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Abdominal pain, bloating, burning and losing my mind!

Posted , 12 users are following.

Bodsworth
Bodsworth

Afternoon All

I wanted to post this not only to clear my head, but on the slim chance anyone has experienced similar or has advise.

So around a year ago I started to get bad heartburn and what I would class as bloated gas burps after a night out. I would only get it for the next day and then it would then go and I could be fine for a week or so before the next "attack".

It got to april and became every weekend. At this point I went to the docs and they put me on PPI and said see how you get on. A few weeks in started to get it more often to the point of even having dinner at home would cause this onset of burping and gas (the burning was less I think due to the pills). I went back to the doctor and he scheduled a endoscopy which revealed a small hital hernia and inflamed stomach and esophagus. I was told that the hital hernia was only small and that majority of people have them. The best thing to do was to persist with the PPI pills and see how I got on giving stomach time to heal. Which I did. I had my bloods done and was told I was healthy with nothing wrong. They did a stool test for Hpylori which came back negative.

Roll on may at this point I started to get a extreme bloating and burning again. Went back and got referred to private specialist. He was quick to blame the hital hernia and said I needed a PH swallow and 24 hour test. Along with a ultrasound. Ultrasound was all clear and my PH test showed some upper reflux that wasn't normal but not extreme.

At this point the specialist advised as I seemed to have been getting worse on the PPI that I should start to come of them and see what happens. About a week and a half into this I got extreme burning in my upper abdomen above the belly button. All across. To the point I was in such pain I went to A&E to get looked at. Full bloods again, ECG and upper checst Xray all clear. They told me that burning could be acid after a discussion amongst themselves and it was wise to go back on PPI. They have now prescribed nexium. This was two weeks ago.

Since then I have had crazy bowl changes. All during the above I was normal with no real difference. Yet now I seem to be swapping between days of constipation to watery just like that. The upper burning has gone from my chest again and I am still bloating after food yet I now have this constant abdominal pain which just feels like a dull ache above my belly button constantly. Which I feel is worse when trying to sleep on my sides like normal (however I am not sure if it's because I am just more aware of it.)

This week I went to have a food allergy test which all was clear. However when speaking to the guy he said it sounded to him as though it could be chronic pancreatitis issue. As it would cause the dull ache and if it was producing enzymes correctly the food would cause bloating etc. I stupidly spent the night reading into it and got no sleep along with just breaking into tears constantly. I can honestly say I think my mind is just broke. Anyhow.. I went to the GP today and raised my concerns, to be told that my bloods have shown clear each time they have been done in the last three months so it couldn't be. I tried to explain I had read people's posts on this very forum of it not being detected in their bloods and was only picked up when it got to cancer or critical stages. Once again I was shot down.

The conversation then turned into.. it is most Likley IBS. I feared I would end up with this label. I do not mean to take anything away from anyone with IBS but I feel this is a nonsense diagnoses when they just don't know the answer. As I have read countless posts of people branded with IBS to only be something later down the road. Especially as up this this week my bowls had been fine!.. I hope fingures crossed it's something to do with being on nexium now and taken morphine sulfate for overall week while the burning eased of. Either that or I have stressed myself out to the point of it effecting my bowls if that is possible.

Anyhow I have another endoscopy set for tomorrow (17th august 2017). I hope they find something this time. But I have been told by doctors if they didn't see ulcers or gastritis before it's very unlikely I will have it now ( even with the change of symptoms).

Just to recap symptoms for tldr

- no odd bowl changes up until this week now a mkx to this week

- original heartburn seems ok on PPI

-constant dull ache in upper abdomen above the belly button area

-no being sick

-no rectal bleeding or previous BM issues

-bloating and gas burps shortly after meals.

I really don't know what to do next if they don't find anything. I literally went from a healthy 27 year old with no real stress on his life to constant abdominal pain and not even being able to enjoy dinner with his GF. Any advise greatly appreciated. Thankyou to anyone who takes the time to ready this even if they don't have any answers.

Kind regards

3 likes, 34 replies

34 Replies

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  • sam18386
    sam18386 Bodsworth

    Posted

    Word of caution from one who has ibs - Don't take pup's,  please they made my ibs Awful!, insist on taking rani tidiness it will calm the acid which causes the burps.  It is also caused zoflat?, good luck. 

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 Bodsworth

    Posted

    Sounds very like IBS.  Heartburn, bloating, stomach pain, belching, gas and bowel habit changes are all IBS symptoms.  Stomach pain tends to move about, comes and goes, or is constant. It is diagnosed when everything else is negative.  It is very common to worry about your pancreas.  I raised this with my doctor and was advised that it was unlikely a problem in my case.  I had constant stomach pain, nausea, boweo habit change, heartburn and rampant anxiety for three and a half months.  All my tests were negative and I was diagnosed with IBS.  Stress will make your symptoms far worse.  Go back to your doctor and ask again about IBS.  Try a food diary and ask for an antispasmodic for the stomach pain.   If nothing is found, don't worry because this means it is nothing sinister and is likely to be IBS.  My brother, who is a doctor, told me when I was worrying and panicking about my stomach that serious conditions do show up on scans.

    • Joe79711
      Joe79711 pippa58442

      Posted

      I have been having similar issues . I had an abdominal ultrasound and all was ok. I assume if there was any kind of tumor, they would have saw it?
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Joe79711

      Posted

      If everything came back clear, you can relax,   These scans are designed to pick up all sorts of nasties including tumours.  If anything sinister was found, they would have to tell you so you could begin treatment.
  • CEE_CEE
    CEE_CEE Bodsworth

    Posted

    I thought I had replied. Initially I had gas and burping no heartburn when I had my revision surgery in 2012. I had an endoscopy and it revealed that I have barretts esophageal disorder. Look up similarities and possibly discuss with your PcP especially the differences other IBS.
  • Bodsworth
    Bodsworth

    Posted

    So I had the second endscopy by the specialist I had been seeing. Everything was clear..even the inflammation had gone. Not sure if that's from the PPIs or not.

    I have been of the PPI now for just over a week using the H2 blockers to manage. I have lost then intense pain I once had just above my belly button. However a dull ache does still remain regardless of what I do.

    I read a little into SIBO and thought that may be a cause. I did a sea salt flush yesterday. Which I am not sure if it helped or not.

    I have my CAT scan today which I hope to god finds something. (I feel stupid that I feel so low about this that I would rather have a serious problem detected then IBS).

    My bowls still seem the same as my last post. I don't really seem to have bad watery stools as I'm not rushing to the toilet often like people say on this forum. It's more broke up thin BMs when I need to go. I do wonder if this is also tied to my new diet which consists of hardly anything in anticipation of it making me worse like before.

    This all started after I ended up on high doses of PPI. I personally would never take them again and would advise anyone reading this that they really look into it before jumping onto them because your GP decides it "could be xyz".

    Will update more as I go. I hope if I can find a solution I can help others as I know first hand how mentally exhausting this all is.

    Kind regards

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Bodsworth

      Posted

      Don't worry if the CAT scan shows nothing; that would be good news for you.  If you are diagnosed in the end with IBS, this is also positive because it can be treated and managed with lifestyle changes and medication.  Look for a simple, non threatening diagnosis.  I have had IBS since 2015 and it is largely under control.  I hardly have any flare ups.  

      Don't worry about broken up stools.  This is very common.  I have had this even before my IBS. Stools come in all shapes and sizes.

    • Joe79711
      Joe79711 pippa58442

      Posted

      I just went to Dr about my situation and he thinks I may have a stomach Ulcer. Pain is below my ribs and radiates to my back.

      I of course was terrified of stomach cancer. Said he ruled that out since I had an abdominal ultra sound that was clear and good bloodwork.

      Regardless, this ulcer is pretty painful if that's what it is.

  • Bodsworth
    Bodsworth

    Posted

    So it's nearly four am. Been awake for a few hours now. Not sure why this has started happening but my stomach is gurgling like made. Sounds like a washing machine. Keeping me awake and i feel exhausted.

    Bit of a vicious circle as I am anxious about work tomorrow and being too tired. I did ask my GP for sleeping pills through all this and he wasn't keen..how are you guys getting through the nights with the pain and this (if anyone else has it).

    I've had a drink. Taken a H2 to blocker. Eat a banana nothing is settling it.

  • Bodsworth
    Bodsworth

    Posted

    So couldn't speak to my specialist today as he's gone away. However the forwarded my results to the GP who left a note saying that results where unremarkable however required follow up with specialist for further action.

    So now I'm a bit lost as I still have this never ending pain just above my belly button area. The other symptoms come and go but that stays regardless. IBS or not is it right to have a continuous pain that doesn't relive with BM or anti gas tablets?

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Bodsworth

      Posted

      With IBS,pain gets temporarily better with a bowel movement.   I would push for further tests in case there are other things to rule out.  I was told I had unremarkable test results too.
  • Bodsworth
    Bodsworth

    Posted

    Thanks for keeping up to me pipa, I'm rather scared and an emotional reck so all support welcome.

    I received a call back from my specialists secretary this afternoon as I requested a call about the results from him directly. Turns out although my results are unremarkable they have highlighted small intenstine inflmattion at the tale end. I will prob need to follow up with a colonoscopy. So as you can imagine this has me quite worried about IBD. Even though I have no blood and my stools are back to solid. Maybe I am on early stages and just have the abdominal pain at current. Scary and anxious times.

    • Joe79711
      Joe79711 Bodsworth

      Posted

      Regardless of IBD, it's nothing too becterrified of. You just manage it 

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 Bodsworth

      Posted

      Is the inflammation in your stomach (small intestine) or bowel (large intestine)?
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