Chronic Upper Abdominal Pain....Looking for answers!?

Question

I have been dealing with chronic upper abdominal pain for about 8 years now. It used to be very random...every few months, but when it happened it would last for 2-3 hours and be VERY severe. It started when I was in middle school and my parents thought I was exaggerating and told me it was hunger pains so for about 5 years whenever it happened, I'd try to eat everything in sight to ease the pain. Recently, past year or so, it's become much more frequent (a few times a week) It only happens in the mornings and still lasts a few hours. The only thing I can do is lay down and ride it out. The pain virtually goes away when I lay down. I saw a doctor and he said it was acid-reflux and prescribed Prevacid, but it didn't help. It hurts right below my ribs and above my navel....directly in the center. It's as if someone is stabbing me! Can anyone offer any suggestions or ideas about my condition?

Answer 1

Hi Simpsons

I would do a colon and liver cleanse first to get the toxins out of blood. When you dont have regular bowel movements (3 times a day) the processed food (a lot of chemicals too) stays in our system and gets in the blood and causes illness and disease. Juice fasting for 5-7 days and doing the above cleanses would give relieve to your organs and your pain would probably be all gone.

Here is how to fix your acid condition or heartburn (as it as well known).

Causes of Heartburn
The most common causes of heartburn are overeating, and eating meals that are predominantly acid-forming and abundant in unhealthy fats, spices, and commercially processed foods. Heartburn can also be caused by low levels of hydrochloric acid (HCl), deficiencies in the body’s production of enzymes, poor adrenal and/or spleen function, and/or diminished liver function due to toxicity. Hiatal hernia, stress, or smoking, can cause heartburn, as well.

In addition, food allergies lead to poor digestion which can also contribute to heartburn, as can combining too many different types of foods at the same meal. Heartburn can be brought on by drinking excess fluids during mealtime, eating too fast, or eating in a stressed environment. Heartburn can also be connected to constipation, similar to a backed up septic system. In this case, the body can have a difficult time digesting and processing the food coming in, if the previous meal is not going down and being eliminated properly.




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Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: The essential oil of cardamon can relieve heartburn symptoms.

Diet: Avoid all commercially processed foods, spicy foods, sugars, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, coffee and other caffeine products, chocolate, sodas, commercial non-herbal teas, alcohol, orange and grapefruit juice, tomato products, milk and dairy products, and foods containing peppermint and spearmint. Also have yourself screened for potential food allergies and sensitivities and avoid those foods for which you test positive.

Emphasize a diet rich in organic whole foods, especially organic fresh green vegetables and green vegetable drinks. Free-range organic meats and poultry, and wild-caught fish are also recommended. In addition, be sure to drink plenty of pure filtered water throughout the day.

Avoid overeating and eating meals late in the evening. As a general rule of thumb, in order to prevent and reverse heartburn symptoms, eat meals that are predominantly alkalizing in nature, especially green vegetables. (For more information about how to eat alkalizing foods, see pH.) Meals should ideally consist of generous portions of fresh leafy green salads, bare or lightly dressed, with an equally generous portion of lightly steamed vegetables and a fist sized portion of steamed, baked, broiled or carefully grilled protein. Organically produced foods, and carefully chosen oils, such as raw virgin coconut butter/oil, extra virgin olive oil and high lignan flax seed oil are your safest options. Avoid all fried foods, and all hydrogenated fats and oils. Choose raw, rather than roasted nuts and seeds, both in whole and butter form. Raw almond butter is a better option than peanut butter, and is a great snack when spread on apple slices.

Minimize your intake of both coffee and black tea, as well as alcoholic beverages. This is essential if heartburn is an issue.

Foods that can often quickly resolve heartburn problems are apples, raw cucumbers (peeled), brown rice, and walnuts. Sipping a glass of pure, filtered water with a couple of teaspoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar or baking soda (one teaspoon to eight ounces of water) can also quickly neutralize heartburn attacks.

Herbal Medicine: Useful herbs for heartburn include agrimony, aloe vera, angelica, fennel, garlic, gentian, goldenseal, licorice root, marshmallow root, parsley, and slippery elm.

Homeopathy:
Arsenicum album – for heartburn accompanied by anxiety, chills and thirst, abdominal cramping
Nux vomica – for heartburn caused by fats or sour foods and/or accompanied by feelings of irritability
Sulfur – for heartburn caused by overeating and/or accompanied by burping, late morning hunger, or early morning diarrhea.

Juice Therapy: Fresh squeezed cucumber juice can often quickly resolve heartburn symptoms.

Lifestyle: If you smoke, stop, and also avoid exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke. In addition, learn how to effectively cope with and manage stress. A regular exercise program is of the utmost importance as is a whole foods diet. Also avoid overeating and eating meals late in the evening. Allow at least 3 hours between meals, unless blood sugar problems are an issue, in which case, eating smaller frequent meals is an option.

Nutritional Supplements: The most useful nutritional supplements for treating and preventing heartburn are digestive enzymes (taken with every meal) and calcium carbonate (take 600 mg in liquid or chewable form every two to three hours until symptoms subside).

Probiotics such as acidophilus and Bifidobacteria, can also be helpful, as can fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) and soil-based organisms. FOS is an all-natural carbohydrate microorganism that has been shown by researchers to serve as a fertilizing agent that enables Bifidobacteria to thrive in the large intestine, where it helps to protect against harmful bacteria.

Soil-based organisms are beneficial microbes found in soil. Taken as a supplement, they go to work to detoxify the gastrointestinal tract while eliminating fungi, molds, parasites, viruses, and yeasts. They also help to improve absorption of nutrients and boost both immune and overall cell function, including the production of RNA and DNA. In addition, they act as natural antioxidants.

Stress Reduction: Stress reduction techniques are often helpful in relieving heartburn caused or exacerbated by stress and unresolved emotions, such as anger, anxiety, depression, and irritability. Holistic health practitioners help their patients accomplish stress reduction through the use of various mind/body medicine techniques, such as biofeedback, hypnotherapy, and relaxation exercises.

Meditation is another form of stress management that can be highly effective. There are many ways to meditate. One of the easiest is simply to sit comfortably in a chair with your eyes closed as you focus on your breathing. Do this for five to ten minutes twice a day and gradually extend each session to 20 to 30 minutes. To enhance your efforts, concentrate on mentally repeating a peaceful phrase each time that you inhale and exhale, allowing all other thoughts to rise and pass without becoming involved in them. At first, this may seem difficult, but with committed practice you will eventually find yourself able to do so while experiencing greater degrees of calm and peace.

Alternative Professional Care
The following therapies can also help to prevent and relieve heartburn: Acupressure, Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Biofeedback Training and Neurotherapy, Detoxification Therapy, Environmental Medicine, Enzyme Therapy, Flower Essences, Mind/Body Medicine, Naturopathic Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Yoga.

Best of health to you

Cheers

Answer 2

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Answer 4

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RE:
Chronic Upper Abdominal Pain....Looking for answers!?
I have been dealing with chronic upper abdominal pain for about 8 years now. It used to be very random...every few months, but when it happened it would last for 2-3 hours and be VERY severe. It started when I was in middle school and my parents thought I was exaggerating and told me it was hunger...

Answer 5

I highly suggest you go see a Gastrointestinal Specialist. I just got through spending 14 days in the hospital, wracking up 29,000 in medical bills just find out that I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I never saw a Gastrointestinal Specialist the whole time I was in the hospital - but they ran all different types of test on me.
After going to the Gastrointestinal Specialist, he ran a couple of more test and put me on a combination of meds, and since then I have been good as gold. Not to mention, I also have had to change my diet some (much more fiber, lot less processed food) and it not only has helped my stomach, but I've lost weight.
You're problem could be something 1,000% different, but I really think the only way you're going to find out what's going on is to go to a specialist.
God Speed and good luck!

Answer 6

I've felt that same pain too, and many times, but not as severe as yours. I don't know why those pains come, and what they are, but I do know that they are very painful. What I usually do is I just lay on my back on the ground because it is a flat surface and I take deep breaths in and out. Or I just stand up and squeeze my abdominal until the pain goes away. That usually helps me. I hope those suggestions help. Sorry for what you're going through. I hope everything goes okay. :)

Answer 7

For my self and my kids I use cabbage and acidophilus for similar pain.
Uncooked Cabbage is high in glutamine, an amino acid that is essential for intestinal health.
Lactobacillus acidophilus is considered a friendly bacterium, and wipes out harmful bacteria in the digestive tract, which helps keep your stomach healthy. It is found in yogurt or you can purchase it as acidophilus at health food sections in stores, or health food stores.
I suffered for about 15 years, and tried many things along the way including prevacid. Helping my children figure it out in the end helped me too. I hope this helps you as well. Hugs.

Answer 8

get a referral to a Gastroenterologist from your primary care doctor ASAP.

Aside from that, I really don't know? Eat bland things?!? I'm sorry- I really don't know what to tell you. It sounds like you have a serious stomach problem and it sounds like you really need to see a specialist and NOT just a primary care doctor. It could be a food allergy or intolerance, it could be an ulcer, it could be up 10 thousand things- I'm not a doctor and I really don't know. It doesn't sound like acid reflux (that would probably get worse when you laid down) Best wishes

Answer 9

abdominal pain for 8 years, hmmmmmmm.
after doing some investigations to EXCLUDE hiatal hernia & small bowel malformation, I think the most probable diagnosis is IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME.
BEST TREATMENT IS AMITRIPTYLINE 25 MG 2-3 TIMES A DAY.
I wish u good health.