Let's play "Guess My Ailment!" (1 Viewer)

[Michael Brown]

Sorry for the really long post, but I'm hoping extra details can maybe get some answers either for me or for others with similar symptoms.

Posted most of this in the colonoscopy thread (because we have a colonoscopy thread). Non-smoker, social drinker, mostly terrible diet heavy in red meat and cheese for most of my life -- although I'm 5'11" around 195 as of January, so not too bad. Blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol is always fine. No major issues, just an underactive thyroid that I'm not even on medication for yet.

So this past December, I was getting cramps all over my abdomen that didn't subside after a few days. Thought nothing of it, then one day I get an unrelated reminder of a good friend of mine who died last year of colon cancer. I decide I'm not gonna wait, so I go to my regular doc. He IMMEDIATELY sends me for a cat scan that day which freaked me the F out. Cat scan came back showing what looked to be mild colitis or possibly Crohn's so they schedule a colonoscopy.

During that procedure, they found two polyps that were benign but it's apparently rare for someone my age (35) to have those. So I decide I'm gonna start eating better, and from early January to now I'm down about 15 lbs. More good news is that no signs of colitis or Crohn's were found. Problem is, the cramps don't subside so the doc orders an ultrasound to check for gallstones or anything else.

Ultrasound showed a hemangioma on my liver, not a major thing at all and nothing that really causes issues (probably born with it). Cramping still here as of today, next up is an endoscopy to look for ulcers and possibly another test called a HIDA test to check the gallbladder's functionality. A friend of mine had hers out because it was "lazy".

So now I've been diagnosed/misdiagnosed with all these various things, most of which are not that bad...I tend to feel kinda crummy the day or two after eating anything that's heavy in dairy, but strangely not the day OF. But I'm a guy who would drink a glass of milk with dinner, ice cream a few nights a week, tons of cheese, all my life and never had an issue til now. So to suddenly develop a lactose intolerance that takes 36-48 hours to hit me seems like a bit of a stretch.

No diarrhea or vomiting or nausea or bloating. Just pain at the bottoms of my ribs on both the left and right, and pain in my belly just below my breastbone. Last few days I've felt a little bit of pain around the sides of my ribs as well almost around to my back. So if anybody is still reading at this point, what do we think the possibilities are outside of ball cancer?

 

[IMAX 3D]

Does your stomach make loud growling noises after eating?

If so, I'm thinking possibly Celiac?

 

[rockaction]

Sorry for the really long post, but I'm hoping extra details can maybe get some answers either for me or for others with similar symptoms.

Posted most of this in the colonoscopy thread (because we have a colonoscopy thread). Non-smoker, social drinker, mostly terrible diet heavy in red meat and cheese for most of my life -- although I'm 5'11" around 195 as of January, so not too bad. Blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol is always fine. No major issues, just an underactive thyroid that I'm not even on medication for yet.

So this past December, I was getting cramps all over my abdomen that didn't subside after a few days. Thought nothing of it, then one day I get an unrelated reminder of a good friend of mine who died last year of colon cancer. I decide I'm not gonna wait, so I go to my regular doc. He IMMEDIATELY sends me for a cat scan that day which freaked me the F out. Cat scan came back showing what looked to be mild colitis or possibly Crohn's so they schedule a colonoscopy.

During that procedure, they found two polyps that were benign but it's apparently rare for someone my age (35) to have those. So I decide I'm gonna start eating better, and from early January to now I'm down about 15 lbs. More good news is that no signs of colitis or Crohn's were found. Problem is, the cramps don't subside so the doc orders an ultrasound to check for gallstones or anything else.

Ultrasound showed a hemangioma on my liver, not a major thing at all and nothing that really causes issues (probably born with it). Cramping still here as of today, next up is an endoscopy to look for ulcers and possibly another test called a HIDA test to check the gallbladder's functionality. A friend of mine had hers out because it was "lazy".

So now I've been diagnosed/misdiagnosed with all these various things, most of which are not that bad...I tend to feel kinda crummy the day or two after eating anything that's heavy in dairy, but strangely not the day OF. But I'm a guy who would drink a glass of milk with dinner, ice cream a few nights a week, tons of cheese, all my life and never had an issue til now. So to suddenly develop a lactose intolerance that takes 35-48 hours to hit me seems like a bit of a stretch.

No diarrhea or vomiting or nausea or bloating. Just pain at the bottoms of my ribs on both the left and right, and pain in my belly just below my breastbone. Last few days I've felt a little bit of pain around the sides of my ribs as well almost around to my back. So if anybody is still reading at this point, what do we think the possibilities are outside of ball cancer?

Read it all because I have all the symptoms, MB. I have those rib pains, earnestly. Every time I put on a seat belt, it hurts and cramps. It's strange.

I guess we just wish each other well at this point, and I hope your diet changes.

If dairy sucks for you, don't eat dairy? If alcohol no longer works for you, no more alcohol? I mean, I just empathize, mang.

 

[Fariq]

You should alter your diet and see how that goes. It does happen where your body will stop liking food or drinks you had no problem with back in the day.

I used to be able to drink beer. I cannot anymore. One sip makes me sick.

 

[Michael Brown]

Does your stomach make loud growling noises after eating?

If so, I'm thinking possibly Celiac?

Nope, nothing like that. I'm supposed to start keeping a food diary to track what brings it on more than others, but I don't really have an extensive diet and nothing seems to make it any worse except maybe the dairy thing. I eat like the same 10 things over and over again, and sometimes I feel fine and sometimes I feel like somebody is squeezing my ribcage.

I've been experimenting with lactaid anytime I have dairy, not sure if that's helping much. I do know the pain was worse the last two days and I DIDN'T take lactaid when I had some extra cheesy mac and cheese on Sunday.

ETA: I swear, I really am trying to eat better. The wife's mac and cheeses though...no mortal can resist that

 

[Michael Brown]

You should alter your diet and see how that goes. It does happen where your body will stop liking food or drinks you had no problem with back in the day.

I used to be able to drink beer. I cannot anymore. One sip makes me sick.

If I can't drink whiskey anymore...well I'd rather not finish that sentence

 

[Willie Neslon]

This is an easy one. You're constipated. Try milk of magnesia first. Buy it at any drug store or supermarket, generic kind is fine. Take the regular dose before bed and then again when you wake up. Don't plan on doing much that morning because you'll be on the toilet. Once you clear that out you need to add more fiber into your diet along with a lot of water. You've already admitted your diet is crap. It sounds like you've hit the age where you can't tolerate eating like that anymore. Welcome.

A simple abdominal x-ray would show the constipation. Based on the pain you've describe I would assume your transverse colon is severely impacted. I didn't go to medical school but a GP sending someone for a cat scan for abdominal cramps seems excessive.

 

[Michael Brown]

Sorry for the really long post, but I'm hoping extra details can maybe get some answers either for me or for others with similar symptoms.

Posted most of this in the colonoscopy thread (because we have a colonoscopy thread). Non-smoker, social drinker, mostly terrible diet heavy in red meat and cheese for most of my life -- although I'm 5'11" around 195 as of January, so not too bad. Blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol is always fine. No major issues, just an underactive thyroid that I'm not even on medication for yet.

So this past December, I was getting cramps all over my abdomen that didn't subside after a few days. Thought nothing of it, then one day I get an unrelated reminder of a good friend of mine who died last year of colon cancer. I decide I'm not gonna wait, so I go to my regular doc. He IMMEDIATELY sends me for a cat scan that day which freaked me the F out. Cat scan came back showing what looked to be mild colitis or possibly Crohn's so they schedule a colonoscopy.

During that procedure, they found two polyps that were benign but it's apparently rare for someone my age (35) to have those. So I decide I'm gonna start eating better, and from early January to now I'm down about 15 lbs. More good news is that no signs of colitis or Crohn's were found. Problem is, the cramps don't subside so the doc orders an ultrasound to check for gallstones or anything else.

Ultrasound showed a hemangioma on my liver, not a major thing at all and nothing that really causes issues (probably born with it). Cramping still here as of today, next up is an endoscopy to look for ulcers and possibly another test called a HIDA test to check the gallbladder's functionality. A friend of mine had hers out because it was "lazy".

So now I've been diagnosed/misdiagnosed with all these various things, most of which are not that bad...I tend to feel kinda crummy the day or two after eating anything that's heavy in dairy, but strangely not the day OF. But I'm a guy who would drink a glass of milk with dinner, ice cream a few nights a week, tons of cheese, all my life and never had an issue til now. So to suddenly develop a lactose intolerance that takes 35-48 hours to hit me seems like a bit of a stretch.

No diarrhea or vomiting or nausea or bloating. Just pain at the bottoms of my ribs on both the left and right, and pain in my belly just below my breastbone. Last few days I've felt a little bit of pain around the sides of my ribs as well almost around to my back. So if anybody is still reading at this point, what do we think the possibilities are outside of ball cancer?

Read it all because I have all the symptoms, MB. I have those rib pains, earnestly. Every time I put on a seat belt, it hurts and cramps. It's strange.

I guess we just wish each other well at this point, and I hope your diet changes.

If dairy sucks for you, don't eat dairy? If alcohol no longer works for you, no more alcohol? I mean, I just empathize, mang.

Good news though, whichever one of us gets a diagnosis first can let the other one know they can stop all the damn testing!

 

[Michael Brown]

This is an easy one. You're constipated. Try milk of magnesia first. Buy it at any drug store or supermarket, generic kind is fine. Take the regular dose before bed and then again when you wake up. Don't plan on doing much that morning because you'll be on the toilet. Once you clear that out you need to add more fiber into your diet along with a lot of water. You've already admitted your diet is crap. It sounds like you've hit the age where you can't tolerate eating like that anymore. Welcome.

A simple abdominal x-ray would show the constipation. Based on the pain you've describe I would assume your transverse colon is severely impacted. I didn't go to medical school but a GP sending someone for a cat scan for abdominal cramps seems excessive.

Seemed excessive to me too, that was why I was so concerned at first. But wouldn't the cat scan or ultrasound have shown that though? I also started having the stomach pains in December and definitely haven't felt at any point since then like I was constipated.

 

[rockaction]

Sorry for the really long post, but I'm hoping extra details can maybe get some answers either for me or for others with similar symptoms.

Posted most of this in the colonoscopy thread (because we have a colonoscopy thread). Non-smoker, social drinker, mostly terrible diet heavy in red meat and cheese for most of my life -- although I'm 5'11" around 195 as of January, so not too bad. Blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol is always fine. No major issues, just an underactive thyroid that I'm not even on medication for yet.

So this past December, I was getting cramps all over my abdomen that didn't subside after a few days. Thought nothing of it, then one day I get an unrelated reminder of a good friend of mine who died last year of colon cancer. I decide I'm not gonna wait, so I go to my regular doc. He IMMEDIATELY sends me for a cat scan that day which freaked me the F out. Cat scan came back showing what looked to be mild colitis or possibly Crohn's so they schedule a colonoscopy.

During that procedure, they found two polyps that were benign but it's apparently rare for someone my age (35) to have those. So I decide I'm gonna start eating better, and from early January to now I'm down about 15 lbs. More good news is that no signs of colitis or Crohn's were found. Problem is, the cramps don't subside so the doc orders an ultrasound to check for gallstones or anything else.

Ultrasound showed a hemangioma on my liver, not a major thing at all and nothing that really causes issues (probably born with it). Cramping still here as of today, next up is an endoscopy to look for ulcers and possibly another test called a HIDA test to check the gallbladder's functionality. A friend of mine had hers out because it was "lazy".

So now I've been diagnosed/misdiagnosed with all these various things, most of which are not that bad...I tend to feel kinda crummy the day or two after eating anything that's heavy in dairy, but strangely not the day OF. But I'm a guy who would drink a glass of milk with dinner, ice cream a few nights a week, tons of cheese, all my life and never had an issue til now. So to suddenly develop a lactose intolerance that takes 35-48 hours to hit me seems like a bit of a stretch.

No diarrhea or vomiting or nausea or bloating. Just pain at the bottoms of my ribs on both the left and right, and pain in my belly just below my breastbone. Last few days I've felt a little bit of pain around the sides of my ribs as well almost around to my back. So if anybody is still reading at this point, what do we think the possibilities are outside of ball cancer?

Read it all because I have all the symptoms, MB. I have those rib pains, earnestly. Every time I put on a seat belt, it hurts and cramps. It's strange.

I guess we just wish each other well at this point, and I hope your diet changes.

If dairy sucks for you, don't eat dairy? If alcohol no longer works for you, no more alcohol? I mean, I just empathize, mang.

Good news though, whichever one of us gets a diagnosis first can let the other one know they can stop all the damn testing!

Right? I have to get a pre-screen on the 9th of March. Jeez. We'll be okay, man.

 

[JHuber77]

Gonna go with ball cancer for $1000 Alex

 

[Michael Brown]

Sorry for the really long post, but I'm hoping extra details can maybe get some answers either for me or for others with similar symptoms.

Posted most of this in the colonoscopy thread (because we have a colonoscopy thread). Non-smoker, social drinker, mostly terrible diet heavy in red meat and cheese for most of my life -- although I'm 5'11" around 195 as of January, so not too bad. Blood pressure, heart rate, cholesterol is always fine. No major issues, just an underactive thyroid that I'm not even on medication for yet.

So this past December, I was getting cramps all over my abdomen that didn't subside after a few days. Thought nothing of it, then one day I get an unrelated reminder of a good friend of mine who died last year of colon cancer. I decide I'm not gonna wait, so I go to my regular doc. He IMMEDIATELY sends me for a cat scan that day which freaked me the F out. Cat scan came back showing what looked to be mild colitis or possibly Crohn's so they schedule a colonoscopy.

During that procedure, they found two polyps that were benign but it's apparently rare for someone my age (35) to have those. So I decide I'm gonna start eating better, and from early January to now I'm down about 15 lbs. More good news is that no signs of colitis or Crohn's were found. Problem is, the cramps don't subside so the doc orders an ultrasound to check for gallstones or anything else.

Ultrasound showed a hemangioma on my liver, not a major thing at all and nothing that really causes issues (probably born with it). Cramping still here as of today, next up is an endoscopy to look for ulcers and possibly another test called a HIDA test to check the gallbladder's functionality. A friend of mine had hers out because it was "lazy".

So now I've been diagnosed/misdiagnosed with all these various things, most of which are not that bad...I tend to feel kinda crummy the day or two after eating anything that's heavy in dairy, but strangely not the day OF. But I'm a guy who would drink a glass of milk with dinner, ice cream a few nights a week, tons of cheese, all my life and never had an issue til now. So to suddenly develop a lactose intolerance that takes 35-48 hours to hit me seems like a bit of a stretch.

No diarrhea or vomiting or nausea or bloating. Just pain at the bottoms of my ribs on both the left and right, and pain in my belly just below my breastbone. Last few days I've felt a little bit of pain around the sides of my ribs as well almost around to my back. So if anybody is still reading at this point, what do we think the possibilities are outside of ball cancer?

Read it all because I have all the symptoms, MB. I have those rib pains, earnestly. Every time I put on a seat belt, it hurts and cramps. It's strange.

I guess we just wish each other well at this point, and I hope your diet changes.

If dairy sucks for you, don't eat dairy? If alcohol no longer works for you, no more alcohol? I mean, I just empathize, mang.

Good news though, whichever one of us gets a diagnosis first can let the other one know they can stop all the damn testing!

Right? I have to get a pre-screen on the 9th of March. Jeez. We'll be okay, man.

Starting to give some more thoughts to Willie's suggestion btw. When I first went to get checked, the pains were more lower abdomen. These recent pains are more upper near my ribs as I've mentioned. I guess it's possible that it hasn't been a 2-month ordeal but rather a 1-month lower abdominal pain and now a 1-month upper abdominal thing. With this new "clean living", I definitely haven't been going as much but I just chalked it up to eating less. Been eating a ton of apple sauce, rice, and chicken. I should eat a melted stick of butter over a bed of brown beans and report back.

 

[Willie Neslon]

This is an easy one. You're constipated. Try milk of magnesia first. Buy it at any drug store or supermarket, generic kind is fine. Take the regular dose before bed and then again when you wake up. Don't plan on doing much that morning because you'll be on the toilet. Once you clear that out you need to add more fiber into your diet along with a lot of water. You've already admitted your diet is crap. It sounds like you've hit the age where you can't tolerate eating like that anymore. Welcome.

A simple abdominal x-ray would show the constipation. Based on the pain you've describe I would assume your transverse colon is severely impacted. I didn't go to medical school but a GP sending someone for a cat scan for abdominal cramps seems excessive.

Seemed excessive to me too, that was why I was so concerned at first. But wouldn't the cat scan or ultrasound have shown that though? I also started having the stomach pains in December and definitely haven't felt at any point since then like I was constipated.

Trust me, I've gone through exactly what you've described. I had pains for months, years even. Finally went to a doctor who found the obvious. I didn't think i was constipated either. I was pooping every day, how could I be constipated? I was though. Milk of magnesia did the trick and I felt good as new but didn't heed the doctor's warning about eating more fiber. Years later felt severe pains, back to the doctor after toughing it out for a month on my own. I was taking a lot of Mylanta for that month which made me poop liquid so NO WAY I could be constipated. Doctor examines me, decides on x-ray first just to rule that out and wouldn't you know, I'm constipated. Poor diet + slightly dehydrated. Took magnesium citrate that time and finally the light came on about the diet component. Haven't had a problem since.

And to the person he says he gets pain when he puts on his seat belt...you're constipated! Tell tale sign of constipation is that seat belt pain. You're pressing right against your colon with that belt in a sitting position wearing a suit maybe? A belt? #1 cause of abdominal pain is constipation. I went through all these tests you're taking now. I've gone down this road. It's your diet and the gas/bloating and impacted feces in your body that are causing your pain.

 

[Willie Neslon]

Here is where your transverse colon is.

It can become blocked by impacted fecal matter. I wish I had my x-ray to show you. My lower colon was empty hence the abiltity to poop every day but my transverse colon was almost completely blocked on either side. The food I ate would basically have to squeeze around the blockages on it's way through the colon and that's what would be causing the cramps/pains.

 

[Michael Brown]

Here is where your transverse colon is.

It can become blocked by impacted fecal matter. I wish I had my x-ray to show you. My lower colon was empty hence the abiltity to poop every day but my transverse colon was almost completely blocked on either side. The food I ate would basically have to squeeze around the blockages on it's way through the colon and that's what would be causing the cramps/pains.

So to ask the stupid question, wouldn't a colonoscopy/cat scan/ultrasound combo show a blockage like this in the colon? If not, why?

 

[Michael Brown]

Btw, MLB network just ran an ad for Dulcolax literally 30 seconds ago. It's a sign!!!

 

[Willie Neslon]

Here is where your transverse colon is.

It can become blocked by impacted fecal matter. I wish I had my x-ray to show you. My lower colon was empty hence the abiltity to poop every day but my transverse colon was almost completely blocked on either side. The food I ate would basically have to squeeze around the blockages on it's way through the colon and that's what would be causing the cramps/pains.

So to ask the stupid question, wouldn't a colonoscopy/cat scan/ultrasound combo show a blockage like this in the colon? If not, why?

I really don't know. About 10 years ago I had a doctor who sent me to have the scan where you drink the chalky stuff. Contrast scan or something. They told me it looked normal. Had the same pain back then as the pain I had when my new doctor did the xray and saw I was constipated.

 

[Willie Neslon]

I can't recommend the milk of magnesia enough, A bowl of beans isnt going to knock out that impacted stuff. Colace is good too but won't have the same explosive result as the MoM.

 

[Michael Brown]

I can't recommend the milk of magnesia enough, A bowl of beans isnt going to knock out that impacted stuff. Colace is good too but won't have the same explosive result as the MoM.

This suddenly sounds like a practical joke intended to make me poop my pants

 

[Gamma1210]

Serious answer- could be H. Pylori. There's a simple diagnostic test they can run but symptoms sound like its possible.

 

[ChiefD]

1. Eat a salad.

2. You're getting old.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Sounds like a mild version of the bubonic plague.

 

[Bonfire]

AIDS...obviously.

 

[Michael Brown]

Serious answer- could be H. Pylori. There's a simple diagnostic test they can run but symptoms sound like its possible.

Yeah my wife looked this one up, sounds like a possibility to check it out

 

[SWC]

sounds like gout to me brohan take that to the bank

 

[Willie Neslon]

I can't recommend the milk of magnesia enough, A bowl of beans isnt going to knock out that impacted stuff. Colace is good too but won't have the same explosive result as the MoM.

This suddenly sounds like a practical joke intended to make me poop my pants

No.

 

[Willie Neslon]

Serious answer- could be H. Pylori. There's a simple diagnostic test they can run but symptoms sound like its possible.

Yeah my wife looked this one up, sounds like a possibility to check it out

Easy blood test to find out but unlikely.

 

[Ramsay Hunt Experience]

Yeah, it might be overkill and a pain in the ###, but you might consider doing a Whole 30 and seeing how you feel. If you feel better, you can add things back one at a time.