Recurring Abdominal Pain

Fever and abdominal pain are a serious medical concern when they occur together, because they can be caused by an infection. Contact your doctor right away to arrange an urgent visit so you can have an examination!

Fever can arise from infection or from the inflammation that comes from an autoimmune illness. In someone your age, one of the most common causes of recurrent lower abdominal pain with fever would be autoimmune illness.

Based on your symptoms, one of the first tests your doctor is likely to recommend may be an x-ray series with swallowed contrast ("upper GI series") or a computed tomography scan (CT scan).

An upper GI series can identify inflammation in the small intestine.

A CT scan can be useful if infection is suspected.

Diagnoses that your doctor might consider include

• appendicitis

• Crohn's disease

• diverticulitis. (This is less common in people under age 40.)

• pelvic inflammatory disease

• ulcerative colitis.