weekly tummy problems

[georgethepig]

since I was 16 ive been having trouble wit my tummy every month at first I was being sick continuously for hours and then it was diahora and being sick which only lasted a couple hours,this is still contiuing and im now 21 but now its every couple of weeks and it lasts for a hour and is just diahora,but I do feel asthough I may be sick but never am.I always know when im going to  be ill as I have the most terrible stomach cramps that make me curl up into a tiny ball!plz help

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
You could be suffering from Celiac Disease/Irritable Bowel Syndrome/ Crohn’s disease. All these result in tender abdomen, loose stool or loose stools alternating with constipation, abdominal distention, cramps etc. Parasites in the gut like threadworm, tape worm, giardiasis etc can behave this way. Hence a stool test is a must. Problems of gall bladder and liver or that of pancreas too cannot be ignored.
A number of times a gastroenterologist is able to diagnose these conditions by clinical examination and detailed medical history. At other times a few tests are conducted. Blood tests to rule out anemia, stool test to look for white blood cells, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy etc are used to diagnose ulcerative colitis. Braium meal and follow through, endoscopy etc are done to rule out GERD, Crohn’s disease etc. Irritable bowel syndrome is diagnosed by elimination of other causes. Gluten is a complex protein present in four main grains---wheat, rye, barley and oats. If you have gluten intolerance, then you probably have celiac disease or Non Celiac gluten sensitivity. There are blood tests called celiac test to detect gluten intolerance. Crohn’s disease is a difficult entity to diagnose. Along with gut symptoms skin disorders and arthritis too are commonly seen with Crohn’s. An upper GI series using barium dye is done to see the condition of small intestines. The degree of involvement of the large and small intestine may vary from person to person.  A biopsy is the most confirmatory.
An elevated ESR does confirm inflammation in the body. Low protein, minerals and iron in blood are the other findings in Crohn’s which may or may not be present. A recent advancement in Crohn’s diagnosis is video capsule endoscopy.
Talk to your parents and schedule an appointment with a gastroenterologist. Log in your food intake and see if there is any co-relation with the food, the type you eat. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[deedee1981]

I am not sure if by "being sick" you mean vomiting or just pain in your abdomen ("tummy"). It sounds like you may have a problem with your gallbladder. Does it tend to happen after eating certain things or at night? It could also be acid reflux, inflammatory bowel disease (either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), celiac disease (allergic to weight), other food allergy (like lactose intolerance), irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitus (food caught in pouches in intestine, which get infected, can cause fever).

You seem to have similar symptoms to what I had with my gallbladder problems. I had intermittent abdominal pain and diarrhea (but not too much nausea or vomiting) for 3 years before my gallbladder finally collapsed (at age 27). It would usually happen in the evening, probably because my largest meal was dinner. Anything high in fat (ice cream, fried chicken) or red meat would make it worse, and I would get pain or cramping and have diarrhea. Sometimes I would have moderate to severe pain in my lower abdomen for 1-2 days (like something was blocked) and then I would have diarrhea and the pain would go away (maybe I was passing a gallstone). Eventually the pain moved from lower (middle to right) abdomen up to my middle right abdomen, to upper right abdomen, to all over my upper abdomen. By the end, I was getting that same pain in various parts of my abdomen and even in my back, (especially right shoulder blade) and legs, and it became constant until I had trouble walking or eating much. The pain was either sore, stabbing, burning, gnawing, or sometimes cramping right before I had diarrhea. When it was obvious I didn't have appendicitis after a few days, the doctor diagnosed my with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and just told me to eat healthier (low fat diet, more fiber). Fiber, starvation diets, and alcohol can also aggravate the gallblader (also a whole list of foods). When I complained more about the pain later, they suggested anti-depressants. Don't let them minimize your pain!

You may want to try antacids (Tums) or something like Prilosec or Nexium for heartburn or acid reflux (could be an easy answer). I had horrible acid reflux in middle school, where I would wake up with severe upper abdominal pain, nausea, sometimes vomiting (sometimes I couldn't throw up but I tried to), and would feel warm, and Tums, milk, and bread seemed to help some but I would have trouble getting it to go down enough to fall asleep (maybe that was really my gallbladder too). You may also want to try an elimination diet where you take out one type of food at a time and see if that helps. You could also try keeping a diary of what you eat and how you feel to see if certain foods make it worse or better. If you also have joint pain or blood in your poop it could be inflammatory bowel disease. Definitely go see a doctor if you can and get a referral to a gastro-intestinal (GI) doctor. Goodluck!