inflammation in appendix

Question

A month ago I went to see my Gastro. doctor and he pressed on my right lower abdomen, and I felt a pain there. He send me to have a ultrasound. They found out that my appendix is swallen, that what the doctor that did the ultrasound said( not the technician). And I'm a IBS patient so that might have caused the inflammation. Is it dangerous? Am I going to need a surgery?
Thanks for advice.

Joalbert · Answer

Thanks for all the support, hopefully I'll know whats wrong.

Ms_Makita · Answer

Hi there,hope your feeling better.You would think dr's would put a move on it..but sometimes your own best dr,you know your body..so any change in pain,never doubt your instincts.I been to the er twice this week.I went to my dr first (have been for months)with severe upper abdominal pain..kept on telling me it is IBS,nope its gallstones.Same thing with appendix pain..I argued with him for 2 months,told me it is IBS...WRONG! appendicitis! right now I'm frustrated with all dr's.Still in pain,and needing gallbladder out but have to wait weeks.Dont make sense when your in pain to wait eh? Good luck to you,peace and prayers!
                 Stephanie

Hope38 · Answer

We are here for you, Doctors really don't care about us...if we don't pester them they ignore us...BUT if you pester them to much they tell you find another Dr.

Mine is putting me off until march 13 and 15 for my colonoscopy and sonogram.  So even though I'm not diagnosed with anything yet......I know how it is to have to wait on the Drs.

Hope

andre3000 · Answer

I dont know what your situation is now, but if by chance anyone else reads this keep these thoughts in mind. Appendicitis is very, very, very serious. It is basically an infection. If you do not have it removed it will fill up with puss and eventually explode, if that happens it will spread it to the rest of your organs and kill you very fast. It is not something to take lightly. I had it and I didnt even have the rebound symptoms that you had (the pain when you touch and let go fast). A good sign that you may have it is your white blood cell count and the pain in your stomach. I went for three days with this problem and mine was about 2 hours from bursting my doctor said. Trust me dont take the chance of being two hours away from death, this is very serious and if you think you may have it make sure you go to get it taken care of immediately, dont wait it out, it wont go away. Hope you are better.

Joalbert · Answer

So I'm about to go see my family doctor and I call to make sure that they have my results for another test(not related to the appendix) and they say to go oonly next week. So I have to wait until next tuesday before I can go. So I'm sorry but I 'm gonna have to wait before i can talk to my doctor. But I'm pretty sure that he won't do anything. He's going to tell me to wait until I see my Gastroenterologist ( on the March 23rd). but i will keep you guys posted.
Thanks
p.s: I do understand how bad it is, but I don't have pain there so i should be okay until i see the gastro. If something happens I'm going to the ER.

Hope38 · Answer

I hope you are feeling better....I am thinking of you.  Maybe your in the hospital and they took care of it for ya :)

My uncle had this while he was on the road.  He thought he had food poisoining was sick as a dog.  He waited a WEEK AFTER RUPTURE, sadly he passed away....he was also a diabetic which complicated everything.  This is when I was little and he's the only one I know of who ever had this.

Most people do not die from this if they rupture and its taken care of QUICKLY BUT its still risky.

Hope you are ok

ggreg · Answer

I am so glad to hear you're going to see your family doctor today (your post was yesterday).  Let us know what happens.

Hope38 · Answer

I've been fearing appendicitis for weeks...OMG if they told me it WAS inflamed .. Id be like OK, scrub up and lets get this out NOW!!!!! I wouldn't want to wait a day and Im scared to death of surgery...but in this case I would be more afraid of my insides bursting!

Ms_Makita · Answer

You need to get this taken care of right away! a month to wait for  suspected appendicitis is to long not only do you risk of it rupturing,also getting pertionitis from long standing infection/rupture,it is an inflammation of the membrane that covers the abdominal organs.You dont want to end up with pertionitis,end up with major operation and longer hospital stay,not to mention how sick you will be ,and it is fatal.Forget the month wait to see gastro,take your health in your own hands and get to the er,How old r u?

Ms_Makita · Answer

no kidding hope..lol,when they told me it was my appendix I wanted to leap off the bed and go,the thought of surgery scared me! but it was not near as bad as I thought it would be.I cant believe they would make someone wait for so long..crazy!
   Jo,your dr is crazy for not sending you to the er,even if there is doubt..better to be safe than sorry! I didnt have typical symptoms,I didnt have fever,vomiting, or intense pain, I just had bad nausea and mild pain/tenderness for weeks and just like you my dr told me it was IBS,if I would of waited I may not be alive!
   IBS dont cause your appendix to be swollen or inflamed.If I were you I wouldnt not wait till tomorrow,er wont refuse you or testing,and get PROMPT treatment!!!! If you were my  /friend/family, I'd drag your butt to the hospital right now! hope things are ok...
         Stephanie

ggreg · Answer

I will try to make this more clear.  You can DIE from an appendicitis, within hours of it bursting.  You do not want to wait until it's an emergency.  I just said, as an interim thing, to go to the ER if it hurts worse or you get feverish, which it will.  I felt your gastro guy was an idiot for not hospitalizing you.  My main thrust of my post was you MUST make an appointment with your family doctor IMMEDIATELY.  They have squeeze-in appointments, usually the same day.  Forget about the gasro appointment a month away.  That is too long.  And if your family doctor puts you off even a week, that is also too long.  You must be too young to realize the seriousness of appendicitis.  It is so bad, you could be dead tonight.  Now, like I said, don't mess around with this.

Joalbert · Answer

I wish they would just take it out. I found out that it was swallen while they were doing the ultrasound. Theres a doctor that took over in place of the technician, she toll me that it was swallen. To get the results I have to wait until the 23rd of March. Trust me as soon I get some kind of pain there I'm gone to the ER. Even if I 'm work, anywhere. I haven't gotten a fever in years so as soon as I get as well I'm gone to the ER. Some doctors are just simply stupid. Also my level od bilirubin in my liver is high and my family doctor doesn't to F*** all.
I'm going to keep you guys all post it as soon as I know more. I'm going to see the family doctor tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Hope38 · Answer

I did go to the ER and they did NO testing on me whatsoever.  So going to the ER doesn't guarantee results.  I went there because I didn't want to wait for my Drs visit and the tests.  ER just did blood work physical exam and that was it.

Sadly I thought all the tests would be taken care of in there but it isn't always the case.

Joalbert · Answer

i know that if I have severe pain that I should go to the emergency room, but the thing is that I have to wait until March 23rd, to see my gastroenterelogist, so i got time to wait.I don't have any severe pain only if I press there i get that little pain and I can feel a little lump, because it swelled to the point that I can feel it a little. Hopefully I don't get severe pain and that I get that thing out soon.

THanks for the advice

Ms_Makita · Answer

Hello,sounds like you have appendicitis,I cant believe they didnt send you to er! anytime the appendix is swollen/inflamed it is appendicitis,not IBS.I had chronic appendictis for months finally had it out oct'06.It is a emergency,I hope by now you had surgery for it!  if you havent, and develop intense pain, fever/nausea/vomiting go to er.The surgery itself isnt bad,usually do it laparscopy now,less pain and recovery time, and usually go home next day.Good luck to you,
              Stephanie

ggreg · Answer

I am not a doctor.  Inflammation and swelling of the appendix is appendicitis.  That thing has got to come out.  Appendicitis is life-threatening.  But the procedure is very common and not dangerous, using a small incision.  Make an appointment right away with your family doctor.  If pain increases or you get feverish, go to the emergency room.  Don't mess around with this.

inflammation in appendix

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