Constipation and Abdominal Pain

[tracy451]

Hi,

About a month or two ago, I believe I had strained some muscles while working out.  The pain didn't happen right away maybe one or two weeks afterwards.  At first it stemmed from my neck, shoulders, and upper back.  Soon after I started to feel pain in my chest, both sides right by my armpits, lower back, and abdomen area especially on my right side.  The pain is usually sharp.  When I do sit for a long period of time, both my right and left sides hurt but more on my right.  Recently I had diarrhea for three days straight and then feeling constipated. I would sit in the bathroom for an hour or two straining to push the stool out but nothing comes out.  Before that, my bowel movement was fine.  I tried drinking prune juice and using one of those laxatives that you insert into the rectum to make it easier to go.  At first, it did help in relieving my bowel movement but I would have diarrhea followed an incomplete evacuation of my stool.  Now when I have the urge to go, sometimes only one or two small stool comes out and then straining again but nothing comes out.  I was wondering if I might have appendicitis or IBS.  I read that one of the symptoms of appendicitis is having a slight fever but I don't have a fever. Do you have to have a fever to have appendicitis?  Also, is having lower back pain causing me to have constipation?  Please help.  

[CalGal]

Tracy, if you've been dealing with this for some time after feeling like you strained something, it's time to check with your doc and make sure there isn't something more problematic than simple constipation going on. Back pain can be due to having fecal material in the large intestine pressing on nerves in the area of the spine, but that discomfort can also be due to an inflammatory process due to any one of a number of issues in the same area.

The sensation of having something to evacuate is very real, but it can also be due to a 'back-up' of fecal material. Straining isn't going to help. You don't want to compound whatever is going on with a nasty case of hemorrhoids. Why not give your doc a call and get things checked out.

[patient915]

Welcome to the gastroenterology community!  This really doesn't sounds like an appendicitis.  It sounds like you are having some constipation which can be caused by reduced exercise from straining your muscles.  I would recommend increasing your fiber intake, your intake of fruits and vegetables, and your intake of water.