[Mazza2711]

Hi,I am hoping someone can give me some very much needed advice.I have vomited on and off for many years every morning usually white or yellow bile and have have had intermittent constipation aswell. Last year around May I had a severe attack of pain in my left side back with vomiting and nausea with the pain coming to the front left under the ribcage...it was like I needed to lift up my ribcage and pull something out. My left side stomach was all tender and painful to touch, I went to my Gp who checked for water infection with nothing so gave me painkillers. It got worse and felt like I was having a heart attack, pain travelling down my leg and up my arm to my neck, back at GP, he sent me for emergency ultrasound, nothing found.I was back again at gp, theynow found infection in water so given 3 day antibiotics, still no better and ended up at emergency doctors with the pain and feeling so unwell. Antibotics for 7 days and I got better but still had the niggling pain in my left back. This attack lasted 3 weeks. 2 months later travelling home from work my pain began to surface again, OH KNOW I thought not again, took painkillers to no avail, couldn't cope with the pain and went to A & E, my blood pressure extremly low and I was retching severly with pain. They admitted me, gave me anti sickness tabs and tramadol for the pain. I was sent for chest x ray, all clear and I then had to wait to have a ultrasound again. I spent one week in hospital I was in severe pain and very unwell and again they found water infection and gave me antibiotics again, I began to feel well again towards the end of the week...did the antibiotics help?I was sent home and was sent to a gastrolegist and urologist, I have had CT scan and they have found a tiny stone in my right kidney but nothing to worry about. I have had camera to check my small bowel and camera down into my stomach again nothing found but a small fold in my stomach. I was then sent for barium xray to check for blockages, during this test I began heavily retching and I became very unwell the day after with pain and nausea. I am still waitying for the results but my gastrolegist has hinted that I may have IBS. I am curently in my 3rd week of another attack with the severe pain and vomiting and depressed with it all, I have been prescribed Citalopram (anti-depressant) which my gp said should help with IBS.I have lost my appetite and am very lethargic, intermittent constipation but it is the pain I can't cope withDo you think this is IBS(the have advised not cancer so that is one relieve)?Any advice on what to take or do?Mazza

 

[Kathleen M.]

IBS can be extremely painful and usually the way they treat that is with antidepressants. If after giving the one you are on a good trial (like 4-6 weeks) if it isn't helping definitely talk to the doctor. Some people have to work through a couple of them. Sometimes the mind body treatments can also do a lot to reduce pain (so you are regulating your nervous system rather than just letting the drug do that) so hypnosis or cog. behave. therapy specific for IBS can sometimes help.Not sure where you are but one antidepressant (Remeron) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirtazapine is related to some of the anti-vomiting drugs so might be something to consider if available in your country.