intestinal pain - occasional dark stool but not bloody stool

[astro2]

i am aged 26,i'm of asian descendant.Ok this is my problem: last year 06 i a symptom of discomfort under my left rib-cage.Few months on it was still there, i had a gastroscopy (i'm pretty positive it was fine) then later on had a colonoscopy, (test show "moderate hymphoid hyperplasia" in the terminal ileum but no inflammation. The colon is normal)so no luck there, but now i have a second pain 1-2 inches to the left of my belly button and 1-2 inches below my left rib cage.
it hurts and i can't sleep, although its not a sharp main that is strong enough to wake me up. I have weight loss but i'm not sure if thats due to me sleeping late and not excerising enough.i have dark stool but not as serious as a bloody stool. I have had non-stop constipation and haven't had a properly formed stool in ages. i.e it passes out as one properly formed stool shape.

[astro2]

i have had ultrasounds before and they show my liver and my other internal organs to be fine.


plus as mentioned i have had a 'gastroscopy' if there were problems wouldn't they notice the bleeding?


also if my liver had problems wouldn't that part of the body be in pain?

cause the pain is on 'my' left hand side. I thought the liver was on my right?

in addition i have had a x-ray (the type where dye is injected)

and they found traces of 'mild fatty infiltration' (i'm not fat though if anything i'm small)

i have had another ultrasound down the track and they say the liver is find now.

my pain in my left abddomin has been going for over 4 months now.

also if it was bleeding would my stools be constantly be dark may i asK? cause somtimes they are not

[Forum-M.D.-EC]

Yes, gastroscopy is part of upper endoscopy where they look at the stomach and duodenum.

Yes, problems with the liver do most commonly cause right upper abdominal pain, but can refer pain to the left.

Your liver can have fatty infiltration even if you're thin as a stick, since it has to do with fat deposits in the liver, not the rest of your body.  I'm glad your more recent ultrasound was normal.

Intermittent bleeding can cause intermittently dark stool, but a normal EGD (gastroscopy and duodenoscopy) is reassuring that one doesn't have a bleeding problem.

If stools are intermittently dark over the course of many months, this is a reason to have more testing done.  Please see your physician.

Enoch Choi, MD

[Jaybay]

Hi - maybe a dumb observation here, but I have noticed that some OTC indigestion remedies, particularly Pepto-Bismol, results in very dark stool.  Could that be an issue here?

Also - Dr. Choi - I just have to say I really enjoy your responses and have learned a great deal reading through this forum.  Very nice job indeed!  :-)

[elektrah]

I have the EXACT symptoms....I went for a CT scan and nothing came up...ive seen 3 different docotors and I was told that I have a hernia....an inch left to my navel and an inch or so below my left rib cage. everything is the same to a T.  Because nothing came up on the cat scan they cant be sure that its a hernia but they are pretty sure thats what it is...the only way to know for sure is to go for surgery....please let me know if you hear anything else..and i will do the same..thanks

[Forum-M.D.-EC]

Thanks for the encouragement!  You're right, Pepto-Bismol does darken stool.

Enoch Choi, MD

[Forum-M.D.-EC]

That's unfortunate, a CT is a pretty good test which usually shows a hernia.  Ultrasound can help evaluate herniae as well.

Since surgery on herniae are more superficial, they are less dangerous than deeper surgeries.  Some surgeons even repair them laparoscopically, via keyhole surgery.

Enoch Choi, MD

[jaydee5]

i am having aching pain in the chest each a.m. about 1:30am...since i have been diagnosed with gerd in the past,i suspect it is gastric.  it usually eases up in about an hour after i take mylanta or the pink stuff...i also take a 40mg nexium every morning.  i've noticed the last couple of mornings i have black stools.  i have had this gerd attack eACH MORNING FOR ABT A WEEK. are the stools supposed to be black?  i had a colonoscopy  in 03 and all was well..no polyps...see me in 10 years.

[Chad5161]

my teenage son has had abdominal pain for two months off and on pretty bad and the docs say that he's fine after xray & blood tests. He has had very dark stools intermittently for two months. Could this be a sign of ulcers bleeding? Or would this show up on xray?