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I had a needle biopsy today

Posted , 2 users are following.

anthony38874
anthony38874

The procedure was fine.  Twilight sleep sedation so I was unaware during the procedure.  "Woke up" when rolling down the hall in extreme pain in the right side and right shoulder blade.  My wife says I writhed in pain for twenty minutes until the additional IV pain meds took effect.  After the pain meds kicked in, I slept for about two hours in recovery, after finally finding a comfortable position and applying ice. They gave me 1000mg of Tylenol and sent me home.  I layed down in bed and continued hours of trying to get comfortable/snoozing.  After four hours, I took more Tylenol, propped myself up in a good position, ate some grapes, and slept for 90 minutes, and woke up feeling much better.

My wife tells me the nurse who helped with the procedure said my pain had nothing to do with the biopsy and they had only seen this once before.  Let's see, rolled in feeling the usual liver twinge/discomfort, came out almost screaming...

Anybody else experience this before?

Thanks.

Tony

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Markonious
    Markonious anthony38874

    Posted

    I've had a bunch of liver biopsies but have never had the pain you're describing. At most it bothered me for a couple of days, took a few ibuprofens to deal with it. Did they do anything unusual? I've had core needles used most times, up to 16 guage, which is a little larger than 1.25 mm in diameter. But they also used the larger, additional guiding tube needle that the core needle fits into the inside diameter.

    Hopefully the resulting samples provided much needed data. That was the case for me, so the procedure was well worth the discomfort.

    • anthony38874
      anthony38874 Markonious

      Posted

      My doctor thought it may have been a blood clot causing the issue.  I also have intercostal neuritis so I suspect that was the real issue.  Results came back "unremarkable".  The test was ordered in trying to find the liver based reason for elevated ALP (high 130's into low 140's).  I had my gall bladder out a year ago and the surgeon said I had slightly fatty liver but said that would not be the ALP source.  Biopsy came back with no fatty liver, so I am guessing it missed a fat nodule?  

      Six years ago this weekend, I broke my colorbone in ski accident.  Shortly after is when the intercostal thing started, centered right above my liver!  I asked if that nerve pain was triggering the ALP elevation and I was told no.  I also figured out recently I am lactose intollerant, which manifests itself as pressure right around, you guessed it, my liver!  I really dislike my right side these days.

    • Markonious
      Markonious anthony38874

      Posted

      Interestingly I have a chronic liver disease myself and my ALP is always elevated. My disease is called primary sclerosing cholangitis which causes my bile ducts to become fibrotic and this slowly destroys the liver. My right upper quadrant also aches most of the time. It has progressed to end-stage cirrhosis now.

      Hopefully you don't have any such issues. It would be nice if your doctor's could get you diagnosed.

    • anthony38874
      anthony38874 Markonious

      Posted

      Sorry to hear.

      I had blood tests, hida scan and the needle biopsy.  They doctor said from these tests, there was no evidence of primary sclerosing cholangitis.  I am on the get a liver panel done every six months plan now.  How long was your RUQ discomfort in play before your diagnosis was made?

      Thanks.

    • Markonious
      Markonious anthony38874

      Posted

      I guess I had the RUQ vague ache for several years before. I also had other symptoms as well that I simply ignored, GI bleeding, AI joint pain, etc. Guess we all think we're invincible, until we get slapped upside the head.

      If you do have some sort of biliary obstruction, it might show up in a simple urine strip test, direct Bilirubin is excreted by your kidneys. You can buy a package of strips online and they are cheap, have a bunch myself.

  • anthony38874
    anthony38874

    Posted

    I think I figured out the biopsy pain.  Last week I started physical therapy for treating my chronic intercostal discomfort, which is right on top of my liver.  The other day he started working ropie area below my right shoulder blade.  This morning he hit that spot and it recreated the pain of the biopsy. It seems the muscle that was pierced with the needle is the same rib gap that runs all the way around to the knot.  

     

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