Upper right and lower abdominal pain-no one can diagnose me :(

[jrice1978]

I am feeling very lost becuase no one can seem to diagnose me. I am 32, female. 3 years ago I had a laparotomy to remove 2 large ovarian cysts. About a year ago I started having lower abdominal pain where my incision was. I went back to the doctor, they checked for cysts, nothing has reoccurred, they just said monitor the pain, see how it goes. About 8 months ago I started having upper right abdominal pain under my rib cage (not related or at the same time as lower abdominal pain) they seemed to happen at different times. I have had:
*HIDA scan to check for gallbladder function (found nothing)
*ultrasound of gallbladder (found nothing)
*vaginal ultrasound (found nothing)
*CT scan of abdomen (found nothing other than liver cysts they say are normal)
*endoscopy (find mild gastritis, due to the amount of Advil I take --for the pain- plus for my knee pain, I'm a runner)
*colonoscopy (found nothing)

I will have diarrhea (not constipation) blood in stool, vaginal spotting, vomiting, nausea, mild fever usually between 90-99. The pain at times is so bad I am in the fetal position. I can no longer take Advil. Some days I'm ok, but I always have this dull achy pain in both areas. Sometimes the pain in the upper abdomen gets worse with activity--running. I am very healthy, am 5'2, 135, I'm a runner, work out 5-6 days a week. I don't eat red meat, I eat a lot of fruits and veggies, I have tried changing the diet up to see if that helps (no dairy, wheat, etc...nothing seems to make it better) I don't smoke and I drink in moderation, wine.

Pretty much what I have been told is there is a small chance this "could" be endometriosis, but more than likely I just have IBS. I feel that IBS is just an answer they give you when they can't figure what else is wrong with you. My dad had very different symptoms and they diagnosed him with IBS. They now are just focused on controlling the pain, not figuring out what is wrong because they just say it is IBS. I am so frustrated, please help!

[jrice1978]

Oh and scar tissue not scare :) I really do know how to spell... That is what you get for typing on your phone and it finishes a word for you, sorry!

[jrice1978]

Thank you for the feedback so quickly! Totie and Tuck, I forgot to mention that my OBGYN said she didn't think it was scare tissue because it actually doesn't get worse when I run. I am a distance runner and when I run for 10-12 miles the lower abdominal pain actually seems to "go away" or maybe I just don't notice it. She told me if it was scare tissue the pulling of my stomach muscles when I was running would make it worse. (but the upper abdominal pain does hurt when I run). I am not happy with any doctor at the moment. I started with my OBGYN because the symptoms were the same as when I had my cysts, the went to my GP and then 2 GI doctors. I liked the idea of a teaching facility, maybe they would care a bit more and not be focused on getting me out the door, taking my money and calling it IBS (I just don't feel that I have IBS after researching everything about it). I know that your body has pain to let you know something is wrong, I don't like the idea of "controlling" this pain because then you just mask the issue. I am however willing to take some of the pain meds on the bad days just so I can make it through the day....any other ideas please let me know!

[melissaky]

Hi ! I can totally identify with what you are going through .I too have had the same symptoms been hospitalized 3 times with it and finally told IBS .I don;t agree with that diagnosis and I agree that they apply IBS for I don't know what it is .My surgeon just threw his hands up and said IBS .I went through all the testing and at first they thought it was Chron's and that is what I still think it is but they said they found no evidence of it .I understand how frustrating it can be when you can't get a clear diagnosis .Nothing against IBS I know a lot of people suffer with it but my symptoms has never really fit the bill .I hope you will finally be able to find out what is really wrong and I am glad you are at least having your pain controlled .Take care
Melissa

[Tuckamore]

Hello Jrice,

Welcome to MedHelp's Pain Management Forum. I am glad that you found us but very sorry you are experiencing chronic pain. I hear the frustration in your words. My heart goes out to you.

I know your concern. Sometimes when test do not produce an obvious answer the medical providers seem to lump like symptoms into an IBS diagnosis. They can be correct as not everyone has the exact symptoms but they can also be in error.

Another thought might be adhesions from your surgery.....even if it was a scope. That would not account for the right sided under rib pain. Adhesions can be very painful and cause similar symptoms mimicking endometriosis.

Have you sought a second opinion....or a third? A second pair of eyes can make a difference. Consulting a physician connected with a large teaching facility or a well known national clinic may be beneficial. Have you seen a good Gastroenterologist?

While you are always welcome here we have other forums that may provide additional suggestions or information.

You might also want to post on our Gastroenterology Forum. Here's the link: http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Gastroenterology/show/68

Or our undiagnosed symptoms community:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Undiagnosed-Symptoms/show/95

"Abdominal Pain" reasons can be very difficult to accurately diagnosis. It will take some time and patience. I encourage you to seek another opinion. You may have IBS or you may not. I do think you may feel better if you had a bit more searching done into your symptoms. It's important that we trust our physicians. You don't sound like you have that trust....and that's perfectly okay. In my opinion it is important that you find a physician that you find trustworthy and you can develop some rapport. Someone that will take a lot of time and explain in detail their thoughts and diagnosis. I know it has made a huge difference for me.

I wish you the very best and hope that you will be active in our community. Please feel free to ask additional questions or just vent. We are here to offer our support. I'll look forward to hearing from you again soon.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[Totie]

Have you looked into adhesions?