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Suggest Treatment For Symptoms Of Gastrointestinal Tract Infection
Question: I have been having gas, bloating, nausea, light stools, for htree weeks. I also have been having tenderness and moderate pain on my lower left side of abdomen. I had a CT scan with contrast and told my digestive tract was fine and that it was most likely gastritis. But, the more I read, the more I'm starting to think this is a problem with my pancreas.
Brief Answer:
It is not the pancreas issue.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
What do you mean light stools? White in color? Or less brown than usual?
Your symptoms can be caused by some kind of an infection of gastrointestinal tract. Mentioned symptoms are typical for such condition.
However, if you keep having white stools or discolored stools, bile ducts obstruction can be the reason. If so, you should also notice dark urine and skin itching. Nausea should appear as well.
Pancreas usually does not give such symptoms. Chronic pancreatitis gives rather fatty and very loose stools along with weight loss, weakness, nausea and upper middle abdominal pain.
Cancer of the pancreas head can cause bile ducts obstruction. But usually it gives complete obstruction with jaundice, white stools and upper abdominal pain. Moreover, it would be seen in the CT. So pancreas is not the case for sure.
I suggest you to consider having colonoscopy (CT can not replace this test). You should also start probitoic intake. If its chronic infection (stool culture test can diagnose it), Rifaximine treatment should help.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
It is not the pancreas issue.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for the query.
What do you mean light stools? White in color? Or less brown than usual?
Your symptoms can be caused by some kind of an infection of gastrointestinal tract. Mentioned symptoms are typical for such condition.
However, if you keep having white stools or discolored stools, bile ducts obstruction can be the reason. If so, you should also notice dark urine and skin itching. Nausea should appear as well.
Pancreas usually does not give such symptoms. Chronic pancreatitis gives rather fatty and very loose stools along with weight loss, weakness, nausea and upper middle abdominal pain.
Cancer of the pancreas head can cause bile ducts obstruction. But usually it gives complete obstruction with jaundice, white stools and upper abdominal pain. Moreover, it would be seen in the CT. So pancreas is not the case for sure.
I suggest you to consider having colonoscopy (CT can not replace this test). You should also start probitoic intake. If its chronic infection (stool culture test can diagnose it), Rifaximine treatment should help.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
The stools are not white, just sort of light brown. I had a colonoscopy two years ago and my GI doc said it was 100%. Also, for some reason, when I lie down on my left side on a hard surface, I feel tenderness and some soreness. At irst, I thought I may have pulled a muscle in my rib cage, but now, I'm not so sure.
Brief Answer:
Its not pancreas issue.
Detailed Answer:
Well, that you can be sure its not pancreas, bile ducts or even colon cancer. You have all necessary tests done. Infection (or even lac of good intestinal bacteria) seems most probable.
Its hard to pull the muscle in the abdominal area. Lower left side of abdomen is where diverticles can give pain. If so, it should be mentioned in the CT and colonoscopy that you have some diverticles.
Inguinal hernia can give the pain in lower left side especially if it gets more intense when coughing. However the pain is usually more in the groin.
Please try with probitoic first.
Its not pancreas issue.
Detailed Answer:
Well, that you can be sure its not pancreas, bile ducts or even colon cancer. You have all necessary tests done. Infection (or even lac of good intestinal bacteria) seems most probable.
Its hard to pull the muscle in the abdominal area. Lower left side of abdomen is where diverticles can give pain. If so, it should be mentioned in the CT and colonoscopy that you have some diverticles.
Inguinal hernia can give the pain in lower left side especially if it gets more intense when coughing. However the pain is usually more in the groin.
Please try with probitoic first.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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