What's going on?

In the past 3 years, I have had upper abdominal pain, severe gas, etc.  I had my gall bladder tested and it was non-functioning and causing me pain so had it removed.  I started feeling good for awhile, started exercising and losing weight.  Then I started having abdominal cramping and was tested for c-diff and treated for that, still losing weight, about 76 lbs. Then I started feeling a knawing pain around the sternum and having severe gas.  I have had MRI, CT scans, and they showed nothing so I asked my dr. for a referrel to a gastroenterologist and he did an endoscopy and this showed H-pylori.  I went through several week s of that awful treatment and anoher endoscopy showed it was errdicated, but I still had severe gas.  But I guess it takes time to feel better. So weeks later I am starting to feel better, now after about a month of felling better, today I got a sudden pain in my upper left quadrant that won;t go away.  Could this be pancreatis (pancreatitis)?  I've had blood test and as I said about an MRI and CT scan, but they say everything is normal.  One GI told me that it's normal to have gas, I know it's normal to have gas and I know what normal gas is, but this was not normal.  It was explosive and no way that I could hold it in, and walking in the office was down right embarrassing.  So then he tells me I have IBS.  First he was telling me to increase my fiber, but then when he tells me I have IBS, I should avoid foods that cause gas. Wasn't that a contradiction.  So I started feeling better, that last about a month.  Then last week I started having sharp stabbing pains in my right side, so I went to the dr. he did a urine specimen and stool culture to determine if there was blood and they were both negative.  The next day right after eating the same sharp stabbing pain and also a tight constricting pain upper sternum and spasms, you can even see it.  Anyway, he sent me for a blood test the next day.  It was normal.

Now today, I have a BM (constipation) even though I drink a thermos or two of water everyday, and when I wipe there is mucous with blood in it.  I have had the mucus before, but never with blood. I just had a colonoscopy and endoscopy in May and they didn't show any abnormalities, except the H-pylori, which was been erradicated.

Anyway, I don't think it is a hemmoroid because it doesn't hurt/burn/or itch.

I do take anti-inflammatories everyday, I'll stop and see if that helps.  I go to see a different GI dr. next week, what kind of test should I ask him to take?  I'm kind of suspecting Sphincter Odi Dysfunction or Malabsorption.  


This discussion is related to Back Pain/Stools with Blood and Mucous.

[ggreg]

Niecy,
I can talk to you about the gas.  

Regular intervals of eating and reasonable sized meals is one way to avoid gas.  If you skip breakfast, that will create gas later.  Only eat fruit as a snack, not with other food.  Avoid eating beans and drinking sodas at lunch.  But do get into eating salads with your dinners.  Eat slowly, chew thoroughly.  Don't exercise for at least a half-hour after eating.   Also, in addition to your goodly amount of water intake, every time you brush your teeth, follow with a big drink of water.

Now, here's the cure for your gas.  The moment you feel the pangs of gas, immediately drink an ordinary alka seltzer.  It will release the gas and the pain will vanish.  That is THE most important tip I can give you.  And I think the bleeding was in fact irritated tissues where the constipated waste came out... it takes a while for a hemorrhoid to get big and thus cause itching and pain, but they can begin with just bleeding.  So, I think that was a one-time thing.

I think you are doing an excellent job with your weight loss, but you've had a few health problems along the way, and so I think you may be justifiably a tad nervous about anything that feels unusual in your body.  Therefore, you must add to your daily routine a time where you completely relax.  I have a favorite room that I like to go to when I'm tense, I lay on the floor with my legs up in a chair, my arms out to my sides, and I practice nice, even deep breathing, and listen to the quiet.  Some people really like a long hot bath soakie, privacy and peace and quiet, plus the healing aspects of heat, nice deep breathing along the way, you'll feel much better.  Also, a slow easy walk around your neighborhood is extremely beneficial for the nerves, body health, and the soul.

Keep up the good work, visit your doc regular, and try a few of my tips, especially the alka seltzer.  Let us know what the new GI doc says next week.
GG