Lower Right Abdominal pressure/cramping

[mokeboy]

Hello,

I'm a 33 year old, active male.  For 3 weeks I started getting gas all day that was unusually smelly and felt "hot" when I passed it.  This was very frustrating and embarrassing.  At first I thought it was lactose intolerance, so I cut dairy out for a week and no change.  This went on for nearly 3 weeks.  

At the start of the 4th week a pressure/slight cramping began in my lower right abdomen and I noticed my stools started to look "thinnish".  Up until this point nothing seemed out of the ordinary as far as bowel movements.  No visable blood in the stool.

I went to the doctor and he thought it may be constipation so he gave me Nexium and Amitiza.  They made me feel pretty bad and didn't really seem to change anything that was bothering me.  After a week he said to stop the meds.  

The gas has since subsided, but the abdominal pressure and thin stools still persist (for about 2 weeks now)  And I also notice my stomach gurgling a lot throughout the day and while in bed at night.  

I'm trying my best to not to get freaked out thinking its colon cancer, but I do notice I have alot of the symptoms.

Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated!

[stub0202]

I have had the exact same symptoms as you and about 1 1/2 years ago I was officially diagnosed with celiacs disease which means you are allergic to gluten (wheat, flour, malt, etc).  Get tested with an ERCP to verify if this is what it is.

Thanks
Brian

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Lower right quadrant pain can be due to inflammatory bowel disease, like Crohn's disease, diseases of the appendix, irritable bowel syndrome, or non-GI conditions like referred pain from a hernia or kidney.

I would advise a colonoscopy, which can exclude colon cancer.  Small bowel studies can also be considered with a small bowel follow-through.

If appendicitis is suspected, a CT scan would need to be performed.

If the tests remain negative, irritable bowel syndrome can be considered, and treated with antispasmodic agents or increasing the amount of fiber in the diet.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin Pho, M.D.

KevinMD.com
Twitter.com/kevinmd