2 years of no diagnosis, do I have IBD?

[Hollytree]

For the last two years I've been suffering from severe abdominal pain, usually along the top of my abdomen ( below my ribs) and on the right hand side although sometimes is just feels like my whole abdomen is affected.

To begin with the dr though it was appendicitis and after two hospital trips, it was removed. But the pain continued and over the last few months it has been much worse.

Since November the pain is almost every day , and since April it's been ever day, sometimes constant, with not even a little relief, for 48 hours. It's starting to affect my sleep (and my life in general!).
My bowel movements were only been very occasionally abnormal (soft) but since April, my bowel movements have always been loose, I'm going more frequently and I've has quite a number of episodes where I've got 10 times or more in a day, and my stomach is always particularly sore on these days. These flare ups have also included vomitting on some occassions.

I am constantly tired, I have no energy anymore. I've lost just over half a stone in the last 8 weeks. I also suffer from headaches frequently, I feel full much quicker than I used to and I struggle to eat big meals.

I try to maintain a healthy diet but I've noticed particularly fatty foods can trigger an episode, although so can eating a healthy meal!!

I'm just at my wits end. Because there is no blood in my stool (that I can see) the doctors keep saying it's probably not a form of IBD and keep banging on about IBS!
My inflammatory markets were slightly elevated in my blood work but apparently nothing to be alarmed about.

I'm currently waiting on a calprotectin test coming bsck.

Has anyone suffered similar symptoms ?

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I'm sorry you are struggling. Have you had a colonoscopy? I think given your symptoms and the duration it would be worth getting visuals and going beyond blood and stool tests.

 

[Hollytree]

Hello, thank you.
Depending on the stool sample results the doctor said the next stage could be a colonoscopy. Fingers crossed something gets done! This can't go on

 

[Jennifer]

Did they do any tests on you before they removed your appendix? Any imaging tests like a CT scan or an MRI? With the all over pain and vomiting it sounds like you're dealing with a stricture somewhere which could be caused by inflammation or scar tissue or both (my guess is both since this has been ongoing). Where it is I can't say. When you have your colonoscopy make sure they take biopsies as this is crucial to a diagnosis. Would be nice if you could have an upper endoscopy the same day to get both scopes out of the way in case your issue is further up in your GI tract.

For now eating smaller meals more often along with increasing your fluid intake and following a low residue diet should help to reduce your symptoms. Keep us posted. :hug:

 

[StarGirrrrl]

Are you seeing a GP or a GI at the moment?

Investigations should always be done under a GI. GP's are NOT qualified to diagnose IBS with little testing and it's something that happens far too often.

My apologies if you are seeing a GI already it's just a bug bear of mine

Slightly elevated inflammation in the blood isn't alarming but it should be taken seriously as that indicates a problem, however modestly raised in my view raised is still raised. Been battling the Drs over this issue myself over the last 8 years.