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What Causes Severe Lower Abdominal Pain, Bloating And Constipation?

Posted on Thu, 6 Oct 2016

Question: My husband has had a lower, very lower abdominal pain for a few days now. It's not limited to one side or the other although today he said it was more on the right side. When it started 5 days ago he thought it was just gas. Since then he has been feeling better each day. He took a laxative a couple of days ago since he felt like there was a blockage. He has had a bowel movement each day, but the laxative produced several BM's. He has no fever and had had blood work done which didn't show anything out of the ordinary. He looks and feels bloated and he has slight redness around his belly button with diameter of about 4 inches, but it is not tender. Since he still feels bloated he took another laxative this AM which had results.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Colonoscopy should be done.

Detailed Answer:
Hello.

Thank you for the query.

As he is bloated and has constipation, partial bowels obstruction should be considered as a possible reason.
His age (over 50) makes colon cancer possible as the risk of this cancer rises with age.
He definitelly should consult a doctor and have colonoscopy done.

Hope this helps.
Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (1 hour later)

would an xray possibly show anything?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
X-ray can diagnose complete obstruction.

Detailed Answer:
Abdominal x-ray can diagnose complete bowels obstruction. It can be useful, but his symptoms does not seem to be caused by complete obstruction.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (17 hours later)

Shouldn't he have a fever? Or is that only if the obstruction is an infection?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Fever is a late symptom.

Detailed Answer:
fever is a very late symptom. Usually it indicates advanced complete bowels obstruction with whole body infection and sepsis.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (41 minutes later)

What are the other possibilities? Could it be bladder or kidney problems? Maybe a stone? He's overweight and knows that doesn't help anything, but this came on seemingly suddenly.

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (42 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Colonoscopy should be done either way.

Detailed Answer:
Of course there can be lots of other possibilities including bladder infection, kidney stone, prostate inflammation and many more. But considering his age, symptoms (bloating, constipation) those issues seem less possible.
Frequent urinating, burning while urinating, fever are typical for kidney and bladder issues.
I do not assume that he has a colon cancer. But he has to have colonoscopy to rule it out. Without this test, he can not move on. Even if bladder infection will be confirmed, still colonoscopy is necessary. Its because some condition can coexist.

Waiting is not a good option. He looses precious time.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (5 days later)

He has been feeling better each day, but when he saw his Dr. he was told that a hernia is suspected. He was told that instead of being pinkish in color around his belly button it will turn black. Why might he be feeling better? Isn't a hernia always painful?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (17 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please attach a photo of his umbilicus.

Detailed Answer:
If its about the umbilical hernia, we get a fatty tissue stuck in it. It gets painful at the beginning, however if the fatty tissue becomes necrotic it does not hurt any more.
Well, I do not thing strangulated umbilical hernia can be the reason of his symptoms. Can you attach a photo of his umbilicus?

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (2 days later)

There is no longer any discoloration, so sending a picture of his umbilicus may not be helpful. Even the hard lump is changing. It's seems to be going away. If I understand correctly his body may be taking care of any tissue that was dying. Can that be the case?

Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (18 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, he is dealing with it.

Detailed Answer:
Well, yes, that is the natural process of healing. And it also proves that the there was not much of the necrosis. Otherwise he would develop an abscess.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar