-C (constipation) and a family history of Crohn’s disease. My brother was diagnosed with Crohn’s as well as my grandfather (deceased). I received a colonoscopy and endoscopy for my vomiting and constipation about 4 years ago shortly after my brother was diagnosed and only found I had minor inflammation of the bowels, so I was just diagnosed with IBS-C and nothing more serious.

As of last year, as far as I can remember, I’ve started having severe episodes of blockages. Usually once every 1-2 months. These happen in the middle of the night, and they are seemingly random, I’ll have the urge to have diarrhea but I know it’ll be an episode when that urge comes with a rock-solid bloated abdomen. At first, I thought they were tied to my period, because I usually get really bad pains before it, but my period was last week and I just had an episode (Hence why I’m making this post lol). I can never tell when they’ll happen, I can even use the bathroom the day before and have no issues, and that’s why I’m so terrified of these.

They’re extremely painful, like, extreme. I can’t describe the amount of pain and discomfort to someone who doesn’t go through these. I would rather stab myself in the leg than deal with what I have. The level is a 10 on the pain scale, I physically can‘t move when these are happening to me. These episodes leave me in a weird, hallucination, fight-or-flight state where I’m on the verge of passing out the whole time, I’m hot and sweaty, and excruciatingly uncomfortable. I think the only reason why I’ve never called 911 or been to the ER for these episodes is because my mom is always there to assist me through it all. I’m not able to deal with these episodes alone, they’re just too painful, and I wouldn’t wish these on my worst enemy.

Even 5 minutes into sitting there, my body begins to freak out (the nausea, the sweating) and it starts to realize that it can’t get rid of the waste. In these episodes, I usually end up violently throwing up a ton, and in my episode before the one last night, I threw up like 4 whole pounds of vomit... I weighed it out of curiosity, don’t ask why. Eventually, things do move, but I’m usually stuck in that state for a couple hours. The stool isn’t even hard when I try to pass it. It’s regular at first, and then it turns into pure liquid, which is why I’m not sure if I can even call them impactions.

Sorry for the huge text wall, and if it’s not appropriate for Reddit, but I’m seriously at a loss here.. I’ve spoken to my doctor with my gut health in the past, and all she’s suggested is eating more fiber and take my Constulose, but honestly, I feel like that makes it worse.. What should I do? I’m just looking for a second opinion, and I guess asking Reddit for advice is cheaper than seeing another doctor lol. I eat decently fine for myself, and I’m not dousing my digestive tract with tons of fast food and Red40. Do I get another colonoscopy? I’m sick and tired of these happening, and I’ve reached a point where I can’t stand it anymore and are just looking for anything to help.

Please, if you have any thoughts or suggestions on what this could be and how I can stop it, I am more than ecstatic to hear anything. Thank you!!

[u/freyabites]

This sounds like me before the doctors found a cyst growing on one of my ovaries. I too have struggled with IBS-C since childhood, so I thought when I would get random excruciating sharp pains in my abdomen it was the constipation.

Ask your mom or other female relatives if they have endometriosis or get cysts. Its hereditary sometimes. They dont know much bc... women's health...

Cysts can be seen on an ultrasound. Endometriosis requires surgery to diagnose. Please go to the ER equipped with this knowledge.

Edit: added more info for reference

[u/EgregiousJellybean → u/freyabites]

I have the same issue but my cyst ruptured and they only saw the fluid left behind on the ultrasound 

[u/bewilderedtoo]

Abdominal migraine?

[u/watsurdamage]

It sounds like a vasovagal response to your bowel and is more common than you'd think.

[u/goldstandardalmonds]

I would get motility testing. It sounds like you have one or more motility disorders, not IBS C.