Unexplainable Stomach Problems...

[kristine_erin]

Hi, I'm a 24 year old female, 5'5", currently 112 pounds. I have prior health problems that include a congenital heart defect Tetralogy of Fallot (3 open heart surgeries since birth, including a pulmonary valve replacement at age 20), and Adenomacarcinoma contained in my cervix at age 22 removed by cold knife biopsy and Endocarditis at age 23. For the last year I have been experiencing stomach problems that seem to only be getting worse with time. I have seen my doctor numerous times reguarding them but she doesnt seem to know what could be causing them. My symptoms include the following...

- stomach cramps, especially after eating
- diarrhea, usually occuring anywhere between 20 minutes and 3 hours of eating
- occasional uncontrollable bowel movvements
- mucus in stool
- the color can vary between normal, to paler brown, to at times green
- weightloss (which im sure is from not being able to eat food and keep it in my stomach, ive gone from 120 to 112 in the last 2 weeks)

i have other symptoms that im not sure are related to my stomach problem or not, but they started about the same time and have also gotten worse;

- intermittent low grade fevers
- clammy sweaty skin
- flushed skin
- night sweats
- muscle aches
- joint/bone pain
- fatigue/weakness

the diarrhea and severe cramps come and go every few months and generally last a week or so, but lately theyve been coming more often and lasting longer, at the moment im going on 3 weeks of this. ive been tested for food allergies, celiacs disease, gluten intolerance, etc etc and all the tests have come back fine. i dont notice any difference in the food i eat in relation to my symptoms, ive tried cutting out dairy, sweets, hot foods, alcohol, food with gluten etc etc and it makes no difference. at the moment im trying to get by on a diet of crackers, gatorade, water, and soup, while its a tad easier on my stomach i still do get cramps and dont feel that well. ive had a CT scan with barium on my abdomen and pelvis that both came back fine. im seeing a gastroenterologist on the first of december, im assuming they are going to want to do a scope of some sort (which im not too excited about but what can ya do) but i dont know if i can last another month or so living like this without some kind of direction to go in. im nervous about it being something more serious like crohns, ulcerative colitis, etc. Is there anything I can do, certain tests I can request, or even things I can try to ease the symptoms, etc. Or do you have any ideas of what this sounds like??? Thanks for your help :)

-kristine

[kristine_erin]

thanks guys :) yeah i pretty much figured a scope or two was in my future (ehhhh!) but yay for cookies and juice!

ill definatly keep yall updated if i find anything out. stomach problems are so irriating because the symptoms are so vague that it can be anything it seems like! good luck to you both!

[GoldFishy222]

Have you thought about fibromialgia?  I don't personally know too much about it, but I do know that it makes one achy and its not uncomon to have tummy trubbles along with it.  There was a time I briefly looked into it because I was getting a lot of pain in my legs (still undiegnosed).  Anyway just a thought.  Sounds like you have been through a lot.  I hope your doctor can figure this thing out for you soon.  

More then likely your GI will want to do and upper and lower scoping.  The only that ***** about it is the prep, they knock you out when you get it done and you won't remember a thing. And when you wake up they give you cookies and juice!  LOL   Sometimes you even get results back the same day.  I'm going in for my 3rd upper and lower scoping this wendsday... kindda hoping they at least find out something, hopfuly not too serious, so I can stop being ill (its been a little over 2 years for me)

Good Luck and hang in there.

[ketona31479]

I have had these same symtoms for years now, i have not went to see a doc about it though. When I was in my early teens (i'm 22 now) i would read books all day and all night and not eat anything for a day or two at a time thats when my stomache problems began. It started with severe pain in my stomache (screaming lungs out kind of pain) then cold sweats, finally diearah, all within minutes of eating a meal every time i would eat this happened to me. This lasted for about six years. Finally after 3 years of eating regular meals everyday its almost stopped, just a little diareah every once in a while.

I'm not really sure if it was skipping out on several meals at a time or what cause my problems. But any way your symtoms sounded alot like mine. Could you please keep me updated on what you find out from the Doctor?

[kristine_erin]

im also wondering if it could be an autoimmune disease? infection?

-kristine