Cramps in a specific area

Last night I woke in the middle of the night with cramps on my left side.  I didn't have any gas at all either.  As the night went on, the pain made it way down to my groin area, as well as my left side.  Finally, I went the bathroom again and had diaherra (diarrhea), but the cramps remain on my left side and the area under my scrotum throbs as well.  Any ideas?  Could it be my appendix (sp?)?

[HFHSm.D.-Gastro-rf]

Dear bKen,
Appendicitis pain is usually located in the right lower quadrant, although when first starting the pain can be around the belly button.  Pain on the left is usually not related to appendicitis.  Sometimes, diverticulitis can cause sharp pains in the left lower abdomen.  Infectious diarrhea is another frequaent cause for pain in this area.

[Erik (in response to Ken)]

It is highly unlikely your appendix. Your appendix would cause pain in the lower right quadrant. (to the right and up from your scrotum) I would however call your doctor and/or go to the hospital if this pain persists. With the diarreah (diarrhea), it sounds like you might have an intestinal virus. You may be sore for a while.

[Amy]

It could possibly be diverticulosis - a flare up of little pouches that bulge out from the intestinal wall usually on the left side, near the sigmoid colon.  You may have eaten something that irritated these little pouches, such as something with seeds or undigestible pieces (like corn or nuts) that lodged themselves in the spaces and wreaked havoc.  Diverticulosis is fairly common in people with digestive problems, especially disorders which cause constipation and straining, such as IBS.  Other than causing discomfort, the problem is not serious unless the pouches become infected, referred to as diverticulitis.  The pain is much more severe and you would most likely have a fever.  Consult with your doctor before it gets to that point, if in fact the pouches are what's causing your present pain.  Good luck.

[wendell]

Ken, it could be several things as Erik & Amy suggest. Problems of the digestive tract are the #1 reason for hosptial visits in North America! I have an excellent book on nutritional healing and would suggest a quality digestive enzyme and acidophilus could be very helpful.

If you'd like to e-mail me directly, maybe I can help with some specific recommendations from this book.

Regards,

Wendell      < ***@**** >