Help: IBS? Colitis? Stabbing Pain

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2005
Help: IBS? Colitis? Stabbing Pain
2
Fri, 03-25-2005 - 2:02pm

Hello,
I am new to this board, and I'm so sick of doctors not finding anything, that I thought maybe others might have a clue.

For the past three months I've experienced a stabbing pain on the right side about two inches below the belly button and to the right -- accompanied by random bowel issues: sometimes constipation, sometimes diarrhea, and much, much mucous in the stool. The pain, however, is there with constipation or diarrhea, and I'm not convinced the pain is related to the bowels.

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis two years ago, but these recent tests found NOTHING:
--colonoscopy: No ulcers, no colitis, no Crohn's, no appendicitis. Diagnosis: Long & loopy colon (what is THAT diagnosis anyway?). tiny polyp removed, benign
--CT scan: 2 of them showed nothing, only some stool present.
--diagnostic laparascopy: reproductive organs perfect.
--bloodwork: perfect
--parasites: none

So the doctors are saying IBS -- since there's no proof of anything else. But I'm skeptical -- would IBS cause stabbing and sometimes constant pain, unalleviated by a bowel movement?

I am a 26-year old female with a great diet, frequent water drinker, exercise 5-6x per week (running 12-15 miles/week), yoga twice a week, and I'm trying to get pregnant.

No medicine helps this pain, which varies between constant sometimes and appearing in intervals sometimes. (It doesn't appear related to food intake -- I keep a detailed log.) It comes every day and it is disrupting my life. I'm concerned about pregnancy -- I don't want to do anything that will make this worse with a pregnancy on top of it.

Any ideas? I don't know if this pain is kidney/gallbladder related or not. I'm also sick of thinking about it all the time.

Thanks!

Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Fri, 03-25-2005 - 2:50pm

Sorry to hear about your problems.
I would go back to your dr. and ask to have an abdominal ultrasound done(that would check GB and kidneys as well as lots of other organs) and a Hida Scan(tests GB function). It kinda sounds like a Gallbladder problem. I am scheduled to have mine out on the 29th. I get nausea, bloating and pain under and below the right rib cage that can go to the belly button and to the left side. It also goes to my back and between my shoulder blades. I alternate between diarrhea and constipation. I know they say that gallbladder problems usually happen to people who are overweight and in their forties but that doesn't apply to me. I am 25 and 114 lbs.
Hope this helps! I am not a doctor just someone who knows a little about GB problems ;o)

-Donna M

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Sun, 03-27-2005 - 12:32pm

HI and Welcome aboard!


I tend to agree with what has been said about having the gallbladder and kidneys checked out too.