Severe Abdominal Pain

[MedWok]

Need help and recommendation (Severe abdominal pain)
Hi all,
My mom (72 years old) suffering abdominal pain over past 3 months.  4 different hospitals performed all different kind of x-rays, CT scans, Ultrasound, blood vessel scan, lab work, urine test.  All results came out normal and/or negative.  No one knows what causing the pain.
The pain is severe around the belly button.  Never go away for over 3 months.  It gotten worse now especially when the pain is extremely high which cause her blood pressure goes up and she cannot breathe.  Hospital stated that nothing found to be life threatening and cannot keep her in the hospital.  Always refer her back to GI doctor.  No one diagnose her symptom so she basically laying at home with severe pain until she can’t handle it and take back to ER again and again.
GI Dr. performed colonoscopy everything clear and fine and he couldn’t think of what might causing the pain.  She has history of constipation but the pain still the same even after she cleanout to do the colonoscopy procedure.  
Current daily medications taking:
Indapamide 2.5 mg
AmLodipine Besylate 5 mg
Lovastin 40 mg
Clonidine 0.2mg
Ecotrin 81mg
Irbesartan 300 mg
Trulance 3mg
Omeprqzole 40mg
Any help and recommendations for Doctors or any one would be appreciated.

[AnnieBrooke]

Infected navel?

[AnnieBrooke]

Does she have one main doctor, who is in charge of seeing to it that all those medications she takes do not conflict with each other?

[MedWok]

Thanks for the feedback.  She have one main Dr. but have been referred to 3 different Dr.s for test,  but all nothing shows up on scan.  I am sure her Dr. aware of what medication she is taking.   My sister is her full time care-giver.

[AnnieBrooke]

I would not be sure of any such thing. It's amazing how many prescriptions my dad was taking, and what a flake his doctor was about understanding drug interactions. Has your mom had an abdominal MRI? Does her regular doctor know she is going to the ER so often? It just sounds like she might need one doctor to be managing things a lot more firmly.

[AnnieBrooke]

The other two possibilities, which seem less likely but worth mentioning, are that she is eating something poisonous, or that she is acting. You know the situation better than I do, but the concept that the pain is worse around the navel is puzzling. Unless she has an actual infection of the navel, that is kind of an odd place to have such severe pain that you need to go to the ER.

[arvbuttar]

Hi,
I read your post and sorry to hear about your mom. I think, you should visit the doctor, who has specialization in the same field and can better understand the real cause of pain.
Thanks.

[MedWok]

Doctors in where she lives is PIA.  How can they expect to wait for weeks before she can be seen.. sad.

[AnnieBrooke]

What does PIA mean? It would seem like even the slowest system would respond if you were to point out that someone has been admitted to the ER a number of times, especially if you threaten a malpractice suit. Have you been actively involved with this or have you left it all to your sister?

[old_before_my_time]

Has she been checked for h. Pylori? Here is a link that may be helpful - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/h-pylori/symptoms-causes/syc-20356171.

I hope she gets answers and relief soon.

[MedWok]

Updates.. she have done 2 final tests today: barium swallow and capsule endoscopy.  Both shows no sign of infections or problems.  Her white blood cells are normal.  She still in pain and they preferred her to surgeon.   I'm not sure at her age can handle any surgery.  She's getting weaker going through 2+ months of pain cant eat much and walk much.   I really need more suggestions if any one have more info.   It's surprised me that no Dr. and scans can detect it.  :(

[AnnieBrooke]

Is she better when she is in the hospital? I can't keep from wondering if she is ingesting something (at home) that is poisoning her or causing a medication interaction that has the same result.

[MedWok]

THE ONLY TIME SHE IS BETTER IN HOSPITAL IS WHEN THEY GIVE HER PAIN KILLER MAX DOSE.  BUT HER PAIN IS ON AND OFF FROM LEVEL 2 TO 7 WHEN MEDICINE WORN OUT.  I DON'T THINK IT IS MEDICINE INTERACTION BECAUSE SHE TAKES NO MEDICINE FROM THE BEGINNING.

[Jade59]

Hi here...Ugh, I had a very long response typed out and lost it.  I will try to recreate...

Has your Mom had an ultrasound of her bladder?   Bladder pain can present as pain around the navel. There is a bladder condition called Interstitial Cystitis....which can be very painful.  Here is a quick description...

"Interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a chronic bladder health issue. It is a feeling of pain and pressure in the bladder area. Along with this pain are lower urinary tract symptoms which have lasted for more than 6 weeks, without having an infection or other clear causes."

The last sentence in the above description is important to know, as your Mother could have this condition but would have a normal white count, since I.C. is Not an infection.    

I'm not sure if your Mom is able to clearly articulate exactly where her pain is, although I would take pain near the navel as being lower abdominal which is where the bladder is.  

I'm just throwing the whole I.C. issue out there since it seems all other avenues have been exhausted.  Of course it may not be bladder related at all, but I think it would be worth checking into if it hasn't been already.  

Oh, also, is your Mom not eating due to poor appetite, or because it brings on worse pain?  Certain foods as well as certain medications can bring on excruciating pain to someone suffering with I.C., just fyi.

I see your Mom is taking Omeprazole.  This is a  Proton Inhibitor which, if taken long term can begin to have the opposite effect (this happened to me).  Instead of relieving stomach pain, it can begin to Cause it.   Of course, please do not discontinue unless her dr says so.

Lastly, I believe AnnieBrooke was referring to interactions between the 8 medications you listed in your original post.