# are these IBS symptoms or colon cancer?



## Arzu Caydere (Feb 23, 2013)

it was almost one year that i had bowel rumbling (but 1-2 days per day) and bloating and gas.

but 4 months ago in one morning i wake up with pain below my liver.

i went to emergency they did a ultrasound and they said i have an inflammated liver.

my liver enzymes (ast-alt) were hight. i followed a diet and exercise after 3 months my enzyme levels were in the normal range

but the daily dull ache continues. i did a ct scan for my right quadrant and it was clear for liver, panceas, kidney, gall bladder.

what is the reason for this 4 months dull ache under liver.

i have a lot of gas and hear bowel grumbling, liqid or gas squishing in the pain region (the region below liver)/

i do not have blood in the stool, no vomotting and no apetite loos.

however this lond daily pain continues. it is 4 months it always exits daily. its strenght chances during the day: sometimes very week but sometimes

at a middle level. anyc comments or recommendations?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most likely IBS symptoms.

IBS always causes these sorts of symptoms at an annoying and noticeable level. IBS commonly starts in teens, young adults and through middle age.

Colon cancer is predominately a disease of the elderly, it is rare to see it in anyone under 60, and often causes no symptoms. That is why they have to screen people over 50. One is that you remove polyps before they cause problems, but even with fairly advanced colon cancer the person with it often has no idea until the colonoscopy spots it. Usually the main symptom is small amounts of blood you can't see and have to do a laboratory test to find.

IBS can cause pain anywhere the colon is and it comes up to the liver and crosses the abdomen just underneath it.


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## Arzu Caydere (Feb 23, 2013)

but does IBS cause pain under right rib? also is it possible that IBS symptoms and the associated pain it gives in the right rib exists everyday and continues such a long time (4 months)?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS is chronic, so long time is expected. IBS-all symptoms-need a minimum of symptoms (may be on and off, may be constant) for 6 months.

IBS can cause pain under the ribs (either left or right, or both) as the colon bends there and those bends tend to be common spots for IBS pain.


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## Arzu Caydere (Feb 23, 2013)

thanks a lot kathleen for your comments. my history and examinations are as follows:

4 months ago I started to have a dull ache under my right rib.

I went to a gastroenterologist and they did a blood test and ultrasound.

From ultrasound they said i have an inflamed liver and from my blood results

the liver enzyme levels were as follows:

-Bilirubine direkt: 0.50 mg/dL (range: 0.2 - 1.3)

-Bilirubine totaal: 0.7 mg/dL

-SGOT: 97 U/L (range: 17-59)

-SGPT: 186 U/L (range: 21-72)

-Alkalische Fosfatase: 92 U/L (range: 38-126)

-Gamma-GT: 81 U/L (range: 15-73)

-LDH: 641 U/L (range: 313-618)

Doctor suggested me to loose

some weigt. After first test, I followed a diet and exercised regulary.

One month later, I did a second blood test with the following results:

-Bilirubine direkt: 0.43 mg/dL (range: 0.2 - 1.3)

-Bilirubine totaal: 1.1 mg/dL

-SGOT: 61 U/L (range:17-59)

-SGPT: 115 U/L (range: 21-72)

-Alkalische Fosfatase: 85 U/L (range: 38-126)

-Gamma-GT: 45 U/L (range: 15-73)

-LDH: 512 U/L (range: 313-618)

I continued diet and exercise became 68 kg from 74 kg. After two months from the second blood test, I had the following results:

-Bilirubine direkt: 0.24 mg/dL (range: 0.2 - 1.3)

-Bilirubine totaal: 0.7 mg/dL

-SGOT: 34 U/L (range: 17-59)

-SGPT: 53 U/L (range: 21-72)

-Alkalische Fosfatase: 81 U/L (range: 38-126)

-Gamma-GT: 28 U/L (range: 15-73)

-LDH: 480 U/L (range: 313-618)

As you see there is an improvement in my enzyme levels and the levels are in the normal range in the last test.

However. the dull ache pain below liver continues: it is very irregular: it comes and goes during the day.

Recently, I have developed some other symptoms: there is bloating, constipation and a lot of wind after meals.

Also, bowel movement and rumbling. When I go to toilet, I feel a
relief. Also, sometimes the dull ache region gets itching a little bit
and the dull ache region

is a little bit hot. No vomiting, no blood in stool and no appetite loss.

A few days ago, my gastroenterologist ordered a CT scan for the
right hand side and it was normal: normal liver, pancreas, gall
bladder, kidney and abdominal wall.

She said that she does not know the reason for dull ache pain below the liver. She said maybe it is IBS.
From my blood tests there are no hepatits also.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Sounds like IBS, and some people do have pain in that area. That you sometimes feel better after a BM is really common in IBS, and really not a big symptom of anything else so I think going with the IBS and moving forward sounds like the thing to do.

Congratulations on the weight loss, sometimes that is all it takes to help some health problems. Sadly it doesn't tend to help IBS as much as it does other things.


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## Arzu Caydere (Feb 23, 2013)

it is really complicated because i had elevated liver enzymes also. it isknown that IBS does not elevate liver enzyme levels.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Too much fat in the liver can raise the enzymes and they went down when you lost weight so that was probably just it.


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## Arzu Caydere (Feb 23, 2013)

one more question: if the pain in the right quadrant below liver was due to cancer or tumor, would that pain be constant or dull kind and coming-going irregularly?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Usually cancer pain, when it finally causes pain, near the end of the disease, when it is about to kill you, it is constant and severe.

The problem with cancer is often it causes no pain. When I had a lump in my breast the fact it was painful was concsidered a very good sign and it turned out to be just a cyst. which typically causes pain rather than a tumor that typically does not. Tumors don't have nerves in them so they usually don't cause a lot of pain until they are causing a lot of damage and havoc to the surrounding tissue.

Really, if you are a young adult colon cancer is NOT one of the cancers you need to be so concerned about. I'm not sure what else I can say to reassure you. If you really can't give up the worry no matter what anyone says I'm more concerned about that worry than I am the dull ache that comes and goes.


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## Arzu Caydere (Feb 23, 2013)

thanks kathleen


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