What Does IBD Pain Feel Like?

Up to 60% of IBD patients experience chronic abdominal pain which impacts their daily life.  

If you have IBD, you have likely experienced this pain.  But exactly what does IBD pain feel like?  Are there pain symptoms we all share?  And what type of pain can be expected if you have IBD?

I share my personal experience with pain and IBD.  Including,

• What exactly is IBD pain?
• Pain inside the GI tract
• Pain outside the GI tract

Warning: there is a lot of detailed poop talk here.  If you don’t want to read that, please move on 🙂.

What is IBD Pain?

Pain is a very subjective thing.  And in my experience, the more pain you have felt in your life, the more pain you are able to handle.  Almost like you become more tolerant of it.  Like your threshold for pain becomes higher.

Pain related to IBD can interfere with everyday life in many ways.  The pain from IBD can be debilitating, and day ruining.  It can send you to hospital, or make you bedridden.  It has helped create food fear in me.  And even fears around having a bowel movement.

Pain can be broken down into two categories: acute and chronic.  Acute is instantaneous pain that often starts suddenly and doesn’t last long.

Acute pain with IBD may indicate something is wrong.  Such as a blockage, fistula or abscess.

Chronic pain is pain that occurs consistently for 3 months, or intermittently for 6 months.

IBD pain has often felt like chronic pain for me.  

It is commonly assumed that IBD pain is the direct result of inflammation related to the degree of disease activity.  But this is not always the case.  Around 20% of patients in endoscopic remission experience pain.  As this is not related to inflammation, it is categorized as pain caused by IBS.

 

What Does IBD Pain Feel Like Inside the Gastrointestinal Tract?

While flaring, the most common place that I have experienced pain related to IBD is in my gastrointestinal tract.  Mostly in my lower abdominal area.  I often feel a stronger pain on my lower left side, then my right.

I have also felt very specific pain.  Where a small, localized area hurts.  This usually occurs in this lower, left abdominal area.  I had an ultrasound of this location before, and the only thing found was general inflammation.

Usually though, the pain is less specific.  When I feel a bowel movement coming on it usually begins with very faint stomach flutter.  Almost like a thought in my bowels.  Then comes the first cramp.  These cramps are painful, and  can make me want to double over and clench my stomach with my hands.

The pain often comes in waves.  It will often subside and become less acute, then come back in full force again.  This will continue until urgency becomes too much and I have to use the toilet.  That usually isn’t long a long wait.

During a bowel movement I can have more stomach cramps.  I feel panicked to empty my bowels completely so that the pain will stop more quickly.  I am often sweating and rocking back and forth at this point to try and relieve some of the pain.  

This is where I often experience my least favourite IBD symptom; nausea.

Once the BM is finished I usually have a sore stomach for about 20 minutes afterwards.  This is different from the cramps because it is like a dull, empty, sore stomach feeling.  That is consistent, unlike the cramps which come in waves.

 

What Does IBD Pain Feel Like Outside the Gastrointestinal Tract?

IBD pain can also be felt outside of the gastrointestinal tract.  

The most common pain of this type I have experienced is joint pain.  I have felt this mostly in my ankles, and more often on the left side.  I have also experienced it in my wrists, and knees.  

This IBD pain feel like how I imagine arthritis feels like.  Stiff joints, to the point where walking became difficult or impossible.  This pain made the movement of affected joints extremely difficult.

When this occurs my joints will also swell.  When touched the pain feels similar to a bruise.   And my joints often become swollen.  

I have also experienced mouth sores, like canker sores.  I know that these are related to IBD as they get worse when I am in the worst of a flare.  They are painful, and difficult not to bite.

Although I have never experienced it.  Skin irritations can also be caused by IBD pain.  These can include skin tags, rashes, and tender spots on the skin.

 

Unfortunately pain is a common symptom experienced by IBD patients.  Many of us know what IBD pain feels like, but it can be difficult to put into words.  It can include acute and chronic pain, we well as pain inside and outside of the gastrointestinal tract.