Has anyone been diagnosed with Abdominal Wall Pain

Posted by rufus444 @smiles444, Dec 15, 2017

Starting on May 1, 2017, I began having abdominal pain that wraps around to my left back. The first time it happened, I went to the emergency room because I thought I might have an apendicitis. The hospital did a CT scan of my abdomen, everything looked okay. I went to the emergency room several times over the summer with excruciating abdominal and back pain. I had a hida scan done, a colonoscopy and an endoscopy and CT and ultrasound scans of my abdomen. Everything looked normal. In September of this year, a doctor at Mayo felt the area on my abdomen and did a Carnett's test. He suggested it could be abdominal wall pain. I have had two steroid injections and I am still having pain in the same area. Has anyone out there had this type of diagnosis and still having pain?

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@kitkat35

Thank you the response. I do have a follow up question though.... with cutting the nerves from T8-10, do you have any other issues from severing the nerves? Like loss of urine or bowel control? Any after effects from your surgery?

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No loss of urine or bowel control. ONLY very minor and expected issues were soreness of the severed nerves - minor and gone after one month and highly sensitive skin that diminished over time and perfectly ok after about 8 weeks. No pain killers required and life back to normal almost immediately. It's a no brainer.

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Ok. And did you need a referral from your doctor or did you just call and make an appointment with him?

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Here's a question for the ACNES sufferers. Have you noticed an increase in belching? I seem to belch often though I don't have any release of pressure. It might be due to my diet or lack there of.

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My abdominal pain began in July 2020— so many different Dr’s. And different diagnosis —- even had Gaul bladder taken out ——sill the pain persisted. At Mayo six months ago they began with Injections into the spine thinking the pain originated there—-just three weeks ago trigger point injections in the side —-abdominal pain is down by 60 to 70%. Still not great, but can live with it compared all of last year. Back doing sports —drugs now at less than half the original dosage——and still going down.

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@mnsnowguy

My abdominal pain began in July 2020— so many different Dr’s. And different diagnosis —- even had Gaul bladder taken out ——sill the pain persisted. At Mayo six months ago they began with Injections into the spine thinking the pain originated there—-just three weeks ago trigger point injections in the side —-abdominal pain is down by 60 to 70%. Still not great, but can live with it compared all of last year. Back doing sports —drugs now at less than half the original dosage——and still going down.

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Welcome @mnsnowguy, It's really good to hear that you finally have some relief for the abdominal pain after seeing different doctors and having different diagnosis. @hopeful33250 posted a video earlier in this discussion you might also find helpful - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/178462/

You mentioned you are back doing sports. Do you mind sharing what sports you are back doing?

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Back playing Pickleball several times a week (I’m in my mid 70’s) great exercise. Also teach beginners several times a year.

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@rt061069

@sawah3 I have chronic abdominal wall pain at a level 8 and 18 hrs per day. Have had the same pain over two years now and was avg level 7 last year. Like your daughter and more I have had the MRI, CT Scans, blood work, gall bladder tested, bladder checked and had many different injections. My pain is now pelvis to xiphoid. Hurts to walk, driver over bumps, do steps etc because of the ab wall moving. Mine is 8 inches wide or so down the middle. When I wake up early due to pain and urinate right after I am back to 8 to 8.5 even. Pain more above navel and hurts to bad to lay back down, cant fall back asleep. I dont throw up but some light headed and stomach nausea do I sit up in bed for hours. Pain meds and antidepressants dont work for my pain. I am trying to line up a celiac plexus block with a pain mgt doctor. My pain doctor from last year doesnt do those, the thoracic and intercostal didnt help. Trigger pt didnt help. The second block they tried over a year ago in the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric with steroids helped after a few days and then last for a few days and quit. I think I need nerve ablation. I dont though have any previous injury or surgery to attribute to. Your daughter should look into those lower nerves being pinched, trapped or injured and maybe just needs released. I am at wits end on pain, just even getting a 25% reduction for 4 hours would per day would be OK until better arrived. Its very hard to find a doctor that is familiar with abdominal nerve pain and how to investigate and treat it. Not every pain is a gall bladder or appendix. I saw a plastic surgeon and he didnt think my diastasis from navel to xiphoid had anything to do with it. Scans are clear so you are left with the nerves that mess with the muscles. I can't get my nerves to shut off. What about Ketamine infusions or other IV infusions for pain, not one doctor of mine has brought this up. Oxy and Hydro did nothing for me at the 15-20mg level. I'm not sure nerve pain in the abdomen responds to pain killers or antidepressants. We both need a lot of help because your daughter will have or has depression as its so hard for kids to deal with this. I finally cracked some mentally as I dont want to talk on the phone with many or see many at all. My biggest issue besides pain is now for the last 3 months loss of appetite. I have lost 11% of my total from June. I am not under weight but having a hard time wanting to eat 1500 calories per day. Medical Cannabis so far wont cut it for me or doesnt help much anymore. Kids can't do cannabis or even certain adult drugs so keeping them going emotionally is key, hope you can find a good pain mgt doctor in your area. I have about exhausted my town of St Louis/2mm people. I have a Mayo appt 2nd week Feb in MN but will be hard to survive till then. Chronic pain needs hope or something else to try next to keep you going.

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I suffered for 9 months with ACNES. Dr. Thomas Gillespie of St Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix performed Robotic Laparoscopic surgery on me 9/2/21 cutting T8, T9 and T10. He is an amazing surgeon and does take new patients. BTW, I left the hospital SAME day CURED. Very easy recovery. No reason to have to suffer anymore. He is the only surgeon that performs this surgery robotically laparoscopically. Good Luck!

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@rt061069

@sawah3 I have chronic abdominal wall pain at a level 8 and 18 hrs per day. Have had the same pain over two years now and was avg level 7 last year. Like your daughter and more I have had the MRI, CT Scans, blood work, gall bladder tested, bladder checked and had many different injections. My pain is now pelvis to xiphoid. Hurts to walk, driver over bumps, do steps etc because of the ab wall moving. Mine is 8 inches wide or so down the middle. When I wake up early due to pain and urinate right after I am back to 8 to 8.5 even. Pain more above navel and hurts to bad to lay back down, cant fall back asleep. I dont throw up but some light headed and stomach nausea do I sit up in bed for hours. Pain meds and antidepressants dont work for my pain. I am trying to line up a celiac plexus block with a pain mgt doctor. My pain doctor from last year doesnt do those, the thoracic and intercostal didnt help. Trigger pt didnt help. The second block they tried over a year ago in the ilioinguinal and iliohypogastric with steroids helped after a few days and then last for a few days and quit. I think I need nerve ablation. I dont though have any previous injury or surgery to attribute to. Your daughter should look into those lower nerves being pinched, trapped or injured and maybe just needs released. I am at wits end on pain, just even getting a 25% reduction for 4 hours would per day would be OK until better arrived. Its very hard to find a doctor that is familiar with abdominal nerve pain and how to investigate and treat it. Not every pain is a gall bladder or appendix. I saw a plastic surgeon and he didnt think my diastasis from navel to xiphoid had anything to do with it. Scans are clear so you are left with the nerves that mess with the muscles. I can't get my nerves to shut off. What about Ketamine infusions or other IV infusions for pain, not one doctor of mine has brought this up. Oxy and Hydro did nothing for me at the 15-20mg level. I'm not sure nerve pain in the abdomen responds to pain killers or antidepressants. We both need a lot of help because your daughter will have or has depression as its so hard for kids to deal with this. I finally cracked some mentally as I dont want to talk on the phone with many or see many at all. My biggest issue besides pain is now for the last 3 months loss of appetite. I have lost 11% of my total from June. I am not under weight but having a hard time wanting to eat 1500 calories per day. Medical Cannabis so far wont cut it for me or doesnt help much anymore. Kids can't do cannabis or even certain adult drugs so keeping them going emotionally is key, hope you can find a good pain mgt doctor in your area. I have about exhausted my town of St Louis/2mm people. I have a Mayo appt 2nd week Feb in MN but will be hard to survive till then. Chronic pain needs hope or something else to try next to keep you going.

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It sure sounds like ACNES. Horrible to hear these stories when in fact I suffered terribly from ACNES and by the grace of God found Dr Thomas Gillespie at St Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix who performed Robotic Laparoscopic surgery cutting my T8,T9 and T10 abdominal nerves. I went home that afternoon completely cured. He is the only doctor who is familiar with ACNES and does surgery the safest way. He does accept new patients.

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@fireball59

Hi, I have had two trigger point injections, with no success for what I call spasms. Mine is due to gastric lapband damage. I have been to so many doctors with no success. I finally went back to the bariatric doc, and he said it must be nerve damage. So I started researching abdominal pain, and nerve damage. I came upon ACNES, and it fit me to a T. I went to a neurologist thinking they would know about it. He was extremely rude, and treated me like I was crazy, said he never heard of ACNES, and doubted any other neuro knows what it is. So I left angry. I then started to look for a doc who works on pain. Finding a clinic who works with abdominal is hard. But I found Dr. Lynch here in AZ, and he had info on his page about researching ACNES. So I scheduled a appt. I got a trigger point injection... they were calling it myalgia. My second trigger point, was with Dr. Lynch, I brought up Acnes, and he looked at me, in wonder I guess you might say. I wanted to know if they actually diagnosed me with it. He stated that trigger point injections don't work well for that problem. And wanted me to schedule a in office visit with him to discuss it. In the mean time, I had a appt for med renewal, and I mentioned it. She said let me call the doc, Dr Lynch was not available, so she called Doc McJunkin. He said I needed a neuroma percutaneous nerve injection. I am scheduled to have that done tomorrow, and then hopefully a nerve ablation following if it is successful. I was previously told a ablation can not be done on the stomach. It actually is not the stomach per se, it is abdominal, up and to the left of my belly button, where the port for the lapband used to be. Dr. Lynch said it can be difficult, as there are so many nerves, it can be hard to identify which one is causing the pain. Let me tell you, I am very glad I brought it up to Dr. Lynch, because as I say, they were just treating me for myalgia, and no diagnosis for ACNES. Therefore receiving the wrong treatment, for what I think it really is. She asked me if I self diagnosed, and I said Yes , after doing much research, I am positive that this is, what it is. So my injection tomorrow is actually before my consult with Dr Lynch next Monday the 11th. Dr Lynch has done a incredible amount of research on ACNES, and he told me he has had one other patient with this. And there is a different procedure they can do, and that the other patient had great success. I am assuming that it is this other injection, followed by ablation, as Dr. McJunkin is familiar with ACNES as well. So we will see. I have suffered with this pain since 2007, and I am so tired of it. I pray I get some relief. I hope this is not too confusing. Pills have never worked for me. Medical Cannabis in different forms has helped very little. They prescribed me a pain cream, from the Potters House of Apothecary, I use this when I have a spasm, and it does seem to help a little. I hope this helps. Susie

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Lucky to be in AZ since Dr Gillespie at St Joseph's Medical Center in Phx performs robotic laparoscopic surgery for ACNES. He cut my T8, T9 and T10 and I went home cured of ACNES. He's an incredible surgeon!

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I was in A car accident and have had much swelling in the abdomen with much pain. All major organs look fine had a colonoscopy everything was good. Has anyone heard of the mesentery? I believe that is what is damaged in me but I cannot find a Doctor Who knows about it. I live in St. Louis with anyone have any suggestions for me please.

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