Pain every morning

[sleepycat49]

I wake up every morning with pain or ache in my upper abdomen, just under breastbone. I can't sleep or lay on my left side because it makes it worse. My gastro doctor has not addressed this problem. First she said I had post infectious IBS. So we dealt with that, back in 2015. It all started in 2014. In November I was diagnosed with chronic idiopathic constipation. I can believe that because I was never regular. But, I'm still having the upper abdomen problem. It can continue for the whole day sometimes and I am miserable. No one seems to be able to help. In the beginning, nortriptoline helped the pain. But now its an every day thing. Should I look for another dr? I am in the U.S. and going to the University of Michigan clinic.

[Hidden]

Hi there,

I had that every day for years. In my case, under the bloating I found that my muscles were clenched, almost like a cramp, and that it was mostly linked to stress. You may find massaging that area in the evening before eating helps.

This might also help you: sickofibs.com/well-being/a-...

Alison

[WoolPippi]

Hi, I have this after 4,5 hours of sleep and on the right side of my body. It's Hepatic Flexure Syndrome. Which indicates that I have a crazy steep bend in my colon. During the night gas builds up in the colon but cannot clear the bend. The bubble stops all food matter that the small intestine releases into the colon. In a matter of hours things swell up. Pain.

I can imagine you have a steep bend a little further down the line with the same cause and effects, it's called Splenic Flexure Syndrome.

I reason like this: intestines take 4,5 hours to process my diner/all food from the previous day. With me, things get stuck into the ascending colon and cause pain and discomfort after 4,5 hours of sleep.

You have your "colon chicane" a little further down the road and get more than 4,5 hours of sleep, a full night. But it'sstill the same problem, gas and build up and pain and discomfort.

What works for me: low residue diet and low fibre diet (fiber restricted diet). One tangerine a day is already too much fibre and caused build up. Also FODMAP to reduce gas build up. (it's produced right outside the small intestine, at the lower right)

Still, there will always be gas and fibre in the colon so here's what I do extra: I try and have gravity work for me. Or in this case: air wanting to rise. I lie on my right side, then turn to back and lift pelvic to the sky and massage traversing colon and downwards colon. I usually pass wind then.

Walking during the day works for me too. 2 x 20 minutes. And I do some kettle belling. Anything to move my upper colon a bit. On this forum I read that stretching sideways is good too.

"Splenic Flexure Syndrome" is a term your dr. certainly knows. Another possible cause for food matter not physically able to pass through the colon easily is a restriction of the tube. This can be because of excessive folds in the wall (divirtucilitis), of things growing there (cysts?) or if the tube's diameter is naturally restricted. I think I may have the last one if it isn't Hepatic Flexure Syndrome. That would be called Stenosis. But I have woken up in a sweat 4,5 hours after I go to sleep my whole life, every night. I don't think you have had it all your life?

Stenosis and colonic bends can be imaged with x-rays and CTscans. Wall folds and cysts must be imaged from the inside, with a camera inserted into your colon.

For slow stools I am also looking at too low levels of serotonin. That being the hormone that speeds up colonic motility. It's supposed to be largely produced by the gut. I take 5-HTP, the precursor to serotonin, and have positive effects. But not as much as the diet and the tossing and turning in bed. Good luck figuring things out.

[Hidden in reply to WoolPippi]

This reply make a lot of sense. Thank you for posting.

[Hobbits]

My sister had constant pain, under ribs and lower down in the stomache. They kept telling her it was indigestion. She had an endoscopy and they found a bunch of polyps in her stomache. They cut out all they found and took some for biopsy. They told her it was caused by gasteritis or inflammation of the stomache lining.

Keep pushing your doctor for an answer. Be frank but diplomatic.

You can flat out ask to be referred to a gasterontoligist who specialize in digestive issues.

No one can advise you to change your doctor.

You have to decide what is right for you.

I did change mine, my family doctor ( general practitioner) He was my doctor since I was a little kid, over 4O years.

It was a hard decision for me but I found a new doctor who actually listened to me.

After my last colonoscopy I was told I have

Crohns.