Undiagnosable gastro/ digestive issues for 5 years

[Carlene22]

Hello,

Im desperately looking for some help as I’ve ran out of places to go!

About 5 years ago I noticed a lump in my stomach around my belly button, at the time painless and firm, gp said it was a fatty lump which would go away and it did.

Lump then however started to come back every few months for a couple of weeks at a time (often after strenuous activity or laughing a lot, so thought potential hernia) but to the point where it is now ‘popping’ in and out on a daily basis. As time has gone on it has also become more painful, it hurts to push and when it’s ‘out’ it sometimes feels like a knot, that has loads of elastic bands which are pinging and about to snap when I stretch. It has moved about an inch or so over the years too, settled just above my belly button now. I can feel it more / it’s more visible when I have a fuller stomach.

Around the same time I first spotted the lump I started having intense ‘belching’ issues. At first it was random or after I’d ate a large meal. Gas / air would get trapped in my stomach causing pains all the way up to my chest and neck & then making me feel nauseous until I belched it out in what I can only describe as a shrek like manor. This has now also developed into something consistent, I’m like this every day despite what I’ve ate or drank. I kept food / eating habit diaries for a year and no correlations. Sometimes regurgitate food too, especially if I’m exercising. Tried cutting out diary, gluten, lactose but nothing changed. Whilst I now have this constantly it gets a lot worse whenever I have any other kind of illness, be it covid, a cold, stomach bug, the trapped air / belching intensifies whilst I’m poorly, getting much worse in the evenings to the point where I’m awake until 3 or 4am vomiting because it’s so forceful

I’ve been in the consistent phase of belching and trapped gas and had the consistent lump for about 3 years now.

I’ve had a barium swallow, upper endoscopy, blood tests (can’t remember exactly what for), and have been on around 10 different ‘acid reflux’ and ‘gerd’ medications all coming back normal & medication doing nothing. I do not actually get any heartburn, I rarely have actual acid coming up, mainly just in digested food.

I also get random painful bloating to the point where I have been mistaken as a pregnant woman more than once, and have inconsistent toilet habits. Some days / weeks it’s normal, sometimes tiny dark stool drops, blood in stool, constipation. The only correlation I’ve found with this is my period makes the constipation and small stool a lot worse, and I have been diagnosed with endometriosis which was severe enough to be seen on an MRI so I’m awaiting surgery for this, but my gynaecologist doesn’t think it could be related. We do think the fact I have inconsistent toilet habits, bloating, cramps etc. are due to this, though but could also be related to the above?

I’ve thought about hernia, stomach ulcer, scar tissue from endo causing blockages? But I believe the tests I’ve had would of likely shown this. Also have had cancer run through my mind but again I’m assuming that will of immediately been noticed and if not would of developed to be a lot worse in 5 years

I’m completely lost, I don’t know what to say to a gp anymore because I don’t know what else they could do (also been referred to a gastroenterologist which ended in nothing) but I can’t accept that I can live with this forever

Other medications I’m on are the pill and Sertraline but I’ve only been on Sertraline for a year. I’m a healthy weight of between 9.7 - 10 stone, 25 year old female, don’t smoke or do any drugs, drink alcohol occasionally but well under recommended units.

I cannot put into words how happy a day where I don’t have these symptoms would make me, if you have any ideas at all what this could be i would be so appreciative of your response

Thank you!!

[Barb135]

It sounds like you might have more than one thing going on.  The belching/burping/bloating is a common symptom of H. Pylori.  There are several ways to test for this, so you should talk to your doctor (or gastroenterologist) and ask to get tested.  

Acid reflux can occur even if you don’t actually have heartburn or feel acid in the throat.  

The lump near your navel sounds like it could be a lipoma, which is a “clump” of fat tissue, which is not cancerous.  Most lipomas aren’t painful, but some can be.   I had one just below my navel that had to be surgically removed because of pain.  

If you have blood in your stool, you should talk to the gastro and request a colonoscopy, if you haven’t already had one.   Blood in stools can be caused by hemorrhoids.  

If you’re unable to get help from your current doctor(s), it might be time to find a new pcp, who can refer you for adequate treatment.