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left sided abdomen pain and tenderness for six months?

Posted , 4 users are following.

etalb11
etalb11

Hi, I've had left sided tenderness since June 2014. When bad it spreads across tummy, under ribs and I get burning and shooting pains. It's very sore to touch and hurts when I bend etc. Originally diagnosed as urinary but obs it isn't now and finally having colonoscopy this Sunday. Nobody has mentioned celiac to me but I'm wondering if it's an option as I don't have any symptoms that suggest crohns or ulcerative colitis. I've had scans of everything and anything ct and these were all clear. I'm now experiencing what I describe as a food hangover. If I eat a normal sized meal I feel dreadful - aches, pains, headache, irritation etc. I had a blood test for celiac yesterday at my request - I guess the colonoscopy will shed light this week but I wondered if anyone else had these symptoms? I've also always had awful heartburn and take esomprozle daily for 15 years for this. My weight is normal and I'm otherwise healthy. Would appreciate any opinions. Very fed up with it now and very hopeful of a diagnosis. Thanks

Emma

1 like, 16 replies

16 Replies

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  • FA54321
    FA54321 etalb11

    Posted

    Hi, if you are asking specifically if you could have coeliac disease, the biopsy will tell the doctor, if they are doing biopsies for it (you need to ask what they are testing for, as I was originally tested for helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for ulcers), I later had to have another to check for coeliac disease. 

    As for the symptoms, they vary from person to person, some Coeliacs don't get symptoms - but that doesn't mean wheat hasn't harmed their gut.  I did have a lot of acid reflux, but also stomach cramps and developed intolerance to dairy products as some of the symptoms. I was also taking a PPI (proton pump inhibitor) for quite a few years too. Hope some of this helps you.

    • etalb11
      etalb11 FA54321

      Posted

      Thanks fiona82003, I guess I'm jumping the gun and looking for an answer to my problem before diagnosis. Thanks v much for your advice. Did your indigestion clear up after diagnosis and good be wheat free. I've been on the ppi's since I was 26 - I'm 41 now. Hopefully all much clearer after hospital visit.

      Emma

  • FA54321
    FA54321 etalb11

    Posted

    Hi Emma,

    It took a while before I started feeling better (the detox stage was the worst). I was extremely ill prior to diagnosis, ferritin levels were virtually non existent and I was walking with a stick as I was so weak. Lost a lot of hair too. Vitamin D was extremely low and other vitamin and mineral levels too. It's effected my bones so I'm careful to stick to a strict diet. I came off the PPI 'cold turkey' which I later found out you shouldn't do (speak to a doctor if you decide to come off it) and had rebound acid for a week or so, but I stuck it out with the help of indigestion tablets and soda water and keeping off sugar. I'm so pleased I stopped taking them. Research I did into them, suggested as you get older your stomach produces less acid, PPI's can have side effects, and I was keen to get off them, as I take medication for other problems. If you do find you have coeliac disease, it's important to remember that not everyone's symptoms are the same; so if you accidentally eat something you shouldn't, you may or may not have symptoms. (Unfortunately, I'm one of the extreme cases. Can't even eat codex wheat starch that's had the gluten removed and can't eat quinoa - just found out - it can mimic the protein found in wheat, barley and rye and I react badly to that too, even though technically it's gluten free).

    Let us know how you get on, with any luck, it might not even be Coeliacs disease, but if it is, it's not the end of the world, and there's a lot more things available in the shops than there used to be. 😄

     

  • Cemo
    Cemo etalb11

    Posted

    Hi Emma, thanks for the share.

    I'm having a blood test in 3 days. I have the same symptoms, feels like a brain fog and food hangover. I came to the conclusion it is Coeliac disease for me. I was given h pylori treatment and as soon as the treatment came to an end I had wheat noodles and threw it straight back up. I immediately researched and found out about coeliacs and brainstormed. Ever since I was a child, I could remember vomiting occasionally due to gluten. Don't be scared of diagnosing yourself and standing behind your word if you have evidence to prove it. Keep me updated about your blood test, I'd love to know. All the best to you x

    • etalb11
      etalb11 Cemo

      Posted

      Hi cemo

      Thanks for your reply. I'm going in today for colonoscopy but realise they can't diagnosis this way but maybe they will find evidence of chrones or something. I found out that I also have low ferritin levels which fits in with a celiac diagnosis too. Hopefully they will have my results today so that if it's not celiac I can move on to thinking about what else it could be. The problem with NHS is that it all takes so long and gives one loads of time to ponder the various outcomes. I'm driving myself a bit mad here. Please update on your diagnosis - do you experience any left sided pain? Emma x

    • Cemo
      Cemo etalb11

      Posted

      Yes all my pain is on my left side and that is due to bile reflux from the Coeliac. The NHS is very inefficient. But as we're not politicians, no can do. Anxiety and depression even in its mildest form derives from the source of all problems; which is Coeliac, so try not to worry too much smile
  • marg04364
    marg04364 etalb11

    Posted

    It's a shame that doctors fail so often to test for coeliac disease. You would need to have an endoscopy and a biopsy taken of the small intestine. Before this test is done you need to be eating gluten for at least 6 weeks. Coeliacs become deficient in vitamins and minerals which cause other problems.
    • etalb11
      etalb11 marg04364

      Posted

      Hi there. Colonoscopy was clear and bloods were negative for celiac - they have taken biopsies and said bowel was sensitive - could I still be celiac with negative blood? I'm have endoscopy in march. E x
    • marg04364
      marg04364 etalb11

      Posted

      Yes you could still have coeliac disease. The endoscopy /biopsy will show for certain AS LONG
    • marg04364
      marg04364

      Posted

      Yes you could still have coeliac disease. The endoscopy / biopsy will show for certain as long as you have been eating enough gluten for six weeks beforehand .. like at least 4 slices of bread a day.
    • etalb11
      etalb11 marg04364

      Posted

      Ok thanks. I'll try to eat four slices - do I definitely need this much? Does pitta bread count? God I'm gonna feel awful rolleyes
  • FA54321
    FA54321 etalb11

    Posted

    I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but, yes, you still could have coeliac disease. My blood results were negative (apparently the blood tests are unreliable, as I keep trying to emphasise to my daughters, as they have had negative blood results), but when I had endoscopy and biopsies were done everything came back as positive, and was diagnosed as coeliac.

    The lining of the stomach gets damaged, and the villi which should be standing up in the stomach (they look a bit like fingers or coral) when you have coeliac disease they are flat and smooth. I would love to say, you don't have it but it would be wrong to jump the gun.  Wait until you get your endoscopy and the results of the endoscopy, then you will know one way or the other for sure.  

     

    • etalb11
      etalb11 FA54321

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply it's very helpful. Guess I'll just wait until March - keep going on the normal diet sad quite desperate to feel good again. It's interesting that my Gp's ( I've seen a few) have all said that left sided pain would definitely not be celiac related. I don't think they are taking into consideration all of my symptoms. Thanks again x x
  • FA54321
    FA54321 etalb11

    Posted

    I need to add one more thing, I got a lot of trapped wind, on the upper left hand side, it could be stuck there for a week at a time. I feel sure if I'd mentioned it to a doctor at the time, they would have dismissed it and said it was in-related. Everyone's symptoms are different. 

    I know it's a pain waiting to have tests etc., but it will soon come round, especially if you try and focus on something else. 😉

  • etalb11
    etalb11

    Posted

    Hi again - Ive just noticed from my notes on colonoscopy that they took a biopsy from just inside the small intestine - could this detect celiac?
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