Stomach Trouble

I do keep a food diary and have not noticed any correlation with any type of food like dairy or gluten. They said I don't have any ulcer but we were thinking of asking the doctor about a possible intestinal obstruction.

Best of luck.  If you don't get answers, you could also see a different doctor.

Thank you very much for your reply, and yes the doctor did check for h pylori and the test for that came back negative. We have been thinking about doing food intolerance tests because that is one thing we have not tried yet. Thank you for the advice.

Exactly,

I thought of H.pylori as the first test to rule out, too.

This needs to be checked. Having run 'blood, stool, urine' tests and all 'neg' doesn't say, which tests were run. (hope you or mum have result copies)

H.pylori is either tested in stool or breath (in blood not first choice),

so not invasive test at all, very easily done.

(just make sure to have not taken antibiotics or protone pump inhibitors-these stomach acid meds before breath test. For stool test it is irrelevant. Zofran doesn't matter either)

With a complete intestinal obstruction one can't survive for months, but there is the possibility of partial or functional obstruction, that causes (often severe) abdominal pain - you would need xrays and/or a barium study/series. (doesn't hurt)

Yes, why not, please ask for it.

For H.pylori test and for x-ray(s).

All the best!

Are you scheduled for imaging?

Exactly,

I thought of H.pylori as the first test to rule out, too.

This needs to be checked. Having run 'blood, stool, urine' tests and all 'neg' doesn't say, which tests were run. (hope you or mum have result copies)

H.pylori is either tested in stool or breath (in blood not first choice),

so not invasive test at all, very easily done, (not expensive either).

(just make sure to have not taken antibiotics or protone pump inhibitors-these stomach acid meds, before breath test.

For stool test it is irrelevant. Zofran doesn't matter anyway.)

With a complete intestinal obstruction one can't survive, for months anyway, but there is the possibility of partial or functional obstruction, that causes (often severe) abdominal pain - you would need xrays and/or a barium study/series. (doesn't hurt)

Yes, why not, please ask for it.

For H.pylori test and for x-ray(s).

All the best!

Are you scheduled for imaging?

 first my laptop jams and 'error' and now two times the same post....sorry.

Exactly,

I thought of H.pylori as the first test to rule out, too.

This needs to be checked. Having run 'blood, stool, urine' tests and all 'neg' doesn't say, which tests were run. (hope you or mum have result copies)

H.pylori is either tested in stool or breath (in blood not first choice),

so not invasive test at all, very easily done, (not expensive either).

(just make sure to have not taken antibiotics or protone pump inhibitors-these stomach acid meds, before breath test.

For stool test it is irrelevant. Zofran doesn't matter anyway.)

With a complete intestinal obstruction one can't survive, for months anyway, but there is the possibility of partial or functional obstruction, that causes (often severe) abdominal pain - you would need xrays and/or a barium study/series. (doesn't hurt)

Yes, why not, please ask for it.

For H.pylori test and for x-ray(s).

All the best!

Are you scheduled for imaging?

If images were planned to be done = scheduled yet.

So they were offered, but denied by patient (you and mum) to have it done.

There is no much other option to rule out partial obstruction.

A plain abdominal x-ray is only ca 0.6mS (mS=millisievert, the intensity unit of ionizing radiation), 

My 14yr old daughter had to have several abdominal ones within one year (not to talk of all the teeth xrays, but they are smaller and not on abdomen)

It depends on symptoms if indicated, not on radiation only.

A CT scan has almost 6-7mS radiation,

there is some serious indication needed for abdominal CT in young females especially (ovaries not protected),

but for an x-ray or a few x-rays in a barium study 

for peace of mind, I would honestly not worry.

(especially with digital x-ray)

(compare: flight attandants and pilots have about 2mS per year just due to flying)

If your symptoms persist and are really bad and indicate a partial obstruction and nothing else is found,

go for an x-ray if offered. It's really not that much radiation.

Thank you for your reply. I knew what you meant by scheduled but I wasn't sure if "images" we're the same thing as x-Ray. And I probably will have to do an x-Ray if there is no other option, but it sounds like the radiation isn't that bad, and maybe we could do an MRI like you mentioned. 

Sorry my bad, English is not my native language. 

I would say "yes" to any imaging/pics offered:

x-ray,

MRI (loud, but that's all it is),

ultrasound of organ or blood supply around stomach,

gastric emptying study at nuclear med (very little radiation for tracing food out of stomach pass time)

whatever doc thinks might make sense

(CT has the better image quality, but really needs good indication at young ages especially if your lower abdomen was looked at (where ovaries are); if upper adomen is looked at, it's not quite the same concern, still a higher dose radiation in total. CT would make me to think about pros and cons.)

You seem to only have upper abdomen,

more stomach area related problems?

I hope it's just a post viral hickup and clears by itself.

Nausea is such a bad feeling and impact on life....

really bad.

Feeling for you!

ALL all the best!!!

The doc decides which imaging (as listed some) was the next step since he/she sees you directly with symptoms now and there

and can decide on the next step to exclude or find reasons regarding your individual case.

Be prepared that at this point there might not be an indication to do many different imaging techniques at once, often one is done and depending on findings go on from there.

But she/he offered an x-ray, so there was some peace of mind she/he offered via looking 'inside'.

If you had an x-ray from last year, you (or docs or institute) even have material to compare with! (maybe mention shortly you had material to compare)

Best of luck!

Hang in there!

Nausea reasons are really hard to find once H.pylori is excluded.

Food diary is surely a good start, too.

It's not always the gluten or dairy that upsets a stomach or makes symptoms worse.

Since remembering backwards is hard, writing quickly down what was eaten and maybe note the intensity of nausea/pain, could help over weeks to see a tendency. Sometimes there is no cuprit to be found either. Frustrating, I know.

Best of luck, dear!

Teenagehood should be without such things!

Get well soon!

x

Okay, I think my docotors will want to do an x-ray and I will see what other imaging they might suggest. And yes, we can compare it to my previous x-ray. And i will keep writing down what I eat and making note of how I feel. I would be really upset if I cannot find any explanation but I will keep trying. Maybe I will see a different doctor than I did before (who also said "sometimes you just can't find an answer" or a gastrointestinal specialist. 

But thank you very much for your advice - and I certainly do think teenagehood should be without this! 

thank you, 

Lindsay