Really sore tummy - what do you think?

[tinkywinkyshandbag]

Hi all, went to the docs today as I go on holiday on Friday but have had a very sore tummy for the past couple of days, started off feeling sick, then progressed to bloating/pain. Mostly upper tummy around and above my belly button, but sometimes across my whole abdomen. I feel very bloated and very tender. The discomfort is pretty continuous but with occasional waves of pain. I am right off my food, no appetite. No fever, no vomiting, no diarrhea. Dr. ruled out gallbladder and didn't seem to think it was my appendix. She has given me some antacid/ulcer type tablets. I am worried that it may in fact be my appendix even though I am not feeling the classic low pain on the RHS in particular as we go on hols on Friday. What do you think? I have a high pain threshold but this feels really quite sore.

I get those sorts of symptoms too (blaoting/tender/waves of pain) and the doc usually says it's gastritis (for which tablets like omprezole and ranitidine usually work), but since you've already seen the doc they've clearly already ruled that sort of thing out.

Bumping for you in case any of the night owls have any ideas.

Agree. It sounds more like gastritis. Perhaps look at your diet. Try and cut down on fatty and acidic foods to let your stomach have a rest. I find that a bland diet helps to calm the symptoms down. I tend to eat bananas and porridge when I feel really rough. I also avoid wine, tomatoes, citrus fruits, etc until the soreness abates.

Go back to your gp if you continue to feel unwell. You might need further investigations of your stomach in the long run.

How did your GP rule out other things?

I had h.pylori infection which started off much as you describe. It took my Gp 4 months to agree with Dr Google () that that was what I had, but she'd sent me for scans and all sorts first. Obv you need a bloodtest to establish if it is that though.

Gastritis covers a range of things really, I still get it occasionally (right now in fact!) Gastrocote from behind the pharmacy counter is a good one (and cheap as chips cf to Gaviscon etc) I was on omeprazole for months, but didn't like the "rawness" it left me with. Peppermint oil capsules from Holland and Barret help me too.

If you are going on holiday tomorrow, I guess there isn't much you can do other than stock up on tummy remedies and then if it is still sore when you get back, go back to the GP.
Hope you have a nice holiday.

Hi all thanks, I woke up this morning feeling quite a bit less tender, a bit washed out but not too bad. Doc had in fact given me omeprazole so I guess she did think it was gastritis, but I decided not to take it just now as my tummy already feels less painful but will take it with me just in case. I am no wimp but that sure was sore! Funnily enough I have eaten barely anything the past couple of days but bananas was one thing I could eat. Am sticking to a bland diet and will try and lay off the rich food and booze on hols. Thanks all.

Just to let you know when I had appendicitis the pain started with a general pain in the centre then eventually settled in the rhs . Hope you find out what it is or it just goes away by itself !

Btw, an empty stomach/poor intake will make the symptoms worse as the acid produced will be sloshing around so try to eat small amounts of bland food. If you are feeling dodgy in the next few days, I would suggest taking the omeprazole regularly as it takes quite a few days to have an effect. Have a good holiday.

Not sure if you've gone on hols already, but just to second the idea of a bland diet so as not to irritate your stomach further. I have a good diet sheet which I use at times like this, and I find that with a few days on a boring old plain diet (sticking to the foods recommended on it) my stomach calms down again and I can eat everything again.

I'll dig it out and see if there's a link on it (it's on a piece of paper in the kitchen) just in case you haven't left yet.

Glad it's starting to get better!

Aha - got it.

Specialised Diets for GI Healing

Just ignore all the other columns and just follow the "Comprehensive Ellimination Diet".

On mine, I have crossed out walnuts since they clearly must have irritated my stomach at one point when I had a sore stomach and was doing this diet. I've also added a note to myself to say "not ham" in the protein column, again because of my own idiosyncrasies. Just letting you know in case that helps.

I find I usually only have to do this for 2-3 days before I'm able to start reintroducing things.