Please diagnose my stomach problems for me MNers. Getting desperate....

[shinybootsofleather]

I went to the doctors after what I suspected was two gallbladder attacks in June. I had pain under my ribcage on the right hand side, pain in the right shoulder blade and pain when I inhaled. He decided to refer me for an ultrasound to check for gallstones. The ultrasound showed absolutely nothing apart from a "folded gallbladder" and I am still none the wiser as to what is wrong.
I am obese. I am 5ft 2in and 14 and a half stone but have lost 2 and a half stone recently with a combination of Slimming World, walking, the gym and the 30 Day Shred. I had an emergency CS 13 months ago and have been feeling really crappy since then. I have been feeling really nauseous since June and I have had pain in the top of my stomach when I eat or drink anything (even water). I am also really bloated and my stomach protrudes at the top even though I am exercising a lot. Unsure if this is due to muscle tone being lost during pregnancy or general stomach problems.
Before pregnancy I suffered from IBS (apparently) and was in the stages of being tested for other things. I was being checked at the hospital as I had been having what I thought were constant stomach bugs as well as bouts of stomach pain for ages. Was checked for Crohns and coeliac disease with negative results. Ended up having a colonoscopy (which was "normal"), and was due to have a tube put down my throat before I got pregnant as I couldn't control the symptoms. I had so much time off work with it, I was in danger of being fired. I suffered from pain in the bottom of my stomach as well as the top. Pregnancy seemed to alleviate IBS symptoms however. The stomach problems are now back with a vengeance. The pain now is mostly at the top although I still get occasional cramps at the bottom of my stomach. This is much less frequent than before DS was born however. Stomach problems and stomach pain have been dragging on for around 4 years now. It seemed to kick off when I was completing my MA dissertation leading most doctors to decide that it was stress-related.
The doctor recently prescribed me Omeprazole followed by Lanzoprazole (when that stopped working) for the upper stomach pain as he felt I may have excess acid. I still have pain under my rib cage on the right hand side, in the middle of my back and in my right shoulder-blade. My chest feels really tight as well. Both of these pills made me feel dizzy with blurred vision, constipated and sick. I also felt completely weak and exhausted on Lanzoprazole, which for me was by far the worst of the two. He has since prescribed me Ranitidine (Zantac) which has done very little so far. At least I am not having the bizarre symptoms I had on the the other PPIs though. I have been on Ranitidine since Friday and I know that I may probably need to wait for it to work.

Feeling a bit miserable and sorry for myself at the moment. Any advice from any MNers who have had similar problems or anybody with some advice to alleviate the symptoms? I have to go to the hospital for gastro checks at the end of November.

bump

hi shiny....just got you on my thread. I cant believe it,your symptoms are identical.The nausea is really overpowering isnt it.

im just slighlt worried that it is to do with the pancreas.

Hi alypaly. The whole thing is making me feel like a hypochondriac tbh. I know that there is something wrong with me. I keep going to my doctor but it never gets resolved. I read that you have been to A&E and had pancratitis ruled out. It sounds like you've been through the mill. I hope that you get some resolution to your problems.
I have just been feeling generally ill and sore. Not bad enough for an A&E visit so that's something I suppose. I did not go to A&E when I had my suspected gall bladder attack but feel that I maybe should have done. It did scare me at the time as I thought there was something wrong with my heart or lungs due to pain breathing in.
I know what you mean about the bra thing. I have been off work since Monday and have had to take my bra off as it is sore around the top of my stomach.
I just want my life back now.

Hopeful bump?

Shinybootsofleather. My freind suffered from acid reflux for years, until it was discovered she had a hiatus hernia. Have you ever had an endoscopy? It would show the state of your stomache, whether your have a hernia and also what was going on with your osophegus.(hope that's spelt right!) I'm surprised you were given a prescription for Omeprazole, or other PPIs if they don't know the state of play inside of you. Be careful with the PPIs some can cause thinning hair. Good luck. [smile}

hi shinyboots and aly.
it could have been me writing that post...
i have posted on some similar threads in the past. unfortunately i suffer from the same symptoms as the two of you. although i would not wish it on anyone and am obvisouly very that you are suffering, it always makes me somewhat relieved to read that someone is having such similar compaints.

i have had severe upper abdominal pains ~so bad that I could not walk on occasions~ on the right side too. mine first happened 1.5 years ago, and have since returned at more or less regular intervals, usually a few days before a "period". I say "period" as I have a mirena coil and usually only spot a little around this time. My GP referred to a gall bladder specialist, who was so convinced it was gall stones that he wanted to book me in for an op there and then. On ultrasound there were no stones. On the second ultrasound there were no stones. On CT scan there were no stones. I have since has an endoscope up and down holes cameras should never go really... No results.
I am now being pushed into the IBS corner.

Was wondering if your symptoms are also cyclic? I have been asking to be referred to a gynaecologist or at least someone who is specialised in the field of hormones, as my complaints are so tied in with my hormonal cyclus. I have heard/read on here several posts referring to endometriosis, and have been wondering if there is a blood test, or at least something simple/non-invasive that could preliminarily test for this (as the circuit of doctors that i am involved with now do not seem to take me seriously when i mention this).

WRT relief from your pains: i have found that the only thing that helps is to put a heat pack (one of those that you can stick in the microwave) on my abdomen and wrap up warm. I also get the chills when i am having my pain attacks. Have not personally had any relief from antacids or related drugs.

All my sympathies and good luck.

shiny i know what you mean about the heart thing. When i had my first bad bout of gall stone pain, i was on the phone to my boyfriend and i just collapsed on the floor with the pain. I told him i thought i was having a heart attack as it hurt that much and he asked me to call an ambulance. it was really scary and took about 12 hours for the pain to subside. This pain that i have now has been constant for 8 days now and does not give me one minutes respite.

Shinyboots, u eat wheat (not sure what are the diets you mention)? Coz that could explain bloating and pain around pancreas (which is prob struggling with digesting carbs).
The quickest way to flat stomach is wheat free which reduces inflammation and bloating.
Celiac test is not always reliable, furthermore, even if not celiac you can still be adversely affected by gluten intolerance/sensitivity.

This may sound totally mad, but have you consulted a good physio or osteopath? Spinal and pelvic problems can cause all sorts of refered pain, yet go completely undetected. Fluctuating hormones can cause symptoms to vary with your cycle, usually getting worse than the norm rather than improving. Pregnancy hormones OTOH often cause back problems to ease.

A few months ago I had terrible pains under my ribs, like a strap tightening around my chest and stopping me breathing, and travelling down my arm. I couldnt eat well, had chronic indigestion and reflux. If the pain had been on the left I would have worried that I was having a heart attack and gone to A&E. But it was on the right, so I went to the Physio. Sure enough, vertebrae in my ribs were compressed, physical therapy released and realigned them, and anti-inflammatories calmed everything down. It took afew sessions, but even after the first there wasa phenomenal improvement, the indigestion and reflux eased, and myappetite improved.

Food for thought? If only to discount a possibility.

Hi mycounty
I have a hospital appointment at the end of November and I assume that they will check whether I have a hiatus hernia. The doc mentioned that an endoscopy may be neccessary. I really don't like the idea of it, but think I will do anything to find out what is wrong with me at the moment. Think they will also check for an ulcer. I don't think the endoscopy will be done at the first appointment as I understand that someone has to be with you due to sedation. I did read about the thinning hair thing. Nothing happening yet (touch wood)
Honneybunny
My symptoms are not particularly worse during my period. Not sure if hormones are to blame. I know what you mean about being relieved that you're not the only one with these bizarre symptoms. I am very glad I posted on here for this very reason. I did not have gallstones either according to my ultrasound although I had all the signs. I hope that you get it sorted out. I am starting to lose the will to live myself.
nightcat
I tried gluten-free and lactose-free diets before pregnancy and I still suffered from stomach pains. I take your point that it certainly may be worth thinking about it again. At present, I have limited amounts of lactose and gluten as I am on Slimming World. I am hoping that the more weight comes off, the better I'll feel. The reverse seems to be true so far though . I also do a late shift of 12-8 and find my stomach really plays up more whilst working above the normal 9-5 hours.
PrettyCandles
The muscular thing may be worth talking to the doc about. I will talk to him about it on my next visit. I am not sure though as I am getting heart palpitations. This may be due to the stress and pain however. I am also suffering from the most achey joints known to man.

It takes a long while to detox, so u will feel quite rough whilst you are trying to slim down, when my ds first went gf, he developed other problems that worried me until I realised why (eg fungal infections, leg pains, nose bleeds, ticks and others). That's b/c when eating wheat/gluten, you are starved of nutrients and will be at your lowes point when stopped. Then you need to replenish good stuff when the fat melts away and the toxins that were in tose fat cells come out.
We can't have any substitute carbs either (not sure what's in the SlimWorld?), whether it's xanthan gum or something else, as I get bloated and the worst thing is that I get these windy sounds coming from my tummy and people around can hear them , so I don't eat that any more. Rice cakes or potatoes don't have that effect on me.
Yesterday at breakfast I tried for the 1st time gf crumpet, it was lovely, but hey ho, from about 2pm my tummy started off again, so that's a no-no now too. What do you have for breakfast?

I am convinced you can do it with ditching most carbs, not easy at first, but please be prepapred for a long haul with detox.
BTW, acid reflux is linked to gluten/wheat intolerance and this can damage oesophagus.
ALso, meds for IBS type stuff only cover up symptoms, so don't think of them long-term.
Don't forget to take vit Bs, Zn, omega fats (fats don't make you fat, it's the carbs that make you fat), esp B vits. You could also do a hair test to see what you might be deficient in.
You sound such a switched on gal, you will get through it, all the best.

Two more thoughts, also about multiple, unrelated conditions confusing the picture:

Have you had thyroid function tests in the past year?
How old are you? If you're upper-30s-plus, could you possibly be peri-menopausal?

Both underactive thyroid and peri-menopause can really mess you up, physically and emotionally. Aching joints, thining hair, palpitations, excessive stress-responses can all be caused by hormonal imbalances.

Again, I'm not suggesting that hormonal imbalance is the cause of the problem, bt it could be exacerbating it and confusing the picture.

nightcat
I usually have eggs and mushrooms (in fry light) on toast, 2 weetabix or porridge. You can only have about 2 slices of toast or 2 weetabix a day on Slimming World and need to count it as a healthy extra. I eat much less bread now than I did before I started dieting in February. My stomach problems really kicked off with a vengeance in June when I had the suspected gall-bladder attack. I already eat loads of fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna etc as part of my diet. I know that these are important when you're dieting and they are "free" on SW. Thanks for the advice. It can't hurt to cut out bread/gluten for a bit again to see if it will help.

PrettyCandles
I had thyroid, kidney and liver function tests just before attack. All normal. Also checked for diabetes. All clear..... When the doc told me I felt like screaming "what is wrong with me!". She seemed to think it was stress and exhaustion from traumatic delivery in Sept 09 and EMCS. Think I suffered from (undiagnosed) PND after DS born as well. I am 32. A bit young to be having all these health problems TBH. Will ask the specialist about hormonal imbalance as well.

nightcat Sorry, forgot to mention that Slimming World isn't a low carb or GF diet. It just promotes eating veg/fruit/potatoes/low fat dairy and restricts bread and milk as healthy extras. You can still eat chocolate/crisps etc and they are counted as syns. Website here http://www.slimmingworld.com/

Hello again, you are on the right track mostly, just ditch the wheat stuff and enjoy the rest, you will be surprised how quickly bloating will go, I have been there myself. Chocolate doesn't cause me bloating and you don't need to worry about dairy free either.

shiny your symptoms sound similar to mine i was told i have IBS but when none of the usual treatments worked and the dosage was verging on ridiculous i decided to stop taking them (no point if they didnt do the job IMO) i have basically suffered for the past 12-18 months as the GP just kept saying things would improve if i took the tablets[hhmm] i did some research and found that Coeliac disease seems to fit ALOT of my symptoms and the only definitive way to diagnose it is via gastroscopy/endoscopy and the blood test can be inconclusive. i decided to try going GF and within a week my symptoms had all pretty much disappeared!![hshock] i have since been back to the GP who has sent me for the BT to start with. he advised me to eat all gluten containing foods for a couple of days before the test to raise the immuno-response and he will refer me based on the results.

i really hope you get some answers and things start to improve for you very soon [hsmile]

nightcat I may have to try this. It can't do any harm and may help.

ZombiePandaEatsEis I have spent £21 this month on prescriptions so far. DS is 13 months so I don't get them free any more. We can't really afford it as it is quite a large chunk of our food income. We earn about £25k per year between us. I feel annoyed about it as they have just made me feel worse so far. Randitidine has been OK compared to the PPIs but I am really constipated on it as well. What medication were you given and what were your symptoms if you don't mind me asking? It looks like a GF diet has helped you too.

i had omeprazole, mebeverine and peppermint capsules. i also had to buy antacids and bonjela as i had awful mouth ulcers [hhmm]

my symptoms were/are: bloated, painful stomach (from top right below my rib cage), pains on the right side around the liver area, a funny sort of empty 'cold feeling' pain in the middle at the top of my abdomin, heartburn and mouth ulcers, ALOT of wind[hblush] odd and inconsistent bowel movements (constipated one day, diarrhea the next) back pain and twitchy shooting pains below my belly button.

i have also had 3 years of failure to conceive and multiple MCs which can be related to bowel issues (particularly coeliac disease)

i say if the medications are not helping (you should notice a difference withn a week) then stop taking them and dont accept the same ones off the doctor. TBH ranitidine is mainly for heartburn and wont help much with bowel issues lower than the stomach. IIRC they neutralise the acid and therefore your food would not be properly digested so making you constipated.

Thanks ZombiePandaEatsEis. I am really sorry to hear of the MCs and problems TTC. That must be really tough.
I have been more "burpy" than usual. Not so much wind. Just constipated since taking tablets. I have until Friday and then I will have been taking randitidine for a week. The pain is marginally better than before but still bloated and sore back/ribs/stomach. Are you feeling any better at the moment with the GF diet?

i really have seen an improvement TBH[hsmile] i have cut down drastically on the gluten in my diet and i do notice now when i eat things containing gluten i get my symptoms back within the hour[hshock]

I might try peppermint capsules in the meantime. I found that they irritated IBS slightly previously, but this looks as if it may be something different.

Shinybootsofleather. Glad your going for endoscopy, this should reveal a lot, and will put your mind at rest as to what is going on with your stomache. Don't worry about the procedure, once you're sedated you don't know wat's going on! You wake up a bit groggy and they tell you what they have or have not found. Good luck.

I hope your doctor has done a blood test to rule out h.pylori? It a bug that lives in the stomach acid and causes similar pains to yours. PPIs do not cure it. Antibiotics do.

I had 6 months of gall bladder attacks, during which I had 2 endoscopies and an ultrasound, both of which came back negative for gallstones or stomach ulcers.

When I eventually keeled over and had the op to look at my gallbladder, the surgeon found it was full of gallstone 'gravel', very small gallstones which don't show up on scans or ultrasound tests. The gravel can move along the bile duct and cause all the same symptoms as the larger stones, plus they can irritate the pancreas causing nausea and bloating.

Hope this might help :)