Are my symptoms from a hernia?

[drtowfigh]

Are my symptoms from a hernia?

Some comments:
– hernias definitely have a genetic tendency. In fact in our study, having a female in the family (such as with your mother) has a stronger genetic linkage.
– I agree with Dr Goldstein. Your symptoms do not sound like a hidden hernia or a femoral hernia and let me explain why:

– hernias do not cause tailbone pain
– hernias are also usually not crampy. Crampy pain is usually related to obstructions of tubular structures such as the ureter or the intestines.
– lying on the stomach is almost always painful with a hernia
– hernia patients almost never lose weight due to pain or fear of eating due to pain. If anything, they gain weight due to inactivity as most hernias are exacerbated with activities.

I would look into internal hernias caused by adhesions or just adhesions alone as the cause of your pain. Though status studies may not show an obvious obstruction, an enterography (either upper GI study or CT/MR enterography) or reevaluation of your prior films may be able to show subtle differences in intestinal caliber or kinking which will lead one to diagnose adhesions as the cause of your pain. If it is so debilitating, and you are not thriving (massive weight loss, for example) and you are otherwise healthy, it may be worth it to perform a laparoscopic exploration, which is an operation.l but it may be worth it’s risks.

You need a general surgeon or a skilled and knowledgeable gastroenterologist who will take his time to look into all of this for you. If Dr Goldstein is offering you his expertise, I would chomp on it! B)