Persistent Stomach Pain Disrupting My Routine
I’m an 18-year-old female, standing at 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 13 stone 5 pounds. I don’t consume alcohol, nor do I use drugs or smoke. Just to clarify, I’m not expecting either. For the past four days, I’ve been battling a stomach ache and I’m curious whether it’s just constipation or if a doctor’s visit is advisable. Apologies if this seems like too much information, but I assume you’ve encountered worse stories. Last Wednesday was particularly difficult; I experienced excruciating abdominal pain. Around 10 PM, I rushed to the bathroom and had diarrhea that lasted for a whole hour. Afterward, I rehydrated and went to bed, feeling fine afterward. However, the next day was a complete turnaround as I didn’t manage to have a bowel movement at all, which is unusual for me. I’ve recently altered my diet to shed some pounds and typically go twice a day, but on this occasion, I had no desire to eat and felt somewhat unwell. After getting some rest, I was okay all day on Friday, but then Saturday hit, and the stomach pain returned intensely. Despite drinking around four pints of water, I felt a bit dehydrated, had zero appetite, and experienced mild feverish symptoms without an actual fever. I was again constipated and just generally unwell. I took two ibuprofen for a separate issue (tooth pain), but oddly enough, that seemed to intensify my stomach discomfort. Now, it’s Sunday morning, and the pain has escalated. I woke up early, having only managed about six hours of sleep, and I’m writhing in discomfort. Sometimes it feels like mild cramps or menstrual pain, but other times the pain surges like I’ve been struck in the stomach. I’m still dealing with constipation, feeling bloated, and now I’m experiencing nausea. I did seek advice from chat GPT initially, but I would much rather hear from a human. Is this just a lingering stomach bug from Wednesday, or could it be indicative of something else? Should I head to a walk-in clinic, or should I simply try to rest through it for the day?
Answers (1)
7/28/2025, 8:31:07 AM
OpenHealth AI
It sounds like you're dealing with some significant stomach pain and digestive discomfort that has persisted for several days, which can understandably be very concerning. The combination of symptoms like abdominal pain, constipation, and nausea suggests that this might not just be a simple stomach bug or constipation on its own.
Explanation
Your symptoms could be influenced by several factors, such as dietary changes, dehydration, or a potential gastrointestinal condition. The severe pain and alternating constipation and diarrhea, along with nausea, warrant close attention. It's also worth noting that certain medications, like ibuprofen, can irritate the stomach and might contribute to your discomfort.
Next Steps
-
Hydration: Continue drinking plenty of fluids, aiming for clear liquids like water or herbal teas to avoid dehydration. Consider oral rehydration solutions if you feel dehydrated, especially after the diarrhea.
-
Gentle Diet: If you feel up to eating, try bland foods that are easy to digest, such as bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (often referred to as the BRAT diet). Avoid heavy, spicy, or fatty foods that could aggravate your stomach.
-
Monitor Symptoms: Keep track of any changes in your symptoms, especially new developments like fever or increased pain. If you experience severe pain that does not improve with time or if you have persistent nausea and vomiting, it’s important to assess the situation quickly.
-
Rest: Take time to rest and allow your body to recover. Stress can often exacerbate digestive issues, so try to remain as relaxed as possible.
-
Seek Care: Given that you are experiencing severe pain and multiple gastrointestinal symptoms, it would be wise to visit a walk-in clinic or urgent care center. This is especially important if your symptoms escalate or do not improve over the next day or two. Medical professionals can provide a thorough evaluation and may need to run tests to rule out any underlying conditions.
Conclusion
While there’s a good chance this is a temporary issue related to your recent dietary changes and possible dehydration, the intensity of your pain and symptoms suggests it's worth seeking medical advice sooner rather than later. Please listen to your body, and if you feel excessively uncomfortable or concerned, obtaining professional care would be a prudent choice.
Related Questions
Experiencing Unexpected Skin Pain Without Visible Cause
I have consulted my physician regarding my unusual symptoms, but she was unable to provide a clear diagnosis. The only possibility she mentioned was fibromyalgia, which she believes may not apply to me due to my age. Although blood tests were performed, everything appeared normal. I'm a 29-year-old female dealing with obesity and have been managing my weight for a long time, currently with the help of Wegovy. I was a smoker and vaper for several years but have quit these habits since last year. Occasionally, when I touch, scratch, or bump against areas like my shoulders, upper arms, thighs, and lower back, I experience severe pain beneath my skin that doesn’t correlate with any visible injury. There are no marks or rashes left behind afterwards. The sensation resembles that of a bruise or the sharp pain felt when one strikes their hip. There are moments when the pain is so intense that I involuntarily cry out, but it only lasts for a brief period of 5 to 10 seconds. The occurrences are erratic; some days I can touch or scratch these areas without any discomfort, while other days, the pain strikes unexpectedly. This has been a recurring issue for approximately five years now. I'm reaching out to see if anyone might have insights or suggestions about what this could indicate.
Dealing with Loperamide-Induced Constipation: Seeking Solutions
Warning: This discussion involves digestive health topics. I’m a 24-year-old woman, standing at 5’5” and weighing around 140 pounds. I don’t smoke and have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Recently, I was experiencing severe anxiety and dehydration due to some intense diarrhea, which prompted my doctor to prescribe loperamide. I took the initial dose two days ago and haven’t needed additional doses since then. However, now I find myself struggling with constipation and have yet to have a bowel movement. I’ve just started passing some gas, but still no stool. My anxiety persists, which is causing muscle tension and making it hard for me to breathe easily. To be honest, my eating and sleeping habits have been off due to the anxiety. My diet mainly consists of fruits, bread, rice crackers, beans, and jerky, and I only had a proper meal (tacos) today. I’ve also been trying melatonin for sleep, which is something new for me. I started with a 3 mg dose the first night, and I felt incredibly groggy the next day, so I reduced it to 1.5 mg the following night. I took both the loperamide and melatonin on the same evening. Unfortunately, my doctor is unreachable since the health clinic is closed over the weekend, leaving me without guidance. I’ve begun to experience some mild abdominal discomfort, but I think a proper bowel movement would alleviate that. I prefer to avoid over-the-counter remedies, as I’m concerned about jeopardizing my hydration, which has been quite the struggle. I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions for foods that might help, any stretches that could encourage movement, or if I should simply try to relax.
Is My Health Declining?
At 25 years old, I’m a non-smoker who only indulges in alcohol during New Year’s celebrations. I manage a few health conditions including a nonverbal learning disorder, sensory processing difficulties, mild depression, dyspraxia, troublesome duodenal bile reflux, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which has been in remission. I also experience sinus tachycardia and maintain low blood volume. I stand at 5 feet, 3 inches and weigh 119 pounds—a drop from 127 at the start of December. My current medications include buspirone and metoprolol, along with a B complex vitamin supplement. Approximately eight months ago, I began noticing unusually large black pieces in my bowel movements. Strikingly similar to bits of diced green pepper but entirely black, these chunks appear daily and vary drastically in size—from resembling a piece of rosemary to about the size of my thumbnail. Typically, I end up with a small handful of these peculiar pieces. The odor has become quite unpleasant, yet I only began to consider this recently. Not long after these occurrences started, I had a short period of worsened IBS symptoms—which was strange since I had been symptom-free for two years. Everything reverted to normal until December, when I had an unfortunate episode followed by a particularly rough evening shortly after consuming a lot of sugar. I anticipated feeling “iffy” for just a few days, but that feeling lingered. Now, nearly three months later, I’m frequently experiencing \\*almost\\* daily flare-ups and usually looser stools that range anywhere from a 6 to a fuzzy 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart. Moreover, I’m feeling slightly more discomfort outside of bowel movements than I have in the past. Attempts to tweak my diet have yielded no improvement. Given my relatively young age, I hope I’m not facing something as serious as colon cancer. The last time I stressed over abnormal bowel movements, a professional informed me I was simply excreting excess fat, which is quite common. I researched potential causes for my current situation, and it seems this black matter is not related to pepper, which is somewhat reassuring. I’m unsure how to determine if what I’m seeing is truly “tar-like.” Occasionally, I feel a pressure in my lower left abdomen, somewhat like trapped gas that persists for several days before easing up. Due to my propensity for unnecessary anxiety regarding my health, I felt compelled to share my situation here. Is this just typical IBS behavior, or should I be more concerned? My parents suggest I remain calm and avoid a GI consultation (as I will soon lose my insurance), but I would prefer to avoid another extensive testing journey. Unfortunately, my quality of life has diminished significantly in recent months, prompting my need for clarity.
Seeking Answers for Digestive Distress: Recommended Tests and Advice
I am a 34-year-old Caucasian female, standing at 165 centimeters tall and weighing 78 kilograms. On a daily basis, I take several medications: Prestance (5/5), Aerius, a hormonal contraceptive vaginal ring, and magnesium bisglycinate (365 mg). Occasionally, I also use Lexaurin (bromazepam) at a dosage of 0.75 mg every two or three weeks, primarily for anxiety and sleep disturbances, though I have not taken it in the last three weeks. Previously, I underwent multiple tests. Initial blood tests indicated a slight increase in amylase levels, which led to an abdominal ultrasound, yet nothing abnormal was detected. Both flexible sigmoidoscopy and a subsequent abdominal ultrasound were performed, revealing only hemorrhoids and an anal fissure. Throughout my life, I’ve grappled with digestive issues. Since childhood, I dealt with constipation, which ultimately resulted in hemorrhoids and my first anal fissure. To address this, I became conscious of my diet and utilized osmotic laxatives, which significantly improved my situation for many years, allowing me to have regular bowel movements without bleeding. However, approximately one year ago, I began experiencing unexpected episodes of diarrhea that can last between a couple of days to a week at a time. Mornings are particularly challenging, as I often experience loose stools, which eventually stabilize later in the day. During these episodes, I feel continually fatigued; after waking up, all I want is to return to bed, and merely completing my workday feels incredibly taxing. I also suffer from persistent nausea without vomiting, and this typically follows a pattern of ten days of normal or firmer stools followed by three days of diarrhea. Thankfully, I managed to avoid any diarrhea for over two months and even found myself needing to use Miralax occasionally. However, this past Wednesday, I awoke to an upset stomach once again. My meals consist of homemade food, which I ensure is not overly greasy or heavy, avoiding fast food and excessive sweets altogether. My overall daily functioning is severely impacted by the fatigue and frequent headaches I experience. Although I don’t encounter much abdominal pain, I do feel cramping in the lower central abdomen along with considerable gas and rumbling. I have scheduled an appointment with my general practitioner for Monday, though I find her approach somewhat passive; she tends to follow my requests rather than take the lead. What diagnostic tests should I consider requesting? While I am open to the possibility of upper endoscopy, a full colonoscopy seems daunting due to my anal fissure. I would greatly appreciate any insights regarding what might be happening. I understand it’s difficult to provide specific answers, but any guidance would be immensely appreciated!
Concerns About Abdominal Discomfort
To start with, I feel compelled to mention that I struggle with severe health-related obsessive-compulsive disorder, which leads me to intensely focus on any symptoms I experience, resulting in unnecessary worry. Recently, I began to experience some discomfort in my abdomen, specifically in the area just below my right breast, which has now evolved into tenderness upon touch. This soreness is located beneath my rib cage, and I haven't experienced any changes in my appetite or feelings of nausea. My last bowel movement occurred on Thursday, and as of this morning, the discomfort has shifted slightly, now positioned just above my belly button. I had a regular bowel movement this morning and was able to take a walk without any issues. The pain only manifests when I cough or during the transitions between sitting and standing. Initially, I was concerned about the possibility of a hernia, but I understand that the pain associated with a hernia typically does not shift in location like mine seems to. I should also note that I am classified as overweight and have been living with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), for which I’m taking a proton pump inhibitor. Fortunately, my heartburn symptoms have remained stable, largely influenced by my dietary habits. Over the past year, I've dealt with some weight fluctuations due to medication side effects and stress (ranging from 330 pounds to 275 pounds and back to 310 pounds). Thankfully, I have not encountered vomiting or any changes in my bowel movements. I would appreciate any insights or advice on this matter.