Chronic Abdominal Pain

Hello lz5b00:
How are you doing ? Any luck with diagnosis ? Wishing you pain free life.
Take care

Did you ever get a diagnosis @lz5b00 or isolate a cause? I am having the same symptoms and experience at the moment.

Hello @blueskyday and welcome to Mayo Connect. I see that this is your first post. I am sorry to hear of your abdominal pain - I'm sure you must be very uncomfortable. I appreciate your reaching out to @lz5b00 to see if her symptoms were ever diagnosed. Here at Mayo Connect, we are all patients, like yourself, and while we can't make diagnoses, we can share our experiences. In that context, please share with us as you are comfortable doing so, a little more information: how long have you had this discomfort? Is the level of pain the same or are there times when it gets worse?

We look forward to getting to know you and supporting and encouraging you as you seek answers for your health concerns.

Teresa

Hi All,
I wrote previously under chronic pain and endocrinology. I started with sharp LUQ (under the ribs and sternum) pain November 2012. Acute onset and been there for 5.2 years now.

Very similar story. Test after test 'unremarkable'. Passed from one specialist to the next and so on. Too many dx in my records to write, but no definitive diagnosis.

There just has to be something to this. Too many of us suffering. I keep researching hoping to find that one MD or research lab that has noticed this trend.

Is there some way we can all work together to draw more attention to this crazy abdominal pain alien? (I call him 'Al'.)

I have this stomach pain constantly. Nothing helps it. I’ve had ulcers colon polyps Barrett’s esophagus diagnosed. Only thing healed was ulcers but pain is with me constantly I definitely sympathize with you.

I'd like to invite, @smiles444 @edda @lucie2 and @sousou to join this discussion as well; I'm certain they have much insight to share.

My dad has been very ill and in and out of the hospital for 4 months and the doctors cannot determine the cause for his pain.

My dad started out with a constant and throbbing lower, left side abdominal pain. Then he had the abdominal pain plus nausea , which then became abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Doctors thought he had gastritis, an ulcer, diverticulitis, abdominal aneurysms, and spasms . All of the above do have his symptoms listed, but the doctors say he does not have any of those things (although he does have 2 tiny abdominal aneurysms but they say they are so small and can’t be the cause of the pain). Meanwhile, he has had multiple CT scans, a colonoscopy, that thing where you go in through the throat with a tube and look for ulcers, ultrasound, different medications for all of the above diseases because they thought that’s what he had…time has gone by and my dad has lost about 30 lbs. He has become so frustrated, weak, angry, discouraged and sad. My dad is 77 years old, a smoker, he has a weak heart and had a massive heart attack about 20 years ago. He has a defibrillator. He also cannot taste his food. He can taste things at first but than gets a metallic aftertaste. Could be the smoking but probably all the meds. I think this began when he first received anti nausea meds.

He is still in the hospital but soon to be released. Since he is always nauseous, he is hardly eating and was hooked up to parenteral nutrition. The doctors have given up and I feel like my dad has too. Please help. We are desperate...
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@daughter It is sad for me whenever I hear of someone with the sort of stuff your dad is going through. I have had most of those, and know the bad stuff that comes with living that way. But it is also an opportunity to try to help. I suggest that he might have his ANA, BUN, SERUM LightChain protein, and his proteinuria checked . You see, the symptoms you list are classic symptoms of several different forms of Amyloidosis, and these two tests will help sort it out. It is called a rare disease, but that is mostly because few doctors know how or have the facilities to diagnose it. You can get good info from Mayo Videos done by Martha Grogan, Morey Gertz or Angela Dispenzieri, or from Alnylam Pharma. You can also download free or read online my own story at https://bit.Ly/1w7j4j8 "Amyloidosis Dossier..." The particular symptoms I see that are like mine: 77 (so am I), abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, weak heart, attack, loss of taste, metallic aftertaste, multiple doctors that cannot find the reality, weight loss, all the failed tests so far. When you check it out, make sure the lab is a top lab, such as Mayo-(Rochester) Quant, ARUP, Mass General, etc.

My 77 year old father has been very ill and in and out of the hospital for the past 4 months and the doctors cannot determine the cause for his pain.

My dad started out with a constant and throbbing lower, left side abdominal pain. Then he had the abdominal pain plus nausea , which then became abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Doctors thought he had gastritis, an ulcer, diverticulitis, abdominal aneurysms, and spasms . I have become an expert of looking up diseases. All of the above do have his symptoms listed, but the doctors say he does not have any of those things (although he does have 2 tiny abdominal aneurysms but they say they are so small and can’t be the cause of the pain). Meanwhile, he has had multiple CT scans, a colonoscopy, that thing where you go in through the throat with a tube and look for ulcers, ultrasound, different medications for all of the above diseases because they thought that’s what he had…time has gone by and my dad has lost about 30 lbs. He has become so frustrated, weak, angry, discouraged and sad. My dad a smoker, he has a weak heart and had a massive heart attack about 20 years ago. He has a defibrillator. He also cannot taste his food. He can taste things at first but than gets a metallic aftertaste. Could be the smoking but probably all the meds. I think this began when he first received anti nausea meds. Because he is unable to keep things down or eat much, he recently received parenteral nutrition. Doctors are talking about sending him home or to rehab because they have given up on finding a solution. Please help! We are desperate for an answer.

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Thank you, @oldkarl.

Hello @daughter,

I too, am sorry to hear about your father; it is so difficult to watch a loved one struggle with their health. We're glad you've joined Mayo Clinic Connect.
I'd like to share a few links to discussions that you may find helpful. Feel free to click on the links, read through them, and participate where you feel comfortable:
– Abdominal pain with severe constipation and weight loss https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/abdominal-pain-since-july-2017-with-severe-constipation-and-weight-los/
– Mesenteric Panniculitis or Sclerosing Mesenteries https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mesenteric-panniculitis-or-schlerosing-mesentertis-auto-immune-around-small-intestine/

Since you mentioned he has 2 small abdominal aneurysms, I'd like to invite Mentor @kariulrich for her thoughts about your dad's pain. You can read her and other members' experiences here:
–Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/median-arcuate-ligament-syndrome-mals/

@daughter, did your dad take any steroids (like Prednisone) or such medicines to relieve pain? Often, some cardiac medications, when taken longterm, can cause a metallic aftertaste; have you asked the doctors about any drug induced conditions? Mentor @kdubois may have more insight about this, as well.