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My left side rib cage is sticking out

Posted , 19 users are following.

jon54193
jon54193

I'm still yet to be diagnosed with CP but I have most of the symptoms. Now my rib cage (where that pain is mostly present) sticks out, it's really swollen! Has anyone else had this?

Hope everone is ok.

0 likes, 28 replies

28 Replies

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  • nataliefranc
    nataliefranc jon54193

    Posted

    Jon I think we may of spoken on other posts. I'm also yet to be diagnosed and my left side also sticks out. I used to be on a face book group called chronic pancreatitis support and I remember this issue being brought up. The conclusion was that although quite a lot of people's also protruded on the left side, so does a lot of people's without the condition and quite a few had brought the issue up with their specialist that insisted its nothing to do with cp and just the way your ribs are from birth yet you probably didn't notice until you study the area due to the pain and even a swollen pancreas wouldn't make your ribs sick out. I hope this puts your mind at ease a little.

    Natalie.

    • jon54193
      jon54193 nataliefranc

      Posted

      I rememeber this discussion, thanks Natalie. I believe my left side never stuck out like this before though, it's very much like there is gradual swelling....
  • J0J0
    J0J0 jon54193

    Posted

    Hi Jon, I agree with Natalie mostly but I do find that my left side is very sensitive and a slight knock or jolt sends waves of pains through me. I also find that I cant sleep on that side either and have for the past 7 yrs slept only on my right side as it eases the pain. I seem to be one of those that has constant pain from my CP having to use Zomorph daily to give me enough relief to have some quality of life, I hope this isn't so for you. I also have tried several enzymes, I was started on Creon, it helped some with my food absorbtion but not enough until eventually I was put on Pancreas XL, each from of these enzymes have different levels of ingredients so to speak, depending on what you eat, whether it be a higher protein or Carbo diet etc you would benefit more from a different concoction if you get me. So if you dont get relief from whatever enzyme replacement they start you on  ask them to try another. I hope that helps you, feel free to ask if you have any more queries. 
    • jon54193
      jon54193 J0J0

      Posted

      Thanks Jojo - I'm working on enzymes, they dont seem to help much, yet sad I'm currently on Creon).

      Thanks for your help!!

       

    • J0J0
      J0J0 jon54193

      Posted

      That may need reassessing, have a chat with your doctor smile
  • jason19581
    jason19581 jon54193

    Posted

    Hi, I didn`t have protusions on my left side, but I will tell you how Pancreatitus made me feel! For some reason in the early years, my Pancreatitus always happened on a Sunday morning at around 6 am! I was 17 years old, and very fit and strong! I had just finished touring with the 18 group England Rugby Union Tour! I had on the Tour, a Trauma to my sturnum area, and this is what started my Pancreatitus! It felt like someone was trying to push a blunt wooden steak through from my sturnum to my Spine! The Morphine injections that they gave me in Hospital only worked for about 15 minutes, and then this pain would come straight back! The Morphine injections could only be given every 4-6 hours, so the pain was very intense! The Pancreas does not have much room inside our bodies, and it is surrounded by other organs, and I believe this is why the pain is so intense! In the early years I spent alot of money with private Hospitals trying to get cured, as the NHS could not stop my condition, around £22.000.00, but this money was wasted. I did come into contact with a Consultant in Cambridge, and she had had Pancreatitus also. She told me that she would have given birth to all six of her children in one day, than to suffer with that attack of Pancreatitus! I have never drank alcohol at all, and in the early years it took a long time for the Doctors to believe that I was "Tea Total", so many Doctors believed that my Pancreatitus was due to alcohol! I did have an exploritary operation privately, and my attacks did seem to get a little better, but they never stopped. They took out my Gallbladder during that operation! In 2007 I had to have a Liver Transplant, my Consultant instantly put me on Zomorph and Oramorph, to cope with the Pancreatitus pain! My quality of life since then has been much better, but please remember that my Pancreatitus was caused by major trauma! I spend alot of time trying to help people with Chronic Pancreatitus, and if I can help anyone any further, please let me know. It is a terrible illness to have, and it is only recently known to be a disability! I feel for all of you out there, take care 
    • jon54193
      jon54193 jason19581

      Posted

      What a story Jason! Glad you are feeling somewhat better and great that you help others. Thanks for this message, I think it will give us all strength. 

      Take care too.

    • project2heal
      project2heal jason19581

      Posted

      asi=on, maybe you can hep me. I am 53. I had a very bad attack of acute pancretitis 6 weeks ago. Liver enzymes 10 times normal, visicous vommitin, etc. In hopsital for a week. I semd to be geting progressively better and on a diet to losw weight becaue Ihave tye 2 dabtes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and trigluycerides.  WHile ftigue and mild discomfort has ben common, yesterday the paidn strted a little more especiallly as you suggestee bloww the sternum into left chest and at some points like tothe left shoulder/suppre back.  I am new to this so I dont now what to expxt you sem to have delathwith this a long time. Wondering of the pain coming back is normal?
    • TazK
      TazK jason19581

      Posted

      Wow,sorry to see how much you've had to go through.

      I've had 20+ acute attacks since the I was 6 due to my body's inability to break down triglycerides.

      Condition is now Chronic so I have periods of time where I'm in a range of pain but aside from that I'm extremely fit and healthy.  Acute attacks are down to 1 a year.

      It took me a very long time to find the specialist unit that deals with this - after a 10 year hunt I found the leading specialist in the country Professor Wierzsbicki at St Thomas hospital in London. He has a very busy clinic so appointments are 6 months apart. During that time they've done gene testing and has helped me to understand my condition and corrected my approach towards diet and meal frequency.

      Currently waiting for selection for a medical trial for a new lipid lowering drug

  • Gem1384
    Gem1384 jon54193

    Posted

    Hi Jon,

    I'm guessing things still aren't good for you at the moment.

    I feel like I'm getting to grips with the pain and wham is starts to get worse again. I'm really watching my diet but anything sets the pain off!

    Anyway, I suffer with severe pain if I lean or lay on my left side. The pain is awful! I don't stick out on the side but if I lift my boobs up (sorry tmi,lol) and breathe in and tense my abs, my left ab sticks out a whole lot further than my right, almost like something under it is pushing it further out? I don't work out my stomach muscles so it's nothing to do with over working one side more than the other. It's just really odd. Dr can't give me an answer about it.

    Some one really needs to write a book on the ins and outs of CP that Drs don't know! Especially in the early stages!

    Gem

    • jon54193
      jon54193 Gem1384

      Posted

      Hi Gem,

      Sorry to hear things aren't great. 

      I'm also really bad for the moment. Pain is intense and I get no rest from it. In the last few days my tongue appears to have swollen and feels like it's cut to bits and it looks awful....horrible!!!! 

      Hang in there!

  • jon54193
    jon54193

    Posted

    It's sticking out more than ever now - compelteley deforming my abdomen...

    Major back pain too...

  • jon54193
    jon54193

    Posted

    My dosctors have finally admitted that I have heavy swelling on the left side of my abdomen, mainly around my left ribcage....back in next week for more scans.

    Bloodwork still good but in too much pain

    • TomPlum
      TomPlum jon54193

      Posted

      Hi Jon,

      Did you have the scans yet? Could it be spleen related?

      I have swollen left rib-cage which I fisrt noticed 6 weeks ago, hoped it was just a straining injury as I had been doing some heavy lifting when I first noticed the strange snesations it causes me.

      I'm really thinking it's spleen related for me after 6 weeks of extensive research, so I'm going to visit my GP this week and request a CT scan.

    • TomPlum
      TomPlum jon54193

      Posted

      Mine sounds different from yours however becuase the dicosmfort of mine is not "pain" but rather feelings of pressure running up and around the left chest area and round the side of the left rib cage, like somethings enlarged and pressing on surrounding tissue/organs hence why I'm thinking some sort of spleen issue for myself.

      Best of luck

    • zach89747
      zach89747 TomPlum

      Posted

      I am having similar symptoms! Swelling of left abdomen, discomfort and pain. Did you ever get any answers or find out what was going on? Thanks!
    • TomPlum
      TomPlum zach89747

      Posted

      Hi Zach, There wasn't any pain involved with mine, not ever. Eventually I went down to my GP and talked to hime about my concerns regrding a possbile swollen spleen or spleen cyst(s). He immediatley did a basic spleen examination, i.e. palpation and percussion, for which he found no issues.

      Then about a month later the pressure and strange discomfort feeling on my left-side slowly started to become less apparent week by week, and today it's completely dissapeared. Not sure what caused it, but it took a good 3 to 4 months to go away and stressed me out greatly.

      As regards the bulging of my ribs on the left-side; that remains to this day and my GP said that not everyones ribs are alligned equal on both sides, so not to worry about that.

      I hope yours gets resolved and it's nothing serious.

      Best of luck!

    • zach89747
      zach89747

      Posted

      Thanks Tom, I'm laying in the emergency room now. Going to see what they say. My ribs never did this before! Hope they can tell me why they are sticking out so far and why so painful and hopefully no organ issues. Thanks for the prompt reply...!

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