Severe stomach pain

Posted by tyjacob @tyjacob, Sep 18, 2011

I have had several years of pain in my stomach and not sure what to do. i have had ibs, acid reflux, gastritis, internal hemorrhoids. A few months ago I had a slighly irregular Z line, mildly erythematous found in the antrum and nodules were found in the ascendingn colon.
I have taken xypaxin for pain but it no longer helps. I throw up daily and have diarrhea, I have headaches. My stomach cramps so badly that I can go anywhere because of the pain. What should I do?

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Profile picture for maggiew3 @maggiew3

I have been suffering for 10+ years from an undiagnosed abdominal pain. My doctors have just told me anxiety. Usally I feel like I'm going to throw up, but never do. Rarely I get a bad headache and stomach ache and then throw up. Recently I have been feeling really lightheaded and weak, either before or after I eat. The only thing that seems to help that is DPT. My abdominal pain can feel like cramps or in the same area, like pinching, sometimes I want to cry(because I am tired of being in pain), and I havn't had solid stools in 2 or so months. There are foods like milkshakes and pineapple that I have stopped eating because everytime I eat/drink them I get very nausues. But one day I will eat oatmeal for breackfast and 3 days later the exact same thing, and I have to go to the nurse at school it hurts so bad. There are no similarities from journaling my feelings. Does anyone know of any gut doctors or what this might be? I don't want to be in pain forever.

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I have gone to a GI doctor and a nutritionist near me and we're pretty sure I can't tolerate Fructose. Which sucks, but I haven't had stomach pain in 3 days.

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Wow...you have almost the same diagnosis as myself. Please let me know if you find any medications or solutions for your pain.

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Profile picture for KarenT @karent

Artificial sweeteners gave me stomach pain. Once I eliminated the foods and drinks that had them I was fine.

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Does that include stevia and probably erythritol, too? Thanks

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Profile picture for lz5b00 @lz5b00

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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No one has been able to help me and I’m at my wits end with the pain. It is daily pain that will not go away with pain relievers.

On January 20th I randomly burst out with hives all over my body, coupled with angioedema of the lips and swelling in my extremities. Soon after came right side abdominal pain, nothing crazy but was uncomfortable. I saw my PC doctor who referred me to an allergist that I have been working with for treatment of the CSU and angioedema. I’ve been on multiple different antihistamine regimens as well as prenisone during severe outbreaks.

My abdominal pain has landed me in the ER four times. I have had 4 CT scans, 3 with IV contrast, 2 X-Rays, bloodwork and everything comes back clean. No organ concerns and no elevated/abnormal lab levels. The only findings were minimal fatty liver, and enlarged spleen (14.5cm). My last CT finding finally showed diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon and my spleen was back to normal size.

The pain is diffuse, primarily right side and can be upper below rib cage, middle, lower and near my hip. It radiates to my back occasionally and sometimes is on the left side. The pain can be dull, sharp, throbbing, really depends on the day. It can be debilitating at times.

I have had a colonoscopy/endoscopy and there were no obvious findings during the scopes. I am still awaiting biopsy results that they said could take 8 weeks. The pain went away for about a week and a half after my scopes and now has come back worse than it was before. I don't know what to do anymore.

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Profile picture for nhughes331 @nhughes331

No one has been able to help me and I’m at my wits end with the pain. It is daily pain that will not go away with pain relievers.

On January 20th I randomly burst out with hives all over my body, coupled with angioedema of the lips and swelling in my extremities. Soon after came right side abdominal pain, nothing crazy but was uncomfortable. I saw my PC doctor who referred me to an allergist that I have been working with for treatment of the CSU and angioedema. I’ve been on multiple different antihistamine regimens as well as prenisone during severe outbreaks.

My abdominal pain has landed me in the ER four times. I have had 4 CT scans, 3 with IV contrast, 2 X-Rays, bloodwork and everything comes back clean. No organ concerns and no elevated/abnormal lab levels. The only findings were minimal fatty liver, and enlarged spleen (14.5cm). My last CT finding finally showed diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon and my spleen was back to normal size.

The pain is diffuse, primarily right side and can be upper below rib cage, middle, lower and near my hip. It radiates to my back occasionally and sometimes is on the left side. The pain can be dull, sharp, throbbing, really depends on the day. It can be debilitating at times.

I have had a colonoscopy/endoscopy and there were no obvious findings during the scopes. I am still awaiting biopsy results that they said could take 8 weeks. The pain went away for about a week and a half after my scopes and now has come back worse than it was before. I don't know what to do anymore.

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Have you ever had any previous abdominal or pelvic surgeries?

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Profile picture for nhughes331 @nhughes331

No one has been able to help me and I’m at my wits end with the pain. It is daily pain that will not go away with pain relievers.

On January 20th I randomly burst out with hives all over my body, coupled with angioedema of the lips and swelling in my extremities. Soon after came right side abdominal pain, nothing crazy but was uncomfortable. I saw my PC doctor who referred me to an allergist that I have been working with for treatment of the CSU and angioedema. I’ve been on multiple different antihistamine regimens as well as prenisone during severe outbreaks.

My abdominal pain has landed me in the ER four times. I have had 4 CT scans, 3 with IV contrast, 2 X-Rays, bloodwork and everything comes back clean. No organ concerns and no elevated/abnormal lab levels. The only findings were minimal fatty liver, and enlarged spleen (14.5cm). My last CT finding finally showed diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon and my spleen was back to normal size.

The pain is diffuse, primarily right side and can be upper below rib cage, middle, lower and near my hip. It radiates to my back occasionally and sometimes is on the left side. The pain can be dull, sharp, throbbing, really depends on the day. It can be debilitating at times.

I have had a colonoscopy/endoscopy and there were no obvious findings during the scopes. I am still awaiting biopsy results that they said could take 8 weeks. The pain went away for about a week and a half after my scopes and now has come back worse than it was before. I don't know what to do anymore.

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You’ve checked your gallbladder?

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Profile picture for nhughes331 @nhughes331

No one has been able to help me and I’m at my wits end with the pain. It is daily pain that will not go away with pain relievers.

On January 20th I randomly burst out with hives all over my body, coupled with angioedema of the lips and swelling in my extremities. Soon after came right side abdominal pain, nothing crazy but was uncomfortable. I saw my PC doctor who referred me to an allergist that I have been working with for treatment of the CSU and angioedema. I’ve been on multiple different antihistamine regimens as well as prenisone during severe outbreaks.

My abdominal pain has landed me in the ER four times. I have had 4 CT scans, 3 with IV contrast, 2 X-Rays, bloodwork and everything comes back clean. No organ concerns and no elevated/abnormal lab levels. The only findings were minimal fatty liver, and enlarged spleen (14.5cm). My last CT finding finally showed diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon and my spleen was back to normal size.

The pain is diffuse, primarily right side and can be upper below rib cage, middle, lower and near my hip. It radiates to my back occasionally and sometimes is on the left side. The pain can be dull, sharp, throbbing, really depends on the day. It can be debilitating at times.

I have had a colonoscopy/endoscopy and there were no obvious findings during the scopes. I am still awaiting biopsy results that they said could take 8 weeks. The pain went away for about a week and a half after my scopes and now has come back worse than it was before. I don't know what to do anymore.

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Have they done a capsule endoscopy, that's how my husband's Crohns was diagnosed.

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Profile picture for nhughes331 @nhughes331

No one has been able to help me and I’m at my wits end with the pain. It is daily pain that will not go away with pain relievers.

On January 20th I randomly burst out with hives all over my body, coupled with angioedema of the lips and swelling in my extremities. Soon after came right side abdominal pain, nothing crazy but was uncomfortable. I saw my PC doctor who referred me to an allergist that I have been working with for treatment of the CSU and angioedema. I’ve been on multiple different antihistamine regimens as well as prenisone during severe outbreaks.

My abdominal pain has landed me in the ER four times. I have had 4 CT scans, 3 with IV contrast, 2 X-Rays, bloodwork and everything comes back clean. No organ concerns and no elevated/abnormal lab levels. The only findings were minimal fatty liver, and enlarged spleen (14.5cm). My last CT finding finally showed diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon and my spleen was back to normal size.

The pain is diffuse, primarily right side and can be upper below rib cage, middle, lower and near my hip. It radiates to my back occasionally and sometimes is on the left side. The pain can be dull, sharp, throbbing, really depends on the day. It can be debilitating at times.

I have had a colonoscopy/endoscopy and there were no obvious findings during the scopes. I am still awaiting biopsy results that they said could take 8 weeks. The pain went away for about a week and a half after my scopes and now has come back worse than it was before. I don't know what to do anymore.

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Same situation for me…3 years pain every day, Mayo tests and visits, ED visits nothing and no help, referred finally to a pain Dr, he said first visit, Splanchnic nerve. Received block, it took the pain away in the first two hours so he scheduled for the ablation, pain is now gone, however I’ve had a hx of abdominal surgeries.

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Profile picture for nhughes331 @nhughes331

No one has been able to help me and I’m at my wits end with the pain. It is daily pain that will not go away with pain relievers.

On January 20th I randomly burst out with hives all over my body, coupled with angioedema of the lips and swelling in my extremities. Soon after came right side abdominal pain, nothing crazy but was uncomfortable. I saw my PC doctor who referred me to an allergist that I have been working with for treatment of the CSU and angioedema. I’ve been on multiple different antihistamine regimens as well as prenisone during severe outbreaks.

My abdominal pain has landed me in the ER four times. I have had 4 CT scans, 3 with IV contrast, 2 X-Rays, bloodwork and everything comes back clean. No organ concerns and no elevated/abnormal lab levels. The only findings were minimal fatty liver, and enlarged spleen (14.5cm). My last CT finding finally showed diverticulosis of the sigmoid colon and my spleen was back to normal size.

The pain is diffuse, primarily right side and can be upper below rib cage, middle, lower and near my hip. It radiates to my back occasionally and sometimes is on the left side. The pain can be dull, sharp, throbbing, really depends on the day. It can be debilitating at times.

I have had a colonoscopy/endoscopy and there were no obvious findings during the scopes. I am still awaiting biopsy results that they said could take 8 weeks. The pain went away for about a week and a half after my scopes and now has come back worse than it was before. I don't know what to do anymore.

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Ten years ago, I had something similar. It was mainly the sharp pains but recurring in same or similar locations across my abdomen, primarily right and left side under my rib cage and also near my navel. I was treated with targeted injections of corticosteroid at the trigger points. That took care of it and it has never come back.

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Profile picture for lookingforanswers2022 @lookingforanswers2022

I have had persistent upper central abdominal pain for years. I noticed it around age 16 or 17. It has been written off by a number of doctors as anxiety. But I don't think that is the issue. I am now 24 and it has gotten progressively worse.

I have seen a GI specialist and dieticians. I have gastritis, IBS, GERD, and many food sensitivities. My diet is severely restricted and even eating within those restrictions I still have many unresolved IBS symptoms, the most persistent of which is upper abdominal pain which gets worse after I eat and if I wait too long to eat. The pain is aggravated by some foods, particularly high FODMAP foods, sugars, gluten, and dairy.

What helps is liquid antacids, baking soda in water, or alkaline water for reflux, alkaline food and water for bloating, ground flaxseed for diarrhea, slippery elm, and acetaminophen for pain when nothing else works. I use acetaminophen sparingly (once a week or a few times a month) and do not usually use it as normal pain management, just when nothing else works and I can’t think about anything except the pain. Water generally helps, but too much water can also cause pain and painful abdominal bloating. I have tried prochlorperazine and metoclopramide which helped with the nausea and stomach pain but came with some other intolerable side effects and I could not continue taking them. Chewing fennel occasionally helps after meals because it is alkaline.

I am eating no gluten, no dairy, low sugar, low carb, low fat, a lot of vegetables and proteins and certain carbs and fats in moderation. It significantly levels out the bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, nausea and pain. However the pain still gets worse after meals and to a lesser degree, also bloating and nausea.

I don’t drink alcohol (aggravates stomach pain a LOT) or coffee, I don’t smoke, no caffeine. I don’t have H pylori or ulcers.

I do eat carbs on a regular basis but I try to keep it within reasonable limits of tolerance. Sometimes the satisfaction outweighs the physical symptoms but I have to pick my battles because eating one bite of the wrong thing can cause hours of pain.

I recently got off the PPI that I was on for 3 years to see if that would help. I eat more alkaline food now to keep acid levels in check otherwise I get reflux and the pain gets worse. Things off the med are not much different, though I do get reflux more often and the pain may be a bit worse. Maybe I’m just noticing it more. I don’t think long term PPI use is a good solution and I would rather not be on it. I have a feeling while I may have irritation due to IBS or acidity which can cause pain, that is not the only pain going on.

I’ve tried Iberogast, IBgard, ginger root, chamomile, Swedish bitters, turmeric, mint tea, peppermint capsules and they all irritate my stomach and make the pain worse. I’ve also tried antidepressants and other psychotropics but they all came with nightmare grade side effects so i didn’t take them long. Sucralfate made me extremely and painfully bloated. My diet is extremely restricted as it is and having eliminated just about everything I can, I don’t think it actually has to do much with what I am eating as much as that I am eating at all.

One day a meal may be less aggravating. The next day with the same meal I’ll have pain for hours, reflux, and bloating. My ability to tolerate food comes in cycles. Some days I can tolerate some foods, other days for whatever reason, I can’t. I have to cycle out foods for variety and symptom management but generally have some core foods, mostly proteins and veg that I generally tolerate well. But even when I stick to the absolute least irritating foods, I still often have symptoms.
I’ve had an abdominal ultrasound, gastric emptying study, endoscopy, and colonoscopy. Nothing significant there. I get labs drawn about every 6 months from my GP. CMP14 (Routine or Stat), a couple out of range but nothing requiring a workup and everything else within normal limits, hemoglobin A1c with eAg/MBG estimation, vitamin D; 25 hydroxy, testosterone, free (direct) and total, magnesium serum, phosphorus serum, prealbumin, and TSH all within normal limits.
Here is a summary from my last GI appointment “Patient's symptoms have plateaued at this point. Our work-up to include thus far has been normal gastric emptying study, normal thyroid labs, negative celiac serologies, normal fecal calprotectin, unremarkable colonoscopy and endoscopy, I recommend patient continue seeing his dietitian and to follow-up with us as needed.”
I also have upper back (between shoulder blades) and neck pain but I’m not sure if it’s related. I mostly notice the back and neck pain when I’m sitting so I assumed it was postural but I don’t know. I also have constant low grade nausea that is aggravated at the same time as the abdominal pain–because of food or a lack of food. Also extreme abdominal tenderness. Any amount of pressure is painful. Has been for about 3 years now. That's when I went to the ER for the stomach pain, got the abdominal ultrasound but found nothing, a referral to GI specialist, endoscopy found benign gastritis, and started the PPI which I have since stopped. I can't lay on my stomach because of the pain. And within the past month or so I can't even lay on my side when I sleep because that has become uncomfortable as well. My ribcage squishes into my painful upper abdomen if I lay too far sideways. It's the same on either side.
The pain has become a quality of life issue and impacts other areas of my life.
I am going to see another GI specialist to get a second opinion and have an appointment in a couple of weeks. But until then, what do you think this could be?

I’m also new to the forum so I’m not exactly sure how this goes. Does anybody have any recommendations or a story similar to this? I have an idea that it might be pancreas or gallbladder related or both but nobody can seem to find a cause.

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Hi
Everything that you've described sounds exactly what I'm going through right now. All the conventional trats have come back negative. I've been told I have a functional disorder not a mechanical one. Meaning my abdominal motility is out of each without a physical reason. Did you find any answers or solutions. I've tried all the things you've listed and now resorting to hydromorph which I dont want to be taking.

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