Visceral hypersensitivity

[Supershelle]

After 2 years of right rib pain I've been diagnosed with visceral hypersensitivity. I've had all scans going plus endoscopy. I've suffered ibs c for 25 years and only had this rib pain for the last 2. It is worse with alcohol so I have cut that out now but still get the pain from coffee and some food. It feels like a tugging pain and painkillers don't touch it. All blood tests to check liver are fine. I just don't understand this diagnosis and not sure I really believe it. Gastro said he won't see me again as nothing can be done. I've tried the usual go to pain clinic pills and had no success. Anyone else had this pain under the right ribs?

[Lovemyfamily89]

Hi,

Yes I do. I get pain from the middle of my breastbone under sometimes my left, and sometimes my right breast. I have suffered with constant constipation since I was born. I am now almost 50 years old. The pain in my ribs started 11 years ago. I have lansoprazole which helps a little, I had my gallbladder removed which didn’t seem to help at all. I have found eating small portions helps me and also as many foods make me worse, I have quite a limited diet. I can’t eat out anymore in the evenings. I can manage a simple pub lunch but never in the evenings. Luckily, I have a very understanding family and I have found that just like the constipation, working with it and adjusting my life around it works best for me. Fighting it, ignoring it and trying to carry on as if I didn’t have it, just made me worse. I wish you lots of luck in getting it under control

[Supershelle in reply to Lovemyfamily89]

thank you for your reply. I have my ibs c under control or as much as is possible. I take manevac granules at night which deal with the constipation but give me worse pain in the upper part of the digestive tract which i take esomoprazole for plus ranitidine. I also take resolor which speeds things up. All scans show I'm full of stool even on the day I thought I was empty after the manevac worked! This new (2 year) rib pain is something else I guess I will need to live with but nothing seems to help. My life revolves around manevac which I'm used to after 20 plus years but the rib pain isn't eased with a bm.

[Lovemyfamily89 in reply to Supershelle]

I had manevac for about 12 years then my body got used to it and it stopped working. I battled on with it, taking more and more until I tore myself. It took 3 years to get that sorted and I eventually had a sphincterotomy ( not sure if spelt correctly!) which finally gave me my life back and I was also swooped from manevac to movecol. I had another 12 years out of movecol, until it too stopped working, so now I have 2 x bisacodyl every night which kind of works, for a few nights, but I also get a build up, so for the last two months I too have been having Resolor, about once a week. I think I’m just starting to get used to the headaches that it gives me, but I’m terribly scared of the day it stops working, petrified of tearing again and what will happen if I do. I have been discussing a colostomy bag with my consultant recently. Do you find any foods help or make matters worse?

[Supershelle in reply to Lovemyfamily89]

Oh dear you've had a rough time Julie. I found manevac was giving me more reflux as I was taking more and more. It was literally causing more pain than the ibs spasm. I have a hiatus hernia and I thought it was that or an ulcer. I was relying on coffee and cigarettes to have a bm even with manevac. I finally stopped manevac and stopped smoking for the majority of the time. I am bloated everyday with discomfort or pain everyday but I am able to work part time and just eat when I get home. The ibs pain I'm used to as it started at 17 I'm now 42! This rib pain 2 years and not affected by bm so confusing. I take manevac at the weekend and resolor as I hardly go in the week. My colon was full of stool on the C.T scan even though I was on 4 spoons of manevac and had 3 bm s before the scan.

[Lovemyfamily89 in reply to Supershelle]

I think we differ with the hernia, as I don’t have that ( as far as I know) and I’ve never smoked but I’m shocked to hear the manevac gives you reflux. I never had that. I used to take it around 8pm and with two glasses of water and didn’t eat after it until breakfast the next day / I found this was the best way it worked for me. It’s s horrible illness to manage but I’ve akways found working with it rather than fighting it works best- I hope you soon find some relief.

[Angusross]

Yes I have. Not too bad - more discomfort than pain really. My Gastro prescribed 10mg Amitriptyline, which is also an anti-depressant but has now been found to help with some IBS symptoms. I take one pill before bed every night and not only do I sleep better, but it DOES help with the pain too. I dont get any adverse effects the next day either, but 10mg is a small dose. I think it works by just slowing the system down a little bit.

It might work for you. You could ask your Doc what he/she thinks?

All the best

Angus

[Supershelle in reply to Angusross]

thanks Angus I have tried nortriptyline from the same family but it didn't help the pain and made my constipation worse. I ate out last night and it was definitely worse. I think the more full I get the worse it is. It's very odd. I may try the amitriptyline but once I used it and couldn't get up the next day lol. That was only 10mg.

[dedeottie]

I have the same kind of pain but under the left rib! It can be there as a constant dull pain or a mor stabbing pain. It can disappear for months then return for no apparent reason. I have had all the usual tests and nothing to report except diverticulosis so I am surmising that gas gets trapped in the little diverticular pockets causing pain. It helps if I can have a BM every day and also I avoid alcohol caffeine dairy and wheat and I think that helps but not totally sure. X

[SueMount]

It sounds familiar to me, I have just been referred to the hospital for tests. I have had blood test and everything clear. My doc thinks it might be something to do with my Gaul bladder.

[Supershelle in reply to SueMount]

My GO thought gall bladder but all scans clear. I've also had steroid injections into the muscle to see if was muscular but it is affected by food and drink. So strange.

[SueMount in reply to Supershelle]

I will see what my hospital appointment throws up. Will let you know. Still waiting for the date yet.

[Molly1965]

Have they checked your gallbladder?

[Supershelle]

Yes 3 ultrasdounds and a CT AS GP was convinced it was gall bladder