Is this even IBS?

[IBSNorthWest]

my pain feels like a bubble just below my right hand side rib cage. That is uncomfortable more than it is painful. I then have pain down the right hand side of my abdomen. Sometimes this pain radiates through my back and/or down into my, ahem, nether regions.

I have tried Mebeverine. It just gives me a very dry mouth. Symptoms do not improve.

I have tried cutting out dairy. No impact.

I have applied heat but aside from a purple rash this has no impact either (discontinued due to rash).

No doctors are interested in helping me.

Is this even IBS?

I have had ultrasound on gallbladder, pancreas, liver. All fine. Blood work for kidneys - all fine but low in creatine. I have had a colonoscopy - nothing found.

Why will no doctors help me? I cannot stand this pain any more.

[MountainHare1]

Hi. From what I have learned over the past 6 years of having IBS, is that it is constantly changing and it is also throughing up new symptoms all of the time. Up until December of last year, I had never experienced sciatica! I do get a bit of back pain and also another type of pain in my lower back from bending down too quickly. It may be due to my age but I don't know and I have accepted it for what it is.

I am constantly trying to learn about IBS and listen to my body and make a note of what I am eating. I try and avoid medication as it will probably unsettle my stomach. Personally I think the key to managing IBS effectively and preventing the odd, new and old symptoms from appearing is to manage stress and anxiety, which can be extremely difficult in the environment and the people we live with at home and in work.

Take care. x

[Iesgobdafydd]

Is the pain constant, or does it get better or worse when you do particular types of thing?

And has your doctor diagnosed IBS, or why do you think it might be IBS? Of course IBS can involve abdominal pain, but it's not the only thing that can.

I get pains in all kinds of places from distortions in my connective tissue (TMJD), my worst activity for it has always been standing around cooking dinner, especially chopping things or stirring a thick sauce.

[IBSNorthWest in reply to Iesgobdafydd]

Thanks for the reply. I’ve had constant pain for 2yrs now. The doctor has diagnosed this as IBS.

[Eivissa]

I have had the sensation of something under my right rib for years and have also suffered chronic pain in the same area. I do not believe that the two are linked as when my pain improves the sensation is still there. I was diagnosed with IBS but finally (after many years of my own research and many disappointing consultations with specialists), a CT Scan identified MALS and SMAS. I get pain after food and when exerting myself or in the upright position. The only way to relieve the pain is to lie down. If your symptoms are similar it might be worth looking into MALS/vascular compression. Good luck 🤞

[MyStar86 in reply to Eivissa]

Once they identified it was MALS what treatment did they offer you? Do you get any other bowel symptoms? Did you specifically raise MALS with a consultant and ask them to do a CT scan to look for it? How did the consultant react during that appointment as I’ve found they don’t like it when we do our own research even tho we have to due to doctors fobbing us off all the time!!! Thank you 🙏🏻

[Eivissa in reply to MyStar86]

My next step would be a referral to a vascular specialist but the pain is currently manageable so I am holding off until it flares up again. I was lucky I had a fantastic Dr who is the only one that listened and didn't give up. I suggested MALS and she referred me for a specific CT scan. They will not pick it up on a scan unless they are looking specifically for it. No other bowel problems...

[MyStar86 in reply to Eivissa]

What doctor referred you for it was it a gastro? Thank you so much xx

[Eivissa in reply to MyStar86]

Just my GP. I had no luck with Gastro or any of the other specialists!!

[IBSNorthWest in reply to Eivissa]

What is MALS and SMAS?

[Eivissa in reply to IBSNorthWest]

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS) and Superior Mesenteric Archery Syndrome (SMAS,).... vascular compression

[MyStar86]

do you have any other symptoms like constipation or loose bowels, cramps…..? Have you had any scans like an MRI or CT? Ultrasound is not that helpful and MRI would give a much better picture. Do high fat foods make it worse?

[IBSNorthWest in reply to MyStar86]

I have had an MRI. Yes. Nothing found. Processed foods certainly make it worse (ie McDonald’s)

[xjrs]

You may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:

iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorder...

It is where the brain interprets the normal activity of the bowel as pain - this is due to a wearing down of neurons in pain control centres of the brain which can be caused by PTSD, neglect or abuse in childhood, extreme stressful events etc. The first line treatment is nerve pain agents such as low dose amitriptyline. There is a theory that being on something like amitriptyline for 6-12 months can help the pain control centre neurons to regenerate. Note that amitriptyline can cause constipation, but this can be helpful in people who are diarrhoea dominant. Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate these. Linaclotide (for IBS-C only) & Alflorex probiotic have helped me with this intestinal pain.

The reason why Alflorex helped me is that my IBS started with a bout of holiday food poisoning. This led to a gut bacterial imbalance, which is true for many IBS sufferers. This imbalance can also be caused by other things such as restricted or unhealthy diets and stress. When bad bugs dominate the system, they can oversensitise the nerves in the gut too. When put together with visceral hypersensitivity, with the brain incorrectly interpreting signals and then the gut sending even more signals than it should, it ends up being a double whammy effect. If this is true in your case, something like Alflorex might help to bring things back in balance. When I took Linaclotide, it reduced my pain by 50%-60%. After taking Alflorex my pain reduced to zero and only comes back when I am challenging with new foods and before my body gets used to them (or I have to continue to give them up). Alflorex which has been scientifically studied for IBS has made me more tolerant to a much wider range of foods. Having a more diverse diet increases bacterial diversity in the gut. Bacterial diversity helps to additionally keep bad bugs away, in turn helping IBS symptoms.

There is also the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app to consider. This helps to calm intestinal nerves. In fact any form of mindfulness or meditative practice can help switch off pain signals from the brain. There will be lots of guided meditations online.

[Hidden]

Even though your kidney blood work looks good does not mean you don't have kidney stones or an infection going on. Here is a clip taken from a Google search. It is from Cleveland Clinic which is a very well known medical group in the US. Maybe you could have an ultrasound of your kidneys?

What is the pain from the rib cage to the pelvic area?

Flank pain affects the area on either side of the lower back, between the pelvis and the ribs. Pain in the flanks can result from several conditions, diseases and injuries. Kidney stones, infection and muscle strains are common causes of flank pain.May 14, 2021

[behj]

I have the pain pattern that you describe. Iberogast (see website Northern Vitality . the product is make the German company Bayer ) helps me clear it by stimulating a bowel movement. Iberogast has some cautions (put in search engine ) tho is an old med and pretty widely used. Beh

[Sam2346]

sounds like acid reflux or gastritis