Connect
Unexplained chronic morning abdominal pain
30F, 5’4 140lbs, history of Sjogren’s, pleurisy and Lyme disease. I am awaiting an appointment with my rheumatologist to ask this same question, as I want to try to understand if the symptoms I’ve been having may be connected to an autoimmune process.
For nearly ten years, I’ve had frequent, but not daily, bouts of abdominal and/or back pain wake me up in the early mornings. It can range on the pain scale from a 1 to an 8. It always comes in flares, showing up for days to weeks at a time and then going away for days to weeks. It is between my belly button and ribcage, mostly felt along my ab lines. I never feel it in the center of my abdomen or all the way on the sides, but I do occasionally feel it cut through to my back as well. It feels a lot like a cramp from running, but worsens significantly with deep breaths. Movement/stretching does not make it worse or better. Almost feels like a tightness as if my abdomen is full of air. It doesn’t seem to be tied to any GI or urinary functions, or what or when I eat, and imaging hasn’t found anything. The only thing that makes it go away is getting out of bed and being upright for about 30 minutes. It never happens at other times of day, only after I’ve been sleeping for at least a few hours.
I’ve seen a GI, gynecologist, and neurologist, none of whom think it’s related to their specialties, and my PCP is out of ideas. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? I feel that I’ve exhausted avenues to explore, as pelvic and abdominal ultrasound, CT, and MRI were all normal. Not ready to give up and accept that I’ll just have to continue to live with this without solutions, so bringing my questions here in hopes someone may have some helpful insights!
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Autoimmune Diseases Support Group.
Connect
@parrot53 I had a similar problem but with major vomiting every morning. Always started about 5am. Had so many trips to ER just to be told “you’re probably just dehydrated”. Then someone decided that it must be my gall bladder so I had surgery. Nothing changed. I finally convinced one of my doctors to order an MRI. It showed lesions on my brain! No dehydration. That was the beginning of ‘the fun’ of dealing with an autoimmune disease. Doctors just need to think ‘outside the box’!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@tomis850 I would like to know if/when you figure out what you have as it sounds like the same thing my son goes through. Daily for the last 10 months waking with aching pain that will keep him in bed for up to an hour or so which subsides as the day goes on.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@thechia Your son is really in a bad situation. He probably just wants to be a typical boy and here he is, limping along. How old is your son? I ask because it sounds similar to my son when he was a young teen. He could barely walk because of pain in the backs of his lower legs. The pediatrician said it was his growing spurt and was very common at his age. I thought it sounded crazy but, made sure he did the exercises the doc gave him. The doctor was right—the exercises really helped (and he did get taller). I’m not saying that my son is anywhere near your son, it just seemed the same.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@becsbuddy So very true that he wasn't to be a typical "boy." His issues started in high school (he is college age now) when they discovered he had scoliosis, and then he was in the hospital for a week where they finally said he has IBS-C. Since then, he has been diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos and a mild tremor. His daily concerning pain is abdominal, not in his legs (although he does have minor aches and pains from the scoliosis/Ehlers Danlos) and you are right that exercises do help that in a way. We really wish someone can find a "cure" for whatever is causing the daily abdominal pain though as it is debilitating in the mornings.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI am 79, with diagnosis of Sjogren's, Crohn's (in remission), Breast Cancer,
MDS (2 mutations) and Neuropathy caused by SF and large fiber. I have a Neurologist who knows me well and an oncologist team who watches me as I go in every 3 weeks for IvIg. So I know the areas of the body you are watching. Just this Fri early morning I finally relented and went to the ER for very intense pain that had lasted all night. Except sometimes it would relent for awile only to return. The Dr. on call heard my recital of my up-coming apt with my oncologist for my tumor markers which were up and he related it to that and did another CT. He gave me something for the pain and told me to follow up with my Dr. But after much thought, I remember a time when that part of my back hurt at least 50 years ago, and then it got better on its own. What I see from CTs etc., we can have collapsed vertebra that give no signs or all the signs and heal on their own. I do know that I have a lumbar vertebra that is ruptured and silent. So that would be a place to start but your PCP has probably thuoght of that. My suggestion would be to read up on Low dose Nalprxone (LDN) and get your PCP to give you a script. I take 2 mg, so start there. I can do wonders for your immune system. Without any (or hardly any ) side effects.
@thechia https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/childrens-and-teens-health/. Your son might like the children’s and teens support group. He can ask any questions he wants and get involved in discussions just like you do. That may be best for his age, rather having ‘mom’ know everything. My sons were hesitant to tell me much of anything! Now, they’re both married so they can tell their wives!
Can the docs do anything for the scoliosis?
@becsbuddy Thank you. I will let him know. And he has stopped growing so there is nothing they can do about it as it is not to the point where they consider surgery.
@thechia if your son is smoking marijuana to relieve the pain. There is a thing called cannabinoid hypermiesis syndrome that has extreme abdominal pain that gives undiagnosed with a variety of different things. The doctor say you might have quick fix stop smoking it a week and a half. You’ll be fine soaking in a real hot tub can help either way.
@kendoe no he is not using marijuana.