Splenic flexure pain

I've been dealing with this for 5+ years now. 4 GI doctors, 2 internists. X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound, colonoscopy, endoscopy (?not sure why). I've been told it's costochondritis, reflux, constipation, GI spasms, and that I'm a hypochondriac. None of the doctors have mentioned splenic fixture, or IBS, though one did mention gastritis, and immediately dismissed it.

I've been given Omeprazole, muscle relaxers, and told to up my amlodipine dosage. Nothing works consistently.

I can pinpoint certain foods that will cause it - raw tomatoes, for instance will cause it to flare, but I can eat tomato sauce over spaghetti without a problem. Almonds cause pain, peanuts don't. Beans - black, kidney (red or white) are a problem, but pinto beans are not. Certain meats cause issues - pork & sirloin beef - but not veal, fatty beef, or chicken.

Has anybody noticed heavy lifting cause flare ups? Or certain other movements? I cannot lift anything over 10lbs without it causing a flare up. Also bending over will cause pain if I do it for more than a minute. I can't work in my garden any more because of the pain it causes. I'm sick for days if I try.

Is there anyway to relieve the pain quicker than resting for days? I've tried using stool softeners because they were telling me I was constipated. Mint tea has helped, but not every time. Had some mild success using CBD 2x a day, but I find it interferes with work. Stretching & basic yoga poses also help, but again, not every time.

My life has been so disrupted by this I feel like half the person I was 5 years ago. My doctors aren't listening to me and I'm out of patience and money. I need to find something that will get me at least part way back to who I used to be. Any suggestions appreciated.

Hello,

I wrote here to share similar symptoms and questions about 2 years ago. Since then, I’ve found some practices and treatments that have helped me manage and reduce the pain and severity of my IBS/splenic flexure syndrome symptoms (especially in the last 6 weeks after starting #1). I’m not a doctor or expert, and I know there can be many sources for splenic flexure syndrome and IBS in general, so these options may not work for you, but I'm guessing at least one will help for most people and hope they can help some of you as much they've helped me.

1.16-hour daily fasts (i.e., 16-8 intermittent fasting). This isn’t a diet so much as a shift in eating pattern. The way I’ve been doing it is restricting my eating to between 12:00pm and 8:00pm most days. I skip breakfast and avoid late night snacking, but otherwise eat most everything I want (but still avoid large portions foods that make my symptoms the worst).

There’s not much evidence (e.g., clinical trials) to prove that intermittent fasting helps IBS, but see the links below for some of the ideas behind why/how it might work and one peer-reviewed study on long term fasting:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17078771

Despite the lack of clinical trials for IBS, the 16-8 intermittent fasting has been a game changer for me and there’s a growing body of evidence that it has a range of other health benefits. It’s also a nice option since, unlike FODMAP or other restrictive diets, you don’t have to wait 2-4 weeks to see if it works or start over again if you accidentally eat some ubiquitous food ingredient that you had no idea was in soy sauce or whatever.

2.SIBO treatment. SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Apparently, bacteria are primarily supposed to aid in digestion in the large intestine, and an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine can be the source of indigestion for some people with IBS. While there’s some debate about how well the test for SIBO works (a breath test that measures the levels of different gasses released by bacteria in the small intestine), the condition seems to be well studied and there is an FDA approved, and recently approved in Canada as well, antibiotic that is designed to target the small intestine: Rifaximin. In Canada (or at least in Vancouver) there are naturopaths that can order the tests and provide prescriptions if you test positive.

Here’s a link to a peer reviewed article that summarizes studies on rifaximin for IBS -

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5299503/pdf/APT-45-604.pdf

There are also some herbal treatments that some people might want to try first if not comfortable with antibiotics (e.g., Allimax with anti-bacterial allicin extract from garlic).

SIBO treatment may also require FODMAP dieting and can also re-occur and require multiple treatments.

I did the treatment (Rifaximin) 3 months ago. It didn’t seem to make a difference for me and I only started feeling better once I started 16-8 fasting last month, but it may have been an additive effect. Hard to know for sure in my case.

3.Activation of the parasympathetic(rest and digest) nervous system. This has been my most effective tool for symptom relief when cramping/bloating sets in (the next best tool has been exercise). Meditation and breathing exercises can help lower your heart rate and engage the parasympathetic nervous system. A guided meditation/breathing exercise that has worked well for me is three fold breathing.

Similar to the intermittent fasting, exercise and meditation are (obviously) good for mental and physical health regardless of IBS, so I’ve found it helpful to think of the pain as a motivator to do these things that are good for me regardless.

It seems like the moderator is deleting links, so if they don't come through and you are interested, you can direct/private message me.

Best of luck to you all in managing the fog and pain and getting back your quality of life. I hope this helps!

Moderator comment: I have removed the links directing to sites unsuitable for inclusion in the forums. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.

The 3-fold breathing guided meditation I mentioned is led by Reginald Ray as part of his "The Primordial Body" series. This meditation, similar to other breathing exercises, relieves my splenic flexure pain (trapped gas) ~90% of the time in the short term. The recording is ~30 min long, but can be done in 10-15 minutes once learned and usually relieved my symptoms for a couple hours. I expect this would work for people who's symptoms are generally relieved when sleeping as it stimulates the rest & digest / parasympathetic nervous system. This is really just symptom relief though, and it sounds like people have found similar relief lying down with a heating pad or massaging the stomach.

I dont know if it's the same thing but I get pain left side it's sosharp sometimes that I cant breathe but hold my breathe then I'll feel fine and it leaves me feeling heavy on my left side . I've noticed recently when I'm gassy it happens

im an suffering from exactly the same, ive had several flare ups for the last two years ! my gp insists it is ibs , ive had every test done and all come back negative , when i get the pain it lasts for months , im constantly trying to investigate for myself , its makes me feel very nauseous and depressed . i am about to try acupuncture next week . im also vegetarian and diffcult to cut out dairy

exactly how i feel, comes hard and takes my breath away, then eases off, i have periods where it's calm but it always returns. i have ibs along with other digestive issues. icing the area helps ease the cramping, along with using some gas relief otc helps but does not stop it from returning. really is painful and stops me in my tracks. have tried many things to get it to ease off, no sucess yet.

I have these exact same symptoms for nearly 5 months now! I am awaiting a scan and an endoscopy as i also have reflux and indigestion bad sometimes, but the left sided under rib pain is a constant feature, nothing eases it, and sometimes the pain can move down a bit in line with my belly button or lower. its so annoying and really playing with my health anxiety as well. i hope you find some answers!

Greetings fellow sufferers. I have been having the left sided rib pain constantly for 5 months now, I also have reflux so was initially treated for this with Lanzoprazole and Omeprazole and the reflux has subsided somewhat, but the pain in my side is a constant feature which I can't seem to get rid of. The pain generally sits under my left ribs like an inflated balloon but sometimes travels down to be in line with my belly button and occasionally the pain shoots right down towards my hip & groin even like a sciatica also round into my back! I have tried, eating, not eating, chamomile tea, no coffee, no processed meat, no veg, extra veg! Nothing seems to make any difference except I know if I eat fried or battered foods or too much chocolate or apple then my reflux is bad. I have been scheduled in for an ultrasound next month and an endoscopy at some point because they want to see about gastritis but other than that I am out of ideas. Like others have mentioned the pain is not always a sharp pain but more of a general feeling of discomfort in the area and I find relief with a hot water bottle or putting pressure on the area. My posture whilst sitting and standing is pretty terrible so also wondered if this could be a contributing factor?

Good morning. I have been struggling with Splenic Flexure Syndrome for almost 10 years and it blows!!!! it is the most horrible thing I've ever dealt with in my entire life and I have been through a lot. I'm sorry to hear if you are having the same symptoms, which it sounds like you may be. I have spasms in my large intestine, right under my lower left rib, and you can't always feel them but they eventually get to you throughout the day. I've had every test imaginable run on me twice and the third set of doctors finally labeled it. I wake up each morning and the day starts fine. No constipation or diarrhea, just trapped gas that runs my life. fat first the doctor just labeled it as IBS but I kept pushing because I wasn't satisfied with that because it's just a blanket diagnosis. Out of frustration I will punch myself in and around my stomach, especially under my lower left rib where the spasms occur. That tends to bring minimal if any relief. unfortunately I spend a lot of time on the bed flipping from side to side or trying to find some kind of relief, usually to no avail. occasionally stretching or lying on an exercise ball can help. Sleeping is the only real solution I've found. I've tried all sorts of diet changes, vitamins and herbs, etc.....It consumes your mind. The pain is usually dull until nothing moves for a while, then it spreads around my gut and into the left side of my groin and locks up my hips. The crackling I hear and feel is horrible and at times it sounds like a balloon filling with air. Thats the frustration.....when you finally fart and your gut fills right back up with more air!!!!! I can't offer you any kind of help but I can relate to what you are going through so reach back out to me if you want. I'm sorry to hear that you are going through that because it is basically hell. Best luck to all of you. It certainly changes your life for the worst, with depression and constant inability to truly focus on anything else!!!

oh wow. i have been searching the internet for nearly 8 months trying to find someone with similar symptoms as me.

I've had a discomfort a few inches to the left of my belly button since June. It started a few months after covid (homeschooling, severe health anxiety etc)

I've had blood tests, stool tests, abdominal scan, soft tissue scan to look for spigelian hernia, sigmoidoscopy. I'm now waiting on CA-125 blood test to rule out ovarian cancer at my own request as I cant settle on GPs diagnosis of IBS.

my discomfort is that there feels like theres a golf ball lodged in my abdomen. Usually just a dull discomfort - never had to take any pain relief but is just there. If i sleep on left side its fine, but if i sleep on right side i get a pulling sensation and have to roll over. Sometimes the feeling can be a bit pinchy or stabby so convinced myself for a long time it was a hernia but have been told they're very rare.

I'm awaiting results of blood test then might re look at diet again and possibly see an accupuncturist to see if this helps