Comments on: Causes of Left Side Abdominal (Stomach) Pain

By: Jan Modric

Jan Modric — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:08:50 +0000

Hannah,

all details about the bowel movement (smell of the bile, starts as solid then loose stool..), bowel color, does stool floats, is there any mucus and all other details of your current and past medical history can be of big importance to get proper diagnosis.
Check medical history questionnaire> and write down any symptoms, previous results of tests, past and current medications, eventual surgeries…in a chronological way.

One thougt I had, maybe you have developed colonic adhesions – a scar-like tissue conecting the colon and a certain adjacent organ, pulling the colon from its original position and causing its blockage. Endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are common causes. Maybe salmonella could cause such scars within the colo – colonoscopy would show this.

- Stool culture shows eventual bacterial infection (chronic food poisoning?)
- Cl-Diff test shows Cl-Diff toxin
- Ova and parasites (O&P) test shows intestinal parasites.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:51:20 +0000

No I haven’t had any of those tests done I have struggled to get anything done apart from being put on antispasmodic medication. i’ve pushed for more investugation and have had a sigmoid endoscopy but nothing showed up and they have told me it is IBS due to me having sallmonella which they think is the original trigger but I just didn’t think IBS could be this severe. My FODMAP diet is STRICT it’s not low FODMAP more like no FODMAP however this still doesn’t seem to be problem free it is better but far from perfect and they just keep telling me to continue as they’re sure this will work I think they are getting fed up to be honest but they are not the ones living like this. What are those other tests you have referred to what would they be looking for. Thank you for your quick reply I have an appointment with a consultant tomorrow (although have had to pay to privately as not getting anywhere through my GP) I shall ask about these tests.

By: Jan Modric

Jan Modric — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:09:40 +0000

Hannah,

I guess you’ve had some stool tests for bacteria and parasites. There’s also overgrowth of Clostridium difficile bacterium possible (barnyard smell is typical) and this requires a separate test – stool test for C-Diff toxin.

How strict is your low-FODMAP diet?

By: Hannah

Hannah — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:57:22 +0000

Where do I start? I have been suffering with this condition now for 8 years. I went on holiday when I was 18 to Cyprus which is where i believe this all started. Whilst away I was hospitalised with salmonella which was horrendous, after returning to the UK I continued to have quite an upset stomach and a trip to the doctors saw me on a course of anti biotics which cleared it up. However this was only the beginning of worse to come. I began to have stomach cramps followed by diarrhoea directly after eating, and periods of constipation which after several months I consulted the doctor to be told I had IBS. Over the course of the next couple of years I have changed my diet and have also been prescribed colofac, mebeverine, laxatives, fybogel etc. but the problems have just got worse.
In the last three years my life has become hell. Eating is something people take for granted as every time I put anything in my mouth, including some drinks; I am waiting to see the outcome. I have learned what to expect, after eating if 20-30minutes have gone by with no pain then I have got off lightly whereas if I start to hear gurgling or any pain I know I’m in for it. The pain begins with stomach cramps/spasms which increase in severity until I need to make a run to the toilet. There have been times when the pain has got too much and I have actually vomited or experienced pins and needles in my hands and feet before passing out on the bathroom floor. It is almost as if my body is getting rid of what I have just eaten in record time and once it gets through my system I have violent diarrhoea. The whole process of cramps then diarrhoea repeats about 3-4 times until there seems to be nothing left after which I am completely exhausted and feel like I have done ten rounds with Mike Tyson and usually need to go to bed and sleep. During the spasms I can often hear the gurgling inside I become grey looking and sweat profusely needing to strip off and becoming soaked in sweat. The diarrhoea can be very painful, there is often blood in the toilet which could be from the piles I have incurred from all of this, and it smells horrible almost like a bile smell like something is off and can sometimes be yellowy in colour.
On one occasion my partner phoned an ambulance upon me passing out and hitting the floor I was rolling around the landing upon their arrival stark naked before running to the toilet with diarrhoea foolishly I didn’t go into hospital as by this point I just wanted to go to sleep.
This is something that has been going on for too long, I have had many trips to the doctor where I have sat sobbing only to be told once again that it is IBS and in the words of one doctor ‘it’s in your head deal with it’. It only seems to be getting worse I have had to take time off work which is not thought to highly of at work it’s bad enough having time to go to see the doctors which in their eyes is inconvenient. I really cannot cope anymore, I don’t know how much more I can take, and if this is what life holds for me then it’s cruel. I am only 25 I have a good diet I don’t drink, smoke etc. and just to be able to eat something without actually feeling like someone is stabbing you or without messing yourself if you don’t get to a toilet would be a dream come true. I know lots of people with IBS but none who suffer with the pain and spasms to the extent I do. It also often feels like part of my bowel may not be working or something is getting stuck as it seems to feel like I am completely full (despite passing small BM on a daily basis) and when the spasms start it feels like everything is being forced through and I have solid stools firstly followed by diarrhoea and this is on mass. I have had a sigmoid endoscopy and everything looks fine and I am now on the FODMAP diet and whilst the episodes are further apart they are more severe. Please help me as no one else will I am willing to try anything to take control of my life back but am beginning to lose faith

By: Jan Modric

Jan Modric — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:18:55 +0000

KatieS,

can you identify any trigger (exercise, meal..) or time of the day when pain occurs, or is it completely random?

Any burning urination, blood in urine around the painful event? Changed bowel habit in the last year?

Sharp transient pain occurs in spasm of a tubular organ (urether, Fallopian tube, intestine) and ovarian cysts.

You should consider:

- Ultrasound of kidneys that can detect eventual urinary stones (that travel down to the lower part of the ureter and temporarly lodge within it and cause pain) and
- gynecological examination with eventual investigations as instructed by your doctor

By: KatieS

KatieS — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:13:42 +0000

Hey Jan.
I’m a 19 year-old female. About a year ago I felt a sharp and VERY strong tearing pain in my lower left abdomen. The pain is more specifically two to three inches in from my hip and it seems to move . . . . It only lasted about 10 minutes. Throughout the year it has happened 5-10 more times. Each time it’s just as bad (move you to tears, bad). Any idea what this could be?

By: sonson

sonson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:46:04 +0000

thank you for your help

By: sonson

sonson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:45:26 +0000

while i was at urgent care i insisted they check me for a uti. they said the culture was negative. It seems that the pain is lasting longer each time that i feel it and also becomming more painful which is why I am so worried about going to the right specialist the first time around.

By: Jan Modric

Jan Modric — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:35:39 +0000

To sonson.

Did you have any abdominal pain before starting antibiotics, and was it on the same site as you feel it now? I mean, would you say that uti has came back – any cloudy urine or burning at urination?
If not, and if you have no loose stools, obgyn could be a good choice.

You can check this medical history questionnaire to prepare yourself for an appointment. You can mention to the doctor in advance, you are not constipated or having diarrhea, so the doc can concentrate on other causes.

By: sonson

sonson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:57:34 +0000

by the way I am a 26yr old female who is definitely not pregnang