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What Causes Bloating, Rapid Weight Gain And Pain In Right Shoulder Blade?
Posted on
Tue, 5 Jul 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 5 Jul 2016
Answered on
Sat, 30 Jul 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : in January of 2015 began to have a dull "pain" under right shoulder blade. felt like a pulled muscle if anything. did not pay much mind.
did not affect any of my lifestyle.
continued to be an avid runner, fit lifestyle and college football coach.
resurfaced in november of 2015 and came with more gas, and constipation.
bowel movements are regular but when i have to go, i have to go.
stool sometimes appears waxy.
since december of 2015 have felt bloated and have gained weight that i cannot lose, despite running 20k and 10k races and living an active lifestyle.
my appetite is healthy...have had no nausea or loose bowels.
felt more fatigued than usual.
most prevailing symptoms are the shoulder blade, the bloated abdominal feeling and the weight gain.
did not affect any of my lifestyle.
continued to be an avid runner, fit lifestyle and college football coach.
resurfaced in november of 2015 and came with more gas, and constipation.
bowel movements are regular but when i have to go, i have to go.
stool sometimes appears waxy.
since december of 2015 have felt bloated and have gained weight that i cannot lose, despite running 20k and 10k races and living an active lifestyle.
my appetite is healthy...have had no nausea or loose bowels.
felt more fatigued than usual.
most prevailing symptoms are the shoulder blade, the bloated abdominal feeling and the weight gain.
Brief Answer:
Stool exam/culture, ultrasound-abdomen , colonoscopy, fasting blood glucose, endocrinological assay..
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query,
I understand this could disturbing, but no real need to bother much as of now. Some drugs could cause weight gain like steroids. It might be important to know if you have taken any lately and also to check fasting blood glucose levels to be sure you are clear of diabetes.
Great to know about the running but in case your feeding habits have not changed lately, you are on no drugs and despite regular exercise of similar/usual intensity you are still putting on weight, the opinion of an endocrinologist, to exclude and possible hormonal disorder might be required.
With regards to the shoulder blade issue, doing a chest X-ray might be useful. Abdominal discomfort as you describe generally improves with exercise, diet (vegetable and fruit rich) and drink more fluids. Persistence could be explained by conditions like irritable bowel syndrome of some functional disease. An abdominal ultrasound, direct stool examination and culture might be required.
Do you have any family history of a colon tumor? If yes, you might need to do a stool hemocult (detecting blood in the stool or a colonoscopy).
Thanks and kind regards as I wish you the best of health. Please, do feel free asking further questions in case of need.
Kind regards,
Dr Bain
Stool exam/culture, ultrasound-abdomen , colonoscopy, fasting blood glucose, endocrinological assay..
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query,
I understand this could disturbing, but no real need to bother much as of now. Some drugs could cause weight gain like steroids. It might be important to know if you have taken any lately and also to check fasting blood glucose levels to be sure you are clear of diabetes.
Great to know about the running but in case your feeding habits have not changed lately, you are on no drugs and despite regular exercise of similar/usual intensity you are still putting on weight, the opinion of an endocrinologist, to exclude and possible hormonal disorder might be required.
With regards to the shoulder blade issue, doing a chest X-ray might be useful. Abdominal discomfort as you describe generally improves with exercise, diet (vegetable and fruit rich) and drink more fluids. Persistence could be explained by conditions like irritable bowel syndrome of some functional disease. An abdominal ultrasound, direct stool examination and culture might be required.
Do you have any family history of a colon tumor? If yes, you might need to do a stool hemocult (detecting blood in the stool or a colonoscopy).
Thanks and kind regards as I wish you the best of health. Please, do feel free asking further questions in case of need.
Kind regards,
Dr Bain
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
no history of colon issues.
no blood in stool.
no past physical issues whatsoever.
the weight gain, and bloatedness of my stomach are concern.
and the shoulder blade issue that began in january of 2015.
i am a football coach so there is stress in my life.
but i do not feel this is stress related.
could it be a gall bladder issue?
i'm never in any pain, more of an issue of nuisance and something i feel, like a pulled muscle.
have a lot of gas and stomach rumblings and when i have to have a BM, i have to go immediately. don't have much control of it.
rest of life is normal, exercise, sex drive, drink lots of water, eat some fruit and vegetables, take fiber supplements, am a meat eater, but stay away from fast foods. what other questions would you have for me?
could it be gall bladder?
no blood in stool.
no past physical issues whatsoever.
the weight gain, and bloatedness of my stomach are concern.
and the shoulder blade issue that began in january of 2015.
i am a football coach so there is stress in my life.
but i do not feel this is stress related.
could it be a gall bladder issue?
i'm never in any pain, more of an issue of nuisance and something i feel, like a pulled muscle.
have a lot of gas and stomach rumblings and when i have to have a BM, i have to go immediately. don't have much control of it.
rest of life is normal, exercise, sex drive, drink lots of water, eat some fruit and vegetables, take fiber supplements, am a meat eater, but stay away from fast foods. what other questions would you have for me?
could it be gall bladder?
Brief Answer:
abdominal ultrasound, gastroenterologist, opinion
Detailed Answer:
Hi and sorry for the late response,
Gall bladder issues could present with a dull pain too. Other conditions like an enlarged liver or spleen as well. An ultrasound with be very useful in giving a clear picture of what's going on around the gall bladder and other abdominal structures.
Considering the healthy nature of your exercise and diet life, persistence of thse symptoms are more in line with irritable bowel syndrome. Drugs that modify intestinal motilityvare available. The opinion of the gastroenterologist for a complete review and an ultrasound to me still remain priorities
Trimebutine and Dicetel could be helpful for a start.
Kind regards
Dr Bain
abdominal ultrasound, gastroenterologist, opinion
Detailed Answer:
Hi and sorry for the late response,
Gall bladder issues could present with a dull pain too. Other conditions like an enlarged liver or spleen as well. An ultrasound with be very useful in giving a clear picture of what's going on around the gall bladder and other abdominal structures.
Considering the healthy nature of your exercise and diet life, persistence of thse symptoms are more in line with irritable bowel syndrome. Drugs that modify intestinal motilityvare available. The opinion of the gastroenterologist for a complete review and an ultrasound to me still remain priorities
Trimebutine and Dicetel could be helpful for a start.
Kind regards
Dr Bain
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
i am not convinced it is IBS.
what would explain the should blade and rib "pain" on right side?
what about the unusual weight gain and inability to lose the weight?
i have been constipated, but when i have to go, i can barely hold and have to go immediately.
i have had no nausea, no vomiting, no fever, no chills, no jaundice, no diarrhea, no loss of appetite, still love food, but i have been more gassy then ever before in my life and i can hear my stomach way more than ever in my life, it's always making noise.
i am sluggish and lethargic at times and seem to have less energy then before, despite no changes to my lifestyle. i still work hard as a football coach and exercise a lot.
it is just strange since i first noticed the "pain" in my right shoulder blade in january of 2015, that it has not affected my life. it is more prominent now and i also now know it is not a pulled muscle, as it has been accompanied with the other factors, including some abdominal "pain"...again it is not painful as much as i recognize something is amiss. it comes and goes and maybe eating affects it, but not enough for me to notice, being active makes symptoms actually go away. they are more prominent when i am just sitting around, and they become more noticeable late in the afternoon. i am not tender to the touch nor have any pain, deep breaths not a factor. i feel bloated in my stomach and fat and full.
what are these "Trimebutine and Dicetel could be helpful for a start."
and where can i get them?
i will wait for your answer
what would explain the should blade and rib "pain" on right side?
what about the unusual weight gain and inability to lose the weight?
i have been constipated, but when i have to go, i can barely hold and have to go immediately.
i have had no nausea, no vomiting, no fever, no chills, no jaundice, no diarrhea, no loss of appetite, still love food, but i have been more gassy then ever before in my life and i can hear my stomach way more than ever in my life, it's always making noise.
i am sluggish and lethargic at times and seem to have less energy then before, despite no changes to my lifestyle. i still work hard as a football coach and exercise a lot.
it is just strange since i first noticed the "pain" in my right shoulder blade in january of 2015, that it has not affected my life. it is more prominent now and i also now know it is not a pulled muscle, as it has been accompanied with the other factors, including some abdominal "pain"...again it is not painful as much as i recognize something is amiss. it comes and goes and maybe eating affects it, but not enough for me to notice, being active makes symptoms actually go away. they are more prominent when i am just sitting around, and they become more noticeable late in the afternoon. i am not tender to the touch nor have any pain, deep breaths not a factor. i feel bloated in my stomach and fat and full.
what are these "Trimebutine and Dicetel could be helpful for a start."
and where can i get them?
i will wait for your answer
Brief Answer:
An opinion fron endocrinologist- eventually Gastro, intestinal motility iss
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the update,
Sorry for the late response. From your detailed response, I think the opinion of the endocrinologist still stands in my opinion. Lethargy, difficulties to lose weight despite healthy life style/diet deserve a keener attention.
Doing an abdominal ultrasound shall of course be helpful in ascertaining integrity of structures like the liver and gall bladder, which could give referred shoulder blade pain in case of some diseases (stones etc).
It is sure that you should be having issues with intestinal motility. Dicetel and Trimebutine and intestinal motility modulators and are generally helpful in such conditions. I am afraid not very sure if they are sold over the counter in your city or not. In most countries, these are over the counter drugs.
A complete clinical review from an endocrinologist and eventually a gastroenterologist would be my advice for now.
Thanks and kind regards as I wish you the best of health.
Dr Bain
An opinion fron endocrinologist- eventually Gastro, intestinal motility iss
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the update,
Sorry for the late response. From your detailed response, I think the opinion of the endocrinologist still stands in my opinion. Lethargy, difficulties to lose weight despite healthy life style/diet deserve a keener attention.
Doing an abdominal ultrasound shall of course be helpful in ascertaining integrity of structures like the liver and gall bladder, which could give referred shoulder blade pain in case of some diseases (stones etc).
It is sure that you should be having issues with intestinal motility. Dicetel and Trimebutine and intestinal motility modulators and are generally helpful in such conditions. I am afraid not very sure if they are sold over the counter in your city or not. In most countries, these are over the counter drugs.
A complete clinical review from an endocrinologist and eventually a gastroenterologist would be my advice for now.
Thanks and kind regards as I wish you the best of health.
Dr Bain
Note: Revert back with your health reports to get further guidance on your gastric problems. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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