Weird Gastro Symptoms, Could this be IBS? Would like some advice!
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hello, I am a 25 year old female.
Some background on me. I have a long history with GERD, constipation, etc. I take esomeprazole 40mg daily to keep heartburn at bay... works great. This year has probably been the MOST stressful year of my life. My job is incredibly stressful, I recently moved to a new town by myself, and my mom had quite a year with her own health issues that made me really upset for a good 5 months. So it's been a hard year for me and I suffer from generalized anxiety + OCD as it is. Any way I would love some advice/reassurance about some gastro issues I have been experiencing.
About two months ago I developed this feeling of fullness behind my left rib cage. Came and went and was so mild that I didn't even pay attention to it. Thought it was my spleen but that came back fine. However, over the last month that feeling turned more into "pain." I'd actually say more discomfort than pain as is never severe at all. Super mild and comes and goes throughout the day. I have it occasionally on my right side too now. Been having some cramping in my lower abdomen too. The discomfort is all over and changes a lot. Once in a while I'll have a twinge in my mid back. It's weird sometimes it feels like trapped gas, cramps, other times pulling, it's always changing! I have been very gassy lately too. Belching a lot and it feels like there are bubbles in my stomach and large intestine. Sometimes my stomach feels starving even after I have eaten. I have a great appetite through all this. Only time it's affected is when I am anxious over symptoms. I eat everything I haven't tried a specific diet yet to see how it makes me feel. I am also pretty constipated on the regular. My bowel movements take a bit of time to come out and usually are dark brown with mucus. But they are normal size (not thin or soft) My discomfort actually feels like it has gotten better this week but it's still there everyday to some degree. I had an upper endoscopy in Feb. that found mild chronic gastritis but would think the Nexium fixed this? I have been reading the internet a lot and have come across some scary things that this could be. If you have health anxiety you know what I am talking about!! Anyway, anyone else experiencing anything like this? Over these couple months I have had X-Ray, lots of blood work, CT scan, full abdominal ultrasound. Everything has come back normal. I have an appt. with my gastro on Friday to discuss symptoms but thought I'd leave a comment here in the meantime just to not feel so anxious about what is going on. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!
0 likes, 16 replies
sam18386 alexis20017
Posted
hi alexis, i have gastritis, i didn't know how severe it was or indeed what it was! i have several health problems, for gastritis i have tried lots of different things in the past. i have now finally turned to plain old-fashioned gaviscon advanced. it puts a lining on your stomach and stops the acids forming, it forms bigger bubbles from little acid bubbles, speak to your chemist, they will be able to get hold of it for you but you must take it every day, as it stops the acid reforming. good luck, oh and i am sure you know to watch your diet too!
alexis20017 sam18386
Posted
Hi Sam, thanks for your reply. My symptoms have me worried it has something to do with my pancreas. Just taking it one day at a time. Nothing is stopping me from living, just the worrying. Any way hope you take care and feel better soon!
james36953 alexis20017
Posted
Hey, how you getting on with this?
alexis20017 james36953
Posted
Hi james36953, thanks for your reply. I saw my GI doctor last week. She didn't seem too concerned but since I have had all those tests (endoscopy, CT scan, ultrasound, x-ray) she said let's just do a colonoscopy to look at everything. In the meantime, she put me on low FODMAP and told me to grab IB guard. Started diet yesterday, still need to grab the meds. She said if colonoscopy finds nothing, she's going to treat me as having IBS and said some people just have sensitive gut. You know it is so weird, sometimes the pains in my ribs are on the outside and it feels like someone is sticking their finger in between my ribs on putting pressure on a rib. But not excruciating... and the sensations are short-lived jabs. So one second I'm thinking its musculoskeletal but then I'll have mega rumblings/discomfort under the ribs and random cramping in upper/low abdomen and back aches that move up and down, and be back on the gastro route. So frustrating... are you experiencing something similar??
sara61158 alexis20017
Posted
in having exactly the symtoms! do u get nausea? burping? im so worried.
alexis20017 sara61158
Posted
hey Sara yes lots of burping! some days better than others but OMG the burping is crazy! have no idea what’s going on!! so frustrating!
suzanne35053 alexis20017
Edited
Hello... just wondering how you are doing?
alexis20017 suzanne35053
Posted
Hi Suzanne, thanks for your reply and for asking. I am about the same these days, no better no worse except I have developed symptoms like muscle aches and muscle twitching so I am thinking of seeing a rheumatologist. Do you have similar symptoms? How are you?
suzanne35053 alexis20017
Posted
Hello, yes similar pains. After ten years of issues i finally got my gallbladder out in March this year after being diagnosed with biliary dyskenisia. Was fine for a while but over the summer and especially these past few weeks i've had similar pains only now the stabbing feels like it goes all round into my mid and left back and under my left rib. also seem to have bile reflux symptoms too. My first thought was fear its my pancreas.... health anxiety gets me and i end up thinking all the bad things. I've got a doc appointment on friday (phone call) so will see what they say then. wishing you all the best.
alexis20017 suzanne35053
Edited
Suzanne i am sorry to hear you are dealing with that right now... I know it is scary and I am worried too about it. All my tests have come back clear tho so I'm still investigating. I hope you get to the bottom of your pains... wishing you all the best too. Let me know if you find out anything, ill update here too 😃
suzanne35053 alexis20017
Posted
Hi Alexis
just wanted to pop on an update after my blood tests and my doctor appointment. Bloods were all totally fine showing nothing wrong with liver and pancreas and no sign of any inflammation. She thinks its a functional motility issue and the pain is spasms. She also said something we all know, that stress and anxiety don't help. So no more testing.... some buscopan and another pill to treat the bile reflux issue. She was very understanding and def took it all seriously.
Hope you're doing ok. x
alexis20017 suzanne35053
Edited
hi suzanne, good to hear from you! glad to hear your appointment went well and tests came back good, thats great news! my GI doc basically said the same thing to me so thats what im rolling with. i discovered i have several knotted muscles and taunt muscle bands up my spine and believe that may be the source of my back pain at least. going to an ortho in the morning to see his thoughts. wishing you the best 😃
tanya11486 alexis20017
Posted
Hi Alexis!
How are you? I know this is an old thread but hoping you will still see it! I could have written your post myself! I am wondering how you are now? I am 5 months into this and my health anxiety is through the roof. I have all your symptoms! The one about the pain/discomfort under left rib/back especially because it is so strange! Sometimes it feels muscular and other times I feel it gets worse with eating/gas?
I have had all the tests....Ultrasound, bloods, chest xray, celiac, endoscope and now waiting on CT. I am sure my anxiety is making it alot worse! Thanks so much for any reply.
alexis20017 tanya11486
Posted
Hi Tanya! That's for reaching out - I only check this thread once every few months so I am glad to see you commented only 7 days ago!
I'm doing a lot better these days, especially mentally. I know how you feel as I was extremely anxious when I first started experiencing my symptoms. I never really got to the bottom of it, eventually it just fizzled out. I still get the back / rib discomfort but I think it's all muscular and due to poor ergonomics / general posture. I think I exasperated all my symptoms through EXCESSIVE worry and was hyperfocused on every little twinge going on in my body and I believe my digestive system took a hit from all the worry. I know how you feel and I sympathize with you! If all your tests continue to come back unremarkable, I hope that reassures you it's nothing serious and that you can get the health anxiety under control because honestly, there is nothing worse. What helped me was getting tests to tell me everything was normal, working on tight muscles in my back (PT, foam roller, etc.) and exercising. I hope you feel better soon!
sam18386 alexis20017
Edited
hi Alexis, it sounds like you've pretty much got to the bottom of this problem at the moment. i am glad it's nothing severe and that simple meds will help you. good luck, let's hope it really works....🤞🤞😁🙏