Colonoscopy question? - Digestive Disorders Message Board

actudan · 09-03-2003, 07:48 AM

My symptoms are primarily pain under my right ribs with pain at times radiating to the right side of my back. The discomfort used to be in the upper abdomen (right where the ribs split) but now is all right sided. I am also nauseated most of the time. I have not noticed any particular foods that aggravate my problem. In fact, any food used to aggravate the pain but now it seems that food doesn't aggravate the pain and that the pain is just ALWAYS there. I have had al ot of tests done with two left. I am sceduled for a HIDA scan next week and my GI doctor has left it up to me whether or not I do a colooscopy.

I have been debating whether to have the colonoscopy for over a month. My gi doc thinks all my problems are stress related but my family doctor and another gi doctor (a co-worker's father) didn't believe it was stress related but they also didn't help me on what it could be either. I guess that my gi doctor isn't rushing on the colooscopy because he must not think I am having other bowel related problems even though I told him that since my problems started I go at least once a day and sometimes I have a lot of gas and my stools sometimes float (I guess they float due to passing through the intestine too fast and the stool has too much air in it). Also, I haven't had any floaters in about a month and no diarhea.

The point of this post is to ask whether anyone else has had discomfort problems so high up and the cause of their problem was discovered by a colonoscopy. I really don't want a colooscopy and I am trying to decide whether or not to do it. I may wait to see what the HIDA scan shows.

actudan · 09-11-2003, 11:51 AM

Just bumping to see if anyone can answer my question. Thanks.

NikkisNYmom · 09-17-2003, 01:45 PM

Hi Act,

How are you? Long time since I wrote last. I think the last time I ws on here was to say my CTSCAN was ok on the pelvis and abdomen. I still don't know if I have an ulcer or anything else. I just got done on Monday with my PREVPAC. I see the doctor Friday. I don't know why - there's nothing he's planning on telling me. Just a follow up to see my symptoms I guess.

I don't know of it's psychological or not but my chest pains - right in the middle on the rib cage are back. I get pains here and there on my stomach too.

I haven't been on because I went away for a week and then when I came back I got the worst cold of my life. Then 5 days ago I got a severe backache that made me fall to the ground and I couldn't get up. My sister came and took care of me and my baby for 2 days till hubby came home. The past 3 days I have been walking and stuff AND much better but I have some backaches. I used to be so normal before these past 6 weeks.

I don't know if the Prevpac helped or not and if my H. Pylori is gone. I wonder what's next. The Dr. had said to me that he won't do an endoscopy till I tell him the symptoms are back. I keep getting the same story you do - that it's all stress related. I don't know why they say that - it sure feels physical to me - haha.

About your situation. I wouldn't just do a colonscopy for nothing. Are your pains really severe?

actudan · 09-17-2003, 02:37 PM

Sorry to hear that everything isn't back to normal yet. Hopefully you knocked the h-pylori out and the other discomforts (back, cold, ...) are unrelated and will get better on their own.

As for me, I have finished all my tests except for the colonoscopy. My gi just doesn't think it's needed and I don't think so either. I asked him if he has had anyone with my symptoms and something was found with a colonoscopy and he said no. His dx is that I have weakend digestive muscles that are contracting and spasming which causes the discomfort. I started taking Limbitrol last Friday to see if it helps. It will take a few weeks before the med fully kicks in.

My family doctor thinks that I have this condition where the cartilage around my ribs have separated from my ribs. Something like that. He gave me Vioxx and Skelaxin (muscle relaxer). I am taking the Skelaxin but not the Vioxx because NSAIDS is what caused me to have ulcers which is what started this whole mess. Vioxx is supposed to be pretty safe for your stomach but there is that rare chance that it can cause bleeding and I don't think that I am ready to take that chance.

My pain isn't too bad right now but it is always there. I had some blood work done recently and my cholesterol was really high so nowI am on a high fiber/low fat diet. Don't know if the diet is what is helping feel somewhat better or if its the drugs or both. I have had severe pain in my upper abdomen in the early stages of when this all started but I am able to handle most of the pain now. I don't know if my pain tolerance has gotten higher or if the pain has settled some. It's just one big confusing mess right now. At least I have felt good enough lately to jog some.

Anyway, keep me posted on how you are doing and good luck!

actudan