Severe Abdominal Pain, Constipation. CT Showed Swollen Bowel. Recommendations For Treatment Plan?

Posted on Sun, 26 May 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 26 May 2013 Answered on

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My friends daughter is 19 she stays sick at her stomach with severe pains across her abdomen often. She is also constipated a lot. She has been to a lot of doctors and had a lot of tests run but no one can find anything. It has been going on for 1 and a half years. All of the doctors are confused and kind of pass her around. She has been to a gastroentologists. Through a ct scan they found she had swollen bowel She has not been able to get cleaned out for. Colonoscopy. They took her gall bladder out in hopes it would be that but the sickness continues

What is your recommendation as to a treatment plan. They have had her on the pill, pro biotics, Paxil, fiber, and for the swelling 2 antibiotics which she can't keep down.

Answered by Dr. M Y Shareef (26 minutes later)

Hi ! I am Dr Shareef, a general surgeon with special interest in gastro intestinal problems. After going through the medical history of your friend's daughter, it would be helpful if you could please provide the following information:
1) What is her food habits? Does she go for frequent fast foods from outside the home ? Does she consume any alcoholic beverages ?
2) Did she have any gall stones for which the gall bladder was removed ?
3) Please provide reports of any other relevant investigations, which might have been done for the problem.
4) Did she have any recent loss of weight along with any history of fever ?

In the meanwhile, she should go for a high fibre bland kind of diet with plenty of liquids. She can continue with her pro biotics. Further opinion can be given after receiving the investigation reports and reply to the questions as noted above. Wishing her an early recovery. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E

Follow up: Dr. M Y Shareef (1 hour later)

There were no gallstones, it was basically a hope it was that surgery. She does eat a lot of fast foods. She is a picky eater. I know she likes chicken. I am not sure what else. She does not drink or have sex. She is a single college student. She had the procedure where the scope goes down your throat, nothing. She has had blood work for everything you can think of. She had a big weight gain when one of the doctors gave her something for nausea. About 35 lbs. in a month. They said her appendix is fine. Said she had irritable bowel. But I know several people with that including me and we don't stay sick this long. The main symptoms are nausea, constipation, vomiting, and nausea. She doesn't run a fever.

Answered by Dr. M Y Shareef (8 hours later)

Hi ! Thanks for the information asked for. Many a times, some people are sensitive/allergic to some kind of food specially a component known as gluten, which is found in many of the fast foods we eat now a day. This will give rise to the symptoms, which your friend's daughter has, and it is difficult to diagnose, as it is not thought of. I suggest you to motivate your friend's daughter to avoid all kinds of fast food, and get herself reviewed by a gastro enterologist/ Dietician for gluten sensitivity. Once the component is excluded from her diet I hope she will be alright. Also because of her food habits, amoebiasis has to be excluded which will be taken care of by her treating physician.
At the same time because of the weight gain, I would suggest you to get her thyroid function tests done.
I hope this will help your friend's daughter. If you have any more queries, you are welcomed to ask; otherwise, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Good luck.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E