Mother Having Terrible Stomach Issues for Years - We Are at Our Wits End!

Two possibilities.

Have her lay on her back and press about two inches in under her right rib cage, next to her stomach, sort of pressing up like you're trying to feel her lung or something. If you hit a spot where she suddenly just about shoots off the bed with pain, her gall bladder is blocked with stones and they are causing her problems any time she consumes proteins, fats, and caffeine.

Even if she doesn't shoot off the bed it can be an intermittent problem. Generally speaking, if she eats the greasiest thing on the menu at mc donalds, it should trigger an attack after a couple meals in most people having this problem. Or you can pay to have an ultrasound done of her gall bladder to see if it's stones, and then an emptying test if they find no stones, but it still seems related to fat and protein intake.

The other possibility is that she has a food allergy. If she eliminates wheat and milk from her diet, does the problem go away? Gluten intolerance is a huge problem in this country which is usually misdiagnosed and missed for years. It can be set off by antibiotic use as well as a variety of other stresses. If she has this allergy, it is pretty common that the side effects and symptoms would keep escalating and causing her problems. There is a biopsy test for celiac disease, but the free method is to eliminate those two things and see if the problem suddenly gets much better over the course of a few weeks.

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As much as I respect anyone who goes to Med School (primarily because I have not despite wanting to be a doctor my whole life), ER doctors are responsible for knowing about a lot of conditions and may not be specialized enough to know what might be causing GI pain. Often, ER physicians are physicians who practice in other specialties (such as Family Practice) who moonlight taking on much needed ER shifts to satisfy the needs.

My advice would be to see a Gastroenterologist. I know it's going to be expensive, and she doesn't have the insurance, but this kind of pain is not normal, and she needs to find out what the cause is. Most physician's offices will work on payment plans for people who struggle with the costs.

I've never been in the position of not having insurance and mounting medical bills. I've been fortunate to have had excellent insurance through cancer/chemo/recovery.

There are so many different things than can cause GI issues, some simple to fix, others more complex and serious.
I'd look in your local area for indigent clinics that work with patients on a sliding scale for services. Occasionally, a specialist (such as a Gastroenterologist) will volunteer their time to make access to specialized medicine easier for patients.

Good luck.

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I really feel for you. That kind of pain can unfortunately be a symptom of a variety of conditions, and I completely understand that you don't have infinite dollars to pay for expensive testing. There may well be something significant going on though. Have they looked for cancer in all her abdominal organs? The only idea I can suggest is for you to pay for some health insurance for her, if you are able. Since testing has all been negative, there should not be a problem with a 'pre-existing condition'. If you can get her some form of insurance, even for a few months, perhaps you can find some answers and help. I truly wish you the best. If she can not work, I wonder if her income might allow her to qualify for a state program like Medicaid.

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While I was reading your question, my thought was "OMG, she is describing my husband exactly!" Right after my daughter was born, my husband started experience the exact same symptoms. His doctor diagnosed him with IBS. When we didn't believe he all of a sudden had IBS and continued to lose excessive amounts of weight he kept going to his doctor and gastroenterologist for answers. The answer was always the same; IBS and there isn't anything they can do. Then one night (4 months after being diagnosed with IBS) the pain got so bad he finally asked me to take him to the hospital. We thought if nothing else, he could get some pain medication while this episode passed. That was the best thing we could have possibly done. The ER doctor did an additional test and found his gall bladder had several large stones and was infected. He had to spend a week in the hospital on IV antibiotics to get the inflammation/infection down before they could remove it. His original doctors said that they didn't suspect his gall bladder b/c his description of where he felt the pain wasn't in the right spot. The ER doctor said that not everyone feels pain the same way, which is why she chose to do the additional test. Low & behold, my husband has been pain & symptom free for 3 years now. IBS? Try again...I understand it will be difficult not having insurance, but no one deserves to live in the pain that your mother is living in. So, my advice to you is not to give up until you get the answer you are looking for and specifically ask the doctors to look at the gall bladder in better detail. Good luck and please keep me posted!

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I have IBS with diarrhea and have a couple tips:

1. Add tons of fiber to her diet. It's counterinuitive, but I followed my doctor's advice and this alone helped tremendously. I use a fiber supplement in my water (no taste) and eat Fiber One cereal, in addition to eating fiber-rich foods.

2. Start with some probiotics in any form. Just adding greek yogurt to my diet has also helped a lot. I also had good results with Activia, although that has a lot more sugar.

3. Cut out the common IBS triggers -- caffeine in any form (this means zero coffee), all citrus fruits, all tomatoes, and no chocolate.

Hopefully all she does have is IBS and that with some of these changes she can get back to feeling normal again.

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Do you think it could be IBS? My mom has that and she says she feels like she's having a heart attack when it starts. Her dr. told her to take Pepcid when she starts to feel it and a mild sedative to calm her down b/c the more upset she gets, the worse it gets. Just a thought. You could google "IBS" and see if the symptoms apply to your mom...

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My daughter was diagnosed with IBS and it took several years for her to get her symptoms under control. She found this website and its food recommendations (even a cookbook) very helpful: www.helpforibs.com The woman who started this website also describes pain so severe she passed out.

My husband was recently diagnosed with gastritis (inflamed stomach lining). He was in a great deal of pain (aggravating his acid reflux, radiating into his arm like heart symptoms and into his back, contributing to migraines) even though the doctor said his case was mild. Doctor's advice: a stronger acid blocker (step up from Prilosec) and mild diet. He is getting better -- gradually. Best of luck to you and your mom.

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A friend of mine recently found out she has wheat and gluten allergies (which are in sooooo many foods). She had years of tummy troubles and they finally did some allergy testing. Since changing her diet, she's so much better!!!

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There are options out there for people to be treated medically who have no private insurance. I see that you live near Rolla, Mo...I would take her there to the county medical clinic and see if you can get her checked out more thoroughly. They normally charge according to the patients ability to pay. They also might have resources for free clinics in the area that might be able to help even more.
There is such a wide array of things that could be causing your Mother's health issues that it is virtually useless for us to speculate about it. The worry alone is enough to be causing her additional stomach distress!!
Good luck
R. Ann

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my sis was diagnosed last yr with a Gluten intolerance/allergy to wheat protiens giving her sudden onset of diaherra nauseated and sometimes vomiting now that she has adjusted her diet that she has learned through educational books she is doing great.

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It sounds very similar to what my father was going through for the past 4 years. He was going to a doctor in his home town who was IMO a quack! He finally went to the cancer centers of America and had a cat scan done. To find out, he has lymphoma. His spleen was 3 times it's normal size and had to be removed along with the lower part of his stomach. He is now going through chemo for 6 months. We are very hopeful he will be cured!

Everything you mentioned sounds just like my daddy. They did not find it with blood tests. It takes a cat scan to find and a bone marrow test.

My hope and prayers are with you...

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have you tried a fiber supplement?? citracel or benefiber??

I know it sounds crazy.. fiber makes you go.. but it also stops you from going..

I would put her on a fiber supplement for a while to see if that helps.. it will take a while to settle everything down.. but I bet it will work.

she should eat fruts and veggies too.

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The Celiac Sprue (gluten problem) is worth checking out. Here is a link to some symptoms of it. https://health.google.com/health/ref/Celiac+disease+-+sprue

A chiropractor-kinesiologist could likely determine what your mother's problem is and help her at least some, but if it's Celiac Sprue, she can help herself by not consuming gluten.

I think you have some good responses. I agree that you should look into food allergies if nothing else turns up. You can have allergies to anything, even the vitamins in your food, but dairy and wheat and eggs are probably the most common. Eliminating those might give her some relief (although if it's a problem with gluten (celiac), it's more than just eliminating wheat...but there's lots of resources online). I would probably try them one at a time. Dairy will take as long as two weeks to leave the system, but you should see some relief before that. My daughter and I have been getting treatments with a system called AllergiCare and are doing much better....I just sent a cheese stick in my daughter's lunch today because after her treatment last week, now she can eat cheese without a problem (this from the kid who's been allergic to dairy since birth). There are also other holistic approaches to allergies. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more info, and good luck.

Hi, S.: I'm so sorry about your mother's health issues and the resulting pain. I'm currently training for a 1/2 marathon to raise funds and awareness for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). I don't have either of these diseases myself, but know others who do and they can suffer terribly depending on the severity of the case. Try a visit to their website, www.ccfa.org and see if anything may help. They have support counselors, information, ways to find a doctor, etc. Hopefully you can either read something or talk to someone who can help. Good luck!

Hi S.,

So sorry to hear about your mom's pain. I'm going to say a prayer for your family today.

When my son was very small, he had constant diarrhea and some vomiting. We finally found a pediatrician that tested him for giardia. The test came back negative but she prescribed the medicine to treat giardia anyway. The medicine began to help immediately. It must have been giardia or another similar parasite that was making him miserable.

May God guide your family to the right answer to your mom's health issues.

God Bless,
A.

IBS can be very uncomfortable for people. Is she taking any OTC pills for pain management. Those can also cause stomach pain. One thing that I would definitely recommend is an Acidophilus supplement. You can get the Acidophilus supplement pills over-the-counter at the pharmacy, Wal-Mart, Target, Wal-Greens, etc. This supplement will help rebuild the lining in her instestines and aide in digestion. Also, a lot of fiber. Best wishes.

This could possibly be Celiac disease. I don't have it myself but I have several friends with this and the symptoms sound a lot like it. Look up a website and see what she should be eating. Have her go strictly on the diet for celiac disease (staying away from wheat flour) and see if the symptoms get better. If that works, then you'll know what it is.

Since you mentioned diarriah and stomach pains, Lactoce Intolerance is a possibility. I am 40 and had diarriah for a month that the drs didn't know why. I started watching what I was eating, and it seemed to flair up worse after dairy. I did my own little test, and bought a box of Lactaid pills, which you take just before eating. It cost about $6 for 12 of them - I took them for 3 days before every meal, and my diarriah decreased majorly!!!!
Dairy can be hidden in a variety of things, so it is a possiblity, esp since you mentiioned mashed potatoes. It is worth a try, do your own trial.

Has your mother been tested for giardia?

Is she on any medication that might be causing an irritation of the stomach lining? My daughter had a similar situation and found it was her medication.

Look into Diverticulitis, this is a very painful stomach conditon that most Dr's dont look for.

Well sounds like what I deal with and I have a bad case of Gerd and a hital hernia I also have IBS which when I have a flare up I usually get diarrhea and a lot of cramping she should get an upper and lower GI done. I also have internal hemorrhoids in my intestines.

I have IBS but not as severely as your mother does. I have 2 watch what I eat. From having my son & finding out what he is allergic 2 it gave me an idea 2 test myself 2 C what I am sensative 2. Keep in mind that the slightest roughage & fiber can bring this on. I cant even eat salad or it will give me severe cramps, nausea & diarrehia. Vitamins can do this also. I noticed vitamins, since there R certain things I cant eat but the vitamins I ended up w/were my boys' chewables. Now my grandmother had colitis & she had 2 watch what she ate especially anything that was small particles that didnt digest quickly like nuts & strawberries (the tiny seeds). With colitis there R pits in the lining of (I believe the stomach) & these tiny food particles settle in these pits & cause issues including severe pain. One last thing, when my husband lost his job & we lost our insurance I started 2 go 2 a family planning center (free pregnancy center or whatever u want 2 call it) & I got my IUD there 4 free but I ran into medical problems that they could help with. So I asked them if there was any1 they could recommend that I could go 2 w/o insurance & they gave me a number 4 a doctor that charges according 2 your income. U might want 2 try that also. I wish I could B more helpful but I hope something I said helped. I wish U & your mom all the best & hopefully U find some relief of this pain.

Hi S., I am sorry you are going through this with your mother. It is difficult I know, they take care of us for so long and it is painful to see moms in pain.

My Dad's wife had stomach pains and by the time she got to the hospital and they discovered what it was, she had cancer, I believe colon. She just said her stomach hurt really bad. Not many details.

My Mother had problems with her stomach for years!!! Diarrhea was one problem, but my mother has a high tolerance for pain. After many trial and error diagnosis, her insurance changed, which changed her doctor, which caused him to run more tests stating he was going to find the problem. He did, was in stage 2 cancer of the colon. The doctors kept asking if she had felt anything and she said no (in regard to pain).

I am no doctor or nurse, but I tried to pay as best attention I could to everything from the doctors. Her red blood cells were low. In my Internet research, low blood cell counts, red or white, could or would lead to cancer. Her cancer started on the outer intestinal wall and began making its way into the intestine. Had it stayed outside the intestine, it would have only been a stage 1.

My mother has scans done, colonoscopy, and blood work, to check for the reoccurring cancer. You mention her blood is okay and had a colonoscopy, so that sounds like a good sign.

I agree with you, an antidepressant...really! She needs medical help. I wish I could think of somehow to get her help. Try googling medical assistance cherryville, medical aid cherryville, call social services in your area, call your doctor and ask what they know. Find out what the requirements for medicaid is. Does she quit her job and move in with you making her have no income, or does that make them ask for the household income? I am amazed how this country can help everyone else, while some of our own people need assistance. It just really upsets me.

I do remember my mother eating bland foods to keep her stomach problems down.

Wishing you and your family the best.

I had a friend with all those symptoms and she turned out to have Crohn's Disease. You might read into that. Also, have you checked into getting your mom on Medicaid or a government assisted insurance so that she can have more medical care? I hope it gets better soon.

My youngest daughter used to have diarrhea and horrible stomach pain. After many tests by a Gastroenterologist, it was discovered she had an intolerance to High Fructose Corn Syrup, (which can mimic the symptoms of IBS) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption. Her doctor had her eliminate both dairy (lactose) and sugar for one month and then slowly introduce one at a time. (This can also be done with gluten.) http://www.foodintol.com/dairy.asp

This may be the most inexpensive and least invasive first step, as food intolerances can be extremely painful, and are often misdiagnosed. Best of luck!

K.

Sounds like you have already paid $1000's on ER visits. I think its time to bite the bullet and pay for private ins, at least until this is fixed. She needs to see a specialist. One that isn't in the ER focused on getting her in and out. One who can spend time with her to figure out what's wrong. If you are that worried this is the route to go. Otherwise call specialists around and see if any of them will work with you on uninsured payment up front. She needs to see a specialist. Period. The family needs everyone to pull together to help her stop suffering.

My daughter had a lot of these symptoms and she drank aloe vera juice and was able to digest her food better. She could also eat ice cream again. My doctor told me to drink apple cider vinegar for my digestion. It really helps a lot. It needs to be pure unfiltered Bragg (organic) apple cider vinegar from the health food store. I also have gotten probiotics from the health food store. They clean up your whole digestive tract. I have just recently started taking dopa bean which also helps digestion. I would rather give the natural route a shot first. Good luck!!

Your poor mom! And you too, basically suffering with her. The lack of insurance is hard to bear, I know. My son went through something similar, not constant but off and on stomach pain, frequent pain and vomiting after eating, etc. His doctor had him on Prilosec and similar meds. He had a MRI, CT scan, etc. Eventually his gall bladder became so enlarged the docs figured out that was his problem. After removing his gall bladder he is a different person!

How awful, your poor mother. Many people can be allergic to eggs. She may have allergies that she's not aware of - people change where they may not have allergies and then suddenly they do. Does she have a peptic ulcer? Did they check her for that? Regiment of Zantac for a month especially at night and take for a month if that's not better then antibiotics for a month to see if she had a infection. If she had an infection in the ulcer it will cause pain in the stomach too. I hope she gets better from whatever it is. Don't give up pursue it.

Have they ruled out gallbladder issues? I am no medical expert, but that sounds like the symptoms a friend of mine had when she was having gallbladder issues. This sounds terrible.

I also suffered the same systems for what seems like forever, until a gall bladder function test was done, and my gall bladder was not functioning properly, so they removed it. evrything was fine for awhile now the pain is coming back and now they tell me it's PROBABLY the "spinchter ode" which is a small muscle in and around the area of the gall bladder. It might help to look into that.

Hi, my husband is going through something similar he has days when he has to call into work because he can't get out of the house without running back in to go to the bathroom. He has alot of pain in his tummy. He to has been to specialist, he was diagnost with IBS and acid reflux. He takes a med called librax it is a anxiety medicine but it controlls the attacks he has been on it for almost 2 years it has really helped. They also recomended that he take acid reducer like prilo sec(I don't think that is spelled right lol) or prevacid that has also helped. Good Luck to you and your mom I hope this will help.

A while ago there was a special on TV about a woman that had the same symptoms as your mother. After two years of constant Drs and nothing helping, she luckily found a Dr. that specialized in the Gall Bladder and it turns out the whole issue was caused because her gallbladder made too much bile - they treated her with meds and within a couple of weeks, she was healthy after years of being miserable. The name of the condition was named after the Dr that treated her, he had discovered it, I just can't think of what it was called. Let me check on line and see if I can find anything about it, if I can I will send you a link.

In the meantime - Good luck!

Has she had her Gall Bladder checked? I was sick for weeks before they finally found out that I had a problem with my Gall Bladder.............she should have it checked out! I am sure that it is frustrating for her because of the pain, and for you because you don't know what to do to help.

I will say a little prayer for her and you! Hope she can find out soon and get some relief!

Good luck!

IBS is a good response, my mom is having issues too that keep coming back even though she's tried pill after pill. I just want you to know I'm sorry your mom doesn't have insurance, I hope something comes up for her, not sure where you're from, but I know Indiana has an insurance you can apply for lower costs. Have you tried a gluten free diet, maybe it is something that she is eating to put her stomach inflamed. Also, any signs from the colonoscopy for diverticulitis ?? That can causes alot. She could be tested for Crohn's disease, but, sometimes all this takes, second opinions, seeing specialist, and also did they do endoscope - scoping through the throat instead of below? Also my friend's grandma was having issues, and they finally found out after lots of testing she has watermelon stomach to where things like popcorn inflamed it....I hope this helps, and gets you somewhere to maybe ask more questions at the next dr. You should find a highly respected GI Doctor and get some answers instead of messing around with the ER.

I have a friend who went through sort of the same thing. It took her over 3 years to find out, that she had endometriosis. Hope I spelled that right. Anyway her stomach issues were the same, food choices, etc. They finally did exploratory surgery and found out that she had this. She was told that you can only effectively diagnose this with surgery by looking at it. She was told also to take anti depressants and counseling before this was diagnosed because they thought her pain was all in her head. Anyway, as of now she is going to a pain center, to try to help ease the pain. All the other options did not work for her, shots, etc. Maybe you can do some research on the internet and see if more of the symptoms match up. Hope this helps and you mom can get some relief.