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Has anyone experienced chronic abdominal pain following weight loss that was NOT gall bladder?
I suffered from severe chronic abdominal pain in my 20's and over time it went away. As can happen in life, I gained weight over the years.
I started losing weight in July when I stopped going to the gym. Backwards, I know, but that's my body for you. Since I was no longer constantly starving (we're talking stomach always growling starving no matter what I ate), it was easy to change my eating habits.
I've lost 30 lbs since July and am back down to a much healthier weight. However, the trade off is the abdominal pain that plagued me in my 20's has returned. The more weight I lose, the worse it gets.
It is definitely not my gall bladder. Triggers for it seem to be dehydration and now that I've started going to the gym again, exercise. The current speculation is vitamin D toxicity as my level is too high, vitamin D is fat soluble and I have a lot less fat. However, it's pretty unheard of in the PNW for someone to have too much vitamin D in their system so it's pure speculation and I've basically been told if it's not that, then there is no medical cause for it. That if they couldn't find a cause for it 20 years ago, they aren't going to find one now (however, nothing was really done 20 years ago - she just kept increasing the amount of Advil I was taking and ruled out endometriosis).
It's not ovarian. That has been ruled out. The only constants I can say for sure between now and when I was experiencing this when I was younger is my weight.
Anyone ever hear of anything close to this? It's impacting my quality of life and I'm incredibly frustrated!
What does your doctor say? Have blood tests done so you do not need to speculate.
So far, nothing has come up in my blood work other than my vitamin D being too high. This includes a food allergy panel.
I started the process with my OB/GYN since I had an annual exam with her not long after this started flaring up again on a consistent basis; she referred me to gastroenterology. I was the one who suggested the possibility of the cause being vitamin D toxicity; I suggested this after he'd dismissed me saying it was highly unlikely a cause for it would be found since one wasn't in the past. He "read" my chart before my appointment but didn't see the part where I had tested high for that. After looking it up, he agreed it was a possibility but that was just speculation and all we can do at this point is speculate. He's kicking me back to my PCP to basically start from scratch.
When I first tested high for vitamin D in January, I was told to cut my vitamin D consumption in half and retest in a month. I cut it out completely, retested in February and while it had come down, it was still high. As this is out of her area, the OB/GYN also told me to go back to my PCP in a month (so after the 13th) and have him retest.
These are not the same doctors I had 20 years ago. The one I had then also told me there was nothing wrong with me and to just take Advil. When it got to the point I was taking 16 a day she told me there was nothing she could do for me and there was no point in coming back.
So far, nothing has come up in my blood work other than my vitamin D being too high. This includes a food allergy panel.
I started the process with my OB/GYN since I had an annual exam with her not long after this started flaring up again on a consistent basis; she referred me to gastroenterology. I was the one who suggested the possibility of the cause being vitamin D toxicity; I suggested this after he'd dismissed me saying it was highly unlikely a cause for it would be found since one wasn't in the past. He "read" my chart before my appointment but didn't see the part where I had tested high for that. After looking it up, he agreed it was a possibility but that was just speculation and all we can do at this point is speculate. He's kicking me back to my PCP to basically start from scratch.
When I first tested high for vitamin D in January, I was told to cut my vitamin D consumption in half and retest in a month. I cut it out completely, retested in February and while it had come down, it was still high. As this is out of her area, the OB/GYN also told me to go back to my PCP in a month (so after the 13th) and have him retest.
These are not the same doctors I had 20 years ago. The one I had then also told me there was nothing wrong with me and to just take Advil. When it got to the point I was taking 16 a day she told me there was nothing she could do for me and there was no point in coming back.
Have you tried a probiotic? That may help. I hope you are not taking that much Advil anymore. That amount will give you an ulcer.
Have you tried a probiotic? That may help. I hope you are not taking that much Advil anymore. That amount will give you an ulcer.
I haven't taken that much Advil for years. And I'm not taking it now for the pain as drinking large quantities of water seems to help considerably.
I have not tried a probiotic. I'll have to research them further. I know some, like Kombucha, I need to avoid because I'm allergic to fungal yeast so I can't have anything fermented.
I haven't taken that much Advil for years. And I'm not taking it now for the pain as drinking large quantities of water seems to help considerably.
I have not tried a probiotic. I'll have to research them further. I know some, like Kombucha, I need to avoid because I'm allergic to fungal yeast so I can't have anything fermented.
There are many in pill form on the market and they really do help with all kinds of intestinal distress. Look into it as they have different strains of bacteria.
There are many in pill form on the market and they really do help with all kinds of intestinal distress. Look into it as they have different strains of bacteria.
Thanks! I will definitely look into it, though the gastroenterologist doesn't believe it to be intestinal. He did say, and I meant to mention earlier, that vitamin D toxicity can cause bone demineralization so if it is related to my vit D level, it could be referral pain from one of my bones. (The pain is lower right side, but is not my appendix).
Thanks! I will definitely look into it, though the gastroenterologist doesn't believe it to be intestinal. He did say, and I meant to mention earlier, that vitamin D toxicity can cause bone demineralization so if it is related to my vit D level, it could be referral pain from one of my bones. (The pain is lower right side, but is not my appendix).
Is it constant or does it come and go? The reason I ask is because I had horrible pain in my lower right abdomen and after ruling out appendicitis I was at a loss as well. The pain went away but came back the next month. It turned out I had cysts on my right ovary that grew very large and ovulation was very painful. The pain was intense for a few days then subsided. I rode it out and now is gone due to my age. Maybe another talk with your gyno is in order.
What kind of pain is it? A sharp, intense pain can be an aortic aneurysm....an ultrasound can show it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luckyd609
Is it constant or does it come and go? ... Maybe another talk with your gyno is in order.
It can range from dull to incredibly sharp and comes and goes. I had a pelvic ultrasound last month which was normal.
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The more weight I lose, the worse it gets. 
