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Stomach Cramp, Diarrhea, sweating , light headedness and fainting
I have experienced on 4 occasions in the last 6 years a rather weird Diarrhoea attack which really is painful and scary. Here is a description of what occurs.
1. Sudden abdominal pain which increases in intensity over a short time. The same sensation one might get when they are about to get Diarrhoea.
2. I go to the toilet and try excreting whatever wants to come out. However after about a minute of sitting there with nothing coming out I suddenly few light headed and am starting to get a dizzy spell like I am about to faint and my breathing weakens.
3. This borderline fainting sensation lasts for about another minute before I break out into a sudden sweat all over my body. Within a few seconds I have sweat literally pouring out of me, my clothes are wet as if I ran a marathon or something.
4. After a minute of sweating I suddenly feel something coming out of my rear end. I try to squeeze it out and only a hard stool comes out.
5. The sweating stops and the stomach cramp subsides. I think everything is over and I clean up. I walk out of the toilet and in about 2 minutes time the stomach cramp and the fainting sensation comes back (I've fainted only once to date from this and was out for about 15-20 minutes).
6. When I get back to the toilet I have a really violent Diarrhoea episode in pure liquid state. It takes a few minutes to subside and once I
1. Sudden abdominal pain which increases in intensity over a short time. The same sensation one might get when they are about to get Diarrhoea.
2. I go to the toilet and try excreting whatever wants to come out. However after about a minute of sitting there with nothing coming out I suddenly few light headed and am starting to get a dizzy spell like I am about to faint and my breathing weakens.
3. This borderline fainting sensation lasts for about another minute before I break out into a sudden sweat all over my body. Within a few seconds I have sweat literally pouring out of me, my clothes are wet as if I ran a marathon or something.
4. After a minute of sweating I suddenly feel something coming out of my rear end. I try to squeeze it out and only a hard stool comes out.
5. The sweating stops and the stomach cramp subsides. I think everything is over and I clean up. I walk out of the toilet and in about 2 minutes time the stomach cramp and the fainting sensation comes back (I've fainted only once to date from this and was out for about 15-20 minutes).
6. When I get back to the toilet I have a really violent Diarrhoea episode in pure liquid state. It takes a few minutes to subside and once I
Hi, I'm male, 47 years old, reasonably good shape. I've had this for several years. First episode was in 2010 while living in China (I was with a colleague in a restaurant, felt some nausea immediately after starting dinner, started going back to the hotel and blacked out on the sidewalk. I woke up with my colleague doing cardiac arrest massage and saying my heart had stopped beating for half a minute). Had dozens of episodes in the following years. Did a bunch of tests and nothing came out . A doctor in Hong Kong said many foreigners have this in China, and it's usually caused by an allergic reaction to MSG (monosodium glutamate). I didn't test for MSG allergy yet. In general it only happens after I eat out. After a few years without any episode, I started getting this again some weeks ago (living in Germany now). Will try to get tested for allergy to MSG. IMPORTANT TIP: While I was in China, I found out there is a well known Japanese medicine called SEIROGAN. It has many generic clones with other brand names, made in Hong Kong and China. This was the only thing that made the horrible symptoms stop. Whenever I started feeling that this was coming, I took 3 pills and it usually stopped in 10-15 minutes. (This is not advertising, I have nothing to do with any of the companies that produce this). It really works and apparently it has been used in Asia for many decades. When I left China I took dozens of packages with me, and now I'll try to find it in Germany, or order it online. Good luck to everyone.
Post 1/2
GUYS, I MIGHT HAVE AN ANSWER:
Like all of you, this is an issue I've been struggling with for most of my life. I'm a 24 y/o, fit female with GERD, IBS, and Endometriosis. I first started seeing a gastroenterologist when I was 13. I was a serious athlete (competitive swimmer, training 5-6 hours per day, 6 days per week, eating healthy) and yet the reflux was intense. I was started on Prilosec and eventually worked my way up to the highest dosage of Aciphex--a prescription dosage that should've been used for an adult 3-4 times my weight. I am now on Dexilant for reflux. (It should also be noted that age 13 was also when I got my first period.)
At age 15 I started to have my "attacks", though they were not quite as debilitating as they are now. They would happen in the late evening/at night and happen quite suddenly, usually after a large meal. Usually they began with a sudden, extreme bloatedness and intense nausea, followed by a flop sweat and excruciating pain. I'd keel over into the fetal position on the floor and rest my face on the cool tile. After a few bouts of liquid diarrhea, I'd feel completely better. But back then, the diarrhea was pitch black or bloody, so at 15, I got my first colonoscopy. There were signs of upper GI bleeding and scarring, as well as an unidentified, "unremarkable" infection in my esophagus, but nothing diagnostic.
At 18 I got an exploratory laparoscopy. This is when they found the endometriosis, which explained why my period cramps were so debilitating. There were adhesions all over my intestines, which they removed. They also found a lot of ovarian cysts, which were too small to remove. The endo was classified as "mild/moderate" after that. Both the endo and cysts have been relatively well managed with hormonal birth control since then.
Over the years, I've done every test you could ever think of: hitascans with contrast showing my gallbladder functioning at the absolute lowest end of normal (if I was 50 that would be enough to remove it, but since I'm so young, it's not worth it.) Ultrasounds, CT scans, H. Pylori (which was positive and treated for.) I have been tested for Celiac and other food allergies and do not have any, aside from minor lactose intolerance.
College is when my attacks became both more frequent and positively incapacitating. The first attack in college happened during a night class and the pain was so sudden and so severe that my boyfriend took me to the hospital, thinking I had a kidney stone. CT scans showed nothing. My junior year I had one attack that lasted for two weeks in fluctuating waves. At the time, I was convinced I had salmonella poisoning, even though urgent care took cultures and labs and said I was fine.
Now, I'll have these attacks anywhere from once a month to once every 6 months, and they're completely unpredictable. I've kept a food journal and could not link them to ANY common triggers. My recent scopes and tests have found a non-concerning hatiated hernia, sessile polyps, benign tumors, unremarkable scarring--all evidence of years and years of irritation and suffering, but no apparent cause for it.
90-95% of the time now, my attacks will wake me up from my sleep around 1-3 am and begin with a horrible pain deep in my gut. I'll somehow manage to crawl to the bathroom. My brain will be in a fog, as if my body is in so much pain that I don't even have any mental faculties left for conscious thought. I'm confused and can barely comprehend what's going on or remember anything afterwards. I'm also unbelievably weak. I lay on the floor with my face against the cold tile to stay conscious. I'll be utterly drenched in sweat and shivering like crazy. I've broken bones, had oral infections, had wrist surgery, and an embedded IUD, and NOTHING compares to this pain!! When the diarrhea strikes, usually I'll need my boyfriend to literally LIFT ME ONTO THE TOILET because I cannot lift myself--talk about embarrassing! I'll signal to him that I need his help by gently scraping my fingertips on the bathroom door because I am too weak to knock and too nauseous to open my mouth (he always waits outside the door.) After the diarrhea, the pain subsides to a more tolerable level, but does not dissipate completely. This cycle repeats through several bouts of diarrhea--usually 6-12--until I feel almost completely better, just absolutely EXHAUSTED. Then for the next several days, I will feel completely worn, a little crampy, and constipated.
GUYS, I MIGHT HAVE AN ANSWER:
Like all of you, this is an issue I've been struggling with for most of my life. I'm a 24 y/o, fit female with GERD, IBS, and Endometriosis. I first started seeing a gastroenterologist when I was 13. I was a serious athlete (competitive swimmer, training 5-6 hours per day, 6 days per week, eating healthy) and yet the reflux was intense. I was started on Prilosec and eventually worked my way up to the highest dosage of Aciphex--a prescription dosage that should've been used for an adult 3-4 times my weight. I am now on Dexilant for reflux. (It should also be noted that age 13 was also when I got my first period.)
At age 15 I started to have my "attacks", though they were not quite as debilitating as they are now. They would happen in the late evening/at night and happen quite suddenly, usually after a large meal. Usually they began with a sudden, extreme bloatedness and intense nausea, followed by a flop sweat and excruciating pain. I'd keel over into the fetal position on the floor and rest my face on the cool tile. After a few bouts of liquid diarrhea, I'd feel completely better. But back then, the diarrhea was pitch black or bloody, so at 15, I got my first colonoscopy. There were signs of upper GI bleeding and scarring, as well as an unidentified, "unremarkable" infection in my esophagus, but nothing diagnostic.
At 18 I got an exploratory laparoscopy. This is when they found the endometriosis, which explained why my period cramps were so debilitating. There were adhesions all over my intestines, which they removed. They also found a lot of ovarian cysts, which were too small to remove. The endo was classified as "mild/moderate" after that. Both the endo and cysts have been relatively well managed with hormonal birth control since then.
Over the years, I've done every test you could ever think of: hitascans with contrast showing my gallbladder functioning at the absolute lowest end of normal (if I was 50 that would be enough to remove it, but since I'm so young, it's not worth it.) Ultrasounds, CT scans, H. Pylori (which was positive and treated for.) I have been tested for Celiac and other food allergies and do not have any, aside from minor lactose intolerance.
College is when my attacks became both more frequent and positively incapacitating. The first attack in college happened during a night class and the pain was so sudden and so severe that my boyfriend took me to the hospital, thinking I had a kidney stone. CT scans showed nothing. My junior year I had one attack that lasted for two weeks in fluctuating waves. At the time, I was convinced I had salmonella poisoning, even though urgent care took cultures and labs and said I was fine.
Now, I'll have these attacks anywhere from once a month to once every 6 months, and they're completely unpredictable. I've kept a food journal and could not link them to ANY common triggers. My recent scopes and tests have found a non-concerning hatiated hernia, sessile polyps, benign tumors, unremarkable scarring--all evidence of years and years of irritation and suffering, but no apparent cause for it.
90-95% of the time now, my attacks will wake me up from my sleep around 1-3 am and begin with a horrible pain deep in my gut. I'll somehow manage to crawl to the bathroom. My brain will be in a fog, as if my body is in so much pain that I don't even have any mental faculties left for conscious thought. I'm confused and can barely comprehend what's going on or remember anything afterwards. I'm also unbelievably weak. I lay on the floor with my face against the cold tile to stay conscious. I'll be utterly drenched in sweat and shivering like crazy. I've broken bones, had oral infections, had wrist surgery, and an embedded IUD, and NOTHING compares to this pain!! When the diarrhea strikes, usually I'll need my boyfriend to literally LIFT ME ONTO THE TOILET because I cannot lift myself--talk about embarrassing! I'll signal to him that I need his help by gently scraping my fingertips on the bathroom door because I am too weak to knock and too nauseous to open my mouth (he always waits outside the door.) After the diarrhea, the pain subsides to a more tolerable level, but does not dissipate completely. This cycle repeats through several bouts of diarrhea--usually 6-12--until I feel almost completely better, just absolutely EXHAUSTED. Then for the next several days, I will feel completely worn, a little crampy, and constipated.
1 Comments
Post 2/2
TLDR: SKIP TO HERE: ---->
In the past, after all of my tests have come back negative, my gastros have been quick to write this off as "severe IBS" or just food poisoning. Which is so dismissive that it's not even funny. That is why I am so grateful to have finally moved to a new state and found a doctor who actually LISTENED to me. Right away, during my first appointment with this new gastro, I explained my symptoms and he said, "this is absolutely not IBS, and any doctors who said that obviously were just frustrated that they couldn't diagnose it, and/or didn't want to really listen." He told me that it didn't even sound gastroenterological in nature, and that it sounded more related to blood pressure, like something endocrinological, neurological, or vascular with GI symptoms. He straight up said ***IBS SHOULD NOT CAUSE CONSISTENT ATTACKS OF THIS SEVERITY.***
PORPHYRIA?
I have read almost all 900+ entries on this forum and noticed a few people mentioned porphyria. It's interesting, because my doctor actually suggested this and happens to be know one of the only select few physicians in the entire country who specializes in it. Interestingly enough, he took a random blood and urine sample when I was NOT SYMPTOMATIC and found that my urine corpro porphyrins were elevated, as is common with people with AIP. Two weeks later, I had an attack. Out of curiosity, I collected some of my urine in a jar at home immediately after this attack and noticed it was dark orange/bright red, as is tell-tale with AIP. So I left it in the sunlight for 48 hours and checked again, and the color had darkened to a deep, dark red, just like urine should with AIP. So my doctor ordered some more urine sample tests to be carried out during my next attack, which conveniently enough, happened about 3 weeks later. However, the test was inconclusive. My ALA was elevated, but none of my porphyrins were high enough to diagnose AIP. He wants to repeat the test again during future attacks, but expects them to yield similar results--especially because AIP doesn't usually cause such short episodes of debilitating pain and diarrhea, but rather prolonged episodes of incessant cramping and nauseating pain.
******ANSWER: ABDOMINAL MIGRAINE******
So my gastro referred me to one of the leading Internal Medicine specialists in the entire state. I just met with the guy last Friday. Before I could even finish describing my attacks, he cut me off and said, "I think I know exactly what this is. My sister actually has the exact same thing. It's called ABDOMINAL MIGRAINE." This is a vascular/neurological disorder that is not uncommon in children and is often grown out of. However, it is quite rare (but much more common in women), much more severe, and much more likely to be chronic/ongoing in adults. He did also say that it will likely go away with menopause. And the biggest thing? Abdominal migraines almost always strike in the middle of the night!
So basically, you have neurons (i.e. brain cells) in your gut, and if you have abdominal migraines, you are literally getting severe migraine headaches in your bowels. The treatment is taking a migraine medication during the onset of symptoms, and that should completely stop the attack (he gave me a special kind of inhaler thing.) This explains why some people in this forum have found relief during their attacks by using an epi-pen; both migraine medications and epi-pens are vasoconstrictors, so they essentially accomplish the exact same thing.
He did say that if this migraine medication doesn't work, then it is time to look into other, endocrinological causes, such as hormone-producing tumors and such. But he seemed extremely confident that this was the answer. Unfortunately, it's not something you can test for; it's more of a diagnosis of exclusion and experimentation (by trying the medication during an attack), so be sure to bring it up with your doctors. And good luck everyone!
-----------------------------------------------------
NOTE ON FOOD POISONING AND VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE:
PS: To everyone who is saying that it is just food poisoning--no. If this is happening more than 2 or 3 times throughout your life, that's NOT normal and NOT coincidence. That's a condition. There are types of epilepsy and seizure conditions where you'll only have one seizure every 15 years--types of heart conditions where you'll only have a single heart attack. So why should this be any different? Don't disregard your suffering.
And to those who are saying it's just vasovagal syncope: well, yes and no. Vasovagal syncope describes a symptom, NOT a cause. That's like if you were allergic to cats and got hives when you pet them and then someone tried to diagnose you with hives instead of a cat allergy; it does nothing to describe WHY it is happening. Yes, vasovagal syncope describes when you are fainting or almost fainting during defecation, but that doesn't explain why you were struck with the severe pain and need to defecate in the first place. (At least in the context of our attacks, it doesn't.)
TLDR: SKIP TO HERE: ---->
In the past, after all of my tests have come back negative, my gastros have been quick to write this off as "severe IBS" or just food poisoning. Which is so dismissive that it's not even funny. That is why I am so grateful to have finally moved to a new state and found a doctor who actually LISTENED to me. Right away, during my first appointment with this new gastro, I explained my symptoms and he said, "this is absolutely not IBS, and any doctors who said that obviously were just frustrated that they couldn't diagnose it, and/or didn't want to really listen." He told me that it didn't even sound gastroenterological in nature, and that it sounded more related to blood pressure, like something endocrinological, neurological, or vascular with GI symptoms. He straight up said ***IBS SHOULD NOT CAUSE CONSISTENT ATTACKS OF THIS SEVERITY.***
PORPHYRIA?
I have read almost all 900+ entries on this forum and noticed a few people mentioned porphyria. It's interesting, because my doctor actually suggested this and happens to be know one of the only select few physicians in the entire country who specializes in it. Interestingly enough, he took a random blood and urine sample when I was NOT SYMPTOMATIC and found that my urine corpro porphyrins were elevated, as is common with people with AIP. Two weeks later, I had an attack. Out of curiosity, I collected some of my urine in a jar at home immediately after this attack and noticed it was dark orange/bright red, as is tell-tale with AIP. So I left it in the sunlight for 48 hours and checked again, and the color had darkened to a deep, dark red, just like urine should with AIP. So my doctor ordered some more urine sample tests to be carried out during my next attack, which conveniently enough, happened about 3 weeks later. However, the test was inconclusive. My ALA was elevated, but none of my porphyrins were high enough to diagnose AIP. He wants to repeat the test again during future attacks, but expects them to yield similar results--especially because AIP doesn't usually cause such short episodes of debilitating pain and diarrhea, but rather prolonged episodes of incessant cramping and nauseating pain.
******ANSWER: ABDOMINAL MIGRAINE******
So my gastro referred me to one of the leading Internal Medicine specialists in the entire state. I just met with the guy last Friday. Before I could even finish describing my attacks, he cut me off and said, "I think I know exactly what this is. My sister actually has the exact same thing. It's called ABDOMINAL MIGRAINE." This is a vascular/neurological disorder that is not uncommon in children and is often grown out of. However, it is quite rare (but much more common in women), much more severe, and much more likely to be chronic/ongoing in adults. He did also say that it will likely go away with menopause. And the biggest thing? Abdominal migraines almost always strike in the middle of the night!
So basically, you have neurons (i.e. brain cells) in your gut, and if you have abdominal migraines, you are literally getting severe migraine headaches in your bowels. The treatment is taking a migraine medication during the onset of symptoms, and that should completely stop the attack (he gave me a special kind of inhaler thing.) This explains why some people in this forum have found relief during their attacks by using an epi-pen; both migraine medications and epi-pens are vasoconstrictors, so they essentially accomplish the exact same thing.
He did say that if this migraine medication doesn't work, then it is time to look into other, endocrinological causes, such as hormone-producing tumors and such. But he seemed extremely confident that this was the answer. Unfortunately, it's not something you can test for; it's more of a diagnosis of exclusion and experimentation (by trying the medication during an attack), so be sure to bring it up with your doctors. And good luck everyone!
-----------------------------------------------------
NOTE ON FOOD POISONING AND VASOVAGAL SYNCOPE:
PS: To everyone who is saying that it is just food poisoning--no. If this is happening more than 2 or 3 times throughout your life, that's NOT normal and NOT coincidence. That's a condition. There are types of epilepsy and seizure conditions where you'll only have one seizure every 15 years--types of heart conditions where you'll only have a single heart attack. So why should this be any different? Don't disregard your suffering.
And to those who are saying it's just vasovagal syncope: well, yes and no. Vasovagal syncope describes a symptom, NOT a cause. That's like if you were allergic to cats and got hives when you pet them and then someone tried to diagnose you with hives instead of a cat allergy; it does nothing to describe WHY it is happening. Yes, vasovagal syncope describes when you are fainting or almost fainting during defecation, but that doesn't explain why you were struck with the severe pain and need to defecate in the first place. (At least in the context of our attacks, it doesn't.)
I also suffer from these symptoms, for me it is seeds, coconut, dairy, and gluten....my kids have been the same recently and they have all been diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Disorder. Their Mast cells are sending out too many indicators to fight off allergens...body is going into anaphylactic shock....blood pressure drops and this can cause the syncope. G.I. Stated that we passed it on to the kids. Certain foods will trigger it if you have allergies....it is like having a bucket and if you are throwing in allergens-histamines, you may not react severely every time, but once the bucket is full then it throws your body off every time, and you are reacting from everything that is spilling off. My kids are currently on Cromolyn, Zyrtec, Zantac, and Singulair daily and it seems to be helping.
2 Comments
Just want to leave this here. Research Mastocytosis, this seems to be the cause of all the symptoms i've seen here.
Just want to leave this here. Research Mastocytosis, this seems to be the cause of all the symptoms i've seen here.
Relief For Now. Shortly after my episode in May 2016 (refer to my post at that time), I saw a GI doc who prescribed a low dose anti-depressant. The reasoning behind this is to suppress the vegus nerve just enough to prevent the onset of syncope by desensitizing the vegus nerve. I have not had an episode since. I had one occasion when I felt that I would have had an episode but my system was very relaxed and it turned out to be quite mild with no excruciating pain and no syncope. The anti-depressant is such a low dose that I don't feel any effects although it does involve a daily medication. To me, this is a small price to pay for peace of mind. 10mg Nortryptoline.
2 Comments
this used to happen to me, exactly as everyone is describing. after being treated by gastroenterologists for years, i was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. had a laproscopy to remove the endometriosis and now seeing a pelvic pain physio to relax my very tight pelvic floor muscles (from years of spasms). doesnt happen nearly as often and when it does it isnt nearly as bad. some people get relieve during pregnancy from endometriosis so especially those people above, i suggest speaking to a gyno that specialists in endometriosis!
this used to happen to me, exactly as everyone is describing. after being treated by gastroenterologists for years, i was finally diagnosed with endometriosis. had a laproscopy to remove the endometriosis and now seeing a pelvic pain physio to relax my very tight pelvic floor muscles (from years of spasms). doesnt happen nearly as often and when it does it isnt nearly as bad. some people get relieve during pregnancy from endometriosis so especially those people above, i suggest speaking to a gyno that specialists in endometriosis!
I have been suffering in silence. Everyone is describing exactly what is happening to me. I actually faint and then the large volume of foul smelling watery large volume stool seems to explode out of me. I had a heart test done and found out that my heart actually stops beating for 30 seconds during these episodes. It started when I was 18 and I am 34 now. I am a mother now so it makes the thought of happening so much scarier now. The only time it stopped happening was when I was pregnant. Post partum 3 months it started again. My son is 3.5yrs now. It happens sometimes weekly. It's terrifying because I either faint or get to the point that I am going to faint. Thank you guys for posting here because I am going to call my GI doctor about what I have read here because it is identical. Hopefully I can have some more tests done. I have done all the elimination diets to try to stop this from happening. It's to a point now that at every BM I feel funny when before it was only with the severe cramping and then the "episode" plays out and it over. I am sitting here with 2 episodes in 12 hours and decided to google.
I have had this on and off since I was around 23 (I'm now 37). It almost always happens at night while I'm sleeping. I wake up to feeling "weird"...pain in my stomach and feel like I need to go to the bathroom. I go to the toilet and sit and wait. The pain is horrible. I feel like I might vomit. I begin to get hot and sweaty and feel like I'm going to pass out. Sometimes my legs start to shake like I'm freezing or extremely nervous. At times, my arms or legs will feel a bit numb or like pins and needles. During this episode I usually end up belching very loud and forcefully like I have an extreme build-up of gas. Usually I have constipation that ends with diarrhea. After I poo I feel better for a bit and then it comes on again. I do not feel better until I have pooed out whatever is causing all of the issue....even then sometimes my body feels tired or my lower back hurts. I have been told I have IBS....I have noticed a couple of times that this has happened has been after eating a lot of fiber (raisin bran, broccoli, etc). I cannot drink alcohol or this will usually end up happening.
1 Comments
Also....during this episode I try to breathe through it so that I (hopefully) don't pass out. I start breathing in and out slowly and rub my tummy to try to help whatever it is to move. Hope this helps.
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