Brief Answer:
Try antacids. If pain is severe, go to ER.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

It is hard for me to know what kind of abdominal pain you are having. If you were to have a line down your middle and another horizontally across your navel, is the pain in the upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right? Or is the pain in the middle under your rib cage? Or in the middle just above your navel?

Do you have a fever? Does walking make the pain worse? And can you please tell me your age and if you have any ongoing health problems or take medications?

Are you having any other symptoms?

If the problem is in the stomach and first part of the small intestines, and seems to you to be acid indigestion, you can try some over the counter Mylanta or other antacid. You can also use an over the counter acid reducer pill such as Zantac 150 mg.

If the pain is severe, or you are having other symptoms associated with it including a fever or your abdomen is hard and tender to touch, please go to the ER directly.

Also, if the acid reducer does not give you any relief, you should also go to the ER.

Can I help in any other way?

---

Brief Answer:
pain may be from various causes but possibly from your meds

Detailed Answer:
Hello again,

I am glad that the pain has subsided somewhat.

Abdominal pain is best evaluated in person. But I can give you some information that might help you better make informed decisions.

With pain on both sides of the lower abdomen, there is still a long list of things it may be, but the more common reasons would be gas pains in the large intestines, irritable bowel, premenstrual cramps, ovarian pain (from cysts or even hormonal stimulation of the ovaries prior to ovulation), gastrointestinal infection (stomach flu), lactose intolerance. There are other things too, like appendicitis, but this usually goes with symptoms I mentioned (fever, difficulty walking, nausea and feeling ill).

Given your recent medication history, I am thinking in particular about 2 causes:
1. The antibiotic might have wiped out too many of your good gut bacteria, and so the normal "flora" might be out of balance. This might be giving you gas pain (not necessarily flatulence). You might consider taking a probiotic that has both acidophilus and bifidus, from a refrigerated product.

2. All of the meds you are taking - benzonatate, pseudoephedrine -can cause some stomach distress. But the one that can cause more stomach/duodenal lining irritation are the corticosteroids - prednisone, and before that you were on methylprednisolone. It is good that tomorrow is your last pill.

So what to do about it now:
If your pain is not lessening, you need to go in to clinic or ER to have it checked out.
Other reasons to go in: any bloody or black tarry looking stools (indicates bleeding in gut), severe pain, recurring pain, abdomen becomes tender to the touch, or fever with abdominal pain.

You may want to try some over the counter Zantac 150 mg 1 -2 x/day if you are feeling like the pain is in your stomach/duodenum area (just above the navel or a little above and to the left).

The probiotics are pretty safe, so you can try them anyway if you feel your gut got a little off from the antibiotics.

But please do go in to be seen if this pain continues or intensifies.

I hope this helps with your concern.
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD

---

Brief Answer:
Glad you are feeling better!

Detailed Answer:
I'm glad the abdominal pain has passed.

Yes, Prednisone can be very helpful when it is needed but can also have so many unwanted side effects.

If there is nothing further I can help you with, go ahead and close this exchange and rate it.

Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD

---