Re: abdominal pain

Posted By chris on June 07, 1999 at 20:38:28
I've been having abdominal pain for 2 years, still undiagnosed.
It is located in the lower right quadrant, about the location of the appendix and seems to go through and out the lower right buttock and also over to the right hip. It is worse lying down, a little better sitting up, and much better walking around, although it is always there to some degree.  There is very little tenderness.  I have this pain everyday and in addition I get attacks of severe pain in the same area during the night. I find if I change position during one of these nighttime attacks the acute pain is alleviated, although the area is sore for awhile.  A full bladder also seems to cause a lot of pain in this same area. As soon as I get up and walk around the pain is much better. I never get an acute attack like this during the day, or on the left side of my abdomen. There are no digestive symptoms since I cut back on the increase in fiber in my diet. This has had no effect on the pain in the right quadrant. In Mar 98 I had a laparoscopy in which an adhesion tying the small bowel to the abdominal wall was released.My gyn chose to leave the adhesions around the sigmoid colon alone. I had complete relief for 3 months when the right lower quadrant pain returned.  A general surgeon repeated the lap and found the first adhesion had not reoccurred so he worked on the adhesions around the sigmoid colon, which he found  was pulled over to the right and stuck on the right pelvic wall, which he released. I had relief for about 4 months when the same right lower quadrant pain returned. It was at this time the severe attacks during the night became more regular. What would cause acute abdominal pain like this and be relieved by a change in position?
    I have been to a GI doctor (colonoscopy negative, no Crohns), a gyn (normal exam April 99) colorectal surgeon (doesn't feel it is my colon and suggested the bones/joints as a possible source of the pain), plus the two laps done by a gyn and a general surgeon.  My pcp is stumped and at first suggested a pelvic/abdominal CT Scan but then changed his mind and ordered a lumbar-sacral MRI, thinking that it might be a problem with my spine. However he says that my complaints do not correlate with physical findings. In the past when a physician has told me this it has always led to no diagnosis.      
     What are the chances of a spinal problem causing right lower abdominal pain with no back pain until very recently?  Would a CT Scan be a better choice? Why would I get such complete relief from both laps if the adhesions were not reponsible for the pain? One doctor says that surgery has all kinds of effects on the body  and perhaps the relief was a side effect of the surgery and not a result of the procedure.  I'm sorry this post is long but this has been going on for 2 years and we are all frustrated. Thank you so much for your opinion.


    

[Michele__0__0]

Posted By Michele on June 23, 1999 at 02:59:59
Even laprascopic surgery can result in very small adhesions.  So while the surgeon was operating to remove adhesions, more adhesions may have resulted from the surgery to remove the first ones.  I had surgery on 2/1/99, laprascopically, and I had some very small adhesions at the site of each of my 5 scars.  These caused a lot of problems.  Luckily for me, I have a friend who is a certified Massage Therapist, and who has done a lot of Clinical massage.  She has worked at the site of my scars, and it has helped.  I'm not going to tell you that it's a miracle cure, but it has helped.  Be prepared, though:  I tend to experience some pain during and after each session.  It is at least a non-surgical avenue to explore.  (My insurance also covers this - so yours might too.)  You might also explore the option of seeing an Osteopathic doctor; I understand that they are also able to work internally without surgery.










Follow Ups: