Chronic Abdominal Pain

Hi everyone,I went to the ER twice in the last few months. The pain started down there in sharp pains. Then progressed to the right side of my abdomen, I was worried it was appendicitis so I went to the ER. They ran every test in the hospital and everything came back fine. my abdomen has been hurting for months now whether it's the left or right side sometimes even the center of my stomach. No idea what's wrong, and pain is bad. Anyone have any ideas? experience?

I would see gi dr. As well as to your pcp to request additional testing if you’re still having pain. That’s not normal. Hope you feel better!!!

Hi everyone,I went to the ER twice in the last few months. The pain started down there in sharp pains. Then progressed to the right side of my abdomen, I was worried it was appendicitis so I went to the ER. They ran every test in the hospital and everything came back fine. my abdomen has been hurting for months now whether it's the left or right side sometimes even the center of my stomach. No idea what's wrong, and pain is bad. Anyone have any ideas? experience?

Hi everyone,I went to the ER twice in the last few months. The pain started down there in sharp pains. Then progressed to the right side of my abdomen, I was worried it was appendicitis so I went to the ER. They ran every test in the hospital and everything came back fine. my abdomen has been hurting for months now whether it's the left or right side sometimes even the center of my stomach. No idea what's wrong, and pain is bad. Anyone have any ideas? experience?

Hello,
I previously went to the ER twice because my abdomen was hurting. The first time, the doctors didn't do anything, but the second time, they did CT scans, a sonogram, a blood test, and urine tests. All came back fine, but I have still been having pain. Fast forward a few months I have been put on birth control to determine if it's female issues or other problems going on. I started the birth control like a month and a half ago, this month I have started my period for the THIRD time, Ive been crying for the past hour because the pain is so bad, and it's not a period cramp pain its the abdomen pain. For the past week or so ***TMI*** when I wiped its been a black substance... don't know if that means anything.

Hello,
I previously went to the ER twice because my abdomen was hurting. The first time, the doctors didn't do anything, but the second time, they did CT scans, a sonogram, a blood test, and urine tests. All came back fine, but I have still been having pain. Fast forward a few months I have been put on birth control to determine if it's female issues or other problems going on. I started the birth control like a month and a half ago, this month I have started my period for the THIRD time, Ive been crying for the past hour because the pain is so bad, and it's not a period cramp pain its the abdomen pain. For the past week or so ***TMI*** when I wiped its been a black substance... don't know if that means anything.

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.

Hi! I’ve had abdominal pain specifically on my lower left side for about a year now. This came out of no where and one day I woke up with his pain. I thought I was constipsted so I started taking all these laxatives and they weren’t really working. I tried drinking miralax and that didn’t really work either. I would drink it every morning and night everyday for weeks. It occasionally is on my right side and it’s really bad to the point where I get episodes and it’s this really sharp cramping pain and I can’t walk and it radiates to my back down my left leg. The pain is always there and never goes away no matter what I do. I think it’s gas pains and constipation but even if I pass gas or go to the bathroom the pain doesn’t fully go away. It’s like period cramps X10. I’ve gotten a colonoscopy, endoscopy (they told me I have a little gastritis), I’ve gotten SIBO testing, 2 stool tests and a bunch of other blood work and everything is negative. I’ve tried all the pain killers, my doctor even proscribed me these pills for muscle relaxation and it didn’t work. Nothing I take really works and I just want an answer or something that will help with this pain. I’ve been taking laxatives, miralax, Metamucil, and now I’m on linzess and it’s been 2 weeks and it’s sort of helping but the pain is still there. I’m wondering if I should stop everything and see if it gets any better. I’m also trying all the natural remedies to “heal my gut” but even eating right isn’t doing it for me.

Hi! I’ve had abdominal pain specifically on my lower left side for about a year now. This came out of no where and one day I woke up with his pain. I thought I was constipsted so I started taking all these laxatives and they weren’t really working. I tried drinking miralax and that didn’t really work either. I would drink it every morning and night everyday for weeks. It occasionally is on my right side and it’s really bad to the point where I get episodes and it’s this really sharp cramping pain and I can’t walk and it radiates to my back down my left leg. The pain is always there and never goes away no matter what I do. I think it’s gas pains and constipation but even if I pass gas or go to the bathroom the pain doesn’t fully go away. It’s like period cramps X10. I’ve gotten a colonoscopy, endoscopy (they told me I have a little gastritis), I’ve gotten SIBO testing, 2 stool tests and a bunch of other blood work and everything is negative. I’ve tried all the pain killers, my doctor even proscribed me these pills for muscle relaxation and it didn’t work. Nothing I take really works and I just want an answer or something that will help with this pain. I’ve been taking laxatives, miralax, Metamucil, and now I’m on linzess and it’s been 2 weeks and it’s sort of helping but the pain is still there. I’m wondering if I should stop everything and see if it gets any better. I’m also trying all the natural remedies to “heal my gut” but even eating right isn’t doing it for me.

Hi! I’ve had abdominal pain specifically on my lower left side for about a year now. This came out of no where and one day I woke up with his pain. I thought I was constipsted so I started taking all these laxatives and they weren’t really working. I tried drinking miralax and that didn’t really work either. I would drink it every morning and night everyday for weeks. It occasionally is on my right side and it’s really bad to the point where I get episodes and it’s this really sharp cramping pain and I can’t walk and it radiates to my back down my left leg. The pain is always there and never goes away no matter what I do. I think it’s gas pains and constipation but even if I pass gas or go to the bathroom the pain doesn’t fully go away. It’s like period cramps X10. I’ve gotten a colonoscopy, endoscopy (they told me I have a little gastritis), I’ve gotten SIBO testing, 2 stool tests and a bunch of other blood work and everything is negative. I’ve tried all the pain killers, my doctor even proscribed me these pills for muscle relaxation and it didn’t work. Nothing I take really works and I just want an answer or something that will help with this pain. I’ve been taking laxatives, miralax, Metamucil, and now I’m on linzess and it’s been 2 weeks and it’s sort of helping but the pain is still there. I’m wondering if I should stop everything and see if it gets any better. I’m also trying all the natural remedies to “heal my gut” but even eating right isn’t doing it for me.