stomach pain while running

[lawfour]

I am 22 year old male that has Crohn's disease and exercise daily.  The last few months I have been experiencing excrutiating pain when running in my stomach, feeling as though I am going to be sick and have bowel movement at the same time.  This only happens with running and not my other exercises.  Any thoughts?

[abby2992]

The recommendation from my doctor was the same - to be extra-hydrated before I start my run.  It hasn't stopped the pain, but it does seem to delay the pain kicking in.  The only thing that has helped has been running in intervals.  Run 5 minutes, slow jog/walk 2 minutes.  It's hardly the experience I'm looking for, but it has allowed me to continue running when, otherwise, I would have given up by now.

lawfour, your experience sounds nearly identical to my own.  My doctors have gone back and forth between an IBS and Crohn's diagnosis with me for 5 years now.  Fainting spells, IBS, constipation, swollen stomach, sudden sensitivity to alcohol have been popping up for years.  Ob/Gyn symptoms, too (endometriosis, predominantly).  Forget running for a bus or walking on uneven surfaces - my stomach locks up immediately.

I've managed with an odd mix of UC, endometriosis, and IBS medications and staying hydrated for the past year now, but still wind up using pain medications (I recommend Lidocaine patches - non-narcotic pain relief without stomach symptoms) once or twice a week to manage it.  Good luck to you in finding a system that works!

[Heavytreads]

Not sure about that...it sounds more like an inflamation issue that is aggrevated when running...I would focus on a good intestinal balance first....cutting out dairy and probiotics may help...but be careful with Bifidus...I have found that in too large quantities it can be harmful to people with UC.

[poseidon5]

I don't know how helpful this post will be but I thought I would give it a try.  A good friend of mine has the same issues as you guys - she runs and gets horrendous pain in her abdomen.  She went and saw my gastroenterologist about this and they discussed that it has to do with oxygen being cut off to that area of the body - basically the GI tissue is aching because it is "dying" with no perfusion or oxygenation.  Because of this it can be really dangerous to push it when you are experiencing the pain.  

My friend was pretty annoyed with my doc when he told her the only advice he had for her was to stay REALLY hydrated when exercising.  Hopefully you guys get better advice that will help you!

[Heavytreads]

I run Half and Full Marathons with UC...I have a somewhat restricted diet...but not really and take supplements. I take no medications.

[Vera211]

Same story here - I've just now been pre-diagnosed with Crohn's (years ago with IBS) and I've had severe pains associated with running since I was 14. I'm 38 now.

If I run fast to catch a bus, or if I run/jog over 25 minutes or so, I often get this extremely intense pain in my lower stomach, nearly faint from it. It starts gradually, gets more intense and is at it's worse about 15-20 minutes from start... then gradually subsides within 50-60 minutes from start. The pain makes me want to vomit (I don't, but it's that intense) and I instinctively grab my stomach skin and try to stretch the skin to perhaps make some more space for whatever is happening.

I feel weak after the "attack" and my stomach is usually very swollen. I've started getting the same pain from other exercise as well (gym + rowing machine), walking fast on uneven surface for 30+ minutes etc.

A year ago I got the pain more severely that normally, this time no running/exercise was associated (I was wearing tight pants, and had been partying the night before - nothing crazy though) - I went to the hospital/ER, they took lots of tests: All else seemed normal but my lipase and amylase had sky-rocketed, indicating an acute pancreatitis. They kept me in for 3 days on an IV.

I nowadays avoid running altogether (thought it's the most awesome source of endorfins and I miss it).

For other readers - other potentially related symptoms - reading other "reports" and questions and relating to some (this list is a "mixed bag"...I'm not sure if all are Crohn's related, relatively new to it):

- swollen stomach, IBS, constipation
- neck problems / arthritis, pinched nerve, nerve conduction tests show 2 of the nerves are weaker (peripheral neuropathy)
- mild myopathy (left side weaker than right, entire body)
- tolerance towards alcohol has gone down in the past year
- seizure once after drinking very little alcohol (lost consciousnes in the middle of a sentense)
- gynecological: lots of yeast infections since pre-teens, chronic UTIs since early twenties, repeating BVs since early thirties, occasional bumps in the vaginal area since teens

Interested in hearing if others have these symptoms.
I'm going to try the Specific Carbohydrate diet now.

[kbabe15]

ME TOO.. I am 25 year old female... and I don't want to stop running, I've been having pain like this for years. I had to stop running because if I run my stomach hurts for the entire day and sometimes it lasts two days... It just keeps getting worse...

[abby2992]

I am a 23 year old female with the exact same type of pain.  It only occurs when I am running - not any other exercises.  I'm beginning to think that it might  be an impact issue, that the running jars your abdomen and causes inflammation to be irritated.  It's completely stopped me in my tracks - I have yoga and other exercises, but nothing as satisfying as running now.  I've asked my doctor to look into it, but he hasn't had a full explanation yet.  Good luck - if you hear anything that helps, please pass the news along.