# Agonizing sharp pains, upper left side of abdomen. This IBS?



## gastropus (Aug 15, 2011)

Since I was a kid I've had episodes of severe stomach pain. They've gotten much worse over the last few years.Here's what I'm experiencing: Severe, piercing and throbbing sharp pain in my upper left abdomen. It feels like someone is jabbing me from the inside with a sharp knitting needle. Usually this starts out mild and becomes very, very severe within an hour. I've noticed that my stomach feels very bloated during these times, and sometimes it seems like I'm having some constipation too. These attacks occur mostly in the afternoon and evening and they last for 12 to 24 hours. The attacks are usually followed by about three or four days of what I describe as "aftershock" pains that gradually subside.Nothing helps during these attacks. I've tried all the OTC medications, and have tried Bentyl, an RX prescription, and none of them help. These attacks are completely incapacitating. On Thursday I ended up in the emergency room. My blood tests and urinalysis looks good. My CT scan revealed absolutely nothing. I've been tested for H. Pylori and that was negative. I went to see one GI doc about a week before the attack, and his response was something along the lines of, "Huh. I don't know. Get some medical tests the next time an attack happens and come and see me in about four months."The emergency room doc thought it might be Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but I've never met anyone who had agonizing, knock-you-down pain with that. I've never had any trouble with wheat or celiac type stuff, and like I said, a CT scan revealed NOTHING.I've got an appointment with another GI doc in a couple of weeks. I've got to tell you that this is causing me to miss a lot of work, and I'm pretty much living in fear of my next attack.Does this sound anything like IBS to you?


----------



## lx5 (Jul 30, 2012)

Did you find out what this is? I am going through the same thing and scared to death it pancreatitis. I have a ct scan scheduled for friday. Please reply, my symptoms are just about identical!


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Pain on the left like that is really common with IBS. There is a bend in the colon on the the left under the ribs that tends to be a trouble spot.Pancreatitis usually comes with a host of other symptoms along with the pain, things like fever and vomiting.My pain with IBS was very severe, and sometimes people can be trending towards chronic functional abdominal pain which tends to be all the worst pain of IBS but normal or near normal stools.


----------



## rudibear (Jul 28, 2012)

Kathleen M. said:


> Pain on the left like that is really common with IBS. There is a bend in the colon on the the left under the ribs that tends to be a trouble spot.Pancreatitis usually comes with a host of other symptoms along with the pain, things like fever and vomiting.My pain with IBS was very severe, and sometimes people can be trending towards chronic functional abdominal pain which tends to be all the worst pain of IBS but normal or near normal stools.


I'm rather new at this, but I have found that when nothing else works a low dose of a tranquilizer like Ativan will. Of course these must be used very carefully.


----------

