What do you do?

so sorry she is in so much pain.

you've probably already tried this but just in case, for what it's worth, i'll repost what i do for pain--gas pain, cramp or spasm pain etc:

i've found heat and/or massage can help relieve trapped gas as well as a spasm(s) or cramp. i lay on my back, knees up, with a microwaveable heating pad on my belly, breathe slowly and deeply, try to relax my mind and let go of all thoughts of pain and discomfort and massage my belly through the heating pad. i focus on the part of my colon that hurts the most--where i feel the spasm is and where the gas is trapped--for me this is usually the upper left side of the colon. often i can actually feel something release in there and then the gas comes out. i love my heating pad. even when it doesn't help with the bloat it is still relaxing. the pad with flax seeds and lavender in it is my favorite. smells so nice.

or you can do a colon massage with your fingers by massaging the colon starting on the lower right hand side and slowly moving, massaging your finger tips (in a circular fashion) up the colon, over, across and down the left side. gently massaging the abdomen also can help.

if the lying down with the heating pad technique doesn't work for me in an hour or so then i take librax. it's an antispasmodic. the information that comes with the script says it can have constipation as a side effect so i don't take it very often because i have slow transit constipation and pfd. and it also says that it doesn't work as well if you take it very frequently. so i only take it when very very very desperate.. but it always works. it relieves the painful spasm and thankfully makes the pain go away.

some people say that peppermint tea and/or peppermint pills help relieve cramps and pain.

i do hope a way can be found to relieve your wife's pain.

so sorry for the rough day at the neurologist. that must have been difficult. and oh yes--exercise is way too hard when you're in so much pain and dizziness.

i do hope the heating pad/massage technique helps. be careful with the heating pad--you don't want to heat it up too much and burn yourself. better to start with just warm heat--not hot--and work up from there if necessary. i like the microwaveable pads because they provide moist heat which i've read is more effective or you can use a plug in pad with a moist towel. some of the plug-ins come with a sort of sponge thing you can moisten and insert in the cover to provide moist heat.

earlier i posted this u-tube video on abdominal massage and it also covers colon massage as well. maybe you've already seen it. i haven't tried the body brush like she uses in the beginning. it is a very thorough video:


good luck. i really feel for both of you. it is truly so hard to be in so much pain all the time--and her dizzy problems in addition make it all even worse. and it is so hard to have to watch your spouse suffer so. it is wonderful that you are so supportive of her and are working so hard to try to find answers for her.