Please Help Me!!!

I have a history of chronic sinusitis that started in the summer of 2007. I have a sore throat, postnasal drip colored mucus sometimes with blood, and from time to time I get headaches and stuffy nose too. For the past 4 Days, I've been experiencing the worst abdominal pain with diarrhea. It all started with a very painful abdominal pain that left me laying in bed for about 30 mins and then the diarrhea started. I also feel my stomach bloating all the time, I eat food and drink liquid to feel better but instead it makes it worst because I have to run and diarrhea yellowish and watery. I can't sleep properly cuz I feel the need to use the bathroom all the time. What could it be? I'm going to see the general doctor to get a physical and all the possible exams to rule out the cause of this. Please help me out, what are some possibilities for my abdominal pain bloating diarrhea and sometimes I feel nauseas too.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There are a variety of reasons that can lead to your symptoms.  

Abdominal bloating and diarrhea can be caused by an infection, inflammatory bowel disease, or irritable bowel syndrome.

Regarding the pain, imaging the abdomen is recommended, and can be done with an ultrasound or abdominal CT scan.  

A colonoscopy can be done to exclude inflammatory bowel disease, and I would obtain stool cultures to evaluate for an infection, or a blood antibody test to look for celiac disease.

These options should be discussed with a gastroenterologist.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin Pho, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com
www.twitter.com/kevinmd