Sharp belly button pain

I am having this sharp pain in my belly button when I stretch or try to sit straight. It's like a string being pulled behind my belly button and it's very uncomfortable and painful; so to reduce the pain I have to slouch when seated.
The pain came suddenly and I'm worried that it might worsen or that it might be appendicitis. I've still got 3 exams left and really cannot deal with this now as it's affecting my studies.
Please any advices would be very much appreciated!!!

if its only in the middle of your stomach i wouldnt worry about appendicitis. Do pain killers have any effect at all? if they dont go see a doctor

I am having this sharp pain in my belly button when I stretch or try to sit straight. It's like a string being pulled behind my belly button and it's very uncomfortable and painful; so to reduce the pain I have to slouch when seated.
The pain came suddenly and I'm worried that it might worsen or that it might be appendicitis. I've still got 3 exams left and really cannot deal with this now as it's affecting my studies.
Please any advices would be very much appreciated!!!

I had 2 paracetamol tablets an hour or so ago but it's not doing much. I'm fine when slouched down but as soon as I try to stretch or move my belly, it hurts.

I am having this sharp pain in my belly button when I stretch or try to sit straight. It's like a string being pulled behind my belly button and it's very uncomfortable and painful; so to reduce the pain I have to slouch when seated.
The pain came suddenly and I'm worried that it might worsen or that it might be appendicitis. I've still got 3 exams left and really cannot deal with this now as it's affecting my studies.
Please any advices would be very much appreciated!!!

if its only in the middle of your stomach i wouldnt worry about appendicitis. Do pain killers have any effect at all? if they dont go see a doctor

The first port of call would be to take some painkillers. You can take 1g of paracetamol four times per day. In addition to this, you can include 400mg of ibuprofen between doses, assuming you're safe to take ibuprofen.

If your pain is worsening, it's good to know what services are available should you need them. This would obviously include your GP, but you could also see a pharmacist or attend a walk-in clinic. There's also out-of-hours GP and A&E should you feel it is becoming more urgent.

The appendix is a bit of a funny one. Embryologically it originates from the midgut hence early pain is referred to the umbilicus until the inflamed viscera presses against the abdominal wall, at which point the pain moves to the lower right side (classically).

I had something similar to this come on around this time last year (during my finals) OP. It felt a bit like a pulled something/blockage but it was actually the result of chronic inflammation associated with seafood allergy and a change in my diet (I had taken to eating near enough a tin of sardines each day)

You might find the painkillers make it worse/are the cause. I gave myself gut convulsions by routinely taking ibuprofen as a crutch to try to get through uni at one point

I am having this sharp pain in my belly button when I stretch or try to sit straight. It's like a string being pulled behind my belly button and it's very uncomfortable and painful; so to reduce the pain I have to slouch when seated.
The pain came suddenly and I'm worried that it might worsen or that it might be appendicitis. I've still got 3 exams left and really cannot deal with this now as it's affecting my studies.
Please any advices would be very much appreciated!!!

You can take moderate amounts of paracetamol and, like minimarshmallow suggests, only use NSAID gels, not tablets, so you don't destroy your gut

I'm very sorry to hear that but there are other options, which you need to pursue without delay..

Have you spoken to your docs about it? Would be a good idea to get it looked into. I would request a physical examination and possibly an X-ray if it persists. Also look at your diet and what you are medicating with. If you are taking antibiotics then it could be related to your glut flora (especially if you are experiencing IBS), in which case I would suggest pre and pro biotics. I'm happy to give you further advice should you require it

Agreed, and you know I'm more than happy/qualified to do this in so long as you satisfy the H criterion and agree to stick to my regime

You can take moderate amounts of paracetamol and, like minimarshmallow suggests, only use NSAID gels, not tablets, so you don't destroy your gut

I'm very sorry to hear that but there are other options, which you need to pursue without delay..

Have you spoken to your docs about it? Would be a good idea to get it looked into. I would request a physical examination and possibly an X-ray if it persists. Also look at your diet and what you are medicating with. If you are taking antibiotics then it could be related to your glut flora (especially if you are experiencing IBS), in which case I would suggest pre and pro biotics. I'm happy to give you further advice should you require it

Agreed, and you know I'm more than happy/qualified to do this in so long as you satisfy the H criterion and agree to stick to my regime

I can assure you I'm not, 'bro'

Riddle me why an x-ray would be of any use? What would you be looking for, here? An abdo x-ray has two main indications, neither of which are apparent here.

Why would you use a topical NSAID for abdominal pain? The only place this has is MSK pain, particularly the hands and knees. Besides, the risk associated with TDS ibuprofen in a young person for appropriate durations is negligible.

Finally, you have no real idea about this person's pain or their symptoms. Yet you're prattling on about probiotics, GI toxins and other voodoo nonsense.

You describe yourself as 'more than qualified'. You're not.

e.g. to identify any signs of GI inflammation/obstruction/examine faecal load

"To minimize the potential risk for an adverse GI event in patients treated with an NSAID, the lowest effective dose should be used for the shortest possible duration" - drugs.comFurthermore, this is a girl who has had chronic health problems for over a year, including GI symptoms, and who may well have been taking NSAIDs for some time

Your false presumptions astound me Thanks for your constructive comments Riddle me why you're posting here at all - because so far all you've managed is to make a couple of ignorant/false negative assumptions - about the earnest and well meaning advice offered by another user to a couple of users who are in a fix - and use antagonistic language that makes you look an turgid prick? I'm eminently 'qualified' for the role to which I was referring, thank you

I can assure you I'm not, 'bro'

Aye, but NSAIDS can do less damage to your gut if applied topically than ingested, although there are still risks

Good. Standard tests will include urinary analysis I should think (examining any related UTIs, which are of course among the most plausible causes)

Was given anti-convulsants when I had the convusions, but that wasn't really appropriate (mind you, neither the doctor nor I knew at that stage what the cause was). Regarding the later issue, I was told charcoal would be good for soaking up any GI toxins, and peppermint oil for tackling indigestion (again, neither the doc nor I knew at that stage what the cause was)

Not around meals I hope
Little and often, not too fiberous/rough, and always complex carbs over high refined sugars/processed foods + EFAs + Colostrum + Pre/Pro-biotics + NAC (if symptoms are allergic/inflammatory linked). Given the strength of your hay fever, and possible connection to oral cross-reactivity, you ought arguably to consider what you are eating e.g. see my leaky gut article for a list of foods belonging to different allergenic food families (coloured writing just over half way down the page)

Also, if you have a lot of runny food/don't chew much, and have irregular bowel movements, consider chewing gum for half an hour or so immediately after eating

If you're still hypertensive then that's a good call - I'd maintain electrolytes if sweating a lot but otherwise keep salt intake to a healthy minimum

It was near the naval, but that was incidental, and the area was normal to touch, but particularly uncomfortable when prodded in certain places. It was quite acute discomfort, that came on quite quickly, which is weird for a chronic allergic response, but there you go!

Like you say you can always be discharged for a few days and then see you get on and return if needs be. Will discuss/agree the details with you in person

An abdominal xray for faecal loading is an inappropriate use of resources and an unnecessary radiation exposure. And do you really think that this person is obstructed? Based on what, exactly? Also below you state that she's had problems for over a year - you think that she's been obstructed FOR A YEAR? Have you ever actually seen anyone with obstruction?

An abdo xray should not be the first port of call for GI inflammation unless you're wanting to rule out toxic megacolon in someone with inflammatory bowel disease, and they would be acutely unwell indeed.

So you think she has a peptic ulcer? With umbilical pain? Really? Have you examined her abdomen? Asked her about malaena? Reviewed her full blood count? You're making a lot of presumptions here and giving advice which is incorrect. A topical NSAID is not appropriate for abdominal pain.

I've offered the original poster advice to ensure that he/she has covered the basics along with some advice on how to seek further attention. This is all the advice that SHOULD be given based on such little information and the fact that this is nothing but text on a screen.

The only thing you're qualified to do is peddle quackery.

What is your problem?