Chronic Pain even with Treatment

[Austin450]

Hey everyone. I have had chronic abdominal pain for nearly 5 years now. The pain started when I was a sophomore in high school and my pediatrician at the time believed the problem to be constipation. I took laxitives (powder) for about 4 months with no improvement, so he switched over to a nitrate* solution for one month. None of this helped at all, but I continued to take the medicine for almost an entire year (just the powder). A couple years later I was rushed to the ER when I woke up (5:00 AM) with pain that caused me to phase in and out of consciousness. After I was given pain meds, the ER doctor on call claimed that I had probably passed a kidney stone. The CAT-scan showed a very tiny amount of crystallization within the kidneys (nothing that would be too alarming), but there was no proof of an actual kidney stone.

Before I continue, I should probably specify where the pain is located and what the pain actually is. If you were to look at me, the pain would be located to the right of my belly button about 2 inches and then down about .5 of an inch. The pain feels to be deep within (not the surface) and sometimes can spread to the same area within my back. This pain comes and goes many times a day. On average, the pain would occur every other day but it would happen multiple times during days that it actually occurred. Sometimes the pain feels like a cramp (2 - 3 in pain / 10), but at other times it can spike up to a very sharp long-lasting pain (6 - 8 in pain / 10) that causes me to become extremely nauseous with saliva build-up in the mouth. Occasionally, I cannot fall asleep due to how uncomfortable the pain makes me.

Within the past week, the pain has occurred daily and at a much higher frequency / pain level. I have had no changes to my diet (usually consisting of soups, salads or regular foods... not much unhealthy) and my bowel movements are regular. I had a colonoscopy a little over a year ago (from a gastrointestinal specialist) that came up with a negative result for Crohn's and some various other diseases. About 4 months ago, I was given an endoscopy from the same specialist that found moderate inflammation in the stomach and esophagus. Celiac's disease was ruled out in this visit (as well as a couple bacterial infections with a biopsy) and I was treated with Prilosec. I have been taking Prilosec ever since that visit, but it hasn't seemed to help in the slightest. I do not take any other medications, but I do take a multivitamin and fiber pill every day. Finally, I was given a sonogram (same visit) which turned up with no results.

If anyone can help me out at all with this I would be sincerely grateful. I am having trouble keeping up with my studies due to this pain and I'm afraid if I go see a doctor again I will get shrugged off with no diagnosis again. I do not have the money for repeated visits to the hospital.

[Austin450]

Yes, I received a sonogram and that was used to rule out gallstones.

[mojogal]

Did you get tested for gallbladder problems? The pain is severe and radiates to your back

[Austin450]

... and if adhesions are the actual cause, is there any way to test for them and treat?

[Austin450]

Is it possible for an appendectomy to cause pain on the right side of my body (relative to your vision), which is the opposite side of where the surgery/appendix was.

[Totie]

Yes adhesions can form immediatley or take years.

Look up adhesions or scar tissue.

[Austin450]

The only surgery I have ever had was for my appendix at age 8. The appendix did not explode or infect surrounding areas and was promptly removed without infection. If it is possible for an adhesion to form after 8 years, then it might be possible... but I have never heard of this occurring.

[Totie]

Have they looked into adhesions or scar tissue?

Just another suggestion. I deal with ahdesions from an abdominal surgery & it is excruciating to say the least...