pain to the right of belly button

I am a 46 year old female.  I run a few miles each morning and eat well.  In the beginning of April I started to have pain in the lower right abdomen next to my belly button.  And I began to loose at about 1 lb per week.  My stools are loose with undigested food.  I went to the family doctor who had many tests run all of which came back OK (Cat scans & ultrasounds of kidneys, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, ovaries)  All blood tests came back OK.  I had a colonoscopy in October for internal hemorrhoids and everything looked good at that time.  Family doctor said eat more and because they couldn

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Hello - thanks for asking your question.  

IBS is a possibility, and with a recent colonoscopy, IBD would not be likely.

One possibility I would inquire about would be tests for malabsorption.  This can present with weight loss and loose stools.  There are various types of malabsorption, including fat and carbohydrate malabsorption, or celiac disease.  

I would suggest testing your stools for fat malabsorption and further tests for carbohydrate malabsorption.  There are serum antibody tests for celiac disease that I would also considered.

If those tests are negative, then I would work with your GI doc to optimize treatment for IBS.  

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

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.

Thanks,
Kevin, M.D.