I am going to my GP tomorrow and would value advice as to what questions I need to ask, and what tests might be appropriate.

The symptoms are as follows:

Started in the spring of this year.

Acute episodes of pain focussed on the area of the xyphoid section of the sternum, extending to the thoracic spine at a point where I have scoliosis.

The pain usually follows a few days of spinal discomfort in the affected area. It usaully comes on at night [once at 5am].

The onset is about half an hour, and there are loose stools and increasing pain in that time, resulting, I think, from the involvement of abdominal muscles attached to the xyphoid process.
Once the pain is fully developed it is like a deep ache of the most intense pain I have experienced, and it causes restlessness with no amelioration modalities.
Except on one occassion the pain has lasted for about an hour and has then disappeared suddenly, within a few minutes.

If anyone has an idea what this could indicate, and what checks are necessary, please reply.
Thanks, Anna