Intense stomach pain after exercise

[ctwiggy]

I'm a teenager, just sixteen and I eat pretty well, but also a good amount of sweets. For a few years I have been having intense pain in my stomach/abdominal area after I play soccer and/or run untill I'm very tired. I started going to my doctor first when I was thirteen about this and she has not the slightest idea what is going on. I read the tag about stomach pains after tennis and my syptoms (symptoms) sound very similar. I am in good shape and exercise regulairly, and it only happens on random days spread by weeks of no problems, and it only happens when I push myself to my limits. I have asthma, but I can outrun any person in my school so I do not think that is a problem. When it happens I usually can't sit still and it feels as if someone is driving a knife into my stomach. It only last for about an hour, and I find drinking water and eating helps ease the pain. If anyone has any ideas please get back to me because it has become more frequent recently and my parents worry it might be accociated with diabetes because my grandfather had it (type 2). thanks.

[JainMD]

Hi,
I feel what symptoms you are describing correlates well with symptoms of Gastric Ulcer.
You should be seeking advice from Pediatric Gastroenterologist.
Antacids and eating bland diet with minimal exercise will help.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.

[1982]

hiya,
I have the exact problem, it normally occurs after footy training when i really push my self, the pain is terrible and aften last for about three to four hours after i often get diarhoea from this too. This all started wen i was about 16yrs old and now im 26 so it shows its not anything major. me to the doctor hast got an idea and prescribed some bowl tablets that didnt work, i now have given up football coz of this which is gutting, but its better than being in pain,

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

The stomach pain could be like you yourself mentioned due to over exertion, another reason could be not eating regularly. Also remember to keep a gap of at least 30-45 min between food and exercise. Make sure you are well hydrated and drink water intermittently even when you are playing or exercising.

[swordfish369]

I have the exact same problem, i excercise regularly so am quite a fit healthy person, but sometimes when i get a little tired, i get such a strong burning pain in my abdomen, which lasts around 15 mins, i also get really dizzy with it and breathless and sometimes when its really bad i get a blackout. My doctor doesnt have a clue, i just thought it might be down to having iron deficiency aneamia, where theres a lack of oxygen in my blood after excercise which causes acid to build up in my legs, abdomen, and taking prescription iron tablets over a few months does help a little. Its probably best to get a blood test done, to check.

[scm303]

My son conplains of this same condition after he races.  He runs cross country.  Has anyone found something that can provide some relief?

I would love to know ***@****

[Triathlete1]

Hi,
I am a Triathlete and experience the same problems after each race though it does vary in episode strength. I have been to a Gastro and he said their was a study done on runners after the Boston Marathon a couple of years ago, unfortunatly they confirmed that many people experience the same symptoms after great exertion but their is still not a good answer on how to prevent it. I find that lowering my carb intake during a race and eating well throughout the day after the race helps. I would hope that somebody in the Gastro world would spend some time figuring out a better solution but for now I was told by my Doc "Deal with it or take up golf". Not such a valuable solution for those of us who love fitness!

[SPRTSCI23]

I can relate to exactly the same symptoms and again it only occurs after very intense exercise. Having done some research one theory i have concluded is that all of my problems are linked to intense dehydration. It all sounds like intensive exercise which is when the body is losing most water. Even drinking constantly during intense exercise you cannot keep up with the rate your body loses water, so it seems to make sense. Will test this theory and see how it goes.

[ck5lock]

also have this problem.I play college basketball and after each game I have the pains.Im also a nursing student so Ive learned about our bodies.I believe there are 2 possible things going on.1- dehydration,if I drink a lot of water after my games it doesn't last long and is not as intense.2nd the pains are from our bodies detoxing the junk out of our systems.Exercise gets our insides moving as well and shakes up all the **** built up.Suggestions: eat some yogurt to get the good bacteria back in your stomach,this will help get your stomach back to a healthy state ,drink some ginger ale or sprite,it neutralizes the stomach acids and will help you burp stuff out.And last stay well hydrated.Hope this helps  

[brett946]

"Deal with it or take up golf" or "minimal exercise will help" are not acceptable answers for most athletes.  If your doctor gives you an answer such as this, I suggest finding a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, or perhaps is an athlete themselves.  Many doctors have good intentions but do not have specific training in regards to athletic related conditions.  They may not understand, for example, that in most cases to tell a runner to stop running is incredibly naive.

As a person who gets these stomach pains intermittently, I have personally found that hydration seems to be a factor, as well nutrition.  Sugar intake seems to correlate to stomach pain in my particular case.  I cut out most refined sugars during college while I was running cross-country and it seemed to help immensely.

[guity]

My problem seems quite similar to yours.  For the past few months, if I go out first thing in the morning with an empty stomach and run 5.5 miles up and down a fairly steep slope, then swim for half an hour, my stomach will churn for hours afterward.  If I drink a quart of water beforehand and 20 ounces of water toward the end of the run, I am usually OK.

What bothers me is that I have been doing my exercise routine for more than 5 years without this ever happening before.  A year ago ultrasound detected a 1/2-inch stone in my right kidney.  I am going to have a procedure done to remove the stone (lithotripsy) and see if things get back to normal...

[guity]

I want to keep documenting this a little bit in case some other poor slob like me searches the web trying to figure what has gone wrong with his/her body...

Well, for me, these symptoms seem to have been caused by a kidney stone.

After a lithotripsy procedure I had a week ago, which uses sound waves to break a kidney stone into small fragments, that specific kind of pain went away for me.  Now I have a bit of a sore kidney from the procedure, and still some stomach upset related to that, but nothing like the 4 or 5 hours I used to spend after a workout, feeling like I had been kicked in the nuts or something...

[Dr Vinod]

Lithotripsy is quite safe and you can go ahead in removing your Kidney stone.
If a kidney stone lodges on the way and gets blocked the pain is intense. This pain goes from all the way from "loin to groin" and very intense.

Keep drinking lots of water while you exercise and a balanced diet is important. Proteins should be the main stay while working out coupled with carbohydrates and minimal fat intake.
Take care

[guity]

Hi DrVinod ,

Thanks for your information.  Perhaps you would be willing to make a connection for me that my doctors either will not or can not: what is the mechanism by which the kidney stone is causing the groin pain?  How is the pain being stretched all the way over to another section of the body?

Now after the lithotripsy I do not get the groin pain any more.  However, if I exercise too many days in a row, and especially if I eat anything more complicated than bread or milk or plain meat, I am still getting intense stomach pains.  They feel as if a little man is located directly below my belly button frantically jabbing a bare-ended electrical wire into the walls of my intestines resulting in a constant stream of short sparks of pain.  

This again raises the same question for me as the original problem: by what mechanism are these kidney issues transferred to cause pain in the stomach/groin area?

Thanks for any info you can provide.

[Dr Vinod]

Your urine passes from kidney into your bladder through a ureter and then from bladder into your male orgain by urethra. When a kidney stone gets lodged in the ureter or some place between loin to groin the pain is unbearable like the jabbing burning pain you are explaining. Just have to check with urologist if anything is there on the way, if there is nothing in an X-ray and also  after passing dye then you are clean and try taking some anti inflammatory drugs and also get yourself checked for hernia by a surgeon.
Your case can be diagnosed by visiting a proper surgeon
Please follow a right course and take care!

[guity]

Thanks DrVinod.

I saw the urologist yesterday and he had the results of a ultra-sound test I took 4 days before.  The test showed that the lithotripsy shrank the kidney stone from 1.2 cm to 1 cm, and that there a few fragments scattered around near (and perhaps in) the ureter.  

The urologist is telling me that the 1 cm left is actually not one hardened mass any more but a collection of dis-associated fragments.  He says I should go back to my exercise routine and grit my way through another month to see what I can pass out of my system, then he will hav an x-ray (KUB) taken of me and we will go from there.

Truthfully, I am a bit nervous about exercising again because I have been happy to go a few days without the pain and am not eager to get it strated again.  On the other hand, if exercising helps me get this wentire ordeal over with more quickly, I guess I will have to just grit my teeth and get back to it...

Thanks again for your input.

[Dr Vinod]

Yes the pain you have explained in the post is "the pain" suffered when you have fragments of stones or small ones dislodged in the ureter, and the smooth muscle contracts and expands to pass on them, which is a natural process by your body to eject the stones. So it was easy for diagnosing your case, because you explained the classical symptoms.
Drinking lots of water and exercise will favour passing on the stone fragments. Take enough pain killers for this and take care and always stay connected with your urologist.

[guity]

Just called the urologist after a follow-up X-ray.  He is reporting that all the stone fragments have passed out of my kidney, but there are two still stuck in my ureter.  He says that one is smaller, and there is a larger one that is .8 millimeters.  He wants me to take a prescription of Flowmax to try to dilate my ureter to try to get rid of the last two stones...

These last 2 stones have not caused any pain for some reason, and for the past month I have been able to work out without pain.  I guess if I can just get rid of these last 2, I will be a very lucky person...

[Dr Vinod]

Very nice to here that. The pain only comes when your ureter contracts contiously to flush out the foreign body. The remaining particles might not been obstructing your urine and for this you are lucky.
Well, dilating the ureter is a good option if it does not come out with Flowmax. There are other methods also, if it fails, discuss with your Urologist, you would be fine. Take care!

[guity]

Thanks very much, Dr Vinod, for all your information.  I think I have a reasonably good doctor but he doesn't spend much time filling me in on the small details.  I called him back today and checked with him and found out the larger stone is not 0.8 millimeters, but 8 millimeters (ten times larger)!  It is actually 2/3 the size of the original stone that was supposedly broken up by the lithotripsy.  I drew a little diagram of that and am now wondering how that is ever going to fit through the narrow part of my ureter!

[Dr Vinod]

Ureter is quite elastic and it has smooth muscle and the stone will fit into it, and that is the reason for being a common site for stone obstruction, if the edges of the stone are not uniform there is an opportunity of  no urine obstruction, as the fluid will pass from the asymmetrical edges and  so less pain. Take care!

[inlove93]

i have the exact smae problem i love to run and exercise but sometimes i get this pain and it wont go away and i cant even stand up for like 30 minutes. but what works for me is siting down for a little while and eating and drinking water to make me hydrated again

[Dr Vinod]

Drink enough water and go for simple tests and examination as each case differs from the other case. Do not exert yourself and you can know yourself what would be your limit. Have healthy breakfast and also see if your mineral intake is proper. Design a proper diet chart for yourself in consultaion with a dietician. Take care!

[Cathy343]

Hi Dr Vinod.  My problem is similar but not quite the same as those presented by others.  Lately, when I exercise for 20 minutes (usually on the Stairmaster), I get very painful stomach cramps within minutes of completing the 20 minutes.  It usually lasts for about 10-15 minutes.  It feels very much like menstrual cramps.

Cathy

[Dr Vinod]

You have to go for testing of your minerals in your body. If you sweat a lot you have to replenish yourself with water and salts.

Balanced diet and healthy breakfast is recommended for you.

You need to strengthen your abdominal muscles by doing some floor exercises and also weight exercises which you can discuss with the trainer. Take care!

[tennisoprano]

I am getting frustrated.  Stomach cramps used to happen to me when I was in my teens playing soccer.  My gut would cramp up severely for hours afterwards.  I am finding this again in my 40's, lately after playing tennis .  I played last night (and won!), but my gut is still spastic.  Is it dehydration?  I still am in pain, almost 12 hrs later...help....

[Dr Vinod]

Do not worry about having cramps intermittently. It depends on practice of tennis in a continous way, energy level in the body, hydration in the body, warm ups, abdominal muscle strength and many other factors.

Remember you might have had a full working day yesterday. Replenish yourself with water and some salts and see the difference.

If it happens in a continous way you have to find the reasons. Take care!

[guity]

Hi Dr. Vinod,

Hope everything is going well with you.

I had another x-ray recently and the doctor informed me that I still have 2 stones in my ureter.  One stone is 8 mm wedged in just about an inch and a half from the bladder.  The other is 2 mm and is further up the ureter.  The doctor wants to do another lithotripsy procedure to get these stones out, since they haven't show any movement for quite some time.  I am worried that the ureter might not take lithotripsy as well as a kidney does and am wondering if there is a more efficient way to get the stones out (ureteroscopy)?

The doctor is saying that the lithotripsy will be much easier and have much more chance of success with the stones in the ureter.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Guity

[Dr Vinod]

Hi!

There is no harm in trying lithotripsy.

You can always go for more surgical options if this does not work.
Discuss with your urologist.
Always go for conservative methods and keep surgical options as last resort.

Come back to us if you are not satisfied or have further queries.

Take care!

[Soccer46]

I have the sameproblem, it normally occurs when play soccer and push my self. However, when run on the T.mil or take the psenning class I do not get the pain. The pain starts 10-20 minutes after the game and often last for about three to four hours with diarhoea.

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

Try to acclimatize yourself slowly with more of cardio and play soccer for small spurts of time.
With decreasing pain you can attempt for longer duration. Do not exert yourself and always practice the most comfortable form of exercise your body can cope. Rehydrate yourself properly with fluids and salts and always have some food before your exert yourself. A glass of juice, milk or fruit platter will also help.

Take care!

[ACE351]

I am a female and i am19 years old, i am a sprinter and I train 3 days a week, I am very fit, healthy and strong. however when i push myself when i am running i start to get really bad stomach cramps, it feels as if the whole of my stomach has a stitch and it hurts when I breathe. It last for about an hour but this only happens when i am pushed.

does anyone know what this may be?
thanks
ACE

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

You need to have healthy diet and have some fruit or juice whenever you are having these workouts, 3 times a week. Glucose also will help you. Rehydrate yourself with proper fluids and salts.

Visit a gastronenterologist for a routine checkup if you continue having symptoms.

Take care!

[birch31]

Hi there, ive been suffering with this problem for years and a friend showed me some realy good exercises to do before I play football and it realy helped I would lay on the floor and stretch mt toes and finger tips out as far as i could then relax and do it again a few times. Also try laying on the floor and then arch your back and push your knuckles into the ground so you can fully strecth your stomach, I forgot to do this yesturday and it was the first time in a long time that it happened to me again , hope this helps. Ian