'undiagnosable' abdominal pain.

Posted , 101 users are following.

Hi there,

I've had right severe abdominal pain, just below my rib line, It's a constant pain and i've experienced it for about 4 months now. At first I didn't really pay attention to it, it then became too painful to ignore at all. I would find myself waking up at night, or having to sit/lay down at work clutching my side. One day at work it became so painful I collapsed, and began having heart palpitations, after calling an ambulance I was sat inside it for 30 minutes or so hooked up to an ecg, my heart beat averaged about 125. I've seen about 10 doctors, 4 of my local GP's, and had 3 trips to AnE. The palpitations proceeded the severe pain a total of 3 times so far, It'd feel as if something in my right side had almost burst and spread across my body becoming numb and having severe chest pain - and I honestly thought I was having a heart attack because of the pain and the feeling of my heart pumping through my chest.

I guess the best thing will be to answer every question they've asked me..

I'm a healthy 19 year old male, I've eaten healthy, exercised often, i'm 10 stone 8, and i'm 5ft 8. I am not a drug user, although I am partial to the occasional binge drink (Like most teenagers).

I do not lift heavy objects, I work in a bar and don't lift any barrels/trays of glasses. I have been a smoker for a year now, and have been cutting down since the pain started, although giving it up entirely is quite hard as i'm finding it the only thing that has relaxed me. I've had no blood in my urine/feces/vomit. I have only vomited once during the 4 months. I do not have a temperature, I do not have a fever, the pain is not increased when pressure is applied. It is not relieved by warm/cold packs etc. The doctors are adamant I do not have appendicitis, i've had 3 ultrasounds which show no stones in my kidneys or galbladder and everything is as of normal size.

When I was admitted into AnE and asked to spend 2 more nights in the hospital I became so bad I had to have someone to hold me up while I walk, I couldn't sit up due to the pain and I would be so tired that I couldn't get out of bed. They had asked me to stay because of one blood test that showed my liver functions spiking high (I think it was billirubin? - and no I had not had a heavy night of drinking or anything the night before It was taken) They released me because they said being an outpatient would be faster (Which, it isn't, as the specialist i've been referred to will not be able to see me until december, when it's september now.)

Through all the doctors i've seen, i've stuck with one who has been incredibley helpful throughout this all, although completely clueless to what is going on with me.

Whilst in the hospital I've had a doctor tell nurses to stop giving me any pain killers because Im probably just a drug addict, and other doctors tell me it's complete anxiety, and others take one look at me and say it's a mucle inflammation under my rib.

It's got to the point where I can't work, my relationships are suffering incredibly because I can hardly do anything. I Can't drink without having incredibly bad hang overs which last for days or throwing up after the first couple of pints, some days I will wake up and sit on the floor because it's too painful to lie down or stand up. My relationship with my partner is suffering, as it is most of the time too painful to be intimate. This is ruining my life, and all the doctors are telling me 'come back if it gets worse, but there's nothing wrong with you'.

But as I said, 3 ultra sounds, 2 x-rays, 15 blood tests (Including one for hepatitus).

And nothing except one liver function spike, the once. My blood sugars are normal, there's nothing abnormal in my urine.

What i've told every doctor i've seen;

I've had severe right abdominal pain. Just below my rib. So severe I can not walk etc. I've had constipation for 4 months a long with the pain, which every now and then seems to just disappear. It seems to become more severe every other week, and on 3 occasions so painful I have collapsed and either thought I was having a heart attack or my appendix had burst due to the pain.

Please, any help is incredibly appreciated, I just want my life back!

Thank you, Alex.

8 likes, 127 replies

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  • Posted

    Inflammation of the Gall bladder or bile ducts doesn't have to involve stones, they can be caused by infections. The doctors are not offering you any answers so do try a fat free diet for a couple of weeks see if the pain abates at all as an experiment. If so, you can probably say it is associated with that area. Worth a go even if it is hard to give up the bacon sarnies :D

    Hope you find an answer and hope the young man recovers soon from the surgery too.

  • Posted

    God bless you Norma x I hope you have found the problem and they can help you.
  • Posted

    Sigh, that all looks wrong, my first post was to the thread starter :D
  • Posted

    Laura-You sound miserable. I am the one with a 22 yr old son suffering from undiagnosed abdominal pain. He had the exploratory surgery, where they thought they would find a intussusception, cut out the "kink", and stitch the small intestine back together. Instead they did not find it. In order for the docs to be able to "see" inside they puff up the belly with gas. My thought is that giving this extra space in the abdominal cavity caused the "kink" to "unkink" itself. Now that it's been almost two months since the surgery and the incision site is mended, he says the original pain now is "manageable"--is a 1 to 2 on the 10-point pain scale. He refuses the big pain killers and anti-depressants. He is eating very healthy now, but is still about 20 lbs. underweight, and I simply do not see him recovering quickly from the weight loss, which makes him look "sickly." I'm sure you have tried all of the different diets: gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Have ANY of these helped? My son also lost his job and had to take a medical leave from college last semester.

    Norma-I wonder why the doc said the exploratory surgery is "dangerous?" It is very invasive, but dangerous?

    I'm saying prayers for all of you.

  • Posted

    Hello everyone, I'm sorry to see all of you are in pain. I, myself have very similar symptoms and was just discharged from the hospital for this abdominal pain that starts right below the rib cage and extends to my back. I've been to many hospitals with no one helping out, for years they've told me it's gastritis but I don't buy it because no amount of anti acids or proton-pump inhibitors has helped. They did an ultrasound to check for gallstones, gallbladder, and liver and it all come back normal. They did blood work which showed anemia but everything else was fine. They brought in 2 GI specialist in on my case since I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant. The doctors decided an endoscopy wouldn't be the best option for me right now so they gave me a list of things that could be the problem.... They said it could be Celia disease which means I would have to start a gluten free diet, they said it could be ulcers which I won't know until 2 days since they're waiting for the results of my stool sample. They also said it could be an auto immune disease where the bile from my gallbladder is going back into my stomach and causing the inflammation. Pretty much I won't know for sure what the hell is wrong with me until I get that endoscopy. Also they couldn't discard the possibility of microscopic gallstones that can Only be seen through an endoscopy. They did give me a prescription for Zantac 150 mg and lidocaine patches for pain. I hope soon I'll find answers.
  • Posted

    Hey everyone, my name is Amanda. My fiance is having the same issues. Severe abdominal pain but all normal test results. Even had the barium xray for the small bowel and the HIDA scan for his gallbladder. All normal. So I've been doing some research and came across a "think like a doctor" article from the New York Times by Lisa Sanders, M.D. it presents the case of a young man with horibble abdominal pain. Admitted to the hospital, all the tests normal, exploratory surgery that found nothing. All the tests results are avaliable to readers. The author asks her readers to come up with a diagnosis, which I know everyone here is waiting for. And the diagnosis was Acute Intermittent Porphyria. Its a rare disease that involves the blood. The heme portion of hemoglobin, thats the part of your red blood cells that contains iron and transports oxygen, doesn't function properly. Now I dont know if this is what's wrong with my fiance, he still has to talk to his doctor. I think he should be tested for it. Has anyone else been tested for AIP?
    • Posted

      Hi Amanda my mother had acute intermittent porphyria it is a very rare disease of which it does cause extreme abdominal pain of which shows up normal in all test.

      There are a lot of things that she was allergic to to the point of (life threatening) which were barbiturates and alcohol and pethedine to name just a few at one point many years ago she almost died through drs not knowing anything of the disease.

      The main test for diagnosis is mainly through a stool test hope all is ok

  • Posted

    Hello! I have been Experiencing similar symptoms . In the lower right quadrant. Under ribs about a inch to the right of my belly button. Mine started about 5 weeks ago. It first happened when I bent over , it felt like I had been punched so hard in the stomach, I ignored it, thinking it was a pulled muscle or something. Time goes on and it continues to happen till one day the pain didn't go away. I have had constant pain for about 3 weeks now. Its excruciating!! I have been to 4 hospitals including Johns Hopkins, (which is the #1 in our country) and they couldn't help me. No one will do a MRI which is frustrating!! The docs feel as tho it's not necessary . It is to me. I feel like I'm dying and every night when I go to sleep I think I will never wake and when I do I thank god for my life. This is no life tho, this pain is ruining my life and my relationship as well. I just want to know what it is. I just had a baby and I can't even nurse him anymore bc of the amount of stress this has done to my body. I have a gi apt my doc wants to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy . I'm Hoping for answers.

    Good luck to you all

    30 /f /usa

    • Posted

      HI:I have similar symptoms. Were you ever able to get this diaganosed?
  • Posted

    I too have abdomen pains that radiate into my lower back and the pain can get so severe. I've had my gallbladder removed too. Smoking weed diea help with the pain that comes on like contractions. Eating takes the pain away too sometimes. Im on acid blockers and have had all kinds of tests, but my pain started only about 8 months ago. I had gastric bypass over 2 yrs ago and didnt have this before.
  • Posted

    Mine also goes to my right side . Its so strange. Its really getting annoying.
  • Posted

    I seem to have similar pain, my pain shoots threw from my right side into my back. Dr had found an infection in my urine, but that has cleared up and pain still remains. My ultrasound came up clean and just my liver was a little high on the blood tests. Now I have to go for another ultrasound because I am getting swelling just below my left ribs, but the pain is on the right? I still have another month before the Gastrologist apt. and I am on 5 different meds for this.

    I have had to leave work 2 months ago and the pain hasn't really ever gone away, just managable at times. If I do to much around the house, the pain is so bad I get dizzy and feel very weak. I am hoping to find a solution soon so I can get back to my life, specially since I can no longer be active with my daughter and fiance. If anything comes up I will be sure to post more.

  • Posted

    @waynet82: As I recall in my son's bloodwork, his liver count was a little high, but I recall exploring that further and PAIN will sometimes increase that count. My son does not enjoy food, and the pain comes when he starts eating. He is considering getting his cannabis card again because this pain seemed to START when he quit weed all together. He's lost about 20 lbs. Is WAY too thin!
  • Posted

    I have also lost 20lbs in the last 2 months, I know I have to eat but I am never really hungry. I also have been told that I have Costoconginitis, which makes my whole rib cage area hurt. Hopefully everything is the cause of one thing. I'm starting to get cabin fever.
    • Posted

      I think you mean "C-O-S-T-O-C-H-O-N-D-R-I-T-I-S," which is an inflammation of the costosternal joint or, the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum or breastbone. 

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