I've been experiencing mostly sharp pains in my abdominal area which to me do not appear to be stomach or food related but I would not completely rule it out if somebody gave me reasons to think it could be after reading the things I have tried below. Sometimes I wake up with it and other mornings I don’t. It seems to come and go as it pleases.
I think I have narrowed the time period of when the pain started --- May of 2019. Maybe.
Something to do with my suprapubic catheter? I had one of these installed April 2018. It's been wonderful and life-changing because it has given me the ability to sit in the upright position and drain where I was unable to previously. Then again it may have nothing to do with it.
I had my last superpubic catheter change be silicone instead of latex (October 9, 2020). So after about a week the pain was near gone or completely gone for 29 days. It was awesome! I thought I was allergic to latex at that point. But it came back.
Something to do with bladder infections? I get bladder infections a few times a year and the last time was September 19, 2020 and started on the antibiotic Nitrofurantoin 100 mg aka Macrobid, one pill twice a day for 10 days and from the 23rd to the 28th there was very little abdominal pain.
Quick rundown of my injury. I’m a C 3-4 incomplete quadriplegic since 1998. I can't move below my shoulders but feel just about everywhere with mostly a dull sensation but this abdominal discomfort is quite sharp and anywhere between a 0 and 7 on the pain scale. When it gets to a six or seven I’m ready to go to the emergency room but I know there will be nothing they do there so I haven't.
I have had the following procedures with no findings of anything out of the ordinary.
ultrasound of my entire belly area
x-ray of my entire belly area
CT with contrast of my entire belly area
endoscopy & colonoscopy June 2020 colonoscopy and upper endoscopy which is not showing any abnormality to explain this pain
3 millimeter polyp rectal mucosa prolapsing polyp
I have tried
Somebody pushing around where the pain feels like it's coming from but there is no change whatsoever when pushed
10 ounces of celery juice every morning for 14 days
No dairy for a month: cheese, milk, every thing with dairy
No onions
Different forms of antacids: Tums & 14 days of Nexium
Different probiotics
I've tried Metamucil and Yakult
Bowel program every day for a week when I usually do it every other day
I can give a list of my regular medications if that would be helpful
I searched the Internet for possibilities causing pain and my doctor came back with answers to each below
Pain in the abdominal wall this is possible
Abdominal nerve entrapment we have not checked for this
A tear in the abdominal wall not that we know of
Abdominal infection not based on the CT scan of February 2020
Angina reduced blood flow to the heart we have not tested for your heart
Celiac disease we have not tested for this
Gallstones ultrasound and CT does not show gallstones
Gastritis upper endoscopy does not show gastritis
Reflux disease upper endoscopy does not show reflux disease
Inguinal Hernias: Probably not this we have not tested for this
Hiatal Hernias: Probably not this not seen on the CT scan
Peritonitis but based on the CT scan of February 2020
Ulcerative Colitis not based on colonoscopy done June 2020
------------------------------
X-ray of after open August 2019
Distended loops of the small and large bowel
Moderate amount of stool retention
Dilated loops of bowel
So this is when I tried doing my bowel program every day
CT scan of abdomen February 2020
Bladder wall thickening suggestive of chronic cystitis
Gallbladder pancreas liver and kidney no lesion
Gallbladder ultrasound August 2019
Nothing to explain the abnormality and the pain
Distended gallbladder no gallstone
No bile duct dilatation
Spleen is normal
Thanks for taking a look and any advice is welcomed!
Sean Kelley
I think I have narrowed the time period of when the pain started --- May of 2019. Maybe.
Something to do with my suprapubic catheter? I had one of these installed April 2018. It's been wonderful and life-changing because it has given me the ability to sit in the upright position and drain where I was unable to previously. Then again it may have nothing to do with it.
I had my last superpubic catheter change be silicone instead of latex (October 9, 2020). So after about a week the pain was near gone or completely gone for 29 days. It was awesome! I thought I was allergic to latex at that point. But it came back.
Something to do with bladder infections? I get bladder infections a few times a year and the last time was September 19, 2020 and started on the antibiotic Nitrofurantoin 100 mg aka Macrobid, one pill twice a day for 10 days and from the 23rd to the 28th there was very little abdominal pain.
Quick rundown of my injury. I’m a C 3-4 incomplete quadriplegic since 1998. I can't move below my shoulders but feel just about everywhere with mostly a dull sensation but this abdominal discomfort is quite sharp and anywhere between a 0 and 7 on the pain scale. When it gets to a six or seven I’m ready to go to the emergency room but I know there will be nothing they do there so I haven't.
I have had the following procedures with no findings of anything out of the ordinary.
ultrasound of my entire belly area
x-ray of my entire belly area
CT with contrast of my entire belly area
endoscopy & colonoscopy June 2020 colonoscopy and upper endoscopy which is not showing any abnormality to explain this pain
3 millimeter polyp rectal mucosa prolapsing polyp
I have tried
Somebody pushing around where the pain feels like it's coming from but there is no change whatsoever when pushed
10 ounces of celery juice every morning for 14 days
No dairy for a month: cheese, milk, every thing with dairy
No onions
Different forms of antacids: Tums & 14 days of Nexium
Different probiotics
I've tried Metamucil and Yakult
Bowel program every day for a week when I usually do it every other day
I can give a list of my regular medications if that would be helpful
I searched the Internet for possibilities causing pain and my doctor came back with answers to each below
Pain in the abdominal wall this is possible
Abdominal nerve entrapment we have not checked for this
A tear in the abdominal wall not that we know of
Abdominal infection not based on the CT scan of February 2020
Angina reduced blood flow to the heart we have not tested for your heart
Celiac disease we have not tested for this
Gallstones ultrasound and CT does not show gallstones
Gastritis upper endoscopy does not show gastritis
Reflux disease upper endoscopy does not show reflux disease
Inguinal Hernias: Probably not this we have not tested for this
Hiatal Hernias: Probably not this not seen on the CT scan
Peritonitis but based on the CT scan of February 2020
Ulcerative Colitis not based on colonoscopy done June 2020
------------------------------
X-ray of after open August 2019
Distended loops of the small and large bowel
Moderate amount of stool retention
Dilated loops of bowel
So this is when I tried doing my bowel program every day
CT scan of abdomen February 2020
Bladder wall thickening suggestive of chronic cystitis
Gallbladder pancreas liver and kidney no lesion
Gallbladder ultrasound August 2019
Nothing to explain the abnormality and the pain
Distended gallbladder no gallstone
No bile duct dilatation
Spleen is normal
Thanks for taking a look and any advice is welcomed!
Sean Kelley
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