I've had what I've suspected as IBS for more than 10 years, with both diarrhea and constipation intermittently. It's gotten worse as I've gotten older (29 now), but I was dealing with it okay. I self-medicated with Imodium, probably more than I should have, from college until this past winter in order to have some sort of social life.
Then this winter, I wasn't feeling very well over the holidays, and after dinner on Christmas Eve, I took some Imodium but also took some Maalox as I thought maybe I was also suffering from heartburn. I went to an evening service, even ate some popcorn when I came home. The next morning I felt awful and felt like I had a water balloon on the right side of my stomach. I even threw up. I never throw up. I went to the doctor a week later, and she set me up for an ultrasound as she thought it might be my gallbladder and did a blood test. All was normal. I didn't feel normal though.
For two months I had the horrible bloating in my right side, a pain near my belly button I didn't pay much attention to because the bloating distracted me from it, as well as my usual IBS symptoms. Eventually the bloating slowly got better, and seemed to ease more as I had more BMs again.
Now a similar bloating, though not nearly as severe, has come and gone on the right side since; but more worrisome to me is that I still have constant pain near my belly button. It's been quite bad the last few weeks and hurts even more when I try and go to the bathroom. Not fun.
I did go to a GI today, and he basically said it was IBS. Duh. I've known that all along, but why the constant pain less than an inch to the right of my belly button? He dismissed it as cramping. He said he couldn't rule out Crohn's, but was 95% sure it wasn't, and to try Citrucel and a drug to put under my tongue when I was having problems (I stressed it was all the time, but apparently he has a hearing problem?). He said I could call to talk to him in a month or two, if I wasn't improving, and then he might have me get a colonoscopy. But I'm half tempted to go to another doctor, because I'm far more concerned about my belly button pain than I am about the D and C. Is it worth it? Am I just going to get a similar answer? Should I just wait? I really just want this all sorted out before the first snowfall. It's dreadful here.
Then this winter, I wasn't feeling very well over the holidays, and after dinner on Christmas Eve, I took some Imodium but also took some Maalox as I thought maybe I was also suffering from heartburn. I went to an evening service, even ate some popcorn when I came home. The next morning I felt awful and felt like I had a water balloon on the right side of my stomach. I even threw up. I never throw up. I went to the doctor a week later, and she set me up for an ultrasound as she thought it might be my gallbladder and did a blood test. All was normal. I didn't feel normal though.
For two months I had the horrible bloating in my right side, a pain near my belly button I didn't pay much attention to because the bloating distracted me from it, as well as my usual IBS symptoms. Eventually the bloating slowly got better, and seemed to ease more as I had more BMs again.
Now a similar bloating, though not nearly as severe, has come and gone on the right side since; but more worrisome to me is that I still have constant pain near my belly button. It's been quite bad the last few weeks and hurts even more when I try and go to the bathroom. Not fun.
I did go to a GI today, and he basically said it was IBS. Duh. I've known that all along, but why the constant pain less than an inch to the right of my belly button? He dismissed it as cramping. He said he couldn't rule out Crohn's, but was 95% sure it wasn't, and to try Citrucel and a drug to put under my tongue when I was having problems (I stressed it was all the time, but apparently he has a hearing problem?). He said I could call to talk to him in a month or two, if I wasn't improving, and then he might have me get a colonoscopy. But I'm half tempted to go to another doctor, because I'm far more concerned about my belly button pain than I am about the D and C. Is it worth it? Am I just going to get a similar answer? Should I just wait? I really just want this all sorted out before the first snowfall. It's dreadful here.
