I'm really worried this time...

[Livia]

hey y'all...how's everyone been?

I'm back & not feeling good...

this time I'm really worried about my abdominal pain and back pain...it's definitely worse this time...I just don't know what this is in my upper abdomen that keeps going into my mid-back.... it always starts with a few sharp stabs above my belly button..they're very sharp and stop me right in my tracks....then the constant pain unfolds for several days....

but this time I realised I was highly bloated like never before in my life...and my back is so sore, I can't find a comfortable sitting or sleeping position...I'm soooo confused as to what this is & extremely worried this time....I have some nausea that comes & goes, but stools & urine is normal & no fever....

Does this sound like IBS? or colon-related issues? it'll be another month before I can see any doc...I don't know what to do...

[meirish]

Have you been to emergency room. This is an interesting pain and I can't remember if you have been checked for this before. Have you been checked for appendix was it can have some weird pain. If you see the doc they should do blood work and check your white count for signs of infection.

Also, gallbladder also has weird symptoms of pain....but I just seem to think that you have had that checked out. A pain that seems to be noted in the belly button area can be of significance and it would be wise to get checked. Also kidney infections can have weird pains but generally one has chills and feels feverish.

When all is said and done there are times when we just have no real clue what is bothering us and it is necessary to see the doc. If you don't have insurance you might want to see urgent care at your clinic or the hospital...where ever you can find one easily. The charge isn't as much and if they think it is necessary to go to ER they will send you there. THEy can do blood work and X-rays, etc and sometimes they treat you enough to get you through til on Monday.

As far as IBS, that is another issue that gives a person strange pain at time. I have had that off and on for years. Quite frequently that can be lower left side pain. The belly pain is something that is not all that common so it is worth checking into. Good luck,. meirish

Sorry I can't be of much help. Keep us updated on how your are getting along.

[Livia]

Have you been to emergency room. This is an interesting pain and I can't remember if you have been checked for this before. Have you been checked for appendix was it can have some weird pain. If you see the doc they should do blood work and check your white count for signs of infection.

Also, gallbladder also has weird symptoms of pain....but I just seem to think that you have had that checked out. A pain that seems to be noted in the belly button area can be of significance and it would be wise to get checked. Also kidney infections can have weird pains but generally one has chills and feels feverish.

When all is said and done there are times when we just have no real clue what is bothering us and it is necessary to see the doc. If you don't have insurance you might want to see urgent care at your clinic or the hospital...where ever you can find one easily. The charge isn't as much and if they think it is necessary to go to ER they will send you there. THEy can do blood work and X-rays, etc and sometimes they treat you enough to get you through til on Monday.

As far as IBS, that is another issue that gives a person strange pain at time. I have had that off and on for years. Quite frequently that can be lower left side pain. The belly pain is something that is not all that common so it is worth checking into. Good luck,. meirish

Sorry I can't be of much help. Keep us updated on how your are getting along.

hi meirish!

thanks for ur support...yes i did write about this before here...and yes I have been checked for gallbladder last year & it was normal.

my pain is upper abdomen area, not really in belly button though...and it does go into my back...it feels so weird I can't even describe it

I keep thinking if stomach ulcers can have this pain too?? but I heard they don't cause back pain...

last year when this happened, I needed to burp constantly like every 10 mins...I was on club soda the whole day & indigestion like crazy....but this time it's only nausea and bloating

I just don't know what I'm dealing with...

I will try to go to urgent care asap...thanks a lot for ur support. If someone else has any ideas? Does anyone have experience with stomach/peptic ulcers can share their symptoms or tell me if mine sound familiar?? thanks

[meirish]

Just out of curiosity, what are you taking for your heartburn? Are you taking Protonix? I have had to take H2 inhibitors for many years and at one time I was put on Protonix and it felt like my GI tract quit moving things along. I got very bloated and felt like I had something sitting in my stomach. Belched occasionally also.

Then, another thing that can cause things to sort of bloat and cause misery is gastroparesis. This is when the nerves in your GI tract stop or slow down and food just sits. Essentially the nerves that promote the peristalsis of your GI tract quit working and the bowel quits moving food, air, liquid, mucus, etc through. Sits in one place and causes misery. Just another thought. This involves seeing your GI doc and more testing. Good luck. meirish

[Liz D.]

Livia,

I’ve been through something very similar.  Was miserable for about a year before getting to a gastroenterologist.  I was in constant pain and burping continuously.  Anyway, after an X-ray, the gastroenterologist said he thought it was severe constipation and some blockage up in my transverse colon.  But I was going to the bathroom!  He said enough was getting through to still be going but the dryness and the curve of the transverse colon was blocking a lot of it causing the pain in my stomach.

I hope this isn’t TMI, but he put me on a four day colon cleanse with mineral oil, prune juice and citrate of magnesia.  It was not a fun four days, but boy, did it work!  I was so thankful!  I hope you can get some answers soon.  I can post the 4 day regiment if you have any interest.

Liz D.

[vrystaat]

Pain of unknown origin always needs a CT Scan. Abdominal pain needs to be carefully examined by your Doctor. I would preferably see a Gastro-enterologist.
Please don't wait any longer.

[meirish]

The constipation theory is very valid. People with Sjogrens don't produce enough mucus in their stomach and colon to keep it slippery enough for stool to slide through easily. Makes for stool slowing down and getting backed up.

I go through this over the years and it is happening again. I have, in the past week decided that besides Benefiber, which really has helped decrease a lot of my stomach gas and pain, I have decided that I need to make sure that I get more oil in my diet. If we take mineral or castor oil on a regular basis we can get in trouble with depleting fluid from our colon and also losing our oil soluble vitamins.

I guess my idea is that I am going to add more olive oil to my diet by sprinkling on my vegetable and extra on my salads. I don't know that I will do this daily but will do it slowly a few times a week and see what happens. Who knew that bowels could have so many things that annoy us. Good luck. I do believe that a visit and good talk with GI doc is something that would help get more assessment of your problem. meirish

[Livia]

Just out of curiosity, what are you taking for your heartburn? Are you taking Protonix? I have had to take H2 inhibitors for many years and at one time I was put on Protonix and it felt like my GI tract quit moving things along. I got very bloated and felt like I had something sitting in my stomach. Belched occasionally also.

Then, another thing that can cause things to sort of bloat and cause misery is gastroparesis. This is when the nerves in your GI tract stop or slow down and food just sits. Essentially the nerves that promote the peristalsis of your GI tract quit working and the bowel quits moving food, air, liquid, mucus, etc through. Sits in one place and causes misery. Just another thought. This involves seeing your GI doc and more testing. Good luck. meirish

hi...well as of right now, I haven't been taking anything for my heartburn for the past year...it was only the omeprazole way back when but stopped it all since it was of no use

by the way, meirish I took ur advice and I stopped by the urgent care today but they couldn't see me because my insurance isn't active right now...    so should I go to the ER?

[Livia]

Livia,

I’ve been through something very similar.  Was miserable for about a year before getting to a gastroenterologist.  I was in constant pain and burping continuously.  Anyway, after an X-ray, the gastroenterologist said he thought it was severe constipation and some blockage up in my transverse colon.  But I was going to the bathroom!  He said enough was getting through to still be going but the dryness and the curve of the transverse colon was blocking a lot of it causing the pain in my stomach.

I hope this isn’t TMI, but he put me on a four day colon cleanse with mineral oil, prune juice and citrate of magnesia.  It was not a fun four days, but boy, did it work!  I was so thankful!  I hope you can get some answers soon.  I can post the 4 day regiment if you have any interest.

Liz D.

Hi Liz,

thanks for ur support...so does that mean u have gastroparesis? I'm really curious to know

[Livia]

Pain of unknown origin always needs a CT Scan. Abdominal pain needs to be carefully examined by your Doctor. I would preferably see a Gastro-enterologist.
Please don't wait any longer.

thanks for ur help...I just hope the doctors take me seriously this time...last time this happened to me, they didn't take me seriously and just brushed it off for whatever reason.

[Linda196]

Just a word of caution. All of these suggestions regarding constipation and blockages are accurate and possible causes of your problem, but I would be very careful about following any extreme cleansing protocol without medical guidance.

I am aware that present circumstances make that difficult, so possibly on your own you could start slowly, as Meirish suggested, and maybe increase fluids, use a gentle stool softener, and adjust your diet in  any way that, for you, has helped regulate your bowels.

Certain pain medications, like those containing codeine or other opiates, can be constipating, and lack of regular, even very light, exercise can also play a factor.

[Liz D.]

Livia,

The gastroenterologist never said I had gastroparesis.  You really need to get to a gastroenterologist.  And Linda is absolutely right about staying away from any colon cleanse without seeing the gastroenterologist first.  What works for one person could be dangerous for another. 

Liz D.

[meirish]

I will add that it is up to you whether you go to urgent care, but sometimes these visits can lead to referrals or new ideas on how to treat a condition. I always agonize over going to urgent care and when I end up going it seems that I don't regret it after the fact.

We have a condition that causes us so many weird conditions that we get befuddled about who to see and what to do. I think this is a big problem at times. I know that in the middle of a confusing condition that is needing attention we can develop another condition that needs attention and we can  sit and wonder which specialist to go to first.

All we can do is the best we can. It can add to added expense but all we can do is make arrangements for a payment plan and keep on keeping on. It things are really tough financially a person would check with social services and see if these is someway to get some help. Take care and hope you can make arrangement to see a doc or PA in the near future. meirish

[Livia]

I will add that it is up to you whether you go to urgent care, but sometimes these visits can lead to referrals or new ideas on how to treat a condition. I always agonize over going to urgent care and when I end up going it seems that I don't regret it after the fact.

We have a condition that causes us so many weird conditions that we get befuddled about who to see and what to do. I think this is a big problem at times. I know that in the middle of a confusing condition that is needing attention we can develop another condition that needs attention and we can  sit and wonder which specialist to go to first.

All we can do is the best we can. It can add to added expense but all we can do is make arrangements for a payment plan and keep on keeping on. It things are really tough financially a person would check with social services and see if these is someway to get some help. Take care and hope you can make arrangement to see a doc or PA in the near future. meirish

Yes, I totally agree with you. Thanks a lot for your support. I'm going to take action this time and get myself over to a GI...But what should I do if they just roll their eyes & brush it off and send me on my way?? They just don't take us sjogrens people seriously anymore. I'm fed up and that's why I've been careless about seeing anyone.

[Livia]

Livia,

The gastroenterologist never said I had gastroparesis.  You really need to get to a gastroenterologist.  And Linda is absolutely right about staying away from any colon cleanse without seeing the gastroenterologist first.  What works for one person could be dangerous for another. 

Liz D.

Just a word of caution. All of these suggestions regarding constipation and blockages are accurate and possible causes of your problem, but I would be very careful about following any extreme cleansing protocol without medical guidance.

I am aware that present circumstances make that difficult, so possibly on your own you could start slowly, as Meirish suggested, and maybe increase fluids, use a gentle stool softener, and adjust your diet in  any way that, for you, has helped regulate your bowels.

Certain pain medications, like those containing codeine or other opiates, can be constipating, and lack of regular, even very light, exercise can also play a factor.

Thank you all for your support and input. Wish me luck. And best of luck to everyone during this time.