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Medical Forum / General / General / December 2005I know its possible to have your period and still be pregnant........
K heres the thing........I am a 21 year old female. I am still having my periods on a regular basis. However, I am constantly bloated in the abdomen (I am 5'7, 139 pounds). I have lost 10 pounds (not on purspose) yet my stomach is getting larger. I am not bloated anywhere else (ie. hands, feet, face) I have no symptoms of pregnancy as I am still having my period, my breasts have not gotten larger or have become sore. I have not been vomitting due to morning sickness and have not been urinating excessively. And put it this way....if I was pregnant, I would be about 6 months along?! And my test has shown 'negative' Why do I think I could be pregnant? I have been having movement in my stomach lately, feels like my insides are being kicked? My stomach has not been feeling "right" for a couple of months now. I dread eating, as i feel realy sick and get stomach aches after I eat. The sick feeling that I have been getting is up high almost between my ribs, yet the wieght gain is a little bit lower down in the abdomen. I am getting pains under my ribs (my mom carried me high and I used to kick her in the ribs quite often) and my stomach is getting huge (and no where else on my body is). I am also quite exhausted and my skin is breaking out with acne. I just don't want to be one of those women "who didnt even know they were pregnant'! I really do not think I am pregnant....but what else could it be? Could someone please suggest what this could be, so I can mention it to the gyno? And if this is even similar to pregnancy? I have a gyno appointment in 2 and a half weeks. > K heres the thing........I am a 21 year old female. I am still having my > periods on a regular basis. However, I am constantly bloated in the abdomen [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > Message posted via MedKB.com > http://www.medkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/med/200511/1 http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ibs_ez/ Thank you O'Hush, I appreciate it. Are you familiar with IBS? I don;'t seem to be constipated and when i do have diarrhea its off and on (maybe 3 days a week). I am not in any pain when having abowel movement though. Although I did notice that yesterday my stools were black. > Thank you O'Hush, I appreciate it. Are you familiar with IBS? I don;'t seem > to be constipated and when i do have diarrhea its off and on (maybe 3 days a > week). I am not in any pain when having abowel movement though. Although I > did notice that yesterday my stools were black. De nada. I'm familiar with IBS, but I don't have it. It occurred to me because when I'm under stress I get some mild bowel spasms that remind me of the kicking sensations I felt in early pregnancy. My friends with IBS complain about bloating and discomfort with eating, and intense, crampy spasms. The black stools could result from something you ate, medication or supplements, or from blood in your stool originating from high in your GI tract. Black stools resulting from GI bleeding are called "melena." They may smell particularly bad and look sort of like tar. IBS is just a suggestion. It's much more common than the more serious conditions that can cause some of the same symptoms you're describing, though IBS does not cause GI bleeding. Your GYN doc may be able to give you *some* info about IBS, because it's more common in women. However, if you want a definitive diagnosis that rules out more serious GI conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, you'll need to visit a gastroenterologist. Anyway... I'll eat my cat if you're 6 months pregnant. :) http://ibscrohns.about.com/cs/otherdiseases/a/stoolcolors.htm (quoted from the link above:) Causes of black colored stools (known as melena) acidified blood blood from higher in the digestive tract iron supplements or foods high in iron Pepto Bismol or other medicines containing bismuth black licorice large amounts of spinach or other greens blueberries aspirin other foods dark in color such as chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos) Thanks again O'Hush. I am going to visit a walk in clinic today to see what they can do (probably nothing) but maybe they can refer me to a gastro doc (probably not able to either) but its worth a try to get these pains to subside. Do you know whereabouts in the abdomen the cramping is common in IBS? The pain seems to be situated quite high in my stomach from in between my ribs (just below my zyphoid process) to the bottom of my rib cage.....yet my entire stomach is bloated. Also, do you have any ideas how I can get the pains to calm down? EVERYTIME I eat ANYTHING I get a cramping flare up in the upper part of my stomach! I am even considering taking a laxative to empty my stomach.....maybe the bloating will go away? I have never taken laxatives before....could they work for now? Oh, and thank you for bringing a smile to my face about the "eating your cat" comment....made me a little less uptight about the chance of being pregnant! :) :) :) > Thanks again O'Hush. I am going to visit a walk in clinic today to see what > they can do (probably nothing) but maybe they can refer me to a gastro doc > (probably not able to either) but its worth a try to get these pains to > subside. Do you know whereabouts in the abdomen the cramping is common in IBS? The whole GI tract is hypermotile and crampy in some people with IBS, including the stomach and the entire bowel. > The pain seems to be situated quite high in my stomach from in between my > ribs (just below my zyphoid process) to the bottom of my rib cage.....yet my > entire stomach is bloated. That's called dyspepsia, and it goes along with the IBS. Here's a pertinent link. http://www.medicinenet.com/dyspepsia/article.htm (quoted from the link) "While dyspepsia is a major functional disease(s), it is important to mention several other functional diseases. A second major functional disease is the irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. The symptoms of IBS are thought to originate primarily from the small intestine and colon. The symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain that is accompanied by alterations in bowel movements (defecation), primarily constipation or diarrhea. In fact, dyspepsia and IBS may be overlapping diseases since up to half of patients with IBS also have symptoms of dyspepsia. A third distinct functional disorder is non-cardiac chest pain. This pain may mimic heart pain (angina), but it is unassociated with heart disease. In fact, non-cardiac chest pain is thought to result from a functional abnormality of the esophagus." Here's a link to a study that relates H. pylori (the bacterium that sometimes causes stomach ulcers) to IBS in some people. I don't think the doc at a walk-in clinic will be able to evaluate you for H. pylori. (You'll need to see a GI doc for that.) If H. pylori is your problem, it won't really resolve until you're treated for the germ, which involves taking several medications at once. If you have H. pylori rather than simply functional IBS, with treatment your symptoms could resolve. Plain old IBS without H. pylori is a chronic condition, but the GI doc can teach you how to manage it to reduce your symptoms. http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Doi=50673 > Also, do you have any ideas how I can get the pains to calm down? EVERYTIME I > eat ANYTHING I get a cramping flare up in the upper part of my stomach! I am > even considering taking a laxative to empty my stomach I think a laxative would almost certainly make you feel a lot worse. I have a friend with IBS who is having good results from taking turmeric supplements. Turmeric is a spice, but you can get it in capsules at health food stores. There's a pretty good pilot study to back it up at the link below. If you want to try a medication, Imodium would make more sense than a laxative, because it reduces GI motility, and your current problem seems to be increased GI motility. Your GI doc is probably going to tell you to keep a food diary, so you might as well start now. Write down everything you eat and drink, and how severe your symptoms are in the hours after. A lot of people with IBS have more severe symptoms after eating fatty or spicy foods, but maybe you react to something else. Caffeine is also bad for IBS, because it's a bowel stimulant. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1 5673996&dopt=Citation >.....maybe the bloating > will go away? I have never taken laxatives before....could they work for now? No. No laxatives for you. > Oh, and thank you for bringing a smile to my face about the "eating your cat" > comment....made me a little less uptight about the chance of being pregnant! > :) :) :) Good. :) I can't promise you're not pregnant, but you're not six months pregnant if you've had a negative pregnancy test and normal monthly periods. --Patti Good day again O'Hush, Once again I would like to thank you for the information that you have provided to me.....you are a very well educated person! All the information will help me present something a little more concrete rather than "my tummy hurts" to the doctor (you know how some dr's tend to overlook things!) I think that the reason for the blackened stools must have been something I have eaten (although I cannot think of what it could have been) as they are seeming to lighten in colour but still have a tar-like consistency. What kind of testing do you think that they will do one me other than the standard blood work? What can I expect when I visit my doctor? Any information you can provide me with may help settle my nerves with this as I only have a very vague idea of a couple of tests that may be involved. Oh and the 6 months pregnancy......6 months ago was the last time sexual intercourse has taken place......I kind of figured that I would definitely know if I had been carrying for 6 months but you always hear those weird stories of women who didnt know they were carrying until they went into labour! :0 Thanks again Patti :) > Good day again O'Hush, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > have eaten (although I cannot think of what it could have been) as they are > seeming to lighten in colour but still have a tar-like consistency. You didn't say "tarry" before -- you just said black. There are lots of harmless substances that cause black stools (Pepto Bismol and spinach, for example), but black and tarry means blood in the stool. It's possible that your idea of "tarry" is different from a doc's, so this could all be a false alarm, but to be on the safe side you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. Don't wait for an appointment with a GI doc. If you start to feel weak, you should have somebody drive you to the ER. You could have a bleeding stomach ulcer, which can be pretty dangerous. Call your doc's office in the morning and ask for instructions. If you don't have a doc, I'd do the walk-in clinic thing. > What > kind of testing do you think that they will do on me other than the standard > blood work? I don't know. It depends on what the doc thinks is wrong. Probably a stool sample if you say the words "black and tarry." Maybe EGD (see the link), but I'm truly talking out of my a.s right now. I really have no idea. It may depend on whether they find any blood in your stool. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esophagogastroduodenoscopy I'm a student nurse. A few weeks ago my patient had an EGD and I got to observe. It's not too bad, and you won't remember it anyway because you'll be sedated. > What can I expect when I visit my doctor? Any information you can > provide me with may help settle my nerves with this as I only have a very > vague idea of a couple of tests that may be involved. I wish I knew more. I think I've already pretty much unloaded every piece of gastro information that was in my brain. Don't worry about it though. > Oh and the 6 months pregnancy......6 months ago was the last time sexual > intercourse has taken place I sorta guessed.. :) >......I kind of figured that I would definitely > know if I had been carrying for 6 months but you always hear those weird > stories of women who didnt know they were carrying until they went into > labour! :0 I think most of those women have very irregular periods, or are perimenopausal, or *something* unusual. Sometimes there's some spotting in early pregnancy, but if you have a normal period, you can pretty much rest assured you're not pregnant. So anyway: Until you've seen a doc and he says you can, don't take any aspirin, ibuprofen, or aleve. Don't drink any alcohol. (I hope I'm not forgetting anything.) Call your doc tomorrow morning. --Patti > > What can I expect when I visit my doctor? Any information you can > > provide me with may help settle my nerves with this as I only have a very [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > piece of gastro information that was in my brain. Don't worry about it > though. Initial exam will involve taking your history (all past medical problems and details of current problem); a physical examination that will include palpating your abdomen and an occult fecal blood test (gloved finger inserted into your rectum then smeared onto a slide, then a solution added to check for the presence of blood). Depending upon what the doctor suspects and wants to rule out, s/he will then order some tests, including a Complete Blood Count (CBC) to check for anemia, among other things; perhaps an flexible sigmoidoscopy to examine your lower colon or a colonoscopy to examine the entire colon with a small camera; or a CT (computed tomography) to look for inflammation or other abnormalities; and/or Xrays; and/or barium enema and/or upper GI with small bowel follow-through. The last two involve X-rays or fluoroscopy as the barium moves through your digestive tract. Most of these tests would not be done that same day (the blood tests could be, as could simple x-rays and perhaps CTs) and would be scheduled for a later date. Other tests could be ordered, but the ones I have listed are the basics of diagnosing bowel complaints.  Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather Thank you Rep for giving me an idea of what may need to be done in regards to testing. Have you personally gone through any of these tests? Thank you again Patti, I am in the process of booking an appoiment with my family Dr. who will hopefully refer me to a gastroenterologist. I ll let you know what happens. Thanks Patti i appreciate all of your help :) Hello again Patti, Just wanted to let you know that I have seen my family Doctor. He sent me for bloodwork yesterday and a urine sample. I also have to complete a stool sample tomorrow :( . He prescribed 150mg tablets of Apo-Ranitidine twice a day to settle my stomach. The medicine has helped me with the bloating in my stomach, and I am still getting cramping though, but I find I am more tired and I do not urinate as much or as often since taking it......Im not sure if that is cause for concern or just common side effect (the pharmacist told me to expect headaches as the most common side effect....no headaches yet, thank goodness!) Anyways, I go to my gynocologist on this Friday, for a routine checkup and I am also going to ask her to do bloodwork and whatever else is necessary to rule out anything with my reproductive system as being a culprit. The following Friday I go in for an ultrasound of my tummy to see whats going on, followed by a barium x-ray :( YIKES!!! Not looking forward to that.....I dont know exactly what is involved with that, I have just heard bits and pieces from a few people. Anyways, I will post another message and let you know what else they're going to do to me and I will definitely let you know of my final diagnosis. > Hello again Patti, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > and I do not urinate as much or as often since taking it......Im not sure if > that is cause for concern or just common side effect Urinating less is not listed as a common side-effect of ranitidine in my Davis Drug Guide. Are you drinking less fluid? Are you taking any other medications? Ranitidine is cleared by your kidneys, and if for any reason they aren't working right, it can accumulate and reach higher levels than intended. You should take it with a full glass of water. If your kidneys aren't working right, it probably isn't the ranitidine, but at any rate, you'll begin to notice symptoms within hours to days like so: Your feet may start to swell, you may feel short of breath. If the former happens, call your doc, if the latter happens, go to the ER. > (the pharmacist told me > to expect headaches as the most common side effect....no headaches yet, thank [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > forward to that.....I dont know exactly what is involved with that, I have > just heard bits and pieces from a few people. Not much to that. You swallow some yucky white stuff and lie on a table during x-rays. > Anyways, I will post another message and let you know what else they're going > to do to me and I will definitely let you know of my final diagnosis. Cool! I hope I don't have to eat my cat ;) Patti- Went to the gyno today......she said theres no way im prego.....(plus i got my period again today) she did an internal where she palpated my ovaries and uterus from the inside and outside. she also did a pap smear. says my stomach problems are not realted to my reproductive system whatsoever. Now im just patiently awaiting my blood/urine results...... Ill post more when I know...... :) > Patti- > > Went to the gyno today......she said theres no way im prego..... Yeah. I figgered. I was just kidding. >(plus i got > my period again today) she did an internal where she palpated my ovaries and [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Ill post more when I know...... :) Okay --Patti Hi Patti, Ive gotten a few of my test results back but am awaiting my xray and ultrasound. PAP - fine Blood work - fine Urine - fine Stools - fine I do have one thing to ask though. How long does the barium take to be out of my system? I had my barium xray on friday morning. The doctor told me that I need to drink lots of water to flush the barium out of my system (she said by Sunday it should be gone) or would get terribly constpiated....however its Tuesday and ever since I have gotten the test done, the pains in my stomach are WORSE! Much Much Worse. I had the worst diarrhea I have ever had just after I came home form the test and have had a lot of bowel movements since then and am not constipated. The x-ray tech took the majority of the pictures on my right side close to my ribs. Ever since then, I have been getting severe cramps there (or could it be muscle spasms?) It was so bad on Friday I could not stand up straight. When lay flat on my back, I get pains in my stomach....everywhere. Yet when I am in the fetal position Im fine. Ive had problems eating all along, but find I am not hungry and when I do eat, Im eating ALOT LESS then I usually would. Im wondering if these cramps have anything to do with the barium, the xrays, the muscle relaxer shot or if i dehydrated myself from the diarrhea.... Patti, do you have any ideas? > Hi Patti, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I do have one thing to ask though. How long does the barium take to be out of > my system? It should only take a few days if your bowels are functioning normally; you've had diarrhea, so I would think it should pass more quickly. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/203643.html >I had my barium xray on friday morning. The doctor told me that I > need to drink lots of water to flush the barium out of my system (she said by [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > after I came home form the test and have had a lot of bowel movements since > then and am not constipated. The medline link above lists diarrhea as a potential side-effect of barium contrast. I don't know whether you have IBS, but I do know people with IBS have sensitive GI systems and they may sometimes have atypical and/or worse-than-expected symptoms after GI tests are performed. Have you been tested for H. pylori? Have you had a colonoscopy or an EGD? Are any of these studies planned? Has your GI doc given you any diagnostic information aside from telling you about your negative tests? > The x-ray tech took the majority of the pictures on my right side close to my > ribs. Ever since then, I have been getting severe cramps there (or could it > be muscle spasms?) It was so bad on Friday I could not stand up straight. This could not be related to the x-ray itself. It sounds suspicious for gallbladder pain, but I understand sometimes residual barium can end up in little pouches that can form in your colon (called diverticula) and cause pain, although these diverticula usually happen in people much older than you. Have you called your doctor? It's important to report severe pain to your doc, especially if the doc didn't warn you it might happen. > When lay flat on my back, I get pains in my stomach....everywhere. Yet when > I am in the fetal position Im fine. Ive had problems eating all along, but [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Patti, do you have any ideas? Dehydration can definitely cause muscle cramps, but I think they're usually of the charlie horse variety, like in your calves, etc. The reason you get muscle cramps when you get dehydrated is that in order to conserve water, your kidneys conserve sodium and waste potassium. It won't hurt you to eat bananas and drink OJ. (If you don't think it will make you feel sicker, that is.) I promise you that the actual x-ray absolutely cannot be causing you any symptoms whatsoever. You get a negligible dose of radiation from a single x-ray study. The radiation that sometimes gives people pain is called x-ray therapy, or radiation therapy, and it uses x-rays to destroy cancer cells. Your barium study probably gave you around 875 millirems of radiation; a single dose of radiation therapy gives patients around 200,000 millirems. So for the sake of comparison (to help you understand how small your dose of x-rays was), if your x-ray was around 87 cents worth, a single dose of x-ray therapy for tumors is around $200 worth. http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/R/Radiation.html Call your doctor's office and tell them about your pain and symptoms, and ask to be seen as soon as possible for a sick visit. If they can't fit you in, ask for instructions. Ask them if you can take some Imodium (but do not take it on my recommendation only). It should help with the cramping and pain, and should reduce the frequency of your diarrhea. And I'm sorry you're feeling so badly. Let me know how it goes. --Patti Good morning Patti, I just called the Doctor and they told me they found nothing in my barium x- ray or ultrasound. I asked the receptionist about my medication and she told me that i need to continue to take it until I have finished it. I told her it does not help my stomach, I am still getting cramping and pains in my right side next to my ribs and it has not made my stools any more "regular/normal". I do not have heartburn and thats why the medication was perscribed to me....for my "heartburn". She told me when I am finished my medication to come see the doctor who may or may not order me some new tests but most likely will just change my medication until Im on one that gives me some sort of relief. > Good morning Patti, > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > -- > Message posted via http://www.medkb.com What's the medication called? Some medications that are often prescribed for heartburn can cause diarrhea. You and the nurse are not communicating effectively. It's possible that she's right about the doc's instructions, so don't make any changes until after you speak with the doctor. (It's also possible that she's ignorant and lazy and just wanted to get you off the phone.) In any case, the nurse has not helped you understand your diagnosis or treatment. Call the doc's office again and ask to have the doc return your call. Because the nurse has already failed to help you, it's appropriate that you should speak with the doc. If there's a different advice nurse on duty tomorrow who you find more helpful, it's fine to try to work with her first, but if at the end of that conversation you still don't understand why you're taking heartburn medication when you don't have heartburn, insist on having the doc call you back. When he/she calls, tell him or her that you're not having heartburn, but cramping and diarrhea, and tell him about the pain next to your ribs. (For that matter, tell me: Would you call it dull, aching, stabbing, shooting, burning, etc? How would you rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you can imagine?) Before you call the doc, write down any other questions you have and make sure you understand what's going on before you hang up the phone. Gotta run. It's finals week. :) --Patti Hi Patti, Im still on the 150 mg of Apo-Ranitidine, twice a day. In regards to the pains, they are usually dull, maybe a 3 on a scacle of one to ten (not terribly bothersome for the most part, but I am well aware of the pain being there) However, when I had the ultrasound, the pains had to have been at least an 8 and were stabbing. I am going to see my doctor this Saturday and am going to ask if he would be able to go over the ultrasounds and xray with me in detail. I am still seeing my family doctor so I am going to ask him for a referral to a GI doc. Good luck with your finals!!! :) :) :) > Hi Patti, > > Im still on the 150 mg of Apo-Ranitidine, twice a day. http://www.wholehealthmd.com/print/view/1,1560,DR_543,00.html Quote from the link above: "Common Side Effects Headache, fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation." > In regards to the pains, they are usually dull, maybe a 3 on a scacle of one > to ten (not terribly bothersome for the most part, but I am well aware of the > pain being there) However, when I had the ultrasound, the pains had to have > been at least an 8 and were stabbing. What other symptoms did you have when the pain was at its worst? It would be important to tell the doc if the worst of the pain came along with nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Also tell the doc if you have any enlargement in the area where you're having the pain under your right ribs, or if you feel itchy all over, or have yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, light-colored poop, or flu-like symptoms. > I am going to see my doctor this Saturday and am going to ask if he would be > able to go over the ultrasounds and xray with me in detail. Good. Ask him, "What is my differential diagnosis?" Also, "What have you already ruled out, and why?" Be sure to ask him why you're taking the ranitidine, since you're not having heartburn, and be sure he knows about the diarrhea and abdominal pain you're still having. Ask if you can take Imodium (loperamide) to deal with the diarrhea and cramping. > I am still seeing > my family doctor so I am going to ask him for a referral to a GI doc. That's very important. You really need to see a GI doc. > Good luck with your finals!!! :) :) :) Thanks! Four down, two to go. I haven't failed anything yet. (Or not officially. I failed tracheostomy site care and catheterization the first time around on my final lab evaluations, but I passed on the second go.) I got a 93 on my pharmacology exam yesterday. (Yay!) Tomorrow is a "reading day," then I have Fundamentals thursday and Major Adult Health Probs Friday, and then I'm done for three glorious weeks. --Patti |
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