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Can Incisional Hernia Cause Bulge Under Right Rib And Chest Burning ?
Question: 54 year old female. Conditions: Depression,fairly controlled. Anxiety, Herniated c5-6 and c6-7 discs. Severe mid stomach under spleen pain that feels like organs being squeezed. Chest pain, low blood pressure, adrenal adenoma, diverticulitis - have had several flair ups in past 2 weeks. I have been diagnosed with IBS(diarrhea). I notice quite thick and quite a bit of orange mucus. I had diarrhea earlier and burns when I pass it, although it is diarrhea I have to push and apply pressure between the front and back to get the diarrhea out, I recently have become constipated at the same time as I have diarrhea. The diarrhea is usually mucusy, however today I went to the bathroom just to pee and I saw a large mucus which is orange in color floating and it was about 3-4 inches long. I also have back problems with buldging disk (3 yrs since MRI). I also could not make it in time to the bathroom today and could not control the diarrhea, does this sound like just IBS. Thanks very much. I have tried several different treatments for the IBS-cholysteramine, imodium 3-4 a day, rabaperozole, chinese accupuncture, and some chinesse teas and pills, nothing helps cannot handle anything with pro biotics in it, have tried tuzen and made it worse along with probiotic yogurts
oops my Doctor thinks I have a incisional hernia (even though laproscopic surgeries) I have a bulge which happens when I put pressure on my stomach and have a bulge about 4" under my right rib, it sometimes even pushes my rib out and I have to push on it very hard to make it retract and then it makes a kind of bloop sound., Had a CT and Gastroscope and Surgeon cannot find anything, is sending me for another PH test as I have severe burning in chest which feels like the contract XXXXXXX from a CT-not like the heartburn I had before surgery. The pain in my mid abdomen feels like organs being squeezed and extremely painful, usually only lasts 3-10 min.
Hi XXXXXXX
Thanks for your query.
Let me brief you up about IBS(Irritable bowel Syndrome) and then you will be able to judge if your symptoms are that of IBS or not
IBS refers to a disorder of the bowel , which will present with abdominal pain and cramping along with changes in bowel movements
The cause for IBS is more of a muscular cause in the intestine , it has nothing to do with any structural abnormaility in the intestines.It is not clear as to why people develop IBS , most often it is believed that it could follow an infection of the bowel.It also is attributed to some aggravating factors , stress and anxiety being the most common ones.
IBS presents with symptoms which could be mild to severe , most often it varies from person to person. Abdominal pain , cramps , flatulence, a bloating sensation are noticed in many.
The bowel movements can sometimes be too quick causing diarrhea or get slower causing constipation. These cycles may get over lapped or even alternate.People with diarrhea will have frequent loose watery stools sometimes with mucus and an urge to evacuate the bowel and a feeling of relief soon after doing it , others will have constipation, experience a difficulty in passing stools, strain a lot and abdominal cramps may be significant in them.
What I see in your case ,goes in favor of an IBS which has alternate pattern of diarrhea and constipation .The orange colored mucus in stool could mean an infection or could just turn out to be normal mucous stools.
There has been various treatment options for IBS , but nothing much has worked in favor of patients, they include anticholinergics , antidepressants , life style changes and all of the above which you said you have tried.
I would suggest you must try to deal with your anxiety first , and if it is treated well , the IBS also will come down , meanwhile cut down on coffee, tea and alcohol if you consume them.Avoid large meals , include dietary fibre.
IBS though remains life long , it can be controlled with treatment. It has not known to harm the intestines or is neither cancerous.
I hope I answered your questions and I will be available for follow up questions also
Thanks for your query.
Let me brief you up about IBS(Irritable bowel Syndrome) and then you will be able to judge if your symptoms are that of IBS or not
IBS refers to a disorder of the bowel , which will present with abdominal pain and cramping along with changes in bowel movements
The cause for IBS is more of a muscular cause in the intestine , it has nothing to do with any structural abnormaility in the intestines.It is not clear as to why people develop IBS , most often it is believed that it could follow an infection of the bowel.It also is attributed to some aggravating factors , stress and anxiety being the most common ones.
IBS presents with symptoms which could be mild to severe , most often it varies from person to person. Abdominal pain , cramps , flatulence, a bloating sensation are noticed in many.
The bowel movements can sometimes be too quick causing diarrhea or get slower causing constipation. These cycles may get over lapped or even alternate.People with diarrhea will have frequent loose watery stools sometimes with mucus and an urge to evacuate the bowel and a feeling of relief soon after doing it , others will have constipation, experience a difficulty in passing stools, strain a lot and abdominal cramps may be significant in them.
What I see in your case ,goes in favor of an IBS which has alternate pattern of diarrhea and constipation .The orange colored mucus in stool could mean an infection or could just turn out to be normal mucous stools.
There has been various treatment options for IBS , but nothing much has worked in favor of patients, they include anticholinergics , antidepressants , life style changes and all of the above which you said you have tried.
I would suggest you must try to deal with your anxiety first , and if it is treated well , the IBS also will come down , meanwhile cut down on coffee, tea and alcohol if you consume them.Avoid large meals , include dietary fibre.
IBS though remains life long , it can be controlled with treatment. It has not known to harm the intestines or is neither cancerous.
I hope I answered your questions and I will be available for follow up questions also
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
would IBS cause the severe pain that I experience almost daily and sometimes several times a day, it is extremely painful and it feels like my insides (under sternum ) are being squeezed with vice grips along with the bulge under my left rib which also happens at least 5 times a day, when I bend over, sneeze, even leaning slightly forward while sitting or whenever there is pressure on my stomach, this bulge is very hard and I have to push it extremely hard to push it back in and you can feel it as if pushing a balloon through a whole.
Hi
Thanks for replying back.
As I mentioned earlier,IBS does cause abdominal cramps, which could be similar to what you mention , apart from that the likely cause of the pain , could be due to the incisional hernia , which has two main symptoms , the first one being a feeling of fullness and the second being pain with severe discomfort .Since the doctors could not find anything during the examinations and tests I did not associate it with the hernia.
Since I cannot examine you , I may not be able to conclude the cause for this pain
To list a few possibilities which I would consider here in your case
1.IBS
2.IBS with an associated gut infection
3.Incisional hernia : which could have got incarcerated , causing adhesions of tissues , mandates immediate surgical intervention
4.Hiatus hernia : which presents with vague symptoms of mild to severe pain or discomfort.This is known to be associated with GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease ,this could present with a burning sensation due to the acid reflux, chest pain /epigastric pain this condition warrants further investigations like 24 hr Ph study.
I would suggest you to proceed with the recommended tests and then get the condition treated accurately
Wish you good health.
Thanks for replying back.
As I mentioned earlier,IBS does cause abdominal cramps, which could be similar to what you mention , apart from that the likely cause of the pain , could be due to the incisional hernia , which has two main symptoms , the first one being a feeling of fullness and the second being pain with severe discomfort .Since the doctors could not find anything during the examinations and tests I did not associate it with the hernia.
Since I cannot examine you , I may not be able to conclude the cause for this pain
To list a few possibilities which I would consider here in your case
1.IBS
2.IBS with an associated gut infection
3.Incisional hernia : which could have got incarcerated , causing adhesions of tissues , mandates immediate surgical intervention
4.Hiatus hernia : which presents with vague symptoms of mild to severe pain or discomfort.This is known to be associated with GERD or gastro esophageal reflux disease ,this could present with a burning sensation due to the acid reflux, chest pain /epigastric pain this condition warrants further investigations like 24 hr Ph study.
I would suggest you to proceed with the recommended tests and then get the condition treated accurately
Wish you good health.
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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