Please help; upper abdominal pain

Digestive health
1

Hello. I'm new to this site but thought I'd try my luck. I'm out of my hometown traveling and I'm having some stomach problems, wondering if I should go to urgent care.

I've been having stomach issues for the past few years, mostly new food allergies. Over two years I've become unable to process lactose and sometimes have issues with gluten in high doses, lately I can't drink any alcohol without intense stomach burning a few minutes later.

Four days ago, I ate a couple of slices of pizza at a party (stupid I know). For the next 24 hours I was vomiting with diarrhea (sorry). I thought it was maybe dairy response and food poisoning. After a day, the nausea went away but I still had the diarrhea and major bloating in my lower abdomen. In the past 24 hours, I've also developed a dull pain in my stomach/upper abdomen, made worse by eating, and I don't seem to be processing the food that passes through me. Now it feels like I'm constipated but am still able to pass a little at a time, still not normal BMs. I'm beginning to worry, especially being out of my familiar home town, whether I should try to get to an ER.

I called a hotline that my insurance has, described my symptoms and was told I should probably get to the ER but they couldn't tell me what they thought it could be. I took a warm bath and am feeling a little better, but dull pain is still there. Has anyone experienced anything like this??

2

I would keep a food diary and cut out all the foods/drinks that you are reacting to.  Get an appointment with your doctor and ask for tests and ask about IBS.

3

Sounds like food poisoning currently

even you seem generally to have a bit more IBS tendency and easily upset/sensitive intestine, which doesn't help, if toxins or bugs do get thrown onto it.

The field for food poisoning is huge, can be toxins (live bacteria long gone), chemicals or bacteria or parasites or viri.

Your body is awfully good with compensation mechanism (lost water, nutrients, less intake) in order to keep its fighting mechanism (diarrhae, vomiting, fever) in place.

You need to provide yourself with fresh clean water, more than usual

and electrolytes (not more than recommended dose on packaging, more is not better).

And an easy diet, cooked foods, nothing raw, small amounts.

If unsure, please go to a doc

(usually ER is only responsible and place to go, if dehydration was severe or organ failure anticipated, on the other hand you are in a foreign country),

a stool sample would shed some light onto symptoms

(ER often does not do stool samples since not indicated for their work frame)

but 4 days is not unusual to battle symptoms after any food poisoning.

It weakens terribly.

If you have access to a pharmacy, get probiotics please, take them, daily for months. They do not always colonise, but they keep fighting for you while passing through.

Good luck and that you feel better by tomorrow.

Being in a foreign country is no fun to fall ill, yet it happens,

(vomited my heart, more bile, out in Egypt for a week, did not go to ER, but trip was ruined, stayed in bed and toilet whole week, then got better! when holiday was over, duh)

Hope it get's better every hour so that you can feel a bit more relaxed and reassured that you can handle it. Otherwise, yes please, go to ER, but don't expect too much. You need to be well hydrated for diarrhea, very important.

Best of luck!

Cheers!

4

medical charcoal would be another trial to absorb toxins.

5

can medical charcoal be taken during food poisoning when having IBS underlaying? Anyone?

6

Thanks so much for the info! It is much appreciated. I'm definitely hydrating. The pain is coming and going a little today so that's a good sign! Sorry you went through something similar, it is no fun!

7

Get well soon!!!