Persistent lower abdominal pain for months

Posted , 4 users are following.

I've bounced around from GI docs, to gynecologist, to physical therapist, to my PCP. No one knows what's causing my localized, lower abdominal discomfort and skin pain.

I'm a chronic worrier that self diagnoses at every turn. I shouldn't even be writing on this forum, honestly. I've diagnosed myself with some kind of tumors on my spine causing my abdominal pain - and malignant peritoneum mesothelioma. It's ridiculous. I'm ridiculous.

But god, I want this to go away. I've had worsening constipation issues for the last 3 years. Colonoscopy 2 years ago was fine, endoscopy shows some reflux. I've had transvaginal ultrasounds and pelvic ultrasounds. I had an abdominal MRI 2.5 years ago. My last abdominal CT was March of 2015.

I'm on Linzess 290 for the constipation and was put on that in March of this year. I've had daily, chronic lower abdominal pain 2-3" below my navel area that has been happening since December 2015. In April, I also started experiencing skin pain that feels like sunburn or visceral hypersensitivity. The discomfort I have is not excruciatingly painful, on the inside. It can be, but it's not awful.

I've been diagnosed with health anxiety and have been on Celexa for the last month and a half. The first week on the meds, my pain disappeared. It was so great. But of course, it returned. I find that my symptoms have also gone away when I'm on vacation. Part of me knows, somewhere in the back of my mind, that life-threatening illnesses don't just disappear at random when you're more relaxed or experiencing a placebo effect.

I'm just exhausted at trying to find answers to my problems. My constipation has gotten better but the pain remains. 

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • Posted

    I should add - I have major abdominal scarring from a surgery I had as a preemie called Necrotizing Enterocolitis -that also may be contributing.
  • Posted

    Hi I am a complete worrier too I have suffered for years with pain in back and Abdomen I had myself with cancer you name it 🙈😳I have had ultrasounds transvaginal , colonoscopies Mri ct scan 3 laparoscopies . Been to gyny over to bowel specialists back to gyny then to bowel then to bladder then back to bowel and back to gyny and back to bowel and finally back again to gyny after more test and physio I had a prolapsed bowel and bladder . Hope yours isn't that but just sharing you my history just backwards and forwards is so stressful hope you get sorted it is mentally and physically draining try not stress good luck

    • Posted

      also which part of bowel was prolapsed please? (My daughter's is the small loops in pelvis mainly and the transverse completely hanging stool free, constipation happens in ascending part as the bend is very sharp now). (Or was it a rectal prolapse, that's different again)

    • Posted

      It was in my vaginal wall it at collapsed and was protruding into my vagina out I had air of lower back pain for years and Abdominal pain also with bladder prolapse too I had continuous water infections . I hope your daughter gets sorted very soon it Is so draining . I feel so much better and I'm 3 months in not 100% but at least 80 % now . Never ever thought I was going to get sorted I felt like I was just been passed from one to another . The you start to think is it yourself I'm so glad I kept pushing it as taken me years but finally I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel.just keep going back don't give in . Good luck .

    • Posted

      Wow, nothing is impossible in medicine, isn't it?

      Was it found via a CT or MRI scan (I guess?).

      Good that operation helped 80% (100% would be better)

      Did they try a neuropathic pain treatment in case the prolonged existence of pain or nerve was damaged causes this 20% of remaining pain?

      (We tried it, but didn't help. Yet happy to have tried)

      My daughter has a connective tissue/collagen genetic issue (Ehlers Danlos), everything is collapsing everywhere, a real zebra, but if removal of collapsed guts would helped (only one case in nicb literature), is not for certain, hence the wait. Also joints are playing up and ligaments ripping just out of the blue in complete rest now, ....should have a hip joint injection as a diagnostic tool, if a repair of ligament could help her walking painless again (If injection of local anaesthetic into joint wouldn't help, an operation wouldn't help), but dreading it since no knock out for 15min like for scopes is given and reactions after passing needle through local anaesthesia area into joint gap to aspire synovial liquid first are very different, she is already sore on touch....life is sometimes really not easy with constant 24 h pain....

  • Posted

    Maybe you have IBS if all your tests have been negative and no one can diagnose you.  I went through daily, constant stomach pain with constipation, nausea, loose stools and back pain for three and half months before being diagnosed with IBS after negative tests.  My pain gets a lot better on holiday and then comes back when I come back home.

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