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Desperate for advice!! Unremitting abdominal pain and distention.

Posted , 4 users are following.

adam21393
adam21393

I have a long medical history in the past eight months and I want to lay everything out so that someone may point me in the right direction. I am a 27 year old male with no medical problems at all and no surgeries or anything.

In the end of April 2016 I had a period of constipation alternating with diarrhea. I did not really notice any bloating, then all of a sudden after having an episode of diarrhea prior to bad constipation the following week I noticed my stomach was badly distended and felt uncomfortable. It really seemed that this occurred very suddenly--however I cannot rule out that this condition occurred slowly and I only noticed it when it reached a certain level. So this was something I chose to ignore until I started to get intermittent pain in my stomach. This marked the beginning of an exhaustive medical search and I've now reached a dead end with my gastro and I really don't know what to do as I'm scared that I'll have this pain my whole life or that perhaps it is a cancer that has gone undetected.

As time has progressed the nature and the persistence of the pain has changed. The one thing that has been totally constant is my bloating/distention.

I went to get first endoscopy in june. Nothing. Ultrasound done--nothing except gall ladder polyp 0.4 cm and echogrnicity in liver suggesting fatty liver. Then i had cat scan in er in july-- they found notbing. Then I had stool test. Positive for lactoferrin. Colonoscopy showed nothing except for mild chronic inflammation. Mild chronic inflammation prompted mri enterography which showed mild distention of jejunum but it also could have been decompression of film so dr wanted to do pill endoscopy. Pill endoscopy showed a linear ulcer in an trum of stomach... did not show anything in small.bowel however there was delayed gastric emptying of the pill which my dr really had no answer for aND said he couldn't see end of small bowel for that reason. Had another endoscopy last week to look at ulcer. Ulcer was already healing after I had been given prilosec the week prior. Now dr wants to stop tests and keep me on amitriptalyne for pain. It is not working.

My pain first started as intermittent then it transitioned into a mild dull ache in my general abdomen area. Then in July the pain become severe- I could not eat I was in agony. Pain calmed down with intermittent flares. Then after a month of intense pan. My pain had gone into a cycle of turning off and going back on what seemed to be exactly every two weeks. This went on for months. In the last month my pain has become continous again but now the pain feels less generalized and more located in my epigastric region. Sometimes when the pain really flares I feel it in my chest also. The pain is a steady pain and nothing I do makes it worse or better.

So please, Unremitting pain and bloating and discomfort for 8 months now. What should I do? Who should I see? I am in nyc and I have good healthcare. I fear that my life is basically over I have some manageable days but the pain and discomfort is too persistent for me to have a normal life. I fear that something could have been missed.

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • adam21393
    adam21393

    Posted

    I realize I posted this to infections so if someone wants to move this to a more appropriate category that is fine. Thanks.
  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 adam21393

    Posted

    Ask your doctor about IBS and perhaps change your doctor to get another opinion.  I started with constipation, constant stomach pain, back pain, nausea, change of bowel habit and anxiety. I went to the doctor eight times before IBS was diagnosed and it took 3 and half months.  I had the same fears as you that I had something very serious and it had been missed and it was too late to do anything about it.  I did not consider that it could be something simpler.
    • adam21393
      adam21393 pippa58442

      Posted

      My symptoms are not characteristic of its. When I have the pain it is a constant steady 247 ache. The distention is 247-it never goes away- it is not noticeable lying down and is the worst when I stand. I read on Internet that functional abdominal bloating is never constant.
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 adam21393

      Posted

      I can get constant, steady 24/7 stomach pain with IBS.  Try cutting out gluten to see if the bloating goes away.  However, ask your doctor if abdominal bloating can be constant.  Everyone is different with IBS.
    • mj1986
      mj1986 pippa58442

      Posted

      Hey Pippa,

      I think the wait for a diagnosis makes things a million times worse. I had to wait 3 months to be diagnosed with GERD but still I want to get to the bottom of what's causing it, so I'm having to wait more time for tests and further appointments. It's absolutely hellish. I have health anxiety too so this episode with stomach (it's all upper symptoms of indigestion for me) is a nightmare.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 mj1986

      Posted

      I waited three and half months to get diagnosed with IBS and it was hell for me too especially when I consulted Dr Google!

      I have GERD as well and both were caused by stress.  However, my health would go through the roof if I was to wait for more appointments to deal with my stress levels. For me it is easier to accept that I am anxious and take IBS medication if stress triggers pain along with over the counter antacids for GERD.  I had an endoscopy years ago that showed nothing.  I was told though that the cause was likely to be my oesophageal sphincter opening up and letting acid spew out. 

      So now I have both upper and lover digestive tract issues!

    • mj1986
      mj1986 pippa58442

      Posted

      Hey Pippa,

      Sorry to hear you're suffering at both ends! I'm holding on to the fact all my symptoms are upper just now. Hopefully it stays that way - things couldn't be better in that department but I did have really bad bloating at the start of the year - turned out to be a cervix infection. Which I took antibiotics for and this GERD nonsense started up the night I was finishing the pills. So my body feels like it's been through the wars. On top of that I keep picking up everything going just now - chest infections, colds, throat infections - I also had thrush when all my throat and stomach issues kicked off. Cannot find peace of mind!

      It's turned me into a bit of a mess and so anxious about everything. I don't always sleep. I know it's not doing the GERD any favours and I absolutely hate the thought of getting further testing (believe me I usually avoid going to the doctor at all costs and avoided that smear test for 6 months despite symptoms) - but you can't when it's your stomach and I'm at the point I need to know.

      All blood tests including H Pylori are fine but I don't think I'll rest till I at least get an ultrasound. The amount I've diagnosed myself with is insane.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 mj1986

      Posted

      My GERD started after exam stress when I was a teenager and never went away completely.  

      Two years ago, in my forties,  I went to a chiropractor. Both the manipulation and deep tissue massage went wrong and left me with even worse joint pain, exhaustion and costochondritis.  I had a blood test to diagnose the joint pain and fatigue and the nurse wrecked my arm and left me in agony for two months.  The pain has improved but has never fully gone.  I complained to the Practice Nurse who laughed at my concerns.  Neither nurse has ever apologised; they left it to my doctor to do when it wasn't his fault!  Two months after this, I got IBS.

  • adam21393
    adam21393

    Posted

    any new people with advice?  I have started to take ulcer medication and amitryptaline--these may be helping slightly, but I am still in bad pain 247.  I also get pains in my bowels as well in uper abdomen.  
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