How do I manage a swelling in my mouth and GI problems?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 33-year-old having good health. I feel pain in the left shoulder and left foot almost every day. I often have body pain. My vitamin D level is normal, but my calcium levels are high. Sometimes, I have difficulties in the lower left side of the abdomen, but I do not have pain. I have to go to the restroom four times a day to pass stools. My stool color is always yellow.

For the past four months, I have been having stomach problems. I really do not have pain. My stomach hurts all the time even if it is full or empty. My appetite is normal and I can eat well. There is no stomach swelling, and no WBC in stool. Urine is clear. My blood test reports are fine, and I have repeated it four times.

The upper left side of the stomach hurts specifically. For the past four months, I have had a small node in the left supraclavicular region. It is almost 0.39 inches in size. It is changing in size. Sometimes there is a swelling and at other times it is normal. However, it does not resolve even after completing two courses of antibiotics. Before four months, I noticed that I had fatty liver. The doctor asked me to refrain from drinking. I drink occasionally. Right now, my total bilirubin level is 1.7 mg/dL and my indirect bilirubin level is 1.4 mg/dL. Lipase value is 37 U/L. I checked for acid reflux and it was negative. I also have a node on the floor of the mouth on the left side which is not visible. There is swelling on the left side of my face.

I need your advice on the following:

Do you think the swelling in my mouth is related to any GI problem?
Do you think the node in the left supraclavicular area is Virchow's node?
Are all Virchow's nodes cancerous? If not, which size of it is considered to cause the least harm?
Why does my stomach hurt?
Why is my stool watery?
Why am I unable to digest my food properly?
What is your opinion about my condition?
Do you think that the swelling in my mouth is related to my GI problem?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

The answers to your queries are as follows:

1. Do you think the swelling in my mouth is related to any GI problem?

It is unlikely because such swelling is mainly related to infection in the mouth or pharynx.

2. Do you think the node that I have in the left supraclavicular area is Virchow's node?

The size of the node is not significant. It should be more than 0.7 inches, and it should not decrease in size. It should rather increase in size.

3. Are all Virchow's nodes cancerous? If not, which size of it is considered to cause the least harm?

No, it is a finding and does not determine if it is benign or malignant. A size more than 0.7 inches is considered to cause harm.

4. Why does my stomach hurt?

You might probably have an acid-peptic disease.

5. Why is my stool watery?

There might be a component of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).

6. Why am I not able to digest my food properly?

You might have a digestive problem, or it can be due to SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).

7. What is your opinion about my condition?

We will work on this. Though you said that all your investigations are showing normal results, I would like to see it myself since interpretations can differ.

Your liver profile is not fine. It is a more serious concern. We need to work on it intensively. Do you have hard stools at times, or do you need to strain for defecation? Do you suffer from weight loss, or havea lack of appetite?

I hope this helps.

Thank you.