GI Discomfort/Weight Loss - Small Intestinal Lymphoma?

[mbaud]

28 year old male. I have had no major medical history with the exception of a GERD Dx.

Around 1 week ago, I began having some abdominal discomfort after eating. Within an hour of eating, I get crampy, bloated, colicky, gas pains that come and go. My stools have been occasionally solid, but occasionally diarrheal in nature. Often foul smelling and yellowish.

I have lost around 7 pounds in the past week, perhaps due to loss of appetite.

Obviously, these symptoms are non-specific and can have many causes. I haven't noticed any particular dietary pattern that's triggered the GI symptoms.

Diagnostic tests:
8/13 - CBC - all values normal.
8/13 - CMP - all values normal
8/13 - C Reactive Protein - 0.8 mg/l - low end of the normal range
8/14 - CBC - all values normal except for slightly elevated basophils (8 with a reference range of 0-7)
8/14 - Pancreatic Enzymes - all values normal
8/14 - Complete Abdominal Ultrasound (liver, bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, gall bladder, aorta) - all normal and unremarkable

My concern is small bowel cancer, and in particular small bowel lymphoma. My GI thought the suggestion was ludicrous (and I imagine he had a rational foundation for thinking so). In the first place, I am aware that small bowel malignancies are rare. I am also aware that they are especially rare within my age group. And I am further aware that lymphomas of the small bowel within a person of my age group would be exceedingly rare. He also added that it would be even more unlikely still that there would be no abnormality on any of the lab work, in particular the CRP. Still, I have anxiety about this.

In the past, I have had several CT studies performed 5 years ago that I believe may have triggered a carcinogenic process that could have led to this. However, from all of the medical literature I've read, leukemias are far more likely to result from radiation exposure than lymphomas, and lymphomas (if they manifest at all) are more likely to manifest decades later.

Anyway, he proffered the explanation of IBS--but I am bothered by the sudden onset of symptoms.

Any insights you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

[Ken_PA]

or maybe some pathogen worked it's way up to the valve. There is some published data on using ordinary vit C against H Pylori, working with maybe 40% of subjects. Also olive leaf extract.

But the overriding consideration is that pathogens shouldn't be able to flourish there, and if they do then there is something amiss in the internal environment.

[mbaud]

Interesting. I do have GERD and hiatal hernia, and am of average to below average weight. I will certainly look into that...

[Ken_PA]

I'm not certain but I think that intestinal lymphoma would have shown up on your recent sono, unless it was in very early stage. An endoscope would be best, AFAIK. But that is probably jumping the gun at this point.

A clue might be here in why you had the CTs those 5 years ago. IOW, it's possibly back - whatever it was.

Also, if you react to every food, then I'd point out that leaky gut (aka increased intestinal permeability) makes a person seem allergic/sensitive to almost everything. Do you get dark circles under your eyes after eating? If not, then maybe the reaction is confined to the gut and your gut barrier is intact.

Have you looked into the histamine content of foods, to try and detect a pattern?

If you have GERD but aren't overweight, that's a clue. Are you long and thin? Are you hyperflexible? That's a shot in the dark, but maybe if that fits you'd look at Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

[mbaud]

I should also add, no fever or night sweats.