Chronic Abdominal Pain

Posted by lz5b00 @lz5b00, Mar 21, 2012

I have had acute abdominal pain since April 2011 and it has escalated over the months.. The pain begins early morning, remains unrelenting and escalates throughout the day. It is sharp at times and gnawing most of the time. It radiates down from my sternum and to the lower left of my abdomen. My family doctor nor GI specialists cannot find the cause. I have had CT scans, ultrasound, video capsule endoscopy, colonoscopy, blood tests, push endoscope, H pylori tests, ova stool test for parasites and MRI, to name a few. EVERY test result has been returned as "unremarkable"--no cause found. I am currently taking Paxil 25mg, Nexium and Oxycodein for the pain. Nothing has helped me determine the source of this pain. I am reaching out to this community to see is anyone has a similar experience.

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@stillsearching

I had similar symptoms years ago and it turned out that my pancreatic duct was bent which did not allow the pancreatic juices to flow. It took me years to discover this. I had all of those tests too and they came back normal until I had an ERCP with a fantastic gastro wizard at UCSF (San Francisco) Keep track if the pain gets worse after eating (when the pancreas starts to work). Mine hurt more in the morning also because laying flat (sleeping) took the pressure off of the duct then ramped up the rest of the day I hope this helps. I'm on a new journey for chronic pancreatitis that has taken over my life. I'm thinking of going to Mayo clinic for some help to get some (or any) life back. I wish you a positive outcome. Don't give up

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Longer large intestine

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@stillsearching

I had similar symptoms years ago and it turned out that my pancreatic duct was bent which did not allow the pancreatic juices to flow. It took me years to discover this. I had all of those tests too and they came back normal until I had an ERCP with a fantastic gastro wizard at UCSF (San Francisco) Keep track if the pain gets worse after eating (when the pancreas starts to work). Mine hurt more in the morning also because laying flat (sleeping) took the pressure off of the duct then ramped up the rest of the day I hope this helps. I'm on a new journey for chronic pancreatitis that has taken over my life. I'm thinking of going to Mayo clinic for some help to get some (or any) life back. I wish you a positive outcome. Don't give up

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Hi. I've had chronic pancreatitis since 1992 due, the doctors think, to pancreas divisum (incomplete pancreatic duct, so pancreatic juices & enzymes can't flow into the intestines; instead they digest the pancreas. OUCH!!) Pain gets worse as day progresses and/or with activity. I've seen my local GIs in South & Central Florida, a doc at Univ of Miami, a quack in Boston, a terrific doc in New York City. I've had multiple ERCPs with & without sphincterotomies and/or stents and a EUS. Nothing except narcotics really helps. I recently attended a 3 week cognitive pain therapy course at Mayo in Florida which gave some tools to help cope & have a life. Please feel free to ask anything that might help you. jan11442

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@stillsearching

I had similar symptoms years ago and it turned out that my pancreatic duct was bent which did not allow the pancreatic juices to flow. It took me years to discover this. I had all of those tests too and they came back normal until I had an ERCP with a fantastic gastro wizard at UCSF (San Francisco) Keep track if the pain gets worse after eating (when the pancreas starts to work). Mine hurt more in the morning also because laying flat (sleeping) took the pressure off of the duct then ramped up the rest of the day I hope this helps. I'm on a new journey for chronic pancreatitis that has taken over my life. I'm thinking of going to Mayo clinic for some help to get some (or any) life back. I wish you a positive outcome. Don't give up

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Hi. I'm new here but will put in my 2 cents worth anyway. The worst part (and most frightening) is the search for an answer to what is wrong. As a retired RN I can tell you that when a doctor can't find the answer unfortunately he will decide its the patient's fault- the patient must be crazy. Don't believe it! Keep your hopes high & keep looking. May I suggest during your search for what is wrong, seek out a program that will help you cope with the unknown & the pain. Good luck. The answers are out there. jan11442

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Crazy as it might sound my mom had unrelenting pain in her adbominal area for years and it turned out after everything they put her through (INCLUDING exploratory abdominal surgery) where they removed her gallbladder and spleen she ACTUALLY had a fractured bone in her spine. The pain showed up her in stomach instead of her back. I suggest an MRI of your spinal column. She had tried EVERYTHING else and a doctor paying attention to her rising off of an exam table suggested it could be her back. And she was correct!! They've since discovered she sufferes from thinning of the bones. SHe went to an Interventional Radiologist her inserted cement into bone fractures...here in Tulsa he is Dr. James R. Webb. ( we have 2 Dr. Webb's in Tulsa but this one is Interventional Radiologist).

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Another thing if anyone out there is taking pain med's; hydrocodone, oxycont..etc. You should be taking MIRALAX twice a day at least. Those pain med's slow down your BM movements and that alone causes pain on it's on.

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@stillsearching

I had similar symptoms years ago and it turned out that my pancreatic duct was bent which did not allow the pancreatic juices to flow. It took me years to discover this. I had all of those tests too and they came back normal until I had an ERCP with a fantastic gastro wizard at UCSF (San Francisco) Keep track if the pain gets worse after eating (when the pancreas starts to work). Mine hurt more in the morning also because laying flat (sleeping) took the pressure off of the duct then ramped up the rest of the day I hope this helps. I'm on a new journey for chronic pancreatitis that has taken over my life. I'm thinking of going to Mayo clinic for some help to get some (or any) life back. I wish you a positive outcome. Don't give up

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I currently have upper adominal pain, all tests were negative, had an ercp & spintomony, still have pain, I went to one doc who told me pain could be because I am fat! I have 33 % body fat, overweight but morbidity obease. He thinks I have delayed gastric empting. which I do not think so, I have pain 20 minutes after eating and can last 1hour to 5 hours. My hurts mostly after eating fatty foods like nuts. and drinking alcohol seams to help with the pain.

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@stillsearching

I had similar symptoms years ago and it turned out that my pancreatic duct was bent which did not allow the pancreatic juices to flow. It took me years to discover this. I had all of those tests too and they came back normal until I had an ERCP with a fantastic gastro wizard at UCSF (San Francisco) Keep track if the pain gets worse after eating (when the pancreas starts to work). Mine hurt more in the morning also because laying flat (sleeping) took the pressure off of the duct then ramped up the rest of the day I hope this helps. I'm on a new journey for chronic pancreatitis that has taken over my life. I'm thinking of going to Mayo clinic for some help to get some (or any) life back. I wish you a positive outcome. Don't give up

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My father cannot tolerate a feeding tube either. What is an indweilling port? TPN? How are you getting nutrients?

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I have chronic abdominal pain. I have adhesions which are causing small bowel obstruction. My doctor did an enterogram. it can be by CT or MRI. It is different from a routine abdmen scan. it was the only thing that showed my original problem.
I had surgery to get rid of the obstruction but now I have residual chronic pain. Searching for an answer on how to treat it.

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I too, suffer from abdominal pain that gets so bad I have to go to ER and get morphine shots (up to 3) to stop the pain, cramps. I have had every test available and am still at no answer. I am considering asking for MRI. Ihave thought about this being really bad gas because it sometimes starts as gas, but develops into a pain that is often unbearable and it causes nausea, vomiting and eventually ER visit. Can someone shed some light or have any suggestions on what to do next?

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I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis in Feb. I have had constant unrelenting pain for a year and a 40 pound weight loss. The doctors are at a loss. They say it is likely neurological and the Gastroparesis a result. The pain is totally unmanageable. What do any of you suggest? The doctors are reluctant to order narcotics. What has worked? Has anyone found that their chronic abdominal pain radiating to the back was related to something else in spite of the failed gastric emptying? I need help before I totally waste away. I had a chest ct and a thoracic MRI (negative). Where they wrong is what I wonder? But how do you get someone to look again?

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