Lower left abdomen spasms

[ChrisB29]

Hi heres a brief summary:

Have been "diagnosed" with IBS in 2007. When i say diagnosed i mean "oh its probably ibs". Im still alive and not suffered since 07 so it cant be that bad! Had a hernia op in sept 07 though.

Feb 09 started a reasonable diet and running 3 miles, 3 times per week.

After a month (start of March) i suddenly started to get spasms in my lower left side. At the time, other people i know were suffering from stomach bugs. My stools became loose/diahorrea although not to the point of water. Doctor said - its ibs. (never tested anything). Started to feel nauseous about once per week but never sick.

Into start of April still having the spasms but by mid April the bowel habit is not diahoreah but the stools are a bit thin. At end of April my bowel habits were completely back to normal BUT still having lower left side spasms. Was it hernia related therefore? Had Ultrasound and MRI scan. They found nothing serious and the hernia looks intact, everything fine.

OK its June tomorrow. Bowel movements generally normal, not nauseous for last 2 weeks. Have given up chocolate, coffee, even red meat. Still have the spasms though. It feels deeper than a muscle ie cant feel it at the surface as such. Its literally far left, next to top of leg, just at the top edge of the pubic bone, but inside.

Its driving me mad. Today i have started taking mebeverine hydrochloride antispasmodics see if that works. The "spasm" is infrequent, always in the same place, and i dont usually feel when lying completely flat on my back (although occ. do) but feel when standing, sitting. Dont feel when walking.

Anyone have a clue ? Is it Sigmoid IBS? Is it diverticulosis although i dont get pain as such? Is it minor adhesions from my laprascopic hernia op? its in the right region.

Any help would be appreciated. My doctor just shrugs and says what tests do i want.

Thanks

Chris

[suez3832]

I believe Matthew is right in had the same problem as you Chris and it turned out to be diverticulitis and my father in law just went through the same thing and was diagnosed as well with the diverticulitis. It can be very very painful at time and other time just a nusence. Good luck and see a gastrointestinal

Suzanne

[Tinkah1]

I have IBS n Diverticulitis.. I've also had my entire stomach removed two yrs ago w a few feet of both my intestines. For the past 6 month approx I've had severe muscle spasms in my lower left side of my abdomine and was told at first it's just something like Charlie horses. But I don't believe it. If I'm sitting up in bed and try to lay straight let it if I'm laying flat and try to sit up I scream in pain as it sets it off instantly. I'm about to say screw the does and go to the ER. I'm terrified I have an obstruction or my intestine is twisting. I have gone months at a time w severe diarreah then can't go at all. I have had them so much worse this past week n haven't had the diarreah hardly at all this past week but have a hard time going at all now. I've lost 10 lbs and a whole notch on my belt. One doctor told me it could be cramps prior to my cycle. He was sure!!! Till I told him I had a hysterectomy 15 yrs ago.  Told him to guess again and he could pay my bill and walked out. I never did get a bill lol. So I'm going to a gastric dr and find out what the heck is going on. If I find it I'll let you know.  Good Luck to you finding out.

[Ianmill]

I've just found this post, thank you guys for starting it. I'm getting the exact same symptoms. Under docs orders been on nil by mouth for 7 days then tried to eat again, major pain. Spasms. Now taking abudomal which helps but very obvious when it wears off. I'll see my doc about an allergist . That's good advice

[JimmySz]

I have identical - and i mean identical symptoms to Chris.  Spasm just above left hip but inside.  Started 4 days ago.   I'm 39, male.  No previous hernias or gut issues, usually can eat anything.

No nausea just an internal slow spasm that lasts for several seconds but occurs regularly at least once per hour.  Seems to trigger if i stand still for 5 minutes then change position or walk around.

Im going to see my doctor as soon as I can make the appointment cause its bothering me even though it doesnt really hurt.  Im wondering if it is a hernia or some other left descending colon issue (hope not).

[Matthew007]

no problem... glad you figured most if out as quick as you did..took me years to figure it out.  One thing though, just by eliminating dairy doesn't eliminate it.  I went off dairy years ago and I wasn't feeling better so I scratched it off as "i'm not lactose intolerant" but I didn't realize that lactose is in breads..cereal.. all kinds of things (hidden too) so be careful.  Soon as I totally eliminated that my nausea/pains went WAY DOWN.  Also it could be something else...some allergy so a visit to an allergist to test for food allergies will still be a decent idea.  I found out i'm slightly allergic to oats...so that helped my diagnosis a little.  Mine started the same exact way..way way bad nausea lower bellow belly button pain and over time it just went lower left..and started working it way up the left colon.  Now i'm trying to reverse it.

Also hyscomamine like I said has bad side effects for me so I used an antispasmotic called 'librax' (ask your doctor about it) it's side effects are way less than hyscoamine and actually help me sleep at night so I take em before I go to bed.  And for my spasms lately i'm trying citrucel and miralax mixed (basically trying to increase fiber but make them as soft as possible..basically larger and softer is the goal with spastic colon but you can use colace or stool softeners or...many many options on what to do on fiber)


Well you're lucky...wish my doctors were smart as you.. would have saved me a few years :(, trying to be an airline pilot and I got hit with bad spastic colon.  Hope we both get fixed asap.  good luck.

[ChrisB29]

Well thanks for that Matthew. I know its not gluten intolerance and i have cut milk out of my diet anyway this last 6 weeks so its not that.

Anyway, started taking my antispasmodics on saturday and already i feel better. Today its monday literally no spasms!

Maybe it is IBS, who knows. I never usually suffer from constipation and i am on a reasonably high fibre (soluble and insoluble) diet

My IBS first started after a MEGA bad holiday tummy (i was crapping water for days!) and its never been forgotten!! Another signal is when i eat a spicy curry i get some pain in the lower left region for a day or two after - hence i dont eat curry any more!

Lets see how this week goes. :O)

[Matthew007]

hey chris,

if you haven't had a colonoscopy that's one idea for sure to see what the heck is going on in there.. it *could* be diverticulitis but sometimes that can also be spotted on a ct scan and your MRI should have spotted that.  But the true diagnosis would be a colonoscopy.

You could ask your doctor for a cheap hydrogen breath test to see if you're lactose intolerant.  The colon is spasming because something is irritating it, so it's either bacteria/parasite/food allergy/stress/lack of fiber so it's doing a spasm for a reason.  Maybe go on a super bland diet and figure out what foods are irritating it?

I'm also dealing with mass abdominal spasms for years (since 05') and every day I was nauseated and my left side felt like someone had kicked me.  Turns out it looks like I was either allergic to milk or lactose intolerant which caused it all...not sure how long it'll take to recover since I just found this out.  Hopefully it'll calm down to where I can work again.  I did years ago follow a doctors advice and went on a lactose free diet but I didn't realize that it takes quite a bit of time to recover if that's the problem (like weeks).  Also they say fiber helps with the spasms.. it could be any kind of food allergy not just lactose/dairy.  You could go to an allergist or ask your doctor to refer you to one and do that cheap breath test OR super cheap mode avoid fatty foods and dairy/lactose and hit fiber pretty hard and see what happens.

Also hysocamine made my mouth super dry and gave me nausea waves..maybe you'll like it more than I did but they do help.  There are several different types of antispasmotics so if that doesn't work out try another one.  The bad part just to warn you is antispasmodics cause constipation (which is what you're trying to avoid) so I'd only use those antispasmotics when it gets really bad personally but i'm not a doctor so follow his advice.  I'm a pilot stuck on the ground with this condition so hopefully we'll both get fixed asap.  GOOD LUCK :)

[kellwilson]

Try a naturopathic doctor and get tested for Delayed Food Allergy,  this test has not to do with any other allergy test you ever done and you will be surprised to find out about the foods you have sensitivity.