# Feels Like Contractions during child birth?



## Dorothea (Jul 11, 2000)

I have posted a message similar to this several weeks ago but didnt get too much of a response so am trying again. First, thank you who did respond to the previous message. The problem is this: I have IBS - Dbut recently have been experienceing large hard contractions in my left side and particulary low in stomach. They are painful and ball up and I can even feel them with my hands. Very similar to labor pains when you have contractions. It cant be that because I had a hysterectomy one year ago. Last night and today I have had the worse of them so far. For about a week or 2 I have been taking acidolphus and it seemed to control the bowel movements but nothing helped last night. Of course I take Imodium Advanced and it helps sometime. If any of you gals have ever had a baby you will know what I am trying to describe here. PLEASE REPLY. I will appreciate it very much.


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## marianne (Jan 3, 1999)

IBS used to be called spastic colon. The colon actually has spasms. Mine feel like I'm carrying a baby who is kicking. I occasionally am awakened at night by them. A home remedy is very strong chamomile tea. (search for this). Other more sophisticated medicines are bentyl and levbid, which require prescriptions.


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## sickofsick (Nov 4, 1999)

Dorothea, I know exactly what your talking about, I describe them the same way, like labour pains. Has your doctor tried giving you any anti-spasmotics? I take Librax and although it does not stop it all together it does help a lot. Hope you feel better soon.sickofsick


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## Dorothea (Jul 11, 2000)

Thank you MarianneYears ago I was diagnoised as having " slastic colin", back then the term IBS wasnt in existance.







- However I never had the contractions like I have now. Going to a new Gastro Dr next month unless I have to go to ER in the interim. I appreciate your reply.


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## Debbielee (Jun 14, 2000)

Dorothea,I get the same symtoms---i describe it just as you do. In truth it is a contraction---only of the bowel. But i have ibs and Diverticulitus which i suspect could also be your problem. Diverticulitus is a common extension of ibs as ibs can weaken the colon wall.If your pain continues get to the er fast. If it is what i suspect then it is an infection!Let me know--Debbielee


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## Mannie (Jan 17, 2000)

I've never had a child, but when I have cramps I describe them as the worse menstrual cramps I have ever felt. Doubled over in pain type of cramps. The only thing that works for me is relaxing with a heating pad. Luckily I work from my home so I can do that when I need to. I have read that some people have luck taking Midol for the pain.It's funny how some threads gets tons of responses and some don't, isn't it?!  I'm not even posting my own questions anymore because I have yet to get more than 1 response... hopefully this thread will do better!


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## Dorothea (Jul 11, 2000)

Mannie, thanks for the response. It's a comfort to know other people care enough to write in and give encouragement to others.


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## Dorothea (Jul 11, 2000)

Sickofsick, thanks for caring.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2000)

I also get those painful spasms every once in awhile. I haven't figured out why that happens. If it is a food that I ate or a medication that doesn't agree with me. My doctor and I found out that some of the new non-drowsy prescrition antihistamines I take for allergies can cause abdominal pain in some people. I wasn't surprised since I have such sensitive intestines. But I am also on Librax which has helped alot of the spastic crampy pains. I guess we all have to be detectives and try to figure out what makes it worse and what helps.


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## wanderingstar (Dec 1, 1999)

Back in school at about age 16, when I didn't know I had IBS and the doctor didn't know what the hell was wrong with me, they suggested I was pregnant! I guess all contractions feel similar. My pain - which incidentally is at its worst for a long time now - is like having baad period pains. I have my period at the moment and sometimes can't tell the pains apart! I'd like to send out a big HUG to everyone with pain today... it seems like a lot of us are suffering/posting on this the last few days... must be down to some stellar alignment... whadya reckon?







I can't find any other reason for it!!take care all,wanderingstar


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

Dorethea-I get those pains/spasms too on my left side and they are low down sometimes. I can feel everything so acutely, sometimes I think I can feel it when my food digests. From what I have learned about IBS (have had it for over 20 years)today part of the thinking is that "IBS people" FEEL the "normal" bowel contractions much more than the NORMAL person does. Sometimes the discomfort gets so intense that I wish I could put myself before a majic screen and see what is going on in there. I keep a RX for librax for when the spasms and D gets really extreme, which usually helps. Hope you get some relief from your GI DR







------------------Nancy


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2000)

Dorothea,Sorry you're suffering so bad. I too am getting very tired of seeing my daughter laying on the floor of the bathroom for hours in such awful pain. Too many times have had to take my daughter to the emergency room only to be told she is constipated. How awful is that! We just bought a book off the internet about a woman who claims she is now symptom free and for the first time in her life she is in control of her life, not her IBS. That would be sweet. Just starting to read it now, it is really geared towards Fibromyaglia but it seems her IBS developed into Fibromyalgia, but she cured the Fibromyalgia by curing her IBS. Sometimes answers are in the strangest places. I'm getting excited because so far it is making a lot of sense. None of us have answers that's why we're all on here but I'm not going to give up. If you're interested, I got it on http://fibrocure.com.[/URL] At this point, I have decided to take the advice from someone who was successful, and not from a doctor who's never experienced this.Casey


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Hi Dorthea:I, like DebbieLee, also have diverticulosis and IBS, and your pain could be an infection, diverticulitis. For this you need to go on antibiotics, bed rest, and a low residue diet to given your colon a chance to rest. It is not something that can go untreated, because if it is infection it could be quite serious.It is possible that it is just your IBS acting up also, but it sounds suspiciously like the pain I had when I had the infection. If you are running a temperature, or are nauseous, and the pain keeps up or gets worse, go to the ER and get it checked out.Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.JeanG


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## KerryW (Mar 20, 2000)

Hi Dorothea,I suffer from severe cramping about once a month, and that is usually when it is "that time of the month"!







It makes me double myself up and really feel like I'm in labour. Yuk







When the cramping passes I then start to get hot and cold flushes, and then when the flushes pass, I feel so enervated it's not funny.I have found that if I take a tablet called "buscopan" (I'm in Australia) before it gets severe, it usually relaxes my bowels sufficiently to stop the pain. Afterwards, I usually drink peppermint tea, and that soothes my abdomen.I hope that you can find something that really helps you.I know how it feels to have the cramping.good Luck







------------------Love, peace and many groovies...Kerry


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

I'm planning on my first pregnancy next month - but I'm sure I've had "labor" pains from this for years.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Greetings!The pain you describe sounds so awful. As others have suggested, I would suggest that you have it checked out by your doctor to be sure that it is your IBS acting up and not something else.Once you are sure that it is pain from IBS, your doctor should be giving you some kind of anti-spasmotics. They DO relieve the horrible cramping and pain. You just have to find the right one for you. Mine work in 10 minutes. The relief is like heaven.Also, have you ever considered that there may be a link between what you are eating and your IBS attacks? I would suggest that you cut down to only those foods you KNOW do not bother you (usually things like white meat chicken, white rice, carrots, applesause for about a week and then start adding one foods at a time for a three to four day period and see if you have an attack. I would suggest keeping a detailed journal noting the food you ate, the amount you eat, when you eat, what your activites are during the day, and when your attacks come on, how long they last, and your exact symptoms. This way you can see if foods bring on attacks and/or if stress is involved in your equasion.This is what I did and by carefully studying that journal it became clear that my attacks coincided with eating certain foods. It was kind of hard to figure out since there were so many foods I am intolerant to but, persistence will pay off if your IBS is primarily triggered by food.Don't give up. MANY people have learned out how to control IBS. You may be able to do this too. It is not easy but, many many times, it can be done.


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