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abdominal pain and body position

I have had upper abdominal pain for nearly two years.  Over this time I have been given  every test available. They include four endoscopies (one ultrasound), three cat scans, thoracic and lumbosacral x-rays, cardio-stress test, gastric emptying, bone scan, MRI, capsule study, laparoscopy, swallowing study, esophageal manometry & 24 hour ph study.  The results have either been “normal” or at least nothing observed that can explain the pain. The doctors have found what I don’t have, cancer or other serious disease, but don’t know what I do have.  They call it “peripheral neuropathy”  for which there is no treatment.
The pain is usually a burning feeling, sometimes a sensation of pressure like someone poking a finger forcefully into the solar plexus.   Although the pain comes on sometimes when I am at rest, like sitting or standing, there is a definite “positional” aspect to it.  The pain usually comes on if I bend over to reach for or to pick something up, carrying something heavy, sitting in a car on a bumpy street, or running, any bouncing of the body up and down. And the pain will subside somewhat If I lie down, best on one side or the other.
My question is don’t these positional factors mean something or shouldn’t they be helpful in  finding a diagnosis?  Aren’t they a clue as to what’s causing this pain?  
I haven’t been able to work for over a year now because of this condition.  Any help or suggestions you have would be much appreciated.  Thank you.
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Avatar universal
ggreg,   I've looked at the Mayo site you recommended and it looks helpful.  Thanks very much.
Benanselmo
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Avatar universal
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/abdominal-pain/MY00390/DSECTION=causes

The above link will take you to a Mayo Clinic list of what discomfort in the abdomen can mean, and it separates them out by the position of the pain.  Perhaps if you looked over the list for "Upper Abdominal Pain," could be something will jump out at you that you know the docs haven't checked, and then you can return to your doc and ask him about one or several items that you wonder about.  That's about all I can suggest as to what is going on.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try the alka-selzer, but it contains aspirin which I'm supposed to take only in limited, small doses.  Over the course of this problem I've taken lots of Omeprazole and Sucralfate, not to mention Tums and Rolaids, none of which seemed to help, Also the PH study was supposedly ruling out an acid problem like Gerd or Heartburn.
I have followed a very low acid diet, have pretty much regular bowel movements and don't go for walks or take exercises right after meals. I also don't have to pass gas a lot.    But I'll try anything that has a chance of helping.  Thanks again.   Benanselm
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Avatar universal
Do me a favor, drink an ordinary plain Original Alka Seltzer whenever you get that painful feeling, and see if it helps.  If it does, this means your body is too acidic for some reason OR you have gas for some reason.  To permanently counteract acidity, you should read online about alkaline foods, and try to eat those every day, and read about acidic foods, and try to avoid those.  Drinking extra water will also help keep the body more alkaline.  To counteract gas, this is caused by so many things, but the main one is if you eat a very large meal after skipping, say, the morning meal, this will create terrible gas that can hurt very badly.  The solution is to eat three square meals a day!  If you don't like breakfast, then mid-morning at least have some toast or crackers, and then don't load up too big at lunch.  Another cause of gas is fruits, so if you like fruit, either eat it only as a snack, or eat it BEFORE you eat whatever else is on your plate.

I will say this:  Acid and gas can build up if your bowels don't move regularly.  So, if you think you are experiencing constipation, particularly if you don't pass waste but perhaps maybe twice a week, then you need to get it moving more regularly, and this can be helped by drinking extra water, exercising regularly, and slowly adding more fiber foods to your diet, like oat cereal and salads.  Speaking of exercising, DO NOT exercise for at least one full hour after any meal.  This may apply to you since you say you notice this pain when you're bouncing or running around.  This is because if you eat a big dinner and then go jogging for an evening exercise routine, you'll get terrible cramps, usually in your side.  So, don't do a lot of strenuous stuff right after you eat.

Hope SOME part of this will ring a bell and work for you, keep us posted, others here may have other ideas for you, too.
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