Pain Below Sternum in the middle of the night

For the second time in about 7 weeks I awoke with a pain just below the sternum bone which feels like part of the stomach, this kept me awake and I could not settle back to sleep.

I eventually decided to take 2 table spoonfuls of Gavison, then another Omaprazole 20mg capsule, the pain seemed to still be there, so I also decided to keep drinking still bottled water, the pain eventually after about 3.5 hours gradually left, and I was able to sleep again, obviously I had to get back those missing 3.5 hours so I didn't get up till around 10:45am.

I am awaiting an endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy, but I am afraid this might be an ulcer waiting to burst.

I did have something to eat quite late on which was a very small pizza, but I thought I had given enough time for it to travel down so as to not give me any problems.

I don't always get this pain, it seems to happen at certain times, strange though that this second bout of pain happened around a similar time as the last one.

I was told it was ok to take an extra Omaprazole 20mg capsule if the pain came back, so I am not sure which one of the cures helped, or perhaps it was a part of all, meaning the water etc.

Anyone else experience this?

stkitt,

Hi, yes, I am seeing my doctor tomorrow at 10am, and I have booked a double appointment with him, so I will ensure I get the full amount of time to discuss everything with him.

I had 2 endoscopies around 8-10 years ago, a few years in between the two, and they mentioned that it could be Barrett's oesophagus, that's when they put me on the Omaprazole.

The thing is I have had bowel problems too since Xmas, and I'm wondering if this pain issue is related.

When I see the Doc tomorrow I am insisting that he arranges more tests prior to the endoscopy.

At Xmas I had all the symptoms of Helicobacter pylori, but one of the other doctors didn't think it was, but I am 99% sure it is, and has worked it's way down to my intestines.

I normally go to the Crohns forum, but all day today I have been having this pain right under my sternum just like you described, I tried taking tums at lunch and it hasn't done anything for it. I'm very curious to see what you find out. If this doesn't get any better by Monday I'm calling my GI.

Oceanz -
By under the sternum, did you mean behind it? That sounds like the stomach is trying to squeeze through a hiatal hernia. I'm not sure if ultrasound will show it. The usual test is barium swallow.

I have this pain, diagnosed with barium. Part of my stomach is in chest again. It hurts when I eat anything.

You could be having referred pain to either location, but more likely in my experience, from the sub-sternum pain. I get a little pain, mostly an itch under left shoulder blade, with no explanation. The vagus verve and others run around everywhere. I have no gallbladder problem that I know of. My ultrasound only shows a little sludge. Only having pain in the middle of the night, not right after eating, sort of sounds more like gallbladder to me. But it could be both!

Endoscopy may or may not show a hernia. It depends on where the stomach is at the time of the scope. A lot of scopes entirely miss or minimize hiatal hernias, again in my experience as a patient. The stomach is empty and can be in the abdomen for the couple of minutes the GI doc is looking. The barium swallow won't miss it because they have you swallowing a contrast dye and you'll reflux in the different positions they put you in. It's much more acurate! But the gastro doc doesn't get paid for that. He has to refer you to a radiologist.

Gallbladder pain could be an explanation too. Ulltrasound is a very good test for that. I would definitely get that first so the doc can decide if you need him to scope up the tube that drains into the small intestine. No use getting scoped twice.

For endoscopy most docs like to have you sedated. I personally always insist on refusing Versed. It's only to give you amnesia, doesn't do anything for pain. I've heard people screaming. They just don't remember it. If you have to have anything - and a lot of people don't!!! ask for propofol so you are really asleep. They don't like to give it because they have to have an anesthesiologist around. The GI doc can give Versed. Propofor wears off immediately and leaves you clear-headed, but Versed makes you loopy for hours, amnesia for whole time.

My hernia was missed untill they did the RFA for my barretts then my doc noticed that it had move between burnings....I had be getting a pain right between my breasts that went clear through to my back it was awful I thought it was my heart had my heart checked as well as my gallbladder ...
Now I am having spasms since my wrap and it is kind of the same but different so I have to wait till these darn spams are gone to know if my other pain is gone .. they did fixed my hernia at the same time they did my wrap...
Keep us posted..
LaDawn

oceanz

I know you are looking forward to your scopes - they really are not bad second degree to the medications used for the scopes. 

I am not a Dr. but I am also wondering about gallbladder.  The mildest and most common symptom of gallbladder disease is intermittent pain called biliary colic, which occurs either in the mid- or the right portion of the upper abdomen. Symptoms may be fairly nonspecific.

The primary symptom is typically a steady gripping or gnawing pain in the upper right abdomen near the rib cage, which can be severe and can radiate to the upper back. Some patients with biliary colic experience the pain behind the breast bone.

RFA = right frontoanterior of oesophagus

Wrap = The most common surgical procedure performed for treatment of GERD is a Nissen fundoplication . Fundoplication means fundus of the stomach which is on left of the oesophagus and main portion of the stomach is wrapped around back of the oesophagus.

I know, clear as mud...............keep us updated on your procedures.

Kindly,

Kitt

 

LeDawn, how long ago did you have you're wrap?

Pat

Alcie said...
Oceanz -
I think the RFA referred to was radiofrequency ablation - burning off the Barretts.

Sure, why not get both scopes done at once. It's done, although not often. The colonoscopy won't have anything to do with the stomach, but there's no harm getting checked.

I'm not so sure on that, I had issues upper abdomen just prior to issues with bowels, so I think they are related in some way, this is the reason why I am getting the colonoscopy added to the endoscopy.

It all started with nausea then really bad fowl smell when burping, this leads me to think it may be the h-Phylori infection.