I've been having constant dull pains in the abdominal area for about 3-4 weeks now. These pains though seem to occur in different places throughout my abdomin. I don't seem to have a fever, diharea or constipation. I am male, and 19 years of age. Does anybody have any idea what may be causing this? Thanks

If you don't have fever, then this does not sound like an infection. If you do not have diarrhea/constipation, then it does not sound bowel related, although this does not necessarily rule it out.

Are your bowels normal at other times and have they been so until you noticed this pain? Are you passing urine ok and do you have any urgency or pain/burning on or after urination? If you are male, then these pains in your belly could well be related to your genitals and need to be checked out.

Can you remember exactly what you were doing when you first noticed these pains? Were you anxious or upset in any way?

Have you had pains like these before or is this the first time and are they affected by eating at all? The more information you can provide, the more people may be able to help.

Having said this though, I would definitely go and see your doctor about this problem so that he can feel your belly and give you a proper physical and perform blood tests and any others that he feels appropriate. Constant belly pain for this length of time should always be taken seriously and investigated further by a doc, especially if it is a new symptom.

Good luck

Thanks for your reply sarah.

My bowel movements occur about twice daily, which is the same as in the past. I also don't experience any urgency, burning during or after urination.

I have also noticed that in my stools there is undigested food such as bits of leafy green vegetables and sometimes seeds like sesame seeds. Is this normal?

When the pains first started, i was undergoing university examinations, so i guess i was anxious, and stressed. These pains do not seem to change with eating.

If your bowels are normal at other times and this happened at a time when you were stressed, then it really does sound like anxiety induced IBS type symptoms. You do not necessarily have to have diarrhea, but you can just have the constant belly pain that you described. When you are stressed, as during exams, your brain releases certain chemicals and unfortunately, these chemicals have an effect on the smooth muscle lining of your gut, which can then cause diarrhea, cramp like belly pain or constant pain and muscle spasms. I would suggest that you chill out if you can and once the stress has passed, I think you will probably find that your symptoms pass. However, if they don't then do go and see your doc to get checked over, but my guess would be IBS symptoms that have occurred due to anxiety/stress.

I think you probably need to eat some more fiber and it is not normal to pass undigested food in your stools all the time, however, certain foods can do this at times, like some vegetables such as sweetcorn and others. I would suggest taking Metamucil for a while to see if this helps. It is a water soluble fiber supplement and will help firm your stools up. Ensure you drink good amounts of water with it though and you may get a bloated belly and gas for a while until your system gets used to it.

Good luck