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Splenic flexure syndrome *OR* maybe this other GI problem??
If any of you has been correctly diagnosed with splenic flexure syndrome and had proper treatment for it, kindly tell me and others here. This is a **very** physically painful problem in upper LEFT ab just slightly below the lowest LEFT SIDE rib. I suffer this evil, horrendous physical pain now and then though I'm awaiting proper diagnosis. In this medical problem, trapped gas builds up in the splenic flexure which is only a location, the area where the transverse colon (which more or less runs "horizontally" in the upper ab from right side of body to left side running below the lowest bilateral rib and the diaphragm) joins the descending colon which is on the left side of the body. You can see the arrangement here: https://bit.ly/3MrZaro
Just before my former MD retired, all he told me to do about this is "chew up more simethicone tablets". He never told me what I suffer from physically.
I'd read that splenic flexure syndrome can be the result of ab surgery which I had 8 yrs ago. [It was done apparently unsupervised by a brand new, novice, 30 year old MD I never met. He overinflated me via a tube stuck into my belly button where he didn't know I'd been brutally stabbed -- in my belly button -- in a planned, premeditated crime against me. The bad outcome of the apparent overinflation (done for bilateral groin hernia repairs with the repairs done laparoscopically) was ugly, permanent diastasis recti which is impossible to fix.
The other possibility for my just-below-lowest-LEFT-SIDE-rib is an explanation found in a short YouTube video by DC Eric Berg who says that eating too many carbs, too much nut butter, too many nuts, too many grains lead to a depleted gall bladder (i. e. little or no stored bile) which then causes physical pain in the pancreas. I do eat all those foods (excluding alcohol which I don't consume) that Berg mentions in his almost 6 minutes long video found here: https://youtu.be/AK5qHLpq408 Berg says to buy purified bile salts to help end this pancreas problem but I've not done that (yet).
My painful 'under-that-LEFT-rib' medical problem comes and goes. It can be absent for 3 or 4 days and then returns for some reason. I don't know if my brand-new-surgeon-screwed up intestines is causing gas to be trapped, to slowly build up 'til the splenic flexure area is highly tender to touch and painfully inflated with gas. I wonder if the answer might just be drinking more water and buying some fiber product. I've greatly cut back on eating oatmeal (the main grain I devour) and stopped eating almond butter and too many nuts.
Any of you know about splenic flexure syndrome? Have you had this painful medical problem end in your life?
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Hi @garyann2554. Thank you for sharing more of your husband’s story. I’m so sorry to hear how much he has been through, and I can understand why you’re concerned. It sounds like things have become much more difficult over the last several months.
Hearing that he is rapidly losing weight, eating very little, and now even finding it painful to drink liquids sounds incredibly difficult. Those are significant things that need addressed.
What would be the most helpful for you right now? Are you hoping to connect with others who have had similar experiences, or are you looking for ideas about what steps to take next? And when the gastroenterologist said there wasn’t anything more they could do, did they explain what they thought was causing his symptoms or recommend another specialist? Has his primary care provider or another member of his healthcare team been made aware of how bad his symptoms are?
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4 Reactions@jlharsh my husband's doctor Who is a gastroenterologist specialist told him to just treat it as IBS and eat small meals and gave him laxatives and said that's all they can do for him and didn't even make a follow-up appointment. His colon is so painful and tight that he can barely eat or drink anything and he's rapidly dropping weight, we're both scared. I'm trying to get him into a doctor that's a MD that has 55 years of experience and also uses natural medicine. I would like to have suggestions as to what he can do and take to help his situation, I thought about an Osteopath but there seems to be very few and they say they just help the body overall and will not tell me if they've helped this stomach problem before. I'm open to suggestions and would love to hear other people's experiences that have dealt with this. It seems to be getting worse daily. We are living a nightmare, especially my husband. Today I saw him eat a tiny tangerine and a small handful of blueberries, he says it's getting worse daily and very painful so he avoids eating and drinking and he can't sleep good at night due to the pain. I'm scared and desperate. I'm trying different homeopathies. I'm sure this must stem from his moped accident when he was 20 years old and it crushed his chest and he has a hard tumor in the center of his chest and a fatty tumor that's quite large on his side .
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1 Reaction@garyann2554
I just noticed your discussion about your husband's GI issues. I'm sorry to hear about the problems with weight loss as well as his discomfort. Have you considered a second opinion? Is it possible to get a consultation from a multidisciplinary healthcare system such as Mayo Clinic (appointment information is available at http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63)? If an appointment at a Mayo facility is not possible, I would encourage you to schedule one at a nearby university medical school.
Has your husband had any surgery for any of these issues? Has his medical team prescribed any medication?
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3 Reactions@hopeful33250 hi, those are good suggestions and I'll definitely talk to my husband about this. He has never had any surgery. We can't afford the Mayo Clinic and they don't accept his medical insurance and they said they require $5,000 up front which we don't have.
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2 Reactions@garyann2554
You might try to help him with dietary changes. I noticed in your post that you mentioned he had a tangerine. You might try to avoid citrus fruits, raw fruits, and veggies. Instead, have cooked/canned fruits and vegetables that are not acidic. Small, frequent, high-protein meals that are easily digestible might help him. I'm thinking about scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, and applesauce.
I wish you well as you work with this difficult problem. Will you keep posting updates?
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3 Reactions@hopeful33250 yeah I saw a post updates and I really appreciate you and your suggestions. The stomach specialist he went to did some laxatives and medication but it's not helping. I just got home and asked him if he had anything to eat today and he said no and that the very tiny amount of food he had yesterday morning which was a couple of eggs and a piece of toast has not even digested yet and that it's still in there lodged. I asked him if he has had any liquid and he said yes but I doubt if he had very much. I keep calling this MD with 55 years experience to see if I can get him in sooner and we have an appointment on August 20th but that's a long time from now considering his condition. Thank you again
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