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'undiagnosable' abdominal pain.

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Alexandermunday
Alexandermunday

Hi there,

I've had right severe abdominal pain, just below my rib line, It's a constant pain and i've experienced it for about 4 months now. At first I didn't really pay attention to it, it then became too painful to ignore at all. I would find myself waking up at night, or having to sit/lay down at work clutching my side. One day at work it became so painful I collapsed, and began having heart palpitations, after calling an ambulance I was sat inside it for 30 minutes or so hooked up to an ecg, my heart beat averaged about 125. I've seen about 10 doctors, 4 of my local GP's, and had 3 trips to AnE. The palpitations proceeded the severe pain a total of 3 times so far, It'd feel as if something in my right side had almost burst and spread across my body becoming numb and having severe chest pain - and I honestly thought I was having a heart attack because of the pain and the feeling of my heart pumping through my chest.

I guess the best thing will be to answer every question they've asked me..

I'm a healthy 19 year old male, I've eaten healthy, exercised often, i'm 10 stone 8, and i'm 5ft 8. I am not a drug user, although I am partial to the occasional binge drink (Like most teenagers).

I do not lift heavy objects, I work in a bar and don't lift any barrels/trays of glasses. I have been a smoker for a year now, and have been cutting down since the pain started, although giving it up entirely is quite hard as i'm finding it the only thing that has relaxed me. I've had no blood in my urine/feces/vomit. I have only vomited once during the 4 months. I do not have a temperature, I do not have a fever, the pain is not increased when pressure is applied. It is not relieved by warm/cold packs etc. The doctors are adamant I do not have appendicitis, i've had 3 ultrasounds which show no stones in my kidneys or galbladder and everything is as of normal size.

When I was admitted into AnE and asked to spend 2 more nights in the hospital I became so bad I had to have someone to hold me up while I walk, I couldn't sit up due to the pain and I would be so tired that I couldn't get out of bed. They had asked me to stay because of one blood test that showed my liver functions spiking high (I think it was billirubin? - and no I had not had a heavy night of drinking or anything the night before It was taken) They released me because they said being an outpatient would be faster (Which, it isn't, as the specialist i've been referred to will not be able to see me until december, when it's september now.)

Through all the doctors i've seen, i've stuck with one who has been incredibley helpful throughout this all, although completely clueless to what is going on with me.

Whilst in the hospital I've had a doctor tell nurses to stop giving me any pain killers because Im probably just a drug addict, and other doctors tell me it's complete anxiety, and others take one look at me and say it's a mucle inflammation under my rib.

It's got to the point where I can't work, my relationships are suffering incredibly because I can hardly do anything. I Can't drink without having incredibly bad hang overs which last for days or throwing up after the first couple of pints, some days I will wake up and sit on the floor because it's too painful to lie down or stand up. My relationship with my partner is suffering, as it is most of the time too painful to be intimate. This is ruining my life, and all the doctors are telling me 'come back if it gets worse, but there's nothing wrong with you'.

But as I said, 3 ultra sounds, 2 x-rays, 15 blood tests (Including one for hepatitus).

And nothing except one liver function spike, the once. My blood sugars are normal, there's nothing abnormal in my urine.

What i've told every doctor i've seen;

I've had severe right abdominal pain. Just below my rib. So severe I can not walk etc. I've had constipation for 4 months a long with the pain, which every now and then seems to just disappear. It seems to become more severe every other week, and on 3 occasions so painful I have collapsed and either thought I was having a heart attack or my appendix had burst due to the pain.

Please, any help is incredibly appreciated, I just want my life back!

Thank you, Alex.

8 likes, 127 replies

127 Replies

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  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Despite the ultrasounds saying otherwise (no surprises there, it's common) it still does sound awfully Gallbladder / Biliary related neutral
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Obviously you need pain relief, ideally Tramadol and Paracetamol but Antispasmodics can help as well, Dicycloverine and or Hyoscine,, and dietary changes smile
    • michelle16486
      michelle16486 Guest

      Posted

      most RX,s are not going to help, and needing a anti depression med is there way of quieting you down, anxity well You have it because Your in pain and nothing is helping or not for long,..if the galbladder is distressed or the term "slugish galbladder"  which can ony be diagnosed with a hida scan,..when the glabladder is stressed out or slugish, it works very very hard to expell the sluge, medicines they give like  when they call it spastic colon,..  the bowels move and move trying to get rid of some thing,..instead of taking that for what it is they give you some thing like bentyl which slowlys the bowels,  its nice in only one way, if You feel like You have snakes crawling around it can tire you out,..spastic colon, well it happens because as I said the body is acting with other organs, everyone can have differant symtom groups, how many of You noticed after a steroid or upper/ lower scope,  having some relife? scopes+ they add air to the bowels to scope,..ahhh that breaks those what I call vapor locks,..at this stage,.. i can say,.. get off ALL milk products,  after all vit D is added to milk so just take the vitimens,   Your insides are compramised, (excuse My bad spelling).  Your all going to have some malobsorbtion troubles,.. this all is a snow ball effect,. but depending on how Your grew up,.. and of course genes play a part but bigger yet is  the fact that familys tend to teach each ohter how to eat and develope familys taste buds,...on ward! ,...the brain takes its nutriants FIRST,.. and  let me add,  "skin" nails" hair"  are ones last on the list to get importain nutriants,.. things like brittle nails,.. skin troubles from fugus,s to hair loss thinning, warts, heavy callisous,s etc., ok back to what im saying,...You feel tired?...even brain tired,...maybe You liked to read and find Yourself to tired to read very much before You give up, this is a sign that the brain which takes its food first isnt getting the high quility and amount it needs,.. soooo imagine the rest of the body,..everything being starved,..inflamation ,weight gain weight loss,.. I cant tell You what to do but I take magnesium EVERY nightm,, a good multivitimen as well,. added extra D,.potassium, now listen,.. if You galbladder is slugish,..a ct wont show that a MRI wont show it,..only a hida scan,..if Your galbladder is shot or slose to it then You have to get that fixed,... but listen it wont be over,.. Your bodys have been suffering for a long time,.. it wont go away over night,...every day I take Irish sea moss powder in a blended mix with a drink of My choice,..pleaseeeee just read about what irish sea moss can do for You,..it WILL let the gas move,. this will help with those pains that seem to be able to make You hurt any where in Your bowels,..it WILL soften stool,... and not like a laxitive it goes thru the stool softening it and  allowing things to get going,...its soooooooooo simple,.  I have made believers out of My Family and friends,..and its like a miricle and the side efffects?   well it heals sores in the bowels,its 1000 times better then an ant acid,...I use it dry on My skin and wow never a pimple again,.. it feeds Your skin rub it on!,.. bit of sea salt taste there so careful ot to get it in the eyes,... You have NOTHHING to lose by trying it,...
  • Alexandermunday
    Alexandermunday

    Posted

    That's what i've been thinking throughout this, but the hospital refused to do anymore testing due to 'harmful radiation from more tests' which sounds incredibly stupid to me. Is there anyway to get my doctor to push for more testing in this? As the referal will take months, and at this point i'm not sure i'm going to be able to deal with waiting this long, and every doctor i've seen is still adamant it's nothing to do with my galbladder.

    thank you for the fast reply, it's reassuring to know i'm not the only one to think it is actually related to this!

  • Alexandermunday
    Alexandermunday

    Posted

    Also, i've changed my diet completely. Paracetomal has absolutely no effect on the pain, tramadol makes me incredibly ill for some reason (They gave it to me in hospital and after a day I was almost gagging constantly from feeling like I was going to vomit) Codien and morphine make the constipation so unbareable I couldn't pass anything for about a week, and yet I could still feel the pain. The only thing that's had any effect is Naproxen - Although after a day or two of taken it i've had the worst acid reflux i've ever expierenced. (Which i'm now on omeprozole 20mg twice a day for)

    also, I forgot to add to my post, when ever the pain became so severe that It made me collapse, My whole chest would come up in a massive rash which would dissipate when the pain subsided.

    • paul13182
      paul13182 Alexandermunday

      Posted

      Hi alexander,when you say you have changed your diet,may i ask in what way and if it has improved the pain you feel.
    • arianag
      arianag Alexandermunday

      Posted

      Have you been tested for celiac disease? Its a very severe allergy to gluten that usually develops around 18- 24, characterized by intense stomach pain, rashes, and organ problems if left untreated

      I had a friend who lost so much weight and was in so much pain before she was finally diagnosed, apparently she could have died if she had continued consuming gluten producta. Another friend of mine had similar sltoms andnit turned out to be a horrible soy allergy. Getting tested for allergies may help, some things like gluten and sly are in literally everything, therefore there seems to be no true pattern to the reactions and its very constant.

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    As I say the Antispasmodics can really help too (and you can buy them over the counter),, Buscopan and (a good slug of) Kolanticon Gel smile You're a ticking time bomb of pain mate cheesygrin redface Dunno about this rash, very strange confused
  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Sorry I'm not laughing (I've been trough it all myself) redface
  • Alexandermunday
    Alexandermunday

    Posted

    Ha it's okay, sometimes the only thing you can do is laugh, which is probably the most painful thing for me anyway haha. but thank you, it's just nice to know i'm not the only one (not in a mean way haha)
    • corrett1975
      corrett1975 Alexandermunday

      Posted

      I think you should stop eating ripe bananas,fried foods,sodas. It worked for my sister who had that same experience. And try to eat on time
  • me23964
    me23964

    Posted

    sounds like my story. Ive had mri's, scopes, ultrasounds, hida scans, u name it. All negative. yet everyday im in pain. I get sharp stabbing pains in different areas of my upper stomach that sometimes settle in one spot. Doc says IBS. Im not convinced. I am a stressed out person but its the worry that makes me that way! maybe it is just ibs and we have to live with it.
  • CraigRanch
    CraigRanch

    Posted

    Alex-You sound just like my 22-year-old son, Will. I am sitting in his hospital room after his surgery this morning. After a million tests, procedures, etc, the doc finally saw what he thought was the source of Will's pain: Anintussusception right where Will could point to, and when pressure was applied, the pain became worse. Unfortunately when he went in through hi belly button to go in and presumably cut 12" out of his small intestine and sew it back together, he could not see anything wrong. He found a small Meckel's diverticulum, so cut that off, and then took a probe and inserted it there at the Meckel's diverticulum site and headed downward. He went as far as he could and saw nothing abnormal. Then he summoned a gastroenterologist and that doc retrieved a scope and went down his throat all the way to the Meckel's diverticulum site and he saw nothing abnormal too. Both docs took a good look at the gallbladder and other organs. When the doc came out to greet me after surgery he was very disappointed because he did not find the source of his pain. Will is in terrible pain now in recovery, and will be in the hospital for two more days. Do you have any updates? My son had to quit college (medical leave) and work because of the sharp pains. For a time he could not raise his right arm up very high..did you have this too? The pain is at the rib-cage-edge, right side, about two inches down from the center. Where exactly was yours? One thing noticeable that brings on the pain is fatty foods. But Will's liver, bile, gallbladder are all functioning properly. Please keep this post going if you have ANY new news. I'll update more after I speak further with the doctor tomorrow.
  • CraigRanch
    CraigRanch

    Posted

    Clarification: That's an Intussusception.
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