Stomach pain won't go away, help!

Hi, thank you for your reply. She thought I had gastritis because of the symptoms I am experiencing, such a stabbing pains around the centre of my stomach, burning sensation and feeling full and sick while eating and after eating. We suspect I will get sent in for an endoscopy but that won't be for a few weeks and last night it got worse and can barely walk today.

If you need an endoscopy ask for a local anaesthetic throat spray rather than sedation which can be extremely toxic.  I had an endoscopy and was only offered sedation. I had a severe toxic reaction.

 

I think it depends on age

and personal circumstances as well regarding preparation for gastroscopy.

Certainly if once experienced

a 'toxic'

(was it allergic? or adverse reaction like sweating, flushing, nausea/vomiting, hiccups, abnormal vision, even seizures? or cardiorespiratory problems - usually very mild and more effecting people with pre-existing heart conditions, hence the assessment prior procedure)

reaction to a sedation,

that particular drug needs to be avoided and info about reaction stored/noted securely in writing at doc and with you

(we have now an online 'cloud'  possibility launched to store such important med info, that can be accessed by any hospital and doc around Australia since one could be unconscious when found and have severe reactions to e.g. antibiotics or drugs);

But not everyone reacts, at all or the same.

There is a careful assessment prior procedure (e.g. one who is allergic to soy bean and egg might not be able to get propofol) to avoid unexpected reactions, monitoring during procedure and a careful after procedure care.

For some the trauma of being conscious can be bigger than the small risk of a short term side effect post procedure, if nothing pointed to a 'risk' during assessment.

My personl story: 

My 14 yr old daughter did not get a 'conscious sedation'

(which most people get, are conscious, but forget procedure),

but got a normal general anesthesia (propofol etc) under full blown anesthesiologist supervision via drip

and that was a blessing and without any complications afterwards.

 

For children/teenagers I would rather ask (or maybe done as routine for this age group anyway?) for a general anesthesia

(deep, rather then any of those conscious sedations) for scopes.

Good facilities automatically offer an anesthesiologist additionally to the procedure, (never would I trust anyone else administering a 'deep sedation'.)

It (anesthesiologist additionally) came with a fee, but worth it and my daughter can't remember anything, nothing,

she even got short 'gas' drift away since 4 trials were needed on all arms and hands to get the needle in for drip (very bad veins) and put her out of this misery of noticing the poking around unsuccessfully.

This scope general anesthetic is without muscle effect - no muscle paralyzation- doesn't need intubation for breathing - at least my daughter didn't where she was scoped-, the patient breathes by themselves during general anesthesia for scopes. (So it's not quite the same as general anesthesia for long surgery that involves cutting through muscles and need to be paralised which effects breathing=need intubation=ventilator; there are many facets to general anesthesia, hence a whole own uni degree.)

Did you get midozolam or another benzodiazepin for conscious sedation, or reversal drugs like naloxone, that caused some reaction. Or reacted on propofol?

You -philippa- need to definitely know exaclty what drug caused a reaction (and note which reaction, since reactions are all not the same severness, not same scale of danger) and there are so many other drugs out there, some that might cross-react, some might not.

Also depending of nature (danger) of your post-reaction, you certainly do not want that to happen again or at least being very carefully monitored.

(we have a heart condition and still all went well)

If you can do scopes under 'spray' only, that's great.

How does it feel?

I would be too chicken, I like to be unconscious when it is more than a local anesthetic for skin/mole/tooth and scar removal or some stiches.

I am pretty sure, my 14yr daughter would have not managed without trauma being conscious through first gastroscopy. If it was her own wish to stay conscious, maybe a different story.

Poster is only 15......

Good to have options though

and ask, ask, ask any question to doc and facility, they are the experts and should know an answer for each and every concern.

Best of luck!

I have no idea what drug I was given.  All I know was it gave me severe depression within several hours of the procedure and it caused suicidal thoughts which I am not prone to. The consultant thought it was a very unusual reaction but did not enlighten me to what was used.  With hindsight, I should have asked. All he said was that I tolerated the procedure at the time but I certainly didn't afterwards.  I get reactions like this with General anaesthesia as well as vomiting.  Even a small amount of gas for a tooth extraction when I was a child gave me a depressive feeling and nausea.  I felt traumatised for years after it and had nightmares.  I have reactions to adrenaline based dental injections as well.  So it is a worry if I ever need surgery or a procedure.  In fact, because of these reactions,  I have had to avoid having injuries checked and so none of them have healed properly.  I have Aspergers and Dyspraxia and was very clumsy as a child.  I damaged the bottom bone of my back on black ice, glass has grazed my eyeball and I fell down a hill at university and hit my elbow which has been permanently weakened.  Some of the bones in my toes have also have been cracked because of accidents and are sore in bad weather.  I'm sure X Rays would show a pretty sight. Lol!

I forgot to add that fortunately have never needed an endoscopy again.  But local anaesthetic spray would be my only option if the occasion arose.  I have a severe phobia of all things medical because of my reactions but I would be happy to take the risk with a local anaesthetic spray in the hope I would come come out of the hospital unscathed.

it is mainly right around my belly button but yes it is also there

Thank you!

That's a very big area (around belly button) and not only stomach/gastritis concerning.

I hope your blood results give answers and soon.

(Raw salad btw is hard to digest, easier are steamed/cooked foods.)

Can you hop up and down without pain?

Passing blood clots is another mention, that startles me, not via throwing up I hope. 

(My daughter had fresh blood when vomiting due to an oesophagus tear and needed to stay on liquid food, protone pump inhibitors (the stomach acid medication) to make it heal and not cause more havoc. If it got worse, she would have been put on iv fluids to help healing and stop food going up and down and disturb healing. Fresh blood also came out the other end due to anal fissures. Bleeding everywhere was no fun, but harmless in her case.)

All the best!

 

jumping up and down is extremely painful!

Ok, 

don't worry please at this point,

you have had your symptoms for weeks now without getting worse,

and I am pretty sure your doc would rule out any appendix problems first.

Appendices are not always acute, they often calm down by themselves too otherwise they would become worse (more pain, nausea, temperature/fever)

Soon you get your blood results and see doc again.

Please tell your doc that jumping up and down hurts (in your belly) and what she thinks as to why.

Just as peace of mind.

Just a thought to rule out a 'grumbling' appendix.

 

The symptoms have been getting gradually worse and worse to the point where I've sometimes not been able to lift my body up. Yes she ruled out appendicitis and she knows that it hurts but won't really tell me much. Thank you!

I am happy she keeps appendicitis in the big picture. 

With blood results (white blood cell count, inflammation markers) she will be able to see a bit more into reasons. Please tell her all your symptoms then, which stayed, which got worse, your observations (also concerning food).

All the best!

Thank you for all of your help!