Could I have acute or chronic appendicitis? Or just IBS? Please help?

[steph8802]

Ok, Hi everyone, I am new to this site and thought I could get some good answers. I need some help understanding if I have chronic appendicitis or possible acute appendix issues or just Irritiable Bowel syndrom issues. This is what I feel is going on.

Ok, so for about a week or so I've been feeling some strange things going on in the area of my appendix and have no clue what it could be but I'm so worried. Now, I've read so many stories on this issue and most people say the pain they feel is so intense, extremely painful, sweating, and vomiting, and what not, but not me. I don't have any of those issues for me all I feel is just a little weird pain. I can litterly feel the ache on my right hip bone up to the area of the appendix. I can at times feel little stomach pains right in the middle on top of the belly but it goes away. I can feel a dull ache on my appendix going almost to the right side of the hip, close to kidney but no pain there.

  I have seen a GI doctor in September and based on what I told him he believes I have IBS which made sense to me. He gave me samples of a pill called Align and I felt better, my stomach felt good and I was in a sense back to normal, but I don't have those pills anymore and my stomach has been up side down for months. Lately I can hear my stomach making weird noises, you know the noises you get when your hungry? Like that, but not because I'm hungry I just get those noises all over my stomach and especially on my right side near the appendix. I saw my doctor in Sep or Oct and had told him I had the same issues on my right side like I do now and he told me I had a stomach flu and told me to take Maalox and it went away and I never thought of it again. Until now.

Here is the history of me, I am a 23yr old female and until lately I have always been in good health but somewhere in my road I took a wrong turn and now I can't seem to get back on the right track. Since July I have gone to the hospital maybe 5 or 6 times 3 times for stomach issues which I have done a barium ex-ray, ultrasounds, blood and urine tests and everything was fine just stomach flu. I moved to a small town for college and it has been the worst 5 months of my life I have been stressing extremely, depressed, down, lonely, anxiety levels have gone extremely high to the point where I keep thinking something is wrong with me and can't relax. I keep thinking I'm going to have my appendix burst when it could just be my IBS. I really shouldn't be like this at my age I should be out there enjoying my life instead of being depressed. Oh and I do have a history of gastritis and do take nexium for it but I've always been on and off with it.

I went and saw a OBGYN and did an ultrasound and she said I have ovulated on my left side and it was the reason for left ovary pain, like I had a little cyst a normal one. But she said everything looked good. That was done December 9th. December 16th I just saw the doctor and had to do urine, blood, and an ultrasound done on my stomach and still waiting for the results. But I just would like to know what it could be? Is it possibly some sort of appendicitis or just IBS? Please do help and sorry for the long post.

[LivingInHope]

It's good they tested your urine also- did they say they were going to culture it?

[LivingInHope]

The OB/GYN should have focused on the right side if your pain is in the area of your appendix.  Also, your uterus is above your belly button, so he/she should have looked at that too.  I assume these looked fine on ultrasound?  (You might get a copy of results if you don't have one to make sure.)  It's true little cysts form and then ovulation takes place and when ovulation happens, that can sometimes cause people a lot of pain (stemming from the side it happens on).

With your gurgling and other GI descriptions, as well as anxiety & high stress levels, it is highly likely you are suffering from IBS as the GI doctor suspects, especially since his prescription helped you to feel better.  I encourage you to take that step for help and make an appointment with a doctor in that small town and ask for what worked for you to be re-prescribed.

Also, I'd be glad to correspond with you, if you'd like to private message back and forth here on medhelp.  I know moving to a small town can be difficult, as I moved to a small city myself and friends aren't always easy to come by.  I'm sorry you have had such difficulty in being able to relax and have been feeling blue.  I'd love to share with you how you might be able to get a mood lift and deal with the anxiety.

[steph8802]

Oh also I dont smoke or drink, and I used to workout but stopped and I dont eat as well as I should but will try.