Hello, first time posting here, I hope someone has advice for me.
I do suffer from hypochondria so as some of you may know any little pain will send me into panic.
Since a couple of years ago I was 'diagnosed' with IBS. As in, not much testing apart from a blood and stool test and hearing my symptoms out.
Two weeks ago I started having this dull ache in my right side and abdomen. And it was *constantly* there. I'd say it was 2 from a 10 scale. It was mainly my side and it radiated towards my hip, back and towards the center of my abdomen sometimes. Anyway go to the doctor, get a pelvic exam, doc says it's just my bowels acting up. Blood test and urine test (for smth else) come back normal.
I then had a week off and was down with a cold so I didn't really move around much or go anywhere, didn't eat THAT much either, pain was almost none existent. But now since two days ago I have this gnawing feeling in my right upper quadrant, I assume it's where the bowel makes a turn, and it is scaring me so bad I'm scared to go to sleep, because it actually didn't let me sleep yesterday Occasionally the pain will jump to the lower quadrant on the same side, but it's pretty much just constant where it is. Earlier today I had some sharp painful jabs there as well which scared me even more. Yesterday I had a BM and it wasn't much and quite hard (sorry for TMI!), but today I had a BM and it was quite soft and fluffy, I don't understand after the BM the pain SORT OF subsided into this tingling, pin feeling but it's still there constantly.
I know this sounds stupid to a lot of you who luckily don't suffer from health anxiety, but all my brain is saying yep your colon is getting blocked by a tumor, that's why the constant pain in one place I both want to and don't want to go back to the GP, but I'm pretty sure they'll just roll their eyes at me and tell me not to waste their time. Which I feel I do, even though I don't see them that often!
I just want advice, I'm pretty sure IBS flare ups shouldn't last for weeks
Hello... Don't b sooo hard on yourself.. I to have some of your same issues .. So you are not alone... Just take a deep breath and say to yourself it's just my aniexty health issues taking me to the dark side... Don't believe it.. Do you take anything for your health aniexty..You must remember that u just had test and they were normal.. And yes I have IBS also sounds like classic symptoms of IBS... It can act up over just the simplest things.. Stress ..Aniexty.. Change in diet.. Nerves..etc.. Take your pick.. Hang in there u will b ok..Post when u need to...🤗💞😇
Hi, IBS can give you all sorts or gut and digestive issues, and continuous, seems anything is possible, I wouldn't worry to much, do you take probiotics? or eat fermented foods, could you get something for your anxiety, like amitriptyline say.
Hi someone Here, I think having read your post you seem to have uncharacteristic IBS signs as the pain is down your RIGHT hand side, IBS sufferers will tell you the pain hits the left hand side. You may have grumbling appendix instead. Your doctor is wrong to just suggest ibs, see another doctor and have this checked out, let us know how you get on.
Not stupid at all! You have the classic symptoms of IBS. I suffer from the same. I often get pain in my lower left quadrant due to a build up of gas and constipation. Once I have a normal BM, the pain goes away. I take Miralax to keep from getting constipated. Try to drink plenty of water and eat fruits and vegetables. Also as much as I love red meat it tends to make me very bloated and gassy so you try to minimize this and eat chicken. I live Mexican food too but I have to avoid that as much as possible too. Walking is good too- gets things moving! Good luck!
IBS flare ups can last for weeks and even months! My first IBS flare lasted 3 and a half months. IBS pain can move about. My IBS pain sometimes starts on the left and then moves to the middle and right and into my back. Other times, it can start in the middle or right. I have also had sharp stabbing pain, dull pain, deep grinding pain and neuralgic pain. Does the pain improve temporarily after a bowel movement? Does food or streas set it off? Try a food diary.
I would also ask for an ultrasound of your gallbladder and a HIDA scan because your pain is focused on your right side. Keep going back to your doctor if you feel you need more tests. However, IBS doesn’t show on any test or scan because it is functional.
thanks for the kind words; oh if only it was so easy! I think I'd be dealing with HA a bit easier if it was the classic type, I actually have issues and lumps all around. Seems can't relax for one second i was on two different anti-depressants but they didn't do much. I know it doesn't take a lot to poke at ibs but i never have any gut related pains stick around for this long
Hiya, no I do not take probiotics not on a regular basis anyway. When I did take them I never noticed any significant difference but I suppose you'd have to take them for a while to notice anything. As I mentioned to the previous poster, I was on two different ADs, small doses of citalopram and an upped dose of sertraline. Both of which I came off of as they had 0 effect in the long run.
Hello, you see this is what confuses me are there even characteristic ibs signs?? I've read so many articles and they list different things, including plenty of them mentioning that right side pain is quite common too? And is grumbling appendix the same as appendicitis, as in the stuff that you HAVE to go to hospital for? Surely that's pain that goes from your navel to the right, that's not the pain I'm experiencing so I'm preeeetty sure it's not that (not complaining - I'd rather avoid scalpels if possible). I've been to multiple doctors, mind you in the same clinic.
Hi, I think i wouldn't be AS worried if it was mainly on the left side as it's obviously closer to the back passage and if I have pain on that side, I'm quite sure I just have blocked up guts. Which proves itself in a painful way later sorry tmi LOL I had a BM today (again very mush so I don't know whether I'm still constipated down the way or what...) and the pain sort of shifted to a more diffuse burny type of pain. Few hours later now I'm back to having those stabby pains on the top/lower right and the constant gnawing feeling on the upper right.
I will say my diet is not the best, I definitely eat way too much sugar because of my anxiety, but I usually know when my gut does something stupid because of food. I do like a good occasional bowl of chili not going to lie! I barely eat ANY red meat, it's usually either chicken or turkey. I'm alright active through most days as I work in a shop and I'm on my feet all day.
Hi, well that's comforting to know it can last for months haha The thing is I pretty much never have any 'pain' at all - I do have the rare bout of heartburn and gas build up but that's different. My BMs can be all over the place though, I don't think I could classify myself as either ibsd or c. Think i wouldn't be worried if this pain would move position all over, but it's only jumping within my right side, that's what keeps me thinking it's a bloody tumor blocking up traffic and causing pain As I mentioned to a previous poster my pain temporarily switched to a more burning diffuse sort of pain after going to the loo today, but now it's back to what it was. Haha I think my whole body is constantly set off by stress, the joy of having health anxiety! I don't think I'm set off by any specific foods, like one day I could have a coffee just fine the next week it'll block my guts up.
You see because I AM a hypochondriac they will not send me for tests, I can guarantee you that especially when they already did gallbladder/liver bloods and they apparently showed nothing. This is the problem with HA, one day you will actually hit a really bad problem and the doctors will simply ignore you because it's all in your head! And the next day you're dead and no one gives a toss. But anyway, I checked some anatomy pictures and my pain seems to be lower than where the gallbladder is, so I don't think that's it? Mind you whenever I get those rare bouts of heartburn between my shoulder blades I keep thinking something is wrong with that gallbladder. I'd like to just keep going back to the doctor again, but even though my brain wants to I try to limit myself as much as possible, considering in what state the nhs is. I'll only go when my brain REALLY can't cope and I'll still get told off.
Thank you everyone for your replies, I appreciate your time greatly! I am greatly confused about IBS as different sources keep saying different things. Some say all the pain should be located on the left, others say pretty much anywhere in the abdominal area is frequent. My poor brain is tired, scared and utterly confused!
I went to sleep at 3 last night but couldn't sleep until 6 both because of me being scared of my gut and the pain getting slightly worse because I sleep tummy-down, thus I assume that's putting more pressure on my sore spot. I really want to believe I don't have something like intestinal/bowel cancer at my age, but it's getting very difficult to cope
Everyone is different with IBS so that is why you will hear different stories. Don’t concentrate on googling different sites to get answers. Focus on what your doctor tells you. Trust, believe and accept what he or she tells you. Everyone has their own IBS. Dr Google will cause great anxiety which will worsen your symptoms. Some feel more pain on their left side, whereas others feel it all over their stomach and the pain will move about. It can be painful to lie down on at night. I have experienced it and asked my doctor about it and he confirmed it too is part of IBS. All of these scenarios are typical of IBS. Bowel habit change is different for everyone as well. Some get constipation, others get diarrhoea or a mixture of both. Some have food triggers; others don’t. However, stress and anxiety is a symptom that is common to everyone with IBS. Some will get depression if their IBS takes over their lives.
If you have been diagnosed with IBS, try antispasmodics, a food diary/Low Fodmap diet if you think you have a food trigger and relaxation therapy or distraction techniques such as light exercise or a hobby tp take your mind off your stomach. A combination of these strategies will help, especially stress management.
Your doctor can try you out on a variety of antipasmodics if you find some don’t suit you. Buscopan and nurofen help me but peppermint and Mebeverine upset my stomach. Everyone’s response to medication will differ.
Sometimes I will have feelings of constipation and left side pain but then have gas and loose stools which makes no sense to me. I just had the rectocele surgery a week ago and that is hopefully going to fix the problem.
I am also not so good with the sugar and I love a good bowl of chili! Beans are the worst though!! I just started drinking a lot more water and that definitely helps!
Just wanted to say hopefully you are recovering well after the surgery! Haha you see I always thought I was weird because I don't think beans do anything to me, no gas no nothing! I jinxed it didn't I I will be honest like most people I think I definitely don't have enough water throughout the day and I know that in itself can cause a rainbow of problems but I just don't enjoy chugging down 8 glasses of water each day. Only did that for weight loss and still didn't get used to it!
Occasionally the pain will jump to the lower quadrant on the same side, but it's pretty much just constant where it is. Earlier today I had some sharp painful jabs there as well which scared me even more. Yesterday I had a BM and it wasn't much and quite hard (sorry for TMI!), but today I had a BM and it was quite soft and fluffy, I don't understand