Hi everyone,
I’m posting here because I’ve been dealing with a very strange recurring abdominal problem since around 2016, and despite seeing multiple doctors and trying different treatments, I still don’t have a confirmed diagnosis. I’m hoping someone here may have experienced something similar.
Main symptom pattern
I get recurring episodes of severe lower abdominal pain.
Pain location
- Pain is mainly below the belly button in the center lower abdomen.
- Sometimes it spreads from left to right across the lower abdomen.
Nature of pain
The pain can feel:
- crampy
- sharp
- pressure/fullness
- bloating/distension
At its worst the pain can reach 8–9/10.
Attack pattern
Typical episode:
- usually starts around evening
- gradually increases over several hours
- peaks at night
- then slowly improves
- by next day most pain is gone
- but abdomen can still feel swollen/inflamed for another 2–3 days
Episodes usually resolve on their own even without medicines.
During attacks
- abdomen visibly swells
- abdomen can feel hard/tight
- sometimes touching it hurts
- curled-up sleeping position sometimes helps
- after waking up pain may partially reduce
- I can usually still pass gas and stool
- maybe passing gas helps somewhat
I do NOT usually get:
- vomiting
- fever
- diarrhea
- blood in stool
- urinary symptoms
Frequency / timeline
The episodes happen roughly every 3–6 weeks, though gaps vary.
Some recorded episodes:
- 21 Dec 2022
- 12 Jan 2023
- 06 Feb 2023
- 24 Feb 2023
- 08 Apr 2023
- 31 May 2023
- 04 Jul 2023
- 29 Jul 2023
- 01 Sep 2023
- 18 Sep 2023
- 05 Jan 2024
- 08 Mar 2024
- 03 Apr 2024
- 27 Apr 2024
- 19 May 2024
- 13 Jun 2024
- 13 Jul 2024
- 03 Aug 2024
- 24 Aug 2024
- 10 Oct 2024
- 07 Nov 2024
- 28 Dec 2024
- 24 Jan 2025
- 15 Feb 2025
- 03 Apr 2025
- 23 Apr 2025
- 18 Aug 2025
- 08 Sep 2025
- 25 Sep 2025
- 19 Oct 2025
- 18 Dec 2025
- 28 Feb 2026
- 27 Mar 2026
- 05 May 2026
Bowel habits
Normally:
- stool 2 times in morning
- sometimes once again in evening
No major chronic diarrhea or constipation.
Medicines that sometimes help
I usually take:
- Combiflam
It helps around 8/10 times.
I have NOT yet tried antispasmodic medicines like:
- mebeverine
- drotaverine
- hyoscine
Treatments tried
Homeopathy
- Feb 2023 – May 2023
Ayurveda
- Aug–Sep 2023
- Oct–Nov 2023
- Apr–Jun 2024
Allopathic consultations
Multiple gastro evaluations over years.
Important test findings
Stool tests
Stool tests in Dec 2022 and Jul 2023 both showed:
- Ascaris lumbricoides / Ascaris present
- mucus present
- pus cells 4–6/HPF
- occult blood negative
Anti-parasitic medicines taken
- Albendazole
- Ivermectin
- Nitazoxanide
Multiple courses were taken between Dec 2022 and Aug 2025.
Imaging findings
Ultrasounds repeatedly showed:
- terminal ileum / distal ileum thickening or edema
- adjacent caecum involvement
- excessive gas-filled bowel loops
- small reactive mesenteric lymph nodes
CT abdomen (Jan 2023)
Mostly normal except:
- mild fatty liver
No major obstruction, mass, abscess, or severe inflammation seen.
What doctors told me
Mostly vague answers like:
- gas
- infection
- nonspecific inflammation
No final diagnosis was given.
What seems confusing to me
- Why does this recur in episodes for years?
- Why is the pain so severe if it’s “just gas”?
- Why do ultrasounds repeatedly show terminal ileum/caecum abnormalities?
- Could Ascaris actually cause this kind of long-term recurring issue?
- Could this be mild Crohn’s or chronic ileitis?
- Has anyone had recurrent episodic ileocecal inflammation like this?
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has had:
- recurrent lower abdominal colic,
- terminal ileitis,
- bowel wall thickening,
- parasitic-related bowel issues,
- or unexplained episodic abdominal distension/pain.
Thanks.