Sober pain abdomen
June 8, 2011 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Uni-Arzt Freddy Feuerstein
Good day.
I would like to know if there is anything I can do about the following symptoms, or if I need to see a doctor:
At irregular intervals (sometimes 2-3 times a week, then nothing for months), I wake up at night or in the early morning (5-6 o'clock) with slight pain about 1 cm to the left of the solar plexus. The pain radiates slightly into my back, but in my opinion, it is relatively superficial - not deep in the body. As a layman, I would guess it's in the lower stomach area or similar. The pain feels like trapped air, a pulling sensation, or like the pain when you have a very strong feeling of hunger. I don't feel hungry and there is no growling in my stomach at that time. When I get up, the pain goes away on its own after about 10 minutes. The pain is not strong enough for me to feel the need to take medication or see a doctor, but it's also not so weak that it's just discomfort. There are no other symptoms. No vomiting, no nausea, etc. It is worth mentioning that a gallstone was detected during a routine examination in 2004, but it has never caused a colic. Perhaps it is necessary to mention that although I have regular bowel movements, they are sometimes very soft and very sudden after certain meals, but always without pain.
Thank you.
Dear inquirer,
The gallstone probably has nothing to do with your symptoms; the resulting pain tends to radiate towards the right.
You do not describe any heartburn or stomach burning; therefore, it does not seem to be a so-called reflux disease.
The radiation to the back is most likely related to projection; certain pain fibers are led together to the brain, therefore visceral pain (i.e. in the abdominal cavity) cannot be clearly assigned.
A pulling pain that improves with changes in position may indicate a hernia. As you may know, there are various types of hernias, including those where the stomach moves up and down in the diaphragm and gets stuck temporarily. This is called a hiatal hernia (e.g. axial sliding hernia). However, most affected individuals also have heartburn, but this may not be the case.
If you have already had abdominal surgery, adhesions may fit the described symptoms.
Your digestive problems probably have other causes, especially considering that it takes several hours for food to travel from the stomach to the rectum. A sudden urge to have a bowel movement after eating is relatively typical, as the entire digestive tract is stimulated by food intake.
My advice for the procedure:
Soft stool in an otherwise healthy person is usually due to a lack of fiber in the diet. A dietary change could help.
1. For the pain, it is best to see an internist, who will order the necessary tests. An ultrasound will likely be done first, and further investigations such as X-rays or an endoscopy may be necessary, but your colleague will inform you about this.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask in the follow-up question.
All the best for now.
Sincerely,
T.C. Müller
