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IBS / Bladder/Kidney Pain Please Help!

Posted , 8 users are following.

jo5hm4n
jo5hm4n

I'm 23 years old and male.  I have had stomach related problems now for years but it's only been very minor, nothing that ever required me to take a visit to the doctor, until i was about 21.  Since then dependant on what i eat affects how i feel.  Over the last year it has got worse and worse, to the point where i have now cut all dairy and gluten out of my diet, because prolonged amounts give me diarrhea and stomach pains.

I have had a Fecal Occult Blood test, aswell as other blood tests and results came back as totally normal.  I was told i have IBS and given medication for it.  For most of this year i have kept it at bay and put up with it.

However as of October 2015 things have gotten much worse.  I hadn't had any alcohol for around a month and then on 1st October i went out with friends and got very very drunk on vodka.  I woke up the next day and after hangover had faded i felt a pain in my stomach and a pain in my kidney/bladder.

Went to the doctor and they said i had a minor UTI infection so i thought this was the cause of the pain.  After a week infection had cleared up but pain was still there.  Went back to the doctor he said he would book me for an Ultrasound to check my Bladder and Kidneys.   6 week later i Had this scan and sad to say they found nothing wrong with me at all.

This has really upset me because my doctor says my symptoms point to IBS and because of my age and the fact my blood tests are all okay, they won't do further testing.  I want to have a Colonoscopy to be on the safe side but he said there is no point...

I am really confused because this pain i have had has now lasted just over 8 weeks and it is making my life hell.

The pain itself is a stomach pain, which i feel nausea most of the time, cramps and constant dull pain in stomach.  Pain is made worse if i am very hungry and sometimes worse after eating, if i eat too much the pain increases and i feel like i can't stand up it is that bad.

The pain alongside this is also a bladder/kidney type pain it feels like.  I have urges to urinate almost all the time, not once in 8 weeks has it dissapeared.  I am now urinating every 2-3 hours just to get some sort of relief.  Sometimes when i urinate i get a small amount of relief, sometimes though it just adds to the pain for around 10 minutes then settles.  When i am sitting down it feels worse in my stomach/bladder.  I wake up every morning in agony needing to urinate.  I also have a pain under my ribs which is a constant dull ache, so much so that i can no longer sleep on my right side at night

I can't understand what is wrong with me, i realise i have IBS, but on 1st October these symptoms just came out of nowhere and now it is affecting my life so much.  I'm struggling alot at work and im self employed so that makes things worse.  I'm losing my confidence in going out with friends because i can barely drink any alcohol i feel bloated and unwell very quickly.  If i stand up for longer then 30 minutes the dull pain increases and i feel i need to sit down for a while.  I literally feel like an old man at present sad

Sad to say this is making me feel very down, i dont know what the solution is, i want to fight this because i fear otherwise it will take over my life until i pray it subsides or goes away!

Should i keep pressuring the doctors for a Colonoscopy? What other tests are available for stomach/kidney/bladder?  Is there a type of CT scan i could have?

I genuinly dont know where to turn too and i have limited knowledge in this subject, so will greatly appreciate any advice from anybody on here!

My diet is alot better than it used to be.  I have lost around 15-20 pounds since October just because my appetite isn't there and i am in pain alot so i try to avoid overeating like i used too.

I take Colofac, but that doesn't seem to do anything so at present i have stopped in the last 2 weeks or so.  I dont want to fix this with pills i want to find out exactly what is wrong with me.

I can handle having IBS but i cant understand why in the last 8 weeks my symptoms went from 3/10 to a solid 8/10 on the pain/discomfort scale overnight.

If anybody has any questions to help me figure this out please go ahead.

I am going back to the Doctor in 2 days so i want too take any suggestions onboard as to what i should do because after my last ultrasound i dont know which direction to go in now.

 

0 likes, 17 replies

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  • russ151
    russ151 jo5hm4n

    Posted

    Hi i would go back to your docs maybe try a different doc maybe some routine blood tests wouldn't go a miss I suffer with chronic prostatitus some of your bladder problems sound similar you might need antibiotics if so I have had pain in my kidneys before now as well with it I also have ibs try not to worry I am sure you will get answers write down everything you want to ask the doc if your not happy see a different doc its your health
    • jo5hm4n
      jo5hm4n russ151

      Posted

      Going back to the doctor if no luck will try a different doctor, also decided to write everything down much easier to show it to the doctor that way.  Thanks for your input
  • philippa61759
    philippa61759 jo5hm4n

    Posted

    IBS can fluctuate between better and worse. It can cause frequent urination and food intolerance including alcohol.   If the doctor cannot find anything and they tell you there is no point in further tests, I would leave it at that and accept the IBS diagnosis.  I had an ultrasound, stool tests, a celiac test and a urinary test which were all negative.  Some organs could not be seen and a seventh doctor wanted to repeat the tests.  I wasn't happy about this, so I saw an eighth doctor who told me retesting was pointless as my symptoms were no better or worse in three months and I had developed no new symptoms.  He diagnosed me with IBS.  Once I was diagnosed, my panic stopped.  If your doctor thought you had suspicious symptoms, he would have ordered a colonoscopy already.  The fact that he hasn't, suggests he is confident in his diagnosis of IBS.

    Sometimes, repeated tests make you panic more rather than reassure you. This was the case with me.  If one medication doesn't help, try others.  There are many on the market that you can be prescribed.  You could also try natural remedies and probiotics.  However, not everyone is the same and you will find medications will dull the pain but will not get rid of it totally.  Stress will also make you feel worse.

    • jo5hm4n
      jo5hm4n philippa61759

      Posted

      My symptoms and tests do sound similiar to yours.  I don't panic im just getting fed up of feeling ill every single day with not much letup at all.

      There is always that underlying thought in my mind that it could be something worse than IBS which is why i want the tests that rule out cancer.  What probiotics should i take, i'm seriously thinking about trying these for sure i want something in powder form.

    • philippa61759
      philippa61759 jo5hm4n

      Posted

      The bifido culture is very good for the bowel.  It can be found in yoghurts and tablet form.  You could try health food shops for probiotic powders.
  • DrDDJ
    DrDDJ jo5hm4n

    Posted

    Two things I might ask to be checked... are you having acid reflux. Or maybe not enough stomach acid. Also, have they checked your prostate? You are young, but that may be enlarged for a number of reasons, which would make you feel like you have to urinate more often and sometimes still have no relief.

    You know your body. Doctors have a bad habit of treating the lab result instead of treating the patient. If your current doctor wont help you any further, seek another doctor. You know something isn't right. Do not let them tell you nothing is wrong.

    Take a food diary to the doctor so she/he can see what you eat. Stay away from alcohol until you can sort this out in case something is going on with your liver. Tell doctor all medications you are taking including over the counter or illegal drugs. Lay off any caffeine and flush your system with water. Do you take a probiotic? Ask doctor if that may help. Also note how many times you urinate each day. And also how many ounces of water you drink every day. Sounds ridiculous, but your doctor needs to see that you are serious about getting to the bottom of this. If he says he can do no more, ask him who he would recommend you go see next because you refuse to live this way because you know something isn't right. Do NOT give up. You have to fight for yourself. And you have to find a doctor that is in your court and wants to help you figure it out!!!

    I do practice what I preach. I kept feeling like I was getting food stuck in my throat. Then I felt like something was always in my throat. I told my dentist and doctor about it and they said it was stress and anxiety. A month ago, I marched into an ENT doctor's office and told him what I believed was wrong with me and I knew the only option was surgery. Of course I got the same song and dance.... acid reflux due to stress and anxiety. I told him if he didn't shove that camera up my nose and down my throat to take a look, I would find someone who would. I told him I saw something in my throat. He gave in and did it. 6 days later I was on the operating table... and my diagnosis was exactly correct... epiglottic cyst the size of a large marble. I knew it was not stress. I knew something was wrong. I researched for hours to come up with my diagnosis. I could have been wrong. But even so, I was letting him know that I will get to the bottom of this problem. If he wanted to be part of the solution, then that would be great. If not, I will find someone who will.

    Do not give up! Someone is out there that will help you. You just have to find them!

    • jo5hm4n
      jo5hm4n DrDDJ

      Posted

      I dont suffer from acid reflux unless i drink lots of alcohol or have very acidic food/liquids.  It runs in the family.  We have a condition with the esophagus.  I haven't got any worries about that at present though.  I take Lanzaprazole for that and my stomach which helps alot.

      The kidney pain came around the exact same time my stomach problem appeared so i think they are linked, don't think it's my prostate somehow.

      I wont let the doctor keep fobbing me off.  I will try another doctor if my current one doesn't give me further tests.

      Going to start writing everything down and making a log of it, so i can monitor my symptoms much more closely.  I want to try probiotics any recommendations for me?

      You have such a good attitude and rightly so.  I was starting to feel maybe i should give up and accept my diagnosis, but i do want to get to the bottom of it, so i will keep trying until i figure out what exactly is wrong with me.  Glad you managed to find out what was really wrong with you, and i hope that your problem is going away now.

      I will keep trying with the doctors and pushing for answers, thanks for your message

  • sam18386
    sam18386 jo5hm4n

    Posted

    Hi jo, I think this is a mystery to me and doesn't know sound like ibs.  Go back to your doctors - you need to ask for deeper tests as doctors have missed something I feel!
    • jo5hm4n
      jo5hm4n sam18386

      Posted

      Thats what i thought, yet there are people on this forum with the same symptoms and apparently it's just IBS sad  I will keep pushing with the doctors until eventually i get somewhere with it
  • nicholas02199
    nicholas02199 jo5hm4n

    Posted

    Hi Jo, I have very similar symptoms, aches and pains in my lower abdomen that sometimes spread round to my kidney area, sometimes the pain seems very low down in the bladder area and I get the feeling of constantly needing to pee. Some days I am constipated other days just the opposite but I very rarely feel nauseous. I have had IBS for nearly 20 years but it is only this year that it has got a lot worse, hope you find some answers soon.
    • jo5hm4n
      jo5hm4n nicholas02199

      Posted

      The nausea isn't that bad now, it's more just pain that sometimes takes my appetite away and the thought of food occasionally puts me off.  That has got much better though last month or so.  I have accepted i may have to live with IBS but my symptoms at 23 years old just seem a bit extreme which is why i want to rule out anything else just incase!
  • sunni13905
    sunni13905 jo5hm4n

    Posted

    I have diverticulitis and youre symptoms are very similar to what I experience when I'm having a flare up.  Ask your doctor for a CT Scan with the dye treatment to show up your bowels. 
  • jo5hm4n
    jo5hm4n

    Posted

    Just a quick update.  The pain has still been there but was alot less distracting and painful than before.  I Phoned my doctor, and he said there was no point in me seeing him as all the tests i have had done so far revealed nothing malicious.  He wont refer me for a CT Scan or a Colonoscopy.  I was wondering if i could see a private consultant who may be more inclined to refer me still under the NHS.  What type of consultant would i need to see?  Would it be a Gastro, a Urologist or something else?  Bearing in mind this if for what i have been told IBS related symptoms.

    On top of all of this, this weekend just past i got really drunk which wasn't planned.  Since then i have been back in agony again with my stomach pain, the symptoms are back to how they were when they first appeared, pain and discomfort nearly all the time.  I'm wondering why having alcohol/Binge food on just 1 day would lead to bringing the pain back so much?  It has been 3 days since i had the alcohol and the pain is still here!

    Appreciate anymore useful comments.  Going to book an appointment with another doctor soon when i get some free time.  Also im thinking of trying a probiotic which my friend has bought for me to try.  Can anybody recommend whether this works out not?

    Thanks!

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  • teasle
    teasle jo5hm4n

    Posted

    I have a lot of your symptoms esp the thing you say about the pain building when you are standing for any length. I also have the constant abdo pain and could pee for Britain some days. Cant really offer advise but I had a CT colonoscopy done privately two weeks ago which suggested my colon was grand. I was shocked given the pains Ive been having as I really expected something to show up. Got a proper colonoscopy tomorrow so keeping everything crossed the results are the same and its just ibs. Given you are so worried could you consider having it done privately?
    • jo5hm4n
      jo5hm4n teasle

      Posted

      How much did your Ct Colonoscopy cost, was it cheaper than having a full Colonscopy done?  I can do it privately, but i didn't want to go down that route, it's pretty expensive but if i have too then yes i will eventually pay if the doctors still wont refer me for further tests
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