goddamn horrible illnesses on fridays

[jinian]

I was fine when I got up, and I dressed all cute to go to happy hour this afternoon, but while I set up my time-lapse microscopy this morning I started feeling nausea and abdominal pain. It was almost but not quite like my previous dire abdominal pain. Bathroom visits did not help. I finished up and felt exhausted and painful, and as I'd already watered my plants for the day I took off home. (Of course it was cold out and I missed buses due to being kind of out of it, so I was awfully chilled by the time I got home and climbed into bed while trying to stay all bent over so's to hurt less.)

Having laid down all day I now feel less awful, but it now hurts MORE when my bladder is empty. No idea what's wrong. Wish I'd been more competent earlier and gone to the doctor. Now I don't know. Is this a UTI? Urination itself doesn't hurt, just as the bladder empties my belly hurts like crazy, so probably not? Is it the same deal as last time? I need more information, nerves! What good are you?

BRAT diet and cranberry juice are the current plan. I am afraid it'll get worse if I don't go to the doctor, though, I don't know. Any ideas, o wise invisible friends?

Comments

[lakmiseiru.livejournal.com]

Sorry to hear - it sounds miserable. Hope you feel better soon.

Commenting due to recent experience with UTIs. Urination proper didn't hurt - it felt good - but it was starting and (especially) stopping urinating that hurt, as well as constant medium-to-low-grade abdominal aching (no obvious correlation with fullness). I don't recall any nausea (though there very well could have been some), but I do recall feeling malaised a fair bit of the time. I did have to urinate quite a lot, despite not drinking very much. I was uncertain as to whether to see the doctor, but I called and they got me in to see her the next day. I asked how critical it was to see someone if you've got a UTI, and she said it was always necessary in order to get antibiotics to prevent the infection moving into the bladder and therein to the kidneys, which is a lot nastier. If it is a UTI, you'll want to go in soonish; I started getting symptoms and saw the doctor about 2.5 days later. If it is a UTI, they've got some pretty neat (as in, dye - wtf) analgesics that are UTI-specific that will keep the pain down while the antibiotics do their thing.

Does your regular doc have an after-hours advice/care line? I don't know if (if it is a UTI) Monday is soon enough, or you should find some after-hours care in the meanwhile. I hope you feel better soon!

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Wim was supposed to try to find a consultation line for me last night, but I don't know whether the fact that he didn't leave me any info means that it doesn't exist or that he somehow thought he'd get up when I did (which never happens) and tell me. I'll look for myself.

[lakmiseiru.livejournal.com]

If you don't manage to find one, I've had luck with the one Hall Health refers to, but appears to be open to all folks:

206-744-2500 (at Harborview)

They may be able to help, and are available on weekends.

Feel better!

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read anything about interstitial cystitis?

Whenever I hear about (or have) something like a UTI that doesn't act like a UTI I now suspect that - I sometimes get weird stabbing pain in my ?bladder? or like ?low belly? after urinating, and that's the kind of thing that can get diagnosed as IC.

Unfortunately, IC is pretty much a fancy word for 'unknown weirdo UTI-like symptoms' and some researchers thing they're really a manifestation of an underlying pain disorder.

Still, there might be some helpful info about it on the intarw3bs?

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I saw that in the abdominal pain stuff I was looking at, and I believe it basically said "good luck suffering through that." Part of the problem is I have no idea what UTIs are like so I don't know if this makes sense as one; am leaning toward no.

[firecat]

Has kidney stone been ruled out?

[jinian.livejournal.com]

From last time, yes, pretty much everything has been ruled out -- but it still hurt. They were down to "um, spontaneous ovarian torsion?" which I didn't buy at all. This time I haven't seen any doctor as yet.

[rayechu.livejournal.com]

I've had a few UTIs and in my case there were sometimes pains though not necessarily during peeing. I'd know if I suddenly had to GO RIGHT NOW and not really that much came out... If you are even considering it may be UTI though I would opt out of the cranberry juice as it can mask symptoms but not cure them and as someone mentioned above the infection can get other not fun places.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

That sounds weird. The only thing I can think of for the pain while emptying is that you have somehow strained your bladder sphincter muscle, and I don't even know if that's possible. And it wouldn't cause nausea.

It may be a case of keeping a detailed diary every time this happens and then talking to a doctor about it :/ Hope you're feeling better by now, anyway.