Gnawing and painful stomach aches.

Hey  Aaron,

Sorry to hear about your aches. I frequently get stomach aches, and from what you've seen on these forums, there's a million and one types, causes, symptoms and solutions. It's a real mess down in the stomach if you ask me. The Chinese believe it is the second brain and is heavily influenced by outside stresses.

I too suffer from anxiety, pretty bad too (which doesn't help with the stomach aches to be honest - it's all connected you know). I've had 2 endoscopies in the last 4 years. To be brutally honest and I'm not joking, if you ask for it with sedation - you feel nothing at all - perhaps a little discomfort after the drugs wear off, but to be honest it's like being a pleasant drunk (or mellow high, which during my 20's was a semi-regular occurrence).

The thing about the endoscopy is it will tell you exactly what's wrong, so just get it over with and hoepfully you'll get some good news and can treat your stomach ache.

Good luck ok and let me know how it goes!

Radiological imaging technique. The patient is given gas-forming granules to swallow. These has distends the stomach, stretching the normally collapse folds of stomach. The air also acts as a contrast media to outline the mcosal folds. CT, or less commonly MR, imaging is then performed.

Go back to your doctor and say that you are too anxious about the endoscopy.  You can always have a local numbing spray on your throat instead of sedation.  This is another option.

Regarding IBS, if you are having a change in bowel habits, you get relief of pain after a bowel movement and incomplete evacuation, you may have IBS.  The common pattern of IBS is pain that moves all over your stomach and is not confined to one location of your abdomen.  Sometimes, certain foods or stress trigger pain.  If you have had any significant stress recently, this may be the cause.  Try keeping a food diary to see if any foods are the culprit.  Have you introduced any new foods into your diet?

Hi Arron, so sorry to hear about you feeling rubbish and assocoated anxieties about endoscopy. I'm replying because I'm in the same position! I've been suffering mid-right quadrant pain since May. I don't have reflux, gas, diarrhoea, constipation, change in appetite, weight loss nothing. Just pain and bloating, as well as a feeling there is a swelling/blockage when I bend over on most occasions). Have been treated with lansoprazole and antibiotics twice to no avail. I've had two ultrasound scans which have shown gall bladder, spleen, liver, kidneys, aorta etc all clear however gastroenterologist is adamant I have gall stones so is sending me for gastroscopy next Monday (I've cancelled it twice due to severe anxiety about the procedure). I have had to try and get my head in a place to accept that without this procedure I cannot get any answers (even though in all honesty I don't expect anything to be found as the location is more likely to be bowel related in my opinion), but I have to jump through the hoops of the cheaper procedures as I was told if thie gastroscopy shows nothing I can have an MRI scan which is definately my preference. I intend to have sedation as Iwant to have no knowledge of what is happening to me - frineds and relatives who have had theri throat numbed have said "it was the worst thing I've ever had to endure and would never put myself through it again", hence the desire to be out of it totally. As my procedure is iminent Iwill happily share my NHS experience withyou if you wish. Best of luck :-)