Does anyone know what this could be? Abdominal area-related

[MeOnSea]

This has happened to me twice now. The first time. I saw a GP a few days later who felt my abdominal area and wasn’t worried, focusing on the anaemia that came up in my blood tests they ran. But I’m concerned it’s happened again and want some ideas of things to ask when I follow up with GP.

in both cases, late evening I’ve felt like I’ve had some trapped wind. It’s got worse as the night goes on with intense central pain above my ribs. Almost feels like somethings blocked/stomach’s not quite working, but I’ve been able to poo. Feels like farting might help but not much happening. Lots of belching and loud gurgling noises. Then the pain gets more intense, almost contraction-like, coming in waves, still can’t sleep. Pain also a bit on the left and over and below belly button area. Eventually start being a bit sick (mainly bile), feels like from the pain. Just when I think I can’t take any more pain, am violently sick, maybe 9-10 hours later, and the pain finally decreases and I start to get some sleep.

The second episode was last night, feel utterly battered and scared of the pain happening again. The two instances were about 3 months apart, both about 3 days after ovulation (may be a coincidence).

Has anyone had anything like this? I will go back to GP but wondering what to ask for? Didn’t feel like a normal stomach bug…

Have you had a scan to check your gallbladder?

I have suffered with issues like this for years but never vomit with it. Mine (after many tests) has always came back with an IBS diagnosis but my friend, who had similar issues but with the vomiting you described, discovered it was actually gallstones, since her gallbladder has been removed she is now fine.

It may be worth asking for an abdominal ultrasound scan.

Thank you, no scans yet, I feel like I want someone to take a look and see what’s happening

Crohn's disease? My crohn's attacks feel like contractions and only subside after I've been sick or done a poo. Usually it will start after lunch, a lunch consisting of something I cannot digest, like salad. The pain will start at around 3pm, in waves, like every hour a stitch/stabbing type pain, it builds up and becomes more frequent, by, say 6pm it's getting pretty uncomfortable, by 9 or 10pm very horrible, no sleep, trying to be sick or poo, eventually if I'm lucky by 2am I've done one of the two and can finally sleep. The following few days my stomach feels bruised. Tender. The pain feels like contractions, waves of pain.

This describes my gallstone symptoms to a tee.

Very similar to by gall bladder problems

Gall bladder or pancreas, that sounds like stones passing.

Does it happen after higher fat meals?

I'd asked for an ultrasound on your gall bladder.

I've posted before but my gall stones pain was absolutely horrific and used to come on so suddenly and was similar to your description.

Thanks for all the messages, I feel encouraged that it’s worth pushing for some further exploration. Out of interest, those with gallstones, how did you get diagnosed? And @BusterGonad isnt Crohn’s something that you always have, I’d assumed it wasn’t something you could ‘get’ later on in life.

whatever’s going on with me, solidarity to all of you who’ve been through similar pain, it’s horrible

Abdominal scan will show gallbladder problems. GP should refer you.

My first thought was gallstones too.

Yep another vote for gallbladder issues, absolutely horrendous!

I've got what sounds very similar. After an endoscopy 2 weeks ago the biopsies came back stating I have Helicobacter Pylori and chronic gastritis.

Mention this to GP as it took me SO LONG to get this diagnoses. I'm now on 2 types of antibiotics and omeprazole.

At first they thought it was my reproductive system, then they thought gall stones, then they thought bowel (had a colonoscopy) ... found a polyp but that was all really.

Until finally! Endoscopy found the issue. (Also note, they found I was anaemic also)

Hope you get well really soon! Send an update if you can x

Yup I got a semi official diagnosis by my GP pushing on my abdomen and me practically hitting the ceiling ... Confirmed by an ultrasound shortly after.

You can have 1 attack and none for years after or once they start get them very close together. It seems to vary person by person.

Yes mine were like this, there was no pattern apart from usually started after eating, but otherwise there was no link by type of food (made it hard to eliminate!) and I could go months between attacks - good job as I thought I was dying each time

I would second maybe gallstones.
My gallstone pain sounded very, very similar to this .
if you can, take some anti inflammatory painkiller, high dose Ibuprofen/ naproxen.

I didn’t recognise pain as gallstones and treated it as wind, indigestion , constipation and I took all the painkillers/ medication I could (but never anti inflammatory)
Nothing worked… until I took 600mg ibuprofen one night.
sorted out pain really quickly.
saw my GP, told them my my suspicion,
had an ultrasound scan, I had gallstones.
Had my gallbladder out 9 years ago,
best thing I ever did.
Your symptoms sound really similar OP.

@MeOnSea I think I've had it all my life but only mild symptoms and things unrelated to the obvious stomach issues, I'd have the stomach issues once every few years then nothing, but after I had my son at about the age of 35 things really started ramping up, I'd get an attack once a month, teamed with other things like dry skin around my eyes, extreme fatigue etc. The doctors weren't convinced it was crohn's but after reading others experiences and from my past unrelated stomach issues I knew it was. Tests confirmed that it was. The thing with crohn's it's like putting a puzzle together as it can effect you from your mouth (ulcers, cracks in corners of lips) your anus, your eyes, your joints, make you extremely tired, cause lumps on your shins. I remember in my late teens having a specialist appointment about lumps on my shins (Erythema nodosum) and the doctor asking me if I had a tummy ache, I didn't, but I'd obviously had crohns my whole life so my normal is probably everyone else's ache!