A little worried (long post)

[AquaGuy]

I want to write this post for a little piece of mind.

I’ll try and summarise, maybe bullet point lots of details, as much as I can because this is a long story.

I am 24 now. All of my life I have had “stomach problems” as I used to call them. They (as far as I can remember) began when I was in primary school.

It all started with sharp, stabbing, and prickling pains in my chest, under my armpit, under my ribs and right down my side to my hip. (Can anyone realate to this? My best mate had it but I’ve never found out what it is).

Thst would happen every now and again, and the only way I could get rid of the pain was to take a deep breath which hurt like hell but always relived it.

It started on my left side and eventually moved to my right side instead where it continued for a few years slowly decreasing in frequency and now I never get it.

I used to lean closer to constipation for years as a kid. It still had more diarrhea than I feel is “normal” (can’t say for certain). I had constant stomach bugs (never ill with colds or anything else, just my stomach). I struggled for years and just put up with having constant stomach aches and bloating, every single morning, all day every day for over a decade.

Something then happened (no idea what, and I never told my ‘parents because I didn’t want to worry them so they don’t know about the years of suffering) in 2008, and I had severe fatigue, brain fog, nausea, dizziness, and migraines and no appetite. I was totally delusional and paranoid about having a brain tumour for years and it was horrible. I literally struggled to hold things because I was so fatigued and could literally fall asleep in class anywhere.

The years went by and I would get reoccurring episodes (even to this day) but they went less and less over the years.

Once all of that sort of died down, I had other symptoms. I would get bloated (with bad distension) for no reason, any time of day, even sometimes waking up bloated, after eating or if I went too long without food, and it was very painful. Along with this I would have incredible gas.

I would very often feel the need to go the toilet when I didn’t, and have had incomplete evacuation for years and years.

Then a few years ago (3-4) I developed constant burping, and I mean even if I sipped water very slowly I would burp, I would burp all day, even if I ate nothing (actually, not eating for hours makes me burp insane amounts now. It’s horrible at work), and during this time my stool became so looose it almost fell out of me, but still more like constipation, and it became more of an urgency to go (not exactly, I could hold it which I did a lot, sometimes for hours at a time because I have public toilet fear and refused to go the toilet at work and it got to the point where I could barely walk and I was sweating. That was only last year and since then I’ve gotten over my fear...I just wished it was like that last year - I had to quit working full-time to work part-time so I could use the toilet before work)

Now, a few months ago I terrified myself shitless (I have always had a nervous stomach). I accidentally blended up some plastic in my blender and drank all of the little shards (I only realised when it was too late).

The day after, I had serious Diarrhea, felt sick with no appetite, a constant gurgling stomach, a tender spot on my stomach (which isn’t new, I have had a tender stomach for years but it is just in a different place now), and stomach ache. This lasted for a month, and my stool was also mostly yellow only turning back to brown after a few weeks. It was also pencil thin, which obviously freaked me out.

However, since then (8 months ago now), I have had diarrhea every now and again out of the blue. My stool looked like tiny little pencils (like constipation rabbit-droppings but slightly longer) for about 5 months and then I decided to change my diet and quit gluten...after just 3 days my stool was back to being log-like. It was amazing. Sometimes now I have softer stool, sometimes on occasion flat or sometimes ribbon-y stools but it’s mostly log-like now.

Does that mean I could have IBS or possible celiac disease? (I feel like I don’t have ulcerative colitis or chron’s because I’ve had it so many years).

The way I look at it, if it is effecting me and isn’t always pencil thin or anything else, then it must just be colon spasms...right?

I get pain on both my left side and my right side. There is a tender spot next to my naval on the right, I also get pain there. A sort of tugging feeling, sometimes a prickling feeling. Something else which started over a year ago (at least), is I have so much gas in my stomach I can put my hand on my stomach and feel it bubbling and when I need to toilet I can tell because the gas increases).

As far as I can tell, things are not getting worse (at least), but not necessarily going better either. Some things are getting better, some things aren’t.

I also get pain (besides all over my body, with constant aching joints and muscle aches and migraines and none of them is new to me, it’s just gotten worse over the years) under my anus (except the sharp stabbing pains I have had for years before going to the toilet and sometimes afterwards) every now and again.

I randomly get worried and then convince myself it’s probably just IBS with different symptoms (which can happen, so I’ve read). It is horrible because being a hypochondriac for years Know more about medicine and illnesses than anyone I know. If I didn’t fuck my exams up because of my problems I’d do very well in the medical field.

Sometimes I can have pellet stool with mushy stools at the same time. Not diarrhoea or constipation, so it’s not overflow or anything.

Can anyone relate to any of this?

Thanks. Peace.

[Maureen1958]

Hi, I'm 61 and have had IBS since I was 27. Every symptom you mention resonates with me. I think I have had them all over the years. It sounds very much like IBS to me with a bit of anxiety thrown in for good measure. Have you never been to the doctors for this? I think that would be the best thing to do now. Perhaps ask for a double appointment if they do that, as you have a lot to talk about. Once you have off loaded this a bit you may find the anxiety is not so bad. Also they can give you medication for that if you so wish.

I think you have done marvelously coping with this all these years if you haven't seen a doctor about it but now is the time to go and see what they say, maybe have some tests etc.

Good luck.

[macd65]

I agree with Maureen 1958 you need to go to the doctors and get some exams done. I was diagnosed as a coeliac at the age of 37 after years of feeling rubbish with many stomach issues. In the following years I had lots of other issues fibromyalgia hypothyroid ibs. I’m now 65 and have just had a CT virtual colonoscopy which looks at all abdo organs as well as bowels. It is unpleasant and the bowel prep etc is very difficult but it’s only a few days before the test.

I am waiting for the results it’s a bit like an MOT to help put my mind at rest that nothing else is happening.

A lot of conditions are autoimmune and this is your body fighting itself.

Don’t let this rule your life. If you know what is going on you can deal with it. I had many years of being told I was nuts and it was my imagination. Get yourself sorted and talk to your mom. Good luck

[Linley]

Agree with Maureen also - a trip to the GP is the next step. Write the questions on a piece of paper you need to ask him/her, looks as if you may need a Gluten free diet but ask your GP for a blood test to prove one way or the other, also get tested for lactose intolerance. Your GP should do exclusion tests anyway. Not knowing does make you anxious so a proper diagnosis will ease the anxiety and you can start getting your life back. Think you done remarkably well so far. Good Luck!

[AquaGuy]

Thanks, guys. I agree, I probably should go to the doctors. I actually have been because I thought I had pancreatic cancer or liver cancer or colon cancer or some gallbladder problem or stomach cancer...you get the idea...it makes it worse now that I know that colon cancer gets mistaken for IBS a lot but when I think about how long I've been developing these synptoms for I'd be seriously ill now if it were anything sinister.

I plan to go back to the doctors soon, maybe get tested for celiac once I've gotten over my fear blood because obviously I'll need a blood test.

It helps me when I go over in my head I'm still young, I'm vegan and eat nothing processed and just whole foods, I exercise regularly and have no family history of cancer.

[Bellyboy13 in reply to AquaGuy]

Print off what you have posted here and ask your GP to read it. It’s very clear you have been struggling for many years and this is not right. To put your own mind at ease that it is nothing sinister. You have been great eating healthy etc, but now is the time to be your own best friend. What would you say if this was a close friend? Delaying checks and ruling out your worst fears will help you and are probably causing a lot of your health problems. Do not underestimate the detrimental affect of anxiety to your mind and body. You’ve asked for help and I think we are all saying the same, go make a double appointment, take someone with you, it really helps to be taken seriously. Don’t keep ignoring your body...please get yourself checked. That one step may change your life. Good luck 😉

[Eliana5]

Wow! How you managed to cope with this at such a young age..and not telling your parents, then in your adult life, where it appears no testing or Gastroenterologist consultations blows me away. I am wondering..why you did not tell your parents and with all that you have going on..why you and how you managed to cope with no Gastro intervention..I don't know why And how you did it, even working with all this pain. Please, please make an appointment as soon as possible with a Gastroenterologist or Colon and rectal specialist. Your post concerns me. Please keep us posted. Or maybe you have been to a doctor and I missed that part in your post..of so..I apologize. I don't think I could have ever coped that long without the help of an ER department..and am curious as to why you have never been to ER or Gastro. I am thinking Definately a Colonoscopy or Endoscopy, Cat Scans, dumping syndrome testing and testing for SIBO..I do know a very good and accurate test is an upper abdominal and lower barium follow through. I really hope you get this sorted out. I would see a specialist as Doctors are not the best when it comes to our bowels and intestines.☺

[Ronnie6917]

Go to your Doctor, insist on seeing a specialist, GPs do their best but are not experts, and begin the process of elimination of what it could be, when you receive a diagnosis that in itself can be a relief.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on