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What Causes Abdominal Pain Throughout The Night?
Question: After I lay down for 1-2 hours I start having abdominal pain for the whole night and I cannot sleep or only sleep a little bite and wake up maybe 10-15 times or more during the night due to the pain. I have this problem for many years and I tried all kind of medication available and nothing has worked. I can sleep the whole night without any pain if I sit down or stand up. My question: What would be the solution for this problem?
Brief Answer:
Please give detailed history
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
You have a very atypical, rare problems.
\Noted your history of pain in the abdomen if you sleep in laying down position but not in standing or sitting position. Tried all sort of medications but nothing worked over many years.
Since this is a atypical problem I would like to know further details:
- Please tell me since when have you got this problem?
- Was there any injury or accident related to your back or abdomen before starting this problem?
- Any investigations done till now?
- Any consultation with a Gastroenterologist or General Surgeon?
- Is there any associated symptoms like bloating, rumbling or noisy abdomen, nausea, vomiting, loose stools or constipation when there is pain.
- Any medical condition like diabetes, hypertension or so?
- Any other information you would to share to complete the full history?
Please provide the details so that we can discuss further.
Please give detailed history
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
You have a very atypical, rare problems.
\Noted your history of pain in the abdomen if you sleep in laying down position but not in standing or sitting position. Tried all sort of medications but nothing worked over many years.
Since this is a atypical problem I would like to know further details:
- Please tell me since when have you got this problem?
- Was there any injury or accident related to your back or abdomen before starting this problem?
- Any investigations done till now?
- Any consultation with a Gastroenterologist or General Surgeon?
- Is there any associated symptoms like bloating, rumbling or noisy abdomen, nausea, vomiting, loose stools or constipation when there is pain.
- Any medical condition like diabetes, hypertension or so?
- Any other information you would to share to complete the full history?
Please provide the details so that we can discuss further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
1. This problem started in 1992.
2. I never had any injury or accident. However, at that time I was dealing with acid muriatic and bleach (used in swimming pool water treatment).
3. Yes, all investigations were done including CAT scam, endoscopy, liver and colon, etc., and everything came normal.
4. Yes, I have consulted several Gastroenterologists. At the beginning they diagnosed as IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome); but the last one believes I don't have that.
5. Yes, I have bloating and abdomen noisy, but not constipation, not nausea, not vomiting.
6. Yes, I suffer from high blood pressure; but when this problem started I didn't suffer from any hypertension.
7. Yes, there are a lot of foods and liquids that make the situation worse. They include: alcohol, caffeine (coffee, sodas), milk, onion, citric juice (orange) and any kind of sweet or food containing sugar.
2. I never had any injury or accident. However, at that time I was dealing with acid muriatic and bleach (used in swimming pool water treatment).
3. Yes, all investigations were done including CAT scam, endoscopy, liver and colon, etc., and everything came normal.
4. Yes, I have consulted several Gastroenterologists. At the beginning they diagnosed as IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome); but the last one believes I don't have that.
5. Yes, I have bloating and abdomen noisy, but not constipation, not nausea, not vomiting.
6. Yes, I suffer from high blood pressure; but when this problem started I didn't suffer from any hypertension.
7. Yes, there are a lot of foods and liquids that make the situation worse. They include: alcohol, caffeine (coffee, sodas), milk, onion, citric juice (orange) and any kind of sweet or food containing sugar.
Brief Answer:
explained in details.
Detailed Answer:
Sincere thanks for a proper feedback.
All the points noted and studies well.
And there is a most probable cause/contributory factor that you have noted: Alcohol, caffeine (coffee, sodas), milk, onion, citric juice (orange) and any kind of sweet or food containing sugar make the situation worse.
This indicates that there is intolerance to these and many more things causing the bloating, noisy abdomen and the pain you noted.
It is possible that this was instigated by the acid muriatic (hydrochloric acid)and bleach (used in swimming pool water treatment). Although the instigating factors are not present but caused the permanent changes that made you intolerant to the foods and beverages. (Although there are not much of references explaining how this occurs).
Second most interesting fact is: you can sleep the whole night without any pain if you sit down or stand up. This is very difficult to explain. The possible mechanism and causes can be as follows:
- Vascular insufficiency to the intestines on laying down. One of the possibility is that there is partial blockage to the main arteries supplying the intestines, which gets jeopardized by laying down position.
- Internal herniation. There is a possibility of a small gap through which a part of the intestine get internal herniation. If you are in a sitting/ standing position the opening in the potential space becomes dependent not allowing the entry of the intestine and hence no pain at all. But on laying down position this becomes possible as the opening is no more in a dependent position.
I would suggest the following things:
- Make a list of the foods, beverages or any other substances (can be deodorants,scents or anything) which you must have noticed in the last so many years, almost 23 years and to stop them altogether. Never to have them.
- Additional Investigations:
*Arteriography of the intestines
*Enteroclysis under fluoroscopic control to see the actual movements of the intestines in the real time and can give a clue to the experienced eyes of a XXXXXXX Radiologist.
*X-ray of the abdomen in standing position when you are in pain to see for intestinal obstruction or internal herniation (where we can see that much of the intestine is collected at one site. This needs repeat X-rays as one of them only can show the positive findings.
*Consult a General Surgeon, discuss these points with him so that these investigations can be done. You may request for diagnostic Laparoscopy which may help in some cases.
8 MRI of the thoracic spine to rule out any problems with the spinal cords or the nerve roots, again to rule out a possibility. This is necessary to have a diagnosis by ruling out many of the possible causes so that the culprit cause can be pointed.
This is my efforts to explain the cause and effects and possibility of finding the diagnosis and once it is established the treatment will be effective and may be curative.
This is a case where persistence and perseverance of the team of Doctors of Radiologist, General Surgeon can definitely find the cause.
I hope this answer helsp you to get a proper diagnosis and curative treatment to have sound sleep in a laying down position too. The solution to the problem is to find the causative factor/s and treat accordingly.
I shall be happy to get the feedback once all these tests are done.
explained in details.
Detailed Answer:
Sincere thanks for a proper feedback.
All the points noted and studies well.
And there is a most probable cause/contributory factor that you have noted: Alcohol, caffeine (coffee, sodas), milk, onion, citric juice (orange) and any kind of sweet or food containing sugar make the situation worse.
This indicates that there is intolerance to these and many more things causing the bloating, noisy abdomen and the pain you noted.
It is possible that this was instigated by the acid muriatic (hydrochloric acid)and bleach (used in swimming pool water treatment). Although the instigating factors are not present but caused the permanent changes that made you intolerant to the foods and beverages. (Although there are not much of references explaining how this occurs).
Second most interesting fact is: you can sleep the whole night without any pain if you sit down or stand up. This is very difficult to explain. The possible mechanism and causes can be as follows:
- Vascular insufficiency to the intestines on laying down. One of the possibility is that there is partial blockage to the main arteries supplying the intestines, which gets jeopardized by laying down position.
- Internal herniation. There is a possibility of a small gap through which a part of the intestine get internal herniation. If you are in a sitting/ standing position the opening in the potential space becomes dependent not allowing the entry of the intestine and hence no pain at all. But on laying down position this becomes possible as the opening is no more in a dependent position.
I would suggest the following things:
- Make a list of the foods, beverages or any other substances (can be deodorants,scents or anything) which you must have noticed in the last so many years, almost 23 years and to stop them altogether. Never to have them.
- Additional Investigations:
*Arteriography of the intestines
*Enteroclysis under fluoroscopic control to see the actual movements of the intestines in the real time and can give a clue to the experienced eyes of a XXXXXXX Radiologist.
*X-ray of the abdomen in standing position when you are in pain to see for intestinal obstruction or internal herniation (where we can see that much of the intestine is collected at one site. This needs repeat X-rays as one of them only can show the positive findings.
*Consult a General Surgeon, discuss these points with him so that these investigations can be done. You may request for diagnostic Laparoscopy which may help in some cases.
8 MRI of the thoracic spine to rule out any problems with the spinal cords or the nerve roots, again to rule out a possibility. This is necessary to have a diagnosis by ruling out many of the possible causes so that the culprit cause can be pointed.
This is my efforts to explain the cause and effects and possibility of finding the diagnosis and once it is established the treatment will be effective and may be curative.
This is a case where persistence and perseverance of the team of Doctors of Radiologist, General Surgeon can definitely find the cause.
I hope this answer helsp you to get a proper diagnosis and curative treatment to have sound sleep in a laying down position too. The solution to the problem is to find the causative factor/s and treat accordingly.
I shall be happy to get the feedback once all these tests are done.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you very much for the information and suggestions.
Brief Answer:
Thanks for appreciation.
Detailed Answer:
You are most welcome.
...
http://bit.ly/askdrtchandrakant
For your future reference
Thanks for appreciation.
Detailed Answer:
You are most welcome.
...
http://bit.ly/askdrtchandrakant
For your future reference
Note: Revert back with your health reports to get further guidance on your gastric problems. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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