Abdominal Pain question/need help
#27500 - 11/17/03 01:22 PM
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Tweety
Reged: 11/17/03
Posts: 5
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Hi. I'm new here and just thought I would ask if there is anyone out there who has had a similar experience as me.
I have had constant pain (like a gnawing pain and pressure pushing from the inside out) in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen for 5 months. (It is mainly in the soft area just under my ribs and a bit in the epigastric area too)
The pain is constant, it does not move to other areas and never goes away. It gets worse when I eat - anything. I cannot eat more than baout 4 oz w/out experiencing terrible pain. I have lost about 20+ pounds and counting...and I was small to begin with.
I do not have diarhhea or constipation or any bowel symptoms for that matter. Just pain all the time.
I have seen a tons of docs (2 GIs, Infectious disease, nephrologist, urologist, gynecologist) all in a desperate effort to discover the source of the pain.
I have had a battery of tests (CAT, Upper GI, HIDA scan, endoscopy (twice) and many blood/urine tests) and no one can figure out what is wrong w/ me. I am on elavil, which is not working for the pain.
Now my GI wants to put me on Zelnorm to see if I respond.
I know that this is a drug for IBS.
Is it possible to have IBS and only have abdominal pain as a symptom?
Has anyone had a similar experience?
Thanks...
Edited by Tweety (11/18/03 12:57 PM)
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Hi - I don't think your symptoms match IBS. The definition is here web page and as you'll see pain without bowel dysfunction does not match the diagnostic criteria. Also, IBS pain is typically lower abdomen, not upper. Finally, constant unrelenting pain for months on end is also not IBS - IBS symptoms are intermittent.
I'd be very leery to try Zelnorm, which is for constipation and bloating in association with IBS pain. It doesn't sound like you even have these symptoms. Zelnorm info is here web page
I'm not sure what to say except to keep your pushing your docs (or find new ones) for a better diagnosis. You can't be told you have IBS just because docs can't find anything else wrong with you. IBS is not a black hole diagnosis (at least, it shouldn't be!)
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Heather,
I 100% agree. I have read about IBS, Chron's, Celiac and so many other abdominal syndromes and NONE of them seem to match my symptoms. It seems that many docs do sort of fall back on IBS as a diagnosis when they don't know what else could be wrong. I also know that Zelnorm can have some pretty heavy side effects and I especially don't want to take a pill and risk enduring side effects to treat a problem I may not even have.
Thanks for the comments.
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