:sick I am going to call my doctor's office today but value opinions here (sometimes more than his!)

For the past two or three days my stomach has been a little swollen and tender, and randomly, maybe every 30 minutes to an hour, I get a burning, intense cramp in my lower stomach. Kind of like a bad gas pain, but gas pains don't usually last for days, right??

I have been taking Prilosec daily for the last few weeks because I have been afraid that I have not been getting enough food into my stomach and I have been worried about the stomach acid. I have not had any reflux in my throat and only one PB in the last two weeks.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I had something that sounds similar, but not exact, a few years ago. It lasted 3 days. I would get lower stomach cramps that would come and go like clockwork, about every 20 minutes. They would last about a minute. Then sure enough, about 20 minutes later it would come back again. Between cramps I would feel fatigued, but not tender. My doctor at the time told me he thought it was my body reacting to something I ate. It was in the intenstinal part of the abdomen, so it made some sense, but for the most part I think that was his way of saying, "I have no clue."

Sound anything like what you have?

Yep, that sounds pretty similar. I am waiting for my doctor to call me back- I paged him 4 hours ago!

I don't have anything like that, but from the cyclical nature of it......"and randomly, maybe every 30 minutes to an hour" that sounds like peristalsis. Peristalsis is the bowels trying to push something through, the contraction of the smooth muscle of the bowel. I guess since you're having pain in your lower abdomen, my next question would be......are you constipated? You mentioned that you're a little swollen and sore. Could also be a sign of diverticulitis. Have you been eating a lot of nuts, seeds or things with hulls? These things irritate diverticulitis.

Just a thought, not to be taken as actual medical advice. Make sure you actually ask your physician.

I never thought about diverticulitis. My brother had it, so that is a possibility I should discuss with the doctor.

I am not constipated at all, toally normal in that department.

The pain and bloating is actually in my upper abdomen in the area of my lower stomach. But the random cramps are in my lower abdomen. Weird, right??

Anyway, my doctor called back, and for now he is doubling my Prevacid and putting me on Simethicone which is a stomach coater. He also asked me to refrain from my beloved papaya enzyme tablets because he thinks that could be irritating me. He wants me on liquids and mushies for a few days, and if it doesn't improve by Monday or Tuesday it's flouroscopy and/or endoscopy. YUK.

I will keep you all updated!

Gas CAN last for days. Increase your water intake and take some walks. If you spike a temperature, diverticulitis could be the cause so keep an eye on your symptoms.

Heather,

Hope you feel better and it works itself out.

Kelli

Update:

Doc put me on Calfate (a stomach coater- not simethicone) and doubled my Prevacid. I feel lots better.

But ironically, my Mom was just diagnosed with diverticulitis. That makes Mom and brother and diverticular disease is genetic(hereditary??Not sure which term is correct).

So in addition to everything else, my doc wants me to cut out anything with nuts, hulls seeds, and very spicy foods. SIGH. Just preventative, but I saw what Mom and bro went through and I'll pass on that pain and suffering!

Heather,

I was wondering how you are! Thanks for the update.

I went in to see our buddy last week for my first fill...he was really nice to me! Now I'm not afraid to go back! LOL

Kelli

Diverticulitis is not hereditary but it is familiar. Many people have diverticulosis (outpouching of the intestinal wall) but never develop diveticulitis (Infection of the intestine). MDs advise patients with this condition to avoid things like nuts and seeds that can "sit and fester" in the outpouching sacs and cause diverticulitis. It's also advisable to drink a lot of water after meals to "flush" the outpouchings of retained food particles. I hope you're feeling better.

sounds like gastritis to me, I had very similar symptoms and was diagnosed with gastritis.