Orange stool, hand numbness, gnawing abdominal pressure - Why?

[gismatrix]

Hello...

I have some symptoms that I hope someone can relate to or may have ideas for what it could be.  For a while my stool has been an orangish color (pumplin color, sometimes a little darker).  Sometimes the stool has flat sides.  It ususally has particles of undigested food - not just veggies but anything and everything.  

I also get this gnawing pressure or mild pain in the upper left quadrant, which seems to originate from just up under the lowest ribs near the center, but still left of center.  I also get these periods of hands and feet numbness, fatigue, etc...  I also get calf pain and faciculations.   Also have bad sciatica.  I feel like something is pinching off blood flow inside me.

I take atenolol and lisinopril and paxil.  I have taken the lisinopril and paxil for years with no side effects.  I have taken the atenolol for a year or so.  

I have had numerous tests for ana, esr, electrophoresis, lyme, celiac, thyroid, liver panel, amylase, lipase, and all have come back normal.   CT scans in 6/06 and 9/07 did not show any organ abnormality.

What could this be?

[CalGal]

Have you been using any form of olestra or products that try to block fat absorption? Have you been checked for fat malabsorption issues? Have you been tested via ultrasound and HIDA scan with CCK injection for gallbladder issues? I know the pain is typically in the upper right quadrant, however in some cases it can be elsewhere.

The other thing I'm wonding is if anyone in your family has a history of food intolerance issues such as celiac? Some of what you're describing could be related to fat malabsorption and neural problems related to gluten intolerance. There is a blood test to check for celiac disease, but it may or may not give you a true result. A better test in my opinion is the fecal antibody test. You could also try an elimation diet if you wanted to test it out for yourself. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and can be found in oats if they're cross-contaminated.

The change in stool diameter can be related to bowel spasms if any form of large intestine problem has been ruled out. Spasms can be found in a lot of GI conditions and they are unfortuantely not something that are used for diagnostic purposes.