Hello,I thought I would ask a question regarding pain. I seem to have pain all the time, inmy left lower abdomen. It doesn't really get worse after I eat, it's just there all the time. My back is also aching... and of course I have a lot of gas... buildup. Any thoughts? I just was curious if anyone had this nagging, dull pain. I've been to my ob-gyn... had ultrasound which showed nothing, and had a flexible sigmoidoscopy which also showed nothing. I just wanna make sure it really is IBS.thanks!
never ending pain
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When I am in IBS mode (and I say this because I'm guess I'm lucky and my IBS comes and goes) my abdomen and lower back ache all the time too. Eating doesn�t do anything to make the discomfort better or worse just sort of always there. For me the pain is kinda dull all the time. If I can actually get involved in something else and forget about it the pain goes away until my mind wonders back to it again. This is were CBT comes in.One other thing� I doubted, as do many people, the IBS diagnosis. How could I have this thing (1) that makes you feel so bad; (2) with no cure; (3) that gives me such terrible �D�? I was raised thinking that when you had these things you were �sick�, you take a pill, and you get better. Once I reconciled the fact that it was IBS it seemed to get better for me�.at least emotionally.Hope you feel better soon.KARL
When I am in IBS mode (and I say this because I'm guess I'm lucky and my IBS comes and goes) my abdomen and lower back ache all the time too. Eating doesn�t do anything to make the discomfort better or worse just sort of always there. For me the pain is kinda dull all the time. If I can actually get involved in something else and forget about it the pain goes away until my mind wonders back to it again. This is were CBT comes in.One other thing� I doubted, as do many people, the IBS diagnosis. How could I have this thing (1) that makes you feel so bad; (2) with no cure; (3) that gives me such terrible �D�? I was raised thinking that when you had these things you were �sick�, you take a pill, and you get better. Once I reconciled the fact that it was IBS it seemed to get better for me�.at least emotionally.Hope you feel better soon.KARL
hey Karl thanks...I just wonder if I should have a colonoscopy... and I still wonder about ovarian cancer... how long should I persuetests? I know you don't have the answer,but I think I could stop worring if I hadevery test imaginable to put my mind at ease... just kinda scary....thanks again!
hey Karl thanks...I just wonder if I should have a colonoscopy... and I still wonder about ovarian cancer... how long should I persuetests? I know you don't have the answer,but I think I could stop worring if I hadevery test imaginable to put my mind at ease... just kinda scary....thanks again!
Welcome eligmon! I had similar symptoms to yours a few years ago. Have you been on birth control pills, antibiotic or steroidal therapy? How about any vaginal infections? These are the symptoms I got after antibiotic therapy for adult-oncet acne. I would recommend a colonoscopy with a tissue biopsy and possibly a stool analysis to see if there is some bacterial, fungal, or parasitic type of infection or over-growth. Something that I would recommend immediately that you can try is to omit dairy and fruit from your diet for a week or two and see if that cuts down on your gas. You might want to supplement with calcium and vit. C supplements. Then add one small serving of each back into your diet, one week at a time (i.e. first dairy, and then fruit to see how you feel). Cutting down on these have helped me alot. I seem to tolerate very small amounts of these/day. It has reduced my gas problems a great deal. You might want to suggest a fructose and lactose intolerence test to see what happens. Another thing may be to introduce probiotics in your system to see if these might help. Onions and vinegar-based products can be a problem too. An allergist diagnosed and treated me with an antifungal for candida sensitivity (due to antibiotic induced colitis problem) and also identified citric and benzoic acid, as well as an sensitivity to dairy whey through double-blinded provocative sublingual testing (note-these allergists are hard to find, but they are out there if you look for them). Staying away from these helped a lot too. Don't forget to check both food and beverage labels for these additives. Tomato sauce and fruity beverages have added citric acid and many sodas have citric and benzoic acid additives. Coffee and chocolate have citric acid in them naturally. (I can handle small amounts of chocolate, but cut coffee out entirely). Citrus fruits, of course do, but peaches come right behind, I am told. I try and select my fruit and dairy without any additives in, and I seem better off, but I still cannot tolerate large amounts, as often additives come from natural foods in a concentrated/enhanced/altered form - so too much of anything does seem to be "no good for you." Dr. Lamar Gibbons notes in his book that fruit and dairy are often among the biggest offenders for many people with intestinal disorders if there seems to be a food intolerence involved. He also mentions wheat/gluten products. There are elimination diets out there you can try, as different people are sensitive to different things. (soy, corn, etc.)I went the gyno route too and had an unneccessary hysterectomy before finding the real problem and suffered for a few years after because no one could diagnose it. I did have endometriosis which caused me a great deal of menstrual pain, but turned out not to be the source of my stooling problems. Do you have problems with "C" or "D?"There is a blood test that they might do to test for ovarian CA if you would like to rule that out, as it does have similar symptoms.Good luck to you eligmon. Hope you are able to find the source of your pain and are feeling better soon. M.
Welcome eligmon! I had similar symptoms to yours a few years ago. Have you been on birth control pills, antibiotic or steroidal therapy? How about any vaginal infections? These are the symptoms I got after antibiotic therapy for adult-oncet acne. I would recommend a colonoscopy with a tissue biopsy and possibly a stool analysis to see if there is some bacterial, fungal, or parasitic type of infection or over-growth. Something that I would recommend immediately that you can try is to omit dairy and fruit from your diet for a week or two and see if that cuts down on your gas. You might want to supplement with calcium and vit. C supplements. Then add one small serving of each back into your diet, one week at a time (i.e. first dairy, and then fruit to see how you feel). Cutting down on these have helped me alot. I seem to tolerate very small amounts of these/day. It has reduced my gas problems a great deal. You might want to suggest a fructose and lactose intolerence test to see what happens. Another thing may be to introduce probiotics in your system to see if these might help. Onions and vinegar-based products can be a problem too. An allergist diagnosed and treated me with an antifungal for candida sensitivity (due to antibiotic induced colitis problem) and also identified citric and benzoic acid, as well as an sensitivity to dairy whey through double-blinded provocative sublingual testing (note-these allergists are hard to find, but they are out there if you look for them). Staying away from these helped a lot too. Don't forget to check both food and beverage labels for these additives. Tomato sauce and fruity beverages have added citric acid and many sodas have citric and benzoic acid additives. Coffee and chocolate have citric acid in them naturally. (I can handle small amounts of chocolate, but cut coffee out entirely). Citrus fruits, of course do, but peaches come right behind, I am told. I try and select my fruit and dairy without any additives in, and I seem better off, but I still cannot tolerate large amounts, as often additives come from natural foods in a concentrated/enhanced/altered form - so too much of anything does seem to be "no good for you." Dr. Lamar Gibbons notes in his book that fruit and dairy are often among the biggest offenders for many people with intestinal disorders if there seems to be a food intolerence involved. He also mentions wheat/gluten products. There are elimination diets out there you can try, as different people are sensitive to different things. (soy, corn, etc.)I went the gyno route too and had an unneccessary hysterectomy before finding the real problem and suffered for a few years after because no one could diagnose it. I did have endometriosis which caused me a great deal of menstrual pain, but turned out not to be the source of my stooling problems. Do you have problems with "C" or "D?"There is a blood test that they might do to test for ovarian CA if you would like to rule that out, as it does have similar symptoms.Good luck to you eligmon. Hope you are able to find the source of your pain and are feeling better soon. M.
thanks moldie,I did start taking birth control pills about a year ago, and that may be one factor. I've always had a lot of gas pain, however it use to come and go... usually after I had eatten a lot. As far as the blood test, I have had several ultrasounds... the first one did reveal a syst, however the second showed nothing, and then a third showed everything to be normal, and my doctor assured me everything was fine. I just don't know what to do next... go back to my primary care physician... asking for the colonoscopy or see my obgyn....
thanks moldie,I did start taking birth control pills about a year ago, and that may be one factor. I've always had a lot of gas pain, however it use to come and go... usually after I had eatten a lot. As far as the blood test, I have had several ultrasounds... the first one did reveal a syst, however the second showed nothing, and then a third showed everything to be normal, and my doctor assured me everything was fine. I just don't know what to do next... go back to my primary care physician... asking for the colonoscopy or see my obgyn....
The blood test for ovarian cancer cells is a C-125 and my insurance company paid for this test...some don't, but it is worth every penny. It certainly put my mind at ease. My mother-in-law died of ov cancer and if the C-125 test had been available at that time, she might still be with us....good luck. But, have the scope and C-125 test...
The blood test for ovarian cancer cells is a C-125 and my insurance company paid for this test...some don't, but it is worth every penny. It certainly put my mind at ease. My mother-in-law died of ov cancer and if the C-125 test had been available at that time, she might still be with us....good luck. But, have the scope and C-125 test...
Hi,I have lower left pain almost constantly. Some days are better than others,but it is always there. I am a C-type with diverticulosis. You should have a colonoscopy or a the very least a barium enema, which will reveal if diverticulosis might be a problem for you as well. The colonoscopy is by far the most conclusive test. With regard to the CA-125 blood test. I have had it done, but from everything I have read it is not very reliable as it frequently gives false-positive and false negative readings. I believe a pelvic ultra sound would be far more reliable. Do you suffer for constipation or diarreah?------------------"Remember To Stop and Smell the Roses"Rose (C-type)
Hi,I have lower left pain almost constantly. Some days are better than others,but it is always there. I am a C-type with diverticulosis. You should have a colonoscopy or a the very least a barium enema, which will reveal if diverticulosis might be a problem for you as well. The colonoscopy is by far the most conclusive test. With regard to the CA-125 blood test. I have had it done, but from everything I have read it is not very reliable as it frequently gives false-positive and false negative readings. I believe a pelvic ultra sound would be far more reliable. Do you suffer for constipation or diarreah?------------------"Remember To Stop and Smell the Roses"Rose (C-type)
thanks for responding JOB,I have constipation as of late, howeverhave also had diareha as well... I'vebeen sitting here debating whether to call the OBGYN, or the Primary Care...perhaps you're right. I have had the flexible sigmoidoscopy.. and it was fine,so you think the colonoscopy would showsomething different? Do you have backpain?
thanks for responding JOB,I have constipation as of late, howeverhave also had diareha as well... I'vebeen sitting here debating whether to call the OBGYN, or the Primary Care...perhaps you're right. I have had the flexible sigmoidoscopy.. and it was fine,so you think the colonoscopy would showsomething different? Do you have backpain?
Hi. There's something I just wanted to mention. A few years ago I also had horrible, excruciating left sided pain, especially during bouts of IBS-D. I swear sometimes I thought I would pass out on the toilet. It felt like someone was driving a toy train or square building blocks through my intestine at that exact spot. Oddly enough, after my first colonoscopy in 1997 it never happened again. It was the strangest thing, almost like there was a loop or something there and the scope straightened it out. It's something to think about anyway. I would have them do an ultrasound and CA-125 for the ovaries, for your peace of mind but I think a full colonoscopy would be a good idea too. Good luck to you.
Hi. There's something I just wanted to mention. A few years ago I also had horrible, excruciating left sided pain, especially during bouts of IBS-D. I swear sometimes I thought I would pass out on the toilet. It felt like someone was driving a toy train or square building blocks through my intestine at that exact spot. Oddly enough, after my first colonoscopy in 1997 it never happened again. It was the strangest thing, almost like there was a loop or something there and the scope straightened it out. It's something to think about anyway. I would have them do an ultrasound and CA-125 for the ovaries, for your peace of mind but I think a full colonoscopy would be a good idea too. Good luck to you.
eligmon, did you read the diagnoses abstract I posted. http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022115.html I was thinking about the pain I use to get.like a bomb exploded in my gut, like I was being japped with a knife, like a charlie horse, like someone wrapped a metal cable around me an were trying to cut me in half by squeezing it, most times it was centrally located on the left, but sometimes it was the entire abdomen. The pain was through the roof sometimes, but pain in IBS is a weird thing as it is quite common to get referal pain from a different area then where the contractions maybe happening. The brain is not rreleasing the natural opites it would to respond to contractions like in normal people.Here is some info although they have learned more as this was written in 97. http://www.med.ucla.edu/ndp/Fall97Brain.htm ------------------Moderator of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Anxiety and Hypnotherapy forumI work with Mike and the IBS Audio Program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com
eligmon, did you read the diagnoses abstract I posted. http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022115.html I was thinking about the pain I use to get.like a bomb exploded in my gut, like I was being japped with a knife, like a charlie horse, like someone wrapped a metal cable around me an were trying to cut me in half by squeezing it, most times it was centrally located on the left, but sometimes it was the entire abdomen. The pain was through the roof sometimes, but pain in IBS is a weird thing as it is quite common to get referal pain from a different area then where the contractions maybe happening. The brain is not rreleasing the natural opites it would to respond to contractions like in normal people.Here is some info although they have learned more as this was written in 97. http://www.med.ucla.edu/ndp/Fall97Brain.htm ------------------Moderator of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Anxiety and Hypnotherapy forumI work with Mike and the IBS Audio Program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com
I agree with the pelvic ultrasound being better then the Ca-125 as far as ruling out an ovarian Cancer. It gives too many false positives. The Ca-125 is a tumor marker type test and is really intended for people who have already been diagnosed with the cancer and are being treated. The test is used to determine if the treatment is working.
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