luq pain. backache , malobsorbtion. IBS
Posted , 12 users are following.
Hi all. So ive been trawling the internet looking for answers to my worrying symptoms.. only to find I'm now worrying even more.
In Sept I attended my GP practice about a long standing issue..
I bleed a lot from the anus. This in itself isn't to worrying but an ache in my back luq which has always annoyed me when driving long distances was starting to become more uncomfortable when driving and I had also been having very loose stools for over two months. .
I had also developed a stabbing sensation some times bulging like under my left rib cage. Draw a line down from my left nipple and stop just before the bottom rib and the pain was just there.
My doc referred me to a gast specialist.
I had good blood test which looked for all sorts of disorders and came back good. I then had poo samples analyst and all came back good.
Then came camera from both directions. . Some mild redness in gut. . Gastris and some biopsys taken. All back clear.
Treated with buscapan and ppi. .
No change.
Returned to consultant. By this time I'm Very depressed. Told doc I was worried that I have a serious problem with pancreas as Google suggested and she agreed to an mri. She said only for my peace of mind as she's convinced its ibs. ,
Pancreas mri shows nothing remarkable.
So I'm still struggling. All pains still there.my back between shoulder is agony.I don't digest my food well fluctuating between flat poo and lose watery poo and I'm still worried. Sehcat scan next. Could this be the notorious IBS? Comments welcome.
3 likes, 62 replies
looloo43 busabasher
Posted
Thought I would update you, my sehcat test came back positive, so have started colestyramine sachets 4 days ago. so far all the strange noises, gurgling, bubbling, fizzing sensations in my abdomen have almost totally stopped, no diarhhea yesterday & today so far, so somethings changing. Hoping it will improve all my symptoms in time. I also tested positive for fructose malabsorption. still waiting for faecal elastase result.
Glad you are having some progress now. How you getting on since your last post?
busabasher looloo43
Posted
I'm still in lots of pain. Seems to be worse. I've had a difficult weekend where the pain was constant. Just waiting for a follow up appointment to see my consultant and descus the pain. It's hard because there's no outward appearance which would suggest I'm in pain. I just feel people think I'm a moaner. So I can't wait to get to the bottom of it and feel good again. But apart from the pain my functions are back to normalish which is a massive result for me and I'm over the moon with it. I don't much like the pint of wallpaper paste I have every morning but it's doing a grand job. The creon is a drag as I sometimes forget to take them and then I pay lol. But it's all very positive so far as i know have much more energy and enjoying getting out on my bike and doing a lot more with my wife. Good luck with faecal test. And keep us informed.
looloo43 busabasher
Posted
The questran sachets are like wallpaper paste-gr8 description! They're quite easy to get down though - i have the light one(sugar free). been started on 1 a day 1st week, then 2 a day & see how i go. did you know though any other meds you take including vitamins, enzymes etc HAVE TO be taken either 1hour before or 4-6hrs after drinking the wallpaper paste. my consultant made this clear & it says it in the leaflet with med.
if you didnt know maybe its possible it could be contributing to your worsened pain as the other meds etc you take won't be absorbed effectively. Also it advises to start questran on a low dose for 1st week. I read somewhere on one of the medicine sites having it in divided doses rather than one daily dose can be more effective for diarrhea too. I think the sachets are easier to fit in to daily timescales for other medications than the colestyramine capsules - they are 4hrs either side of other meds!
Your wife must be so pleased you can do normal things together now. My hubby is great & understanding, but I can't wait for the time to come when I have enough energy & relief to do something together out of the house of a weekend..
take care & i hope you keep progressing, be interesting to see what your consultant says might help with your continuing/worsening pain.
busabasher looloo43
Posted
Good advice. I'll start taking the vitamins later in the day.
looloo43 busabasher
Posted
looloo43 busabasher
Posted
I started on the questran almost 2wks ago; things slightly better but anticipated more improvement than I am getting so far as the first 2/3 days were markedly better, & it hasn't really improved further since then. I am on 2 sachets daily divided into 2 doses. I have worse stomach ache than before I started questran - it feels like when you over exercise or vomit & you strain your stomach kind of pain, & it comes & goes at random, but it is almost constant. I wondered if you had the same pain when you started it; I know you said your overall bm's improved after 2wks of questran along with your creon, but did you get & have you still got this kind of stomach pain? It covers my whole abdomen from waist down. I don't know if it's just a temp side effect while I get used to the med. How are you getting on now?
busabasher looloo43
Posted
Looloo
Sorry to hear that. But yes. I still have the pains.. my wife an i got away over the weekend and they did start to ease up a lot over the weekend but have come back. I think that's mostly down to the wine. I knew I shouldn't have. I have now decided to completely give it up. As there's a clear relationship to this increase in pain and ANY consumption of alcohol.
The lower abdomen is very tender and really sensative to knocks and bangs.
I'm confident they will ease up a bit if I keep to a good diet. Fingers crossed
I have my follow up final appointment with specialist next Wednesday so will talk to her about the pain again .
I'm not sure if things will ever be perfect any more. I just hope they will.
Good luck. I'll update next week.
By the way your advise about dosage and timing did have a positive effect so thanks for that.
Good luck.
looloo43 busabasher
Posted
Glad you were able to get away with your wife. Strangely, I find a glass or 2 of red wine at the weekend makes the stomach pain disappear, & no other ill effects the day after, but I cant live on red wine as a remedy!! I'll look out for your update on how you get on with your follow up appt next week. Does the stomach pain you still get feel like strain type pain like overexerising pain? Are your bm's more consistent & stable now?
busabasher
Posted
Had my final consultation with doc. . She has no interest in the pain. she thinks it could be a Traped nerve. Notsure how she can say that. Can't seem to convince anybody this is real and very painful.
So I'm trying out the fodmap diet. Fingers crossed it will do the job.
Pain is in the normal places ulq front centre and radiating to the back. Stabbing throbbing or a squeezing sensation. Can be very noisey sometimes. really hope this all now boils down to a simple case of managing IBS with diet.
Still getting out on the bike and walking a lot. Wieght seems to have stabilised. Have dropped a total of thee stone since this all kicked off.
Not as physically strong any more. Used to be well built in the shoulders and chest. But seem to have shed some of my bulk.
Must Remember I'm not a young rugby player any more and closer to 50 that 40 lol.
Take care all. . Going for a walk on the beach with the wife and granddaughter.
Stay in touch guys and good luck with your "challenges"
Power1on busabasher
Posted
sorry to to hear the Dr is still no help I was hoping you would find some resolve to your problem. I of course have a vested interest as I have similar
issues you ULQ squeezing pain would you describe as a strong cramp ? Do you get daily? Or just after eating some times I'm e are very strong cramping and is not always follow by a visit to the loo just the pain or painful cramping and always in the ULQ are well good luck
busabasher Power1on
Posted
Thanks for posting. Cramping comes and goes as with the stabbing and squeezing. It's been around constantly recently. Much more intense than previously. Had a particularly bad day. Will start the fodmap diet tomorrow so will give that a chance. I'm knackered from all this. My side and ribs are hurting more than ever. I really felt I was getting somewhere with all this. Oh well onwards and upwards. You still not found any help?
Power1on busabasher
Posted
Power1on busabasher
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Power1on busabasher
Posted
maria51854 busabasher
Posted
busabasher maria51854
Posted
I completely understand your worries. But you shouldn't let it get to you. I had the same concerns. I couldn't get it out my head I had PC. I worried so much it made me ill.
You need to make sure you tell your doctor your concerns.
It's important you don't bottle this up and let it take over your life. Because the more you think about it the more you'll convince yourself.
I too had a metal taste. But not until I read about it on Google. After my tests they did find a problem but certainly not the big one. My symptoms were the same as yours and they could all be managed with pills And diet.
We are still working on the pain but getting there.
PC is very rare and there's a whole list of problems which is might be way before the PC.
My help came from this site to be honest. Nobody really understood the problems because the symptoms are very personal.
Everybody thought oh great job your loosing weight. But it's wasn't as you know volentary.
So have faith in the Docs but make sure you tell them your concerns.
If your suffering from my problems then you could try a few things.
Take on loads of water. Your probably dehydrated with all the toilet visits.
Eat less fat heavy foods. When your pancreas can't produce the enzymes you'll struggle to break down the fats.
Take multi vitamins to top up. You sound like your very tired and are probably not getting enough of them from the food which is passing quite quickly.
Keep a diary of what you eat and how you feel after. This will assy the docs.
Also keep a diary on your general symptoms to see if there's any daily eekly paterns.
Have regular small meals as apposed the larger every now and then.
Keep away from any booze. This just made me worse.
But most importantly do not Google your symptoms for answers. I soon found out you get the worst prognosis every time.
Make sure you speak to people who have been suffering similar issues and seek positive advice. Negative advice never helped anybody.
Stay in touch and good luck with everything.
maria51854 busabasher
Posted
busabasher maria51854
Posted
I really do feel for you. When's your appointment for the endoscopy ?
Are you in the UK?
Hopefully you won't have too long to wait.
You should ask for an MRI of the pancreas and a ca19-9 blood test. That will rule out anything your concerned about. My doc had suspected autoimmune pancreatitis which would have given a false positive for PC so let them do thier tests and rule out everything before you worry too much.
I really understand the stress your under and can only suggest you worry about only the things you can effect. It's hard but I drove myself mad with worry (and still do to some extent) but I try and calm my anxiety by changing things I can effect. Meals diet etc.
maria51854 busabasher
Posted