I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but started having having pounding/ throbbing sensations in my abdomen at night, while sleeping. What is the best treatment for this?

Doctor's Answers 1

Photo of Dr Wai Leong Quan
Dr Wai Leong Quan

Gastroenterologist

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common condition experienced by many young adults and teenagers with typical abdominal pain or cramps associated with a change in the stool frequency or stool consistency. These symptoms are frequently precipitated by exams, deadlines and other forms of stress.

Interestingly, throbbing / pounding sensation in the abdomen happening at night is not a usual complain I have come across based on my experience in managing IBS patients. If this pounding / throbbing sensation occurs in synchrony with your heart beat, you may be feeling the pulsation coming from your abdominal aorta. This is especially likely if you are the slimmer or thinner type.

In my opinion, the 1st step in managing this new symptom is to establish the real cause of the pounding. Some pulsations may be benign while others may mean an abnormally enlarged or dilated aorta which requires attention. Do consider getting an advice from you family doctor if this pounding gets worse or getting more prominent. In some cases, dedicated scans may be required to exclude an aneurysm of the major artery.

Dr Quan

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