Why did my stomach pain end up in hospital admission?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have been admitted in a hospital for three times in a year with a complaint of constipation. I did not poop for four weeks. There was no fecal impaction, but my intestines were not moving. They gave me an NG tube to clean me out. My GI doctor prescribed me so many laxatives, but nothing worked. I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy. They showed nothing, but a very stretched out colon and intestines. My doctor advised me that I can make my colon and intestine, normal with strict diet and laxatives. But still, I cannot produce a bowel movement without laxatives.

If I do not take laxatives, then it will result in constipation. I have been diagnosed with IBS-C. I also get random vomiting. I have been on anti-reflux and nausea pills. I am scheduled for small bowel manometry, antroduodenal manometry, motility testing along with an endoscopy and colonoscopy. How long will this testing be? Do you think that another endoscopy and colonoscopy will help my condition? Though I had stomach pain for many years, why it ends up in hospital admission nowadays? Currently, I am on Ondansetron 8 mg, Metronidazole 500 mg, Dicyclomine 20 mg, Promethazine 25 mg and Lansoprazole.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

According to your complaints, past history, investigations and present condition you might have IBS-C that is irritable bowel syndrome constipation type with differential diagnosis of intestinal motility disorder.

The latter condition produces symptoms of intestinal obstruction, very similar for which you required hospitalization.

Both antroduodenal and rectal manometry can be done only during endoscopy and colonoscopy respectively. And, if your doctor has a suspicion for motility disorder, he can take biopsy tissue from a particular part of intestine during this.

You needed hospitalization because your symptoms, your intestine movement were so worse and caused significant dilatation of intestines which itself hampers motility. This requires aggressive treatment to decompress intestine to prevent blood supply, movement and integrity of the intestinal wall

Thank you.