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I have been dealing with pretty bad stomach in my lower left side (its also in the lower right and directly in the middle…but the worst is on the left) the intensity of the pain comes and goes, but there always seems to be that dully achy feeling there. I am always dealing with constant nausea and a lack of desire to eat, as of right now it has been about a week since I have eaten what would be considered a “normal” meal. (I’ve had plenty of fluids and have manage a little food) I’ve had bouts of constipation as well as a bout of diarrhea which has some mucus in it. I also deal with having the felling like I have to go but just cant. Also dealing with intermitted back pain in lower back as well as in the shoulder blades. This has all gone on for over getting close to two years, when I had first said something they told me to “change” my diet (no spicy stuff, no fried…which I already didn’t do due to no gallbladder) and I was suppose to take gaviscon several times a day. That seemed to help for a time and then I started having the pain….they did an upper GI which showed some small ulcers….was given a stomach coat medicine which didn’t really do all that much….pain seemed to left….and then start to come again and I just ignored it not wanting to deal with pain in the butt doctors….well this time it got bad. So far I have had a Ultrasound and CT scan both have showed nothing big….but I still have all the pain so Ive had to do stool specimens (not easy when I deal with constipation)and will probably be getting a colonoscopy and endoscope before to much longer. I guess what my question is is …how where you all diagnosed, what kind of lifestyle chances did you make/can you make to help it. Any info can be helpful Im flying blind here. I also eat Gluten free (when I finally get back to eating “normal”) I have never been formally diagnosed but I have a lot of the issues of gluten.   

When I was diagnosed, I had been having severe diarrhea, nausea, night sweats, and my ankles had swollen to the size of softballs and I could barely walk (stubborn creature that I am, I had convinced myself I'd accidentally sprained *both* ankles without realizing it. The power of the human mind....). I was also running fevers in the afternoons/evenings. One night my fever spiked to 104....brought it down with a cold bath, and then finally listened to my husband and made an appointment with student health. Nurse practitioner noted that I had visited student health with similar symptoms (nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain) two years previously, and she referred me to a gastroenterologist. Student health and the GI ran a whole bunch of bloodwork (CRP, complete bloodcount, albumin levels, and I don't remember what else), a stool sample, and a colonoscopy. I was formally diagnosed by colonoscopy and biopsy....although the GI actually pronounced the diagnosis immediately after my colonoscopy/before biopsy results came back. I'm still not sure whether it's better or worse to get news like that while you're sedated.

I suffer from Crohn's disease with both constipation and diarrhea. My doctor said the diarrhea is "overflow" diarrhea, which manages to move around constipation stool, so I can have both diarrhea and constipation at the same time. Because of being so backed up, I've had plenty of pain and nausea. My GI doctor had me use Miralax and/or dulcolax and sennalax daily. The Miralax gave me really bad gas, cramps and pain. Either I was constipated or I suffered from super diarrhea or I had pains and nausea from being backed up. I tried probiotics, but they caused more gas, especially when I was backed up. I was on more and more laxatives for nearly 3 years. I wanted to stop the vicious cycle so my doctor suggested trying a tap water enema and a "low bulk" diet (low bulky veggies such as lettuce, spinach, corn, peas and low fiber; I juice or puree a lot of veggies). I first started doing one enema every morning in conjunction with the laxatives. Then I was able to taper off the laxatives. Now I can get by with tap water enemas 2-3/week without any laxatives. I've been incorporating probiotics (Florajen-3 and yogurt) and haven't experience the gas/pain I had issues with in the past. Most mornings I can go without any trouble and no more pain!

Definitely ask your doctor before trying laxatives or tap water enemas. GOOD LUCK!