@trip17 I totally feel your pain, we are both having a similar problem. Sounds like you have had pain since football but could manage it and live life. I am 51 and have suffered from daily tension headaches and mild to moderate gut ache for the last 17 years, after many many tests I only worked on it occasionally for something new but my scripts and therapies allowed me to live mostly normally. March of 2018 my gut issue started to slowly get worse, that nortriptyline wasn't doing it anymore. Since then I have gone down hill every month, as you said I could Live with the old pains but not this, its not living.
My gut pain started in the same area it had been for years which was above navel up to under xiphoid, about 6 inches wide or so down the middle. Then in June of 2019 it added all the way down to lower pelvis. The pain is always there 24/7, just a constant gut ache. I have had all of the tests, labs, pills, gosh knows how many dr appts and five different guided injections, etc etc.

Since January my pain has been 7.5 or higher all of the time, I could handle headaches because I could lower the level at some point, and now in last few months its 8.0 or higher. Depression has set in now for awhile because other than working from home I dont want to do much at all. I have forced myself to do a few things with my high school aged kids but don't look forward to anything. Its exhausting to live and keep researching, calling, going to appts. The Tough thing about our current medical system and I was working hard on this before Covid is that most all doctors decide quickly if they can help you or not, if it doesn't fit in their box they aren't really interested. In general I haven't had doctors give me recommendations to see others. I actually was so depressed and in pain in late July I showed up at our top rated hospital's ER dept to get pain relief and maybe figure out as a team what was wrong. They did admit me but wouldnt give me anything strong to help with level 8 constant pain. I haven't had a good nights rest in a year. They took blood, had a few doctors come ask some questions and requested a consult from pain mgt. The doctor was part of the hospital group chain of pain mgt doctor I had seen outpatient at another location. I thought maybe the more senior doctor would have an idea, they tried a different block down low of the same nerve group and didnt end up doing a thing. I spent 3 days there for nothing. I will add that in the last 4-6 months I now too have numbness or tingling and or pain in my hands, feet, occasionally leg or arm. Like you said just what you needed, another problem.

After seeing a new gi doctor last month I had a colonoscopy since it had been five years, all good there. I started discussing ab wall, nerves and muscles and Mayo Clinic, she agreed and said you need to go. Its been an odd process to see if they are going to take my case or point me to one of their departments, I'm still waiting. I am asking the original pain mgt doctor who is in the same group I mentioned to look at some other options since I am just so miserable, its now getting worse each week. I live in St Louis and we have plenty of medical care but trying to find another pain mgt clinc that has some focus on ab pain is hard to find. I believe from my research I have abdominal myofascial pain syndrome that now has many trigger points. I just don't want to go to someone who is just in it for the money and procedures and not the cause. The hospital I go to isn't pushing that but not really focusing enough on branch out from your usual routine. My wife of 25 years and 34 together is a trooper but i's hard on the whole family, I don't have much patience and can be very critical now to live with. I know what I am doing but it's a response to being in pain every minute. Laying down is actually worse pain for me and standing up is the best position which is still bad pain. I don't really notice a big difference after eating and only some brief nausea. Up under my xiphoid and rib area feels like a lot of pressure pushing, pushing out pain! The lower I go such as below the navel gets sharper.

We have a similar problem, abdominal pain that can't be classified/ID and won't go away. I think our mental state is very similar, I am not living right now and can't keep living this way. I lean more towards keeping fighting for my family's sake but I am not living or enjoying life. I'm lucky I have one friend I have known for 30 years who has life long pain and he can understand. If you end up needing someone to talk to I would be available, the mental side is now as bad as the physical side.

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