Periodic gut pain, salivating & nausea

[JGK55]

I am 52, male and active.
Periodically I get a really sharp pain in the lower left quadrant of my gut.  
It doubles me over and I have severe diarrhea.
It also makes me salivate profusely and occasionally I throw up.
Once I have evacuated the pain, salivating and nausea goes away.
I have kept logs but couldn't pin down a culprit.

It has happened every 6 months or so for the last 25 years.
If anything it may be increasing in frequency  but not much.  
A few years ago I had a whole raft of tests but nothing was found.
It didn't fit into IBS and the only theory was stress or food related.

Its a tough one as by the time the doctor saw me there is no pain or even tenderness.  
Hard to diagnose something that isn't there.

I would appreciate any ideas/thoughts/theories.  

John

[Jrichard75]

I have had these same symptoms for 40 years.  I am about to turn 60 and it has gotten increasingly severe and constant, especially in the last 5-10 years.  Now I have cramps every day, when I wake up and after every meal.  I get the diarrhea and salivation about 6 times a month. I do believe the salivation is a hormonal reaction to the pressure in the colon and possibly leaky gut.  I eat Activia yogurt daily as that is the only form of probiotic I can tolerate.  I only eat about 10 foods, which used to allow me to control the symptoms, but no longer.  What helps with the salivation and nausea almost immediately is antacids.  I use Alka Seltzer Antacid Chews or the Equate generic equivalent, since I tolerate them best and the taste doesn't make me gag.  Unfortunately, antacids cause another episode 2-3 days later, but it's a pay-it-forward thing.  I have had to quit my job because of the severity of the symptoms, and much of the time I can't leave the house.  I try GI specialists periodically, but they try an antibiotic or antidepressent that doesnt work or I can't tolerate.  Then they give up and I try someone else.  Now I have been losing weight, so maybe if I lose enough they will take notice.  I believe a fecal transplant could help since it is about 95%  effective for C diff, but it is only approved for treating C diff, so I don't think anyone will do it.  But since it ihas been done for centuries and it is extremely safe and non-invasive, it's crazy that we use antibiotics and tricyclic antidepressants with know side effects instead of a procedure that is effective with 0 adverse events.  I believe my so-called IBS is a result of severely disordered microbiome, enzyme deficiiencies, muscle hypersensitivity from 40 years of illness and genetic disposition. Fecal transplant should be investigated for IBS.  The closest funded studies I could find were in Scandanavia and Asia.  Why not the US, especially since they were on the NIH website and appear to be funded by our taxes?

[Tcwater]

I have the same symptoms. It only happens after I go out for a lunch. I am careful not to overeat. I get cramps, then spend the next 20 minutes in the bathroom .i usually have a bowel movement that is normal, then di area , then the saliva starts to flow. It always amazes me how much saliva can come so fast. I have had all kinds of tests. I know this is an old post but I would like to hear from someone that has found a cause or a cure.

[nguyenhi]

I'm currently having these symptoms too. The pain will prolong for about 5 secs, go away for 30 seconds and it'll repeat for awhile. When the pain occurs, I get dizzy. At times, I'll start to salivate a lot.  My bowel movements are the usual but just yesterday, I went about 4 times. Could it be high sodium intake or something because this has never happened to me. Could it be something I ate because I ate a pack of ramen noodles 2 hours before bed and the morning after, like I mention earlier, i went about 4 times. I didn't get the pain until about 5AM today. I went back to sleep but the pain kept waking me up, making me feel like I needed to vomit but I didn't have any gag reflexes but just a lot of saliva coming out from my mouth. What should I do?

[BL2379]

This happens to me every time I pass a kidney stone.

[kashmere568]

Hello Good Afternoon, I am Ann-Marie and I have being having blood in my stool on some occasions. I have Regular color stool and the blood is bright red... sometimes A bit maroon in color. Ialso have mucus in stool at times. I have lost about  20 pounds in the last six months . I first went to the Dr and the Doctor said the blood in the stool is more likely than not a result of the fact that I have GERD.. acid reflux. I also realize too that I have being worring a lot about it. I have no pain but I realize that I get blood in the stool whenever I am stressed and tired...  on two occasions when I went to the Dr the Pills the Dr gave me for my acid reflux it did stop the bleeding. When he did a rectal exam he said everything was okay.  sometimes weeks pass and I don't seeany blood but as soon as I remember about it and start thinking about it. It comes again... Give me your opinion. please!! Maybe the medical world in Jamaica is a bit different from yours but I await your reply just the same :-)

[AmJoHi]

Since my posting, I've talked with a gastroenterologist.  He believes the problem is caused by a cholinergic reaction due to over distention of the large intestine as a result of constipation.

To alleviate the problem, I've increased both my soluable and insoluable fiber intake.  As long as my stool stays soft, I have no problems.  If I slack off on the fiber, the symptoms soon return.

Unfortunately, the trade off is an increase in gas, but it's a trade I can live with.

[Floridian13]

I've had the same symptoms you have, made a food and incidents log to no avail. Doctors just cannot diagnose this problem. Was told to have IBS, no cure for that. Nerves can trigger this problem and fatty foods they say, but I've been very calm and eating very healthy food when this problem happen to me. Recently I've tried probiotics and that seems to be helping, nothing for over a month, I'm eating everything but in small quantities. Except today I had one terrible, familiar episode with all the symptoms you mention. Go figure, I guess we'll have to live with this, although I do think the probiotics are helping me, maybe you could try them, just make sure t's from a reputable maker.

[escargot9051]

I have been having this for a year on and off.-waterworks++ and nausea when I have back pain. I also have upper back pain, abdominal and rib pain.  I was just in ER a few days ago because of relentless back and abd pain and had to bring my legs up to my chest and rock or move my legs.I have slightly bulging thoracic discs but no nerve impingement but as I have fibromyalgia .I guess it doesn't take much abdominal bloating to irritate those nerves.The other day, I was badly constipated even though I eat lots of roughage and take Miralax, psillium and colace. I am going to go on a high insoluble fiber diet, avoid gassy foods and see a gastroenterologist asap. I was considering minimally invasive back surgery for my upper back(they keep chasing me for my business) but it may not help and make things worse. I also have bulging discs in L4 and an osteophyte putting some pressure anteriorly. and complete anal weakness-that's why I don't mind being a little constipated. Is it possible that is causing my sluggish bowel. ? I would so appreciate your input.
Thankyou

[playdoctorontv]

I'm with the good doctor. exact same. have Ibs, but mostly under control, and every few months have spells that last an hour, and the saliva drip is like a faucet. swallowing usually leads to vomit or gagging. I just figure it's part of IBS and the result of rich food --  especially combinations of coffee and steak or ice cream and cobbler or other things I've tracked over 25years.

[DrBumafelt]

I'm a retired MD but not gastroenterologist. I've experienced a syndrome nearly identical to AmJoHi for most of my 65 years. I kept a log to see if I could link the episodes to any foods or activities. The closest correlate was stress, even a time or two occurring during surgery (I was a neurosurgeon), which was both really inconvenient and embarrassing. They tended to follow excessively-rich meals in which I clearly overate, so maybe this is a body's way of telling you not to overload it. I believe these are a form of IBS and nothing more mysterious. I'm curious about a hormonal role, to cause hypersalivation & nausea along with the cramping and diarrhea. There is something in the gut called Substance P about which not too much is known. I suspect it may play a role. I see no value in swallowing the saliva, fearing that would aggravate the nausea. I'm intrigued to watch it flow out out of my mouth like a faucet into the toilet bowl. The most striking correlation I've noted is a dramatic decrease in these attacks after retiring from medicine several years ago. They nearly stopped completely, convincing me that the role of stress is paramount, probably along with heredity.

[dayooper57]

Thank you so much. I'm under a tremendous amount of stress right now and have been for about a year. Your symptoms sound identical to mine. I would hold a bucket and stay sitting on the toilet. The saliva would literally flow out of my mouth and were accompanied by cramps. Bad but not too bad. As the cramps let up the saliva and nausea would stop I would then pass a basically normal stool. Knowing this I won't stress over it also. Tks again.

[dayooper57]

Thank you so much. I'm under a tremendous amount of stress right now and have been for about a year. Your symptoms sound identical to mine. I would hold a bucket and stay sitting on the toilet. The saliva would literally flow out of my mouth and it was accompanied by cramps. Bad but not too bad. As the cramps let up the saliva and nausea would stop I would then pass a basically normal stool. Knowing this my stress level is lowering as I post. Tks again.

[AmJoHi]

I've had the same problem for over 40 years.  

My symptoms start with lower abdominal cramping followed by an increase in salivation and lately vomiting.  I used to be able to keep swallowing until the "wave" passed, but that hasn't been working for me lately.  The entire process ends with a large bowel movement which starts out formed and ends as liquid stool.  

These episodes occur about once a month, last approx 30 min, come on at any time, and are not associated with anything that I eat or drink.  I used to always have an episode with every menstrual cycle but I'm now menopausal and still having the problem.  

My grandmother had the same problem when she was alive, and now my daughter and granddaughter are reporting the same symptoms.  All of us are perfectly healthy with no other medical problems.  

I would love to know what causes this sudden onset of gastric emptying.  Could it be hormonal?  Is it a sudden increase in gastric motility?  Is it something that everyone has and nobody talks about?  I'd certainly love to know.

[sandy649ah]

for two years i used sweetener.......the pink sachet one........now i've developed  excessive salivation and nausea with pain in stomach.........i'd say we need to give up chemical sweeteners...........although in keeping track of what else i ate, i found that this occurs more often  whren i eat foods that are high in sulphur....but its probably a sensitivity to the build up of chemicals in the body

[39andstillblonde]

John,

I have experienced the same symptoms, 3-4 times total, and each time it woke me in the middle of the night, sharp pain in the pit of my stomach, combined with nausea and severe salivation. My mouth just waters and waters, I feel either hungry or like I'm going to vomit, and the pain is sudden and intense.  The episode lasts 10-15 minutes.  It almost seems like the salivation helps the pain?   I'm learning to wait it out and let the salivating, swallowing the extra saliva, ease the pain but I have no idea what causes these episodes.   Have suspected MSG but it happens so infrequently that I haven't logged anything yet to try to find triggers.   I'm a 39 y-o female, this has happened 3-4 times in the last year and a half or so, I don't take any medications other than occasional ibuprofen (often enough to know it is not the cause), have no health problems that I'm aware of other than needing to lose some weight.  I do have a terrible habit of drinking numerous servings (avg. 5-6 cans) of my favorite diet soda daily,and have for years...have been waiting to see what adverse effect there might be from that...wonder if you have any similar habits?  The soda I like is a diet citrus flavored soda.  

[JGK55]

I have had a colonoscopy...no problems. (aside from that gallon of stuff I had to drink).
This happens really infrequently and I have tracked my food around these episodes and there seems to be no smoking gun.  I do eat bread but not a huge amount but 99.9% of the time I don't react/have the issue.  Weird.  I'm beginning to think someone has a voodoo doll and a sharp pin.

[Boogie8481]

That's strange....it sounds like IBS to me.  Or some sort of food intolerance.  Does it happy when you eat certain foods?  Or does it happen when you are upset or stressed?  It could also be a gluten allergy.  Do eat a lot of bread?  I would have yourself checked again.  Maybe and colonoscopy since the pain is on the left lower quadrant.  That pain is associated with the intestines.