Chronic Abdominal Pain

Hi all I’m at my wits end,I’ve been getting lower left sided abdominal contraction like pains for just over 7 years.ive had numerous tests including bloods, swabs ultrasound allergy tests colonoscopy full hysterectomy and still the pains come every 28-30 days for 3-4 days where I am bed ridden ,the doctors cannot find anything .when I am in this pain my bowels open 6-8 times a day which is explosive it’s ruining my family life as well as my job.has anyone had similar please

Hello, @ex31gayle, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I wanted to let you know I've merged your post with this discussion with a number of members talking about abdominal pain.

I'm sorry to hear that you've had left-sided abdominal pain for over 7 years ... that's a long time. Sounds like you've been very diligent in getting it checked out thus far, and it's unfortunate that nothing has been found as of yet.

Hoping that members like @mamacita @carolel @matt2134 @astaingegerdm and @sacrifice2121 will have some thoughts for you.

Have you noted anything (e.g., over-the-counter medication, sitting or standing, exercise, what you eat) that brings you relief at all, @ex31gayle?

Hi Lisa thanks for the welcome yes I have tried loads of different pain relief cocodamol eases slightly but nothing as of yet gets rid of it.they tried treating me for ibs for 2 years this didn’t help atall .

Dearest @ex31gayle, yes indeed we have much to talk about! I have lived with my precious husband, who has had your symptoms and more since we were married. I, myself, have just a few hours ago been propelled into a horrid Fibromyalgia flare. I am therefore taking five times as long to get anything done this aftetnoon. But look for a post from me to you later today. My husband also had Type 2 Diabetes and Cirrhosis of the liver.He is always exhausted. I am so glad to meet you! This is a wonderful place to "connect." Pun intended.
We are better together!

Mamacita

And, by the way,I have also had IBS for many years. The pain was so bad I would have to ask my boss if I could leave school early. I finally went to a good specialist and was given Bentyl. I did some research on my own, and started on a gluten free diet. It worked. I know there is help for you. Let's get to the bottom of this! No one deserves tnis level of pain in their life! Keep hope alive!
Mamacita

Thanks very much I have an mri this Thursday after 7 years of this pain every 28days.i hope u and your husband are better soon,it’s so demoralising isn’t it.to be told there is nothing wrong time and time again it’s really hard to explain to people who are not in your situation.im lucky I have great family and friends who know my symptoms by now, take care of kids for me cook my tea etc but I want to be able to do these things and should be able to..x

I (at last) have been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis but I have heard so many different views about the amount of pain I’m in. Nurses ,as well as my own,as an ex nurse, view is that it can be a very painful condition but the gp I consulted yesterday stated that he didn’t know why I was in so much pain. I’m now on Zomorph but it’s early days yet but I’ve absolutely no appetite and that just isn’t me. This,in itself, isn’t a problem at the moment because I started off so heavy, but as a mental health patient also, I’m terrified that they’ll think I’ m deliberately not eating to harm myself. What do you do to be believed?

Hello! I hope it's ok to post on here. I wasn't sure where to post but I have similar problems. I had a complete hysterectomy 5 years ago and long story short I have been pretty much bed ridden for over a year with severe chronic pain. It is all in my lower left abdomen. At first they thought it was ovarian remnant syndrom and put me on Lupron for 8 months but it did not take my pain away. The ultra sounds showed a small ovarian cyst lol I have no ovaries!! I have had numerous tests, my gallbladder removed and they are stumped. They did see a large amount of scar tissue when they took a peek with the camera into my pelvis. I just went for a cholonoscopy which they could not finish because of significant scar tissue. I was put under strong sedation but still woke up screaming and crying during the attempted procedure due to the severe pain I felt. I don't even understand that! I never had bowel surgery! I have so much pain and discomfort like pins and needles on top of the pain with a ton of adrenaline all throughout my lower left abdominal cavity. I take so much hydromorphone that it just doesn't help anymore and I also use high cbd oil as well as thc oil (cannabis) for the pain. Lately the overwhelming tingling, pins and needles and adrenaline feeling along with the sharp pain is becoming unbearable.
Does anyone have any advice?

@carolel, Hi Carole,
I have been undergoing some procedures, tests, bloodwork for my chronic, debilitating nausea and there has been no answer, but... I have had pain for 12+ years from chronic pancreatitis and it may be on a 7-9 level with no let up for days or weeks and it may be 2-4 for the same period. The only explanation my doctor at MUSC suggests for this is that 1. chronic pancreatitis is a progressive disease that continues to damage the pancreas regardless of a diagnosis because there is no cure. 2. The drainage duct for the pancreas can become "clogged" and he performs an ERCP and places a stent in this spot, drainage improves, and my pain is better sometimes. 3. During an ERCP my doc has also discovered stones and removed them and my pain is improved for a while, but like other stones in other organs, they can return. 4. For some subset of the population who develop chronic pancreatitis, the pain eventually goes away. There are no studies I have found that place a percentage on this subset and the amount of time between the onset of pain and this mysterious disappearance of pain is wide-ranging. I am either not one of those people or haven't paid enough penance yet - just a joke.

As a former nurse, you may know this to be true, but nurses in my large circle of health care providers at some point during the past 12+ years have told me that from personally experiencing child birth, kidney stones, and acute pancreatitis, that they would choose either of the other two over pancreatitis. Now for a GP who does not understand why you are in so much pain, suggest he shoot himself in the abdomen, not get treatment and see how badly that hurts. (please don't shoot him yourself) There is no research which says that once you stop having acute attacks and are dx'ed as chronic that your pain level subsides - anyone suggesting otherwise is ill-informed and should not be a physician because they don't know what sympathy or empathy is!!!! The only minimal relief I get is from opioid pain medicine and it does not get rid of it; just takes the edge off. Intravenous morphine is much more effective because it does not have as a side effect, at least for me, of abdominal pain. The other medicine I have been prescribed after surgery for appetite enhancement (Marinol - a synthetic cannabis) actually was also the best pain treatment I have used. My cruel state legislature does not see fit to allow this to be used for anything other than end-stage cancer pain. God forbid the medical community be allowed to properly treat someone's pain who is not dying - we may get paranoid or become physically addicted and that would be so much worse that opioid addiction, habituation and the brain changes they can cause over years.

If you think I am a tiny bit bitter, you would be spot on! It is not an option for me, but I certainly would move to Colorado if I were younger or if I could move my entire family.

Sorry, Gary

My son has had intense pain now for over 20 yrs when he goes to the bathroom. Many doctors no answers. Not chrones, ibs, ciliacs or from his surgeries. Had relief for approximately 10 months after intense pain on his left side that just came and then left after 3 days. He and family at our wits end. We are not crazy, if not living this, it would be hard to understand. Please any help or direction as to what to do would be appreciated