HELP! Stomach aches and discomforts

[brandonsperkins]

What's wrong with me?

I am a 31 year old male and over the past 6 months or so I have had some abdominal discomfort that comes and goes.
When I say discomfort, I mean I know something is there but its not real painful.  It is kind of
a dull pain in my right abdomin (abdomen).  At first, I thought I pulled a muscle but it went away.  It comes
and goes.  I can go a week and feel fine and then that nagging pain comes back.  
I finally went to the doctor and he said its not my appendix.  He had me do an ultrasound for my
gallbladder and that came back negative.  I feel it usually to the right of my naval.

Sometimes, like now, my stomach feels kinda sensitive, like after a long night of
throwing up.  It has felt like this for a couple days, like a nervous feeling.
Every couple weeks, I have nights that i get up in the middle of the night, feel sick to
my stomach and have diarea (diarrhea) several times before i can go back to bed.
Usually I am pretty regular, but have these stomach spells where I just feel sick.  
Sometimes I wake up feeling shaky, cold seats and just want to crawl out
of my body.  As far as other symtoms.  I do belch quite often and occasional heart burn.
I have watched my diet over the last several months, but this happens so random
that i can not pinpoint anything in my diet.  

I do not drink, smoke or use drugs.  I am taking 50mg of Tenormin for high blood pressure
for several years.  I do suffer from some anxiety, but my feeling is that this goes beyond
symtons of stress/anxiety.  

Please help, I need to get past this.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Considerations for pain in that area, associated with diarrhea, can be irritable bowel disease and inflammatory bowel disease.  If the ultrasound is negative, it makes gallbladder disease less likely.

For further evaluation, I would consider either an upper or lower endoscopy.  The lower endoscopy (i.e. colonoscopy) can evaluate for inflammatory bowel disease.  An upper endoscopy can be done to comprehensively evaluate for dyspepsia (i.e. ulcers or inflammation of the upper digestive tract).  Another option would be an upper GI series with small-bowel follow-through.  This is a test to evaluate the small bowel, which cannot be seen well during an endoscopy.

If every test is negative, then irritable bowel syndrome can be considered and treatment discussed with your personal physician.  I would discuss these options with your personal physician.

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.