Abdominal Pain, Fatigue, Weakness

Hello, I am a 21yr old female. I have had abdominal pain from my left to right side between my rib cage & belly button and down my right side to my hip bone. As well as weakness, and fatigue. I have been to a GI doctor, a Surgeon, and a family doctor, as well as the ER. I have had 2 sets of blood work ran, CAT Scan, X-Ray, Ultrasound, Upper GI Test, Nuclear Scan ran and nothing is coming back except an over active gallbladder. The drs have treated me as if I have a stomach ulcer and Gastritis. Nothing has helped. This has been since April 2011. it is now July and I am tired of being in constant pain, it feels like pressure and I am not tender to the touch. Everyone said gas or stress, but for 3 months I think things would have changed by now. Any suggestions on what I should try or who I should see next?

[namnam46]

Hi COUNTRYGIRL2274,

First, I want to welcome you to the PM (Pain Management) Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. We are all CP (Chronic Pain) Patients that help each other with our own expertise and experiences that we have developed through our own CP Issues.

I'm so sorry that you are having these continuing problems.  It seems as if you've pretty much covered the gamut of tests and Doctor's.  The only suggestion that I would recommend is to try a different Doctor for a 2nd opinion and see if a "new" or "2nd set of eyes" could bring a different diagnosis or suggestion as to what is causing you these problems.  It's, also, possible that over the last few months that things have changed since some of these tests were run and you might get different answers on some of the tests now.  

I know how painful this type of pain can be and it will wear you down.  When you hurt 24/7, it will wear you out and stress you to a point that the pain will increase tremendously!!  Since, some of them are suggesting stress, just think how much your pain is increasing with every day that you are experiencing this pain!!  :(

Please don't give up!!  You deserve to get a diagnosis that will give you an answer to your pain and that you can get relief from.  

I wish you the very best and hope that you will let us know what you find out!! As I said, please don't give up!!  Hang in there, you will get an answer.

I'll be looking for your updates............Sherry  :)

[COUNTRYGIRL2274]

Sherry, Thank you for your support i do appreciate it. i am going to see a new GI Doctor on Thursday to see what he says.
~Abbey~

[namnam46]

Hi Abbey,

I'm so happy to hear that!!!  If you didn't notice MH moved your post to the Undiagnosed Symptoms Community.  Hopefully, someone on here might have an idea of what's going on with your symptoms.

I'll be looking forward to hearing what your "new" Doctor says........Sherry :)

[COUNTRYGIRL2274]

well i found this... its possible but why would i just now be getting a reaction. we shall see what comes of my appt Thursday. i did notice my question was moved, i look forward to hearing from everyone & anyone who has a comment/suggestion. and i will try to keep everyone up to date.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity is currently a little more difficult to pinpoint. Basically, individuals who suffer from NCGS suffer very similarly to people with Celiac Disease, but the blood test which identifies and diagnoses celiac disease returns as negative. The only way to confidently diagnose NCGS is through a gluten free diet (I’ll write more about NCGS in the future as it is an interesting topic which more directly addresses the controversy around the term gluten allergy symptoms ).

The third category is wheat allergy symptoms . The origin of wheat allergy symptoms are fundamentally different than gluten intolerance or celiac disease symptoms, but some might call it gluten allergy symptoms . This is a histamine response to wheat, much like a peanut allergy or hay fever. Wheat allergies manifest themselves in a wide variety of manners which can be different for different people. Some people experience hives while others might experience stomach pain. What Are Gluten Intolerance Symptoms?


Back to Top of Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

It may help you to have a more succinct gluten intolerance symptoms checklist. I will try to provide you one here, but keep in mind how there are over 250 documented symptoms of a gluten sensitivity and their manifestation varies greatly from person to person. With this list I think I have isolated both the most common symptoms and the most important symptoms you should know about right away. Please let me know if you feel I have missed something obvious or important.

    • Abdominal Distention
    • Abdominal Pain and Cramping
    • Alternating Bouts of Diarrhea and Constipation
    • Anemia
    • Arthritis
    • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
    • Autism
    • Bloating (see Gluten Intolerance Bloating )
    • Bone Density Loss
    • Borborygmi (stomach rumbling)
    • Constipation (see Celiac Disease Constipation )
    • Stunted Growth and Failure to Thrive
    • Depression, Anxiety and Irritability (see Celiac Depression )
    • Dermatitis Herpetiformis (skin rash — see my Dermatitis Herpetiformis article)
    • Diabetes
    • Diarrhea
    • Fatigue
    • Malodorous Flatulence
    • Malodorous Stools
    • Gluten Ataxia (see my Gluten Ataxia article)
    • Grayish Stools
    • Hair Loss (Alopecia)
    • Headaches and Migraines
    • Hypoglycemia
    • Infertility
    • Joint pain
    • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
    • Lactose intolerance
    • Mouth sores or mouth ulcers
    • Nausea
    • Numbness or tingling in the patient’s hands and feet
    • Osteoporosis
    • Peripheral Neuropathy (including either a tingling or sensation of swelling your toes and fingers)
    • Sjogren’s Disease
    • Steatorrhea (high lipids in the stool, which may cause the stool to float)
    • Teeth and Gum Problems
    • Turner Syndrome
    • Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
    • Vomiting
    • Unexplained Weight loss



I hope this gluten intolerance checklist helps you, but again, do not try to diagnose yourself with a list you find on the Internet. Always consult a professional because this is a very serious condition.

[COUNTRYGIRL2274]

Hey just wanted to update you. i went to the new GI Doctor and he was very helpful and understanding. i have to get a colonoscopy to make sure my colon is ok and he thinks i may have crohn's disease so he will check for that as well. i have to call to make an appt hopefully for next week.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and even malnutrition. The inflammation caused by Crohn's disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn's disease can be both painful and debilitating and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. While there's no known medical cure for Crohn's disease, therapies can greatly reduce the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease and even bring about long-term remission. With these therapies, many people with Crohn's disease are able to function well.

[COUNTRYGIRL2274]

Sherry,
I go Thurs Aug 11th for the colonoscopy. lets hope for some results and answers.
~Abbey~

[COUNTRYGIRL2274]

I had a colonoscopy done on Aug 11th and nothing showed up. now we are playing trial & error with different Medicines to see what will help me the most. i do not like this at all but we didnt get any answers from tests that have been ran.

[COUNTRYGIRL2274]

Just to give a follow up to my drs appt yesterday. My dr has been in contact with all the drs Ive seen since this pain started and I believe I am up to 7 drs. They all say I am very healthy and need to count my blessings. I do have muscle damage in my back from a car accident 3.5 years ago (we knew about that ive been on meds to help that pain). Well the drs think that im over stressed and the back pain is radiating threw my side and into my abdomen area. They recommend that I just work here and get rid of my job as a nanny and just lay low and rest as much as I can. I was hoping for a easier fix even if it was a life long illness. I am totally upset over having to stop being a nanny to the little boy I have he has a rough life and I am basically his family, his mom was an abusive alcoholic and dad is out of the pic, his brother has been placed with the grandmother and he is placed with his grandfather who has me during the week and another lady on the weekends, the grandfather isn’t in the boys life because he works at Merck and pulls overtime all the time and is used to being single and not having to worry about anyone else for years now. Well for now stress is the answer to my discomforting pain.

[namnam46]

Abbey, I'm so sorry that you didn't get the solution that you were hoping for that could give you some relief and you could keep your job with that Sweet Little Boy!!!  Just remember that there are STILL other Doctor's out there that might read these test results differently.  If all of these Doctor's were reporting back to the same Doctor then you might want to get a second opinion and see if someone else comes up with the same answer.  

I can't imagine how difficult it will be not to be able to be in this Little Boy's life anymore but hopefully when you are better then you can be a part of it again.  

Please don't give up on looking for answers, you just never know when one might pop up that will give you the relief that you need and deserve!!!

Please continue to keep me posted and know that I'm thinking of you and looking forward to your updates in the future...........Sherry  :)