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Symptom Checker

Step 4: Read and complete the decision guide to learn more about your symptoms.

Recurring Abdominal Pain

Lower abdominal pain with weight loss can be caused by intense inflammation in the bowel. Because you are young, cancer is less likely.

Because you have a "red flag" symptom along with your abdominal pain, it is imperative that you have a medical evaluation without delay. Please call your doctor today to arrange an urgent evaluation.

In addition to blood tests, your evaluation might begin with a test that can view the inside of your colon or small intestine. Examples are a colonoscopy or an x-ray series with a swallowed liquid that can be seen on x-ray ("upper GI series").

The most common causes of inflammation in the bowel that cause recurrent symptoms are "inflammatory bowel" diseases, including

  • Crohn's disease

  • ulcerative colitis.

Other conditions that are less likely to be the cause of your symptoms include

  • celiac disease (celiac sprue)

  • colon cancer

  • lymphoma.

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