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Mystery Left Rib Left Quandrant Back Pain LUQ Pancreas?

Posted , 14 users are following.

panxious
panxious

Hey all,

Like many of you on this forum, I too, am searching for answers that the doctors just don't seem to have at this point. I started feeling sick around the end of July 2015.

My symptoms initially were

-bad heartburn

-constant burping

-constant nausea without vomiting

-a burning sensation in my upper left quandrant

-pain under my left rib cage

After pleading with my primary doctor that this was more than just reflux, she did agree to some testing. So far I've had:

-Abdominal CT scan with contrast (due to trace amounts of blood in my urine) They did not find kidney issues, however, they did find 2 lesions on my liver "consistent with oral contraceptives".

-Abdominal MRI to further verify that the liver lesions were from oral contracpetives. Nothing else was found on the MRI

-Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy-no ulcers. Tissues and polyps were biopsied. Nothing remarkable was found. The doctor concluded that there was "non-specific inflammation in my colon and lower intestine. Possibly due to Ulcerative Colitis"

I was on PPI's for a while and decided to stop them. Still have burning/heartburn but it's not a severe as it was. My left rib pain comes and goes but most alarming are the new symptoms:

-constant burping (even after water)

-upper left back pain (can be burning/needling/stinging or just soreness)

-lower left back pain-very intense, not sure if it's in the kidney area

-non specific nausea every morning upon waking

-Fatigue, fatigue, fatigue! I can't stress this enough. I'm so tired all the time and I don't know why. It's not relieved from rest.

-Low Blood pressure

-Intermittent dizziness

-Pounding heartbeat/pulse. I notice this happens a lot as I am falling asleep and sometimes it wakes me up, as I can feel my heart beating so hard

-Itching around my left rib cage

I cannot attribute these symptoms to any specific food type

The problem is, none of my syptoms have been related to UC, which can be quite severe and can interfere with your life. I don't go to the bathroom multiple times a day and definitely don't have blood in my stool or diarrhea.

Went to a 2nd gastro for another opinion in October. He read the report from the endo/colonscopy and basically asked "so why are you here?"

I explained to him that the 1st gastro wanted to put me on Entocort for 3 months to see if that would alleviate my symptoms (it's a steriod for UC). However, I disagreed that this was the correct diagnosis as I didn't present the symptoms of UC, aside from the internal inflammation.

I told him I was concerned about this being pancreas related, given that my left side and back pain could be referred from the pancreas area.

He looked at me as if I was crazy and said that I don't have a family history and that the MRI would have most certainly ruled out any possibility of that. He also said I was too young and that "he hasn't seen anyone under the age of 40 diagnosed with pancreatic cancer"

He has since tested me for:

-Lactose intolerance: negative

-Fructose malabsorption: negative

-Parasites in my stool: negative

-WBC in my stool: negative

Per my conversation with him, I agreed to take 6 weeks of the Entocort to see if it helped. I'm on week 5 and it has done nothing to relieve the symptoms. I have a follow up with him in the 2nd week of December.

I guess I am just wondering where to go from here. I can't help but wonder what else this could possibly be, if not pancreas related. Gallbladder issues typically present in the right side of the body and are severely painful. I would not classify my pain as severe, but nagging.

 

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • Gem1384
    Gem1384 panxious

    Posted

    Hi Panxious,

    Welcome to the club! Lol! You'll find many threads from a lot of us on here that are suffering in daily pain, with numerous tests and no answers!

    If you believe it to be your pancreas then Chronic Pancreatitis is very difficult to diagnose. bespevially in the early stages. I have been suffering since the birth of my last baby in May 2014. The pain got a lot worse in October 2014. Then again in jan 2015 and finally I had a bad episode in May 2015.

    I suffer daily pain, under left ribs and in my back. I have loose stool or yellow/light colour but can also be normal. I do also suffer with righ sided pain which I believed to be my gallbladder (debris found on last ultrasound and hida scan at 30%)

    Please look at some of my threads if you're interested.

    I've had numerous tests. If you're worried it is your pancreas then you'll need at EUS. This is now classed as the best test to diagnose chronic pancreatitis.

    Mine was normal rolleyes but still my pain continues.

    You said you stools are normal. With CP it's either constipation or diarrhoea. The diarrhoea is usually foamy and yellow with oil and the stool usually float. My stools float occasionally and have large amounts of in digested food.

    You might benefit from a feacal elastase stool test but this is usually only tested if you have diarrhoea.

    You might find it useful to join some groups on Facebook, pancreatitis pals has a lot of information from people who have CP or have symptoms of CP and acute pancreatitis. You might fine it beneficial.

    The Drs I see all think IBS, I tried the fodmap diet and it made things worse. My bloating is horrid. I bloat after water.

    I hope this helps!

    • jan91954
      jan91954 Gem1384

      Posted

      Hi Gem.  Your symptoms sound so much like mine and I've had chronic pain for three years now.  The hida scan I had showed my gall bladder wasn't working so they removed it but that didn't change the pain at all.

      everything else, we could be twins. I feel justified in a way that so many of us suffer from pain that the doctors can't diagnose.  All we can do is live the best life we can!

    • alex40331
      alex40331 Gem1384

      Posted

      Iv had the same pain on my left side and back pain

      Iva had lots of bloods test done and a stomache mri, i also had yellowish loose Stools, iv started taking metamulcil and help a bit with the yellowish Stools. Plz keep us informed on yall progress.

  • mandy2607
    mandy2607 panxious

    Posted

    I read your discussion with interest! I don't have all your symptoms but the burning nagging pain ( like having stitch) just under my ribs on my left side for the last 11 months.

    I've also been to my GP on numerous occasions and I've had scans and colonoscopy they did say I've got a small patch of diverticular disease in the lower end of the bowel.

  • Fireid13
    Fireid13 panxious

    Posted

    This is exactly what happened to me started 2 years ago and I have exactly the same symptoms except mine a little more miles than yours I don't really get a nagging pain just a constant stitch under my left rib cage but did start out with all same symptoms as you and never got any worse so I must be doing something right or I'm in the beginning stages of something and that's what I am trying to tell my Dr. But they don't want to listen until they have easy confirmation of something and by then the term prevente care goes out the window. I assume you have had all the blood work you have all your vitamins and minerals checked what about iron, b12, magnesium, and potassium and folate levels. I bet if you get on a good iron pill a food based one along with b12 you'll start feeling a little better the fatigue at least my other symptom is a muscle tingling or fasciculations in my calves my doctor told me right off the bat in my body a couple of years ago and has called malabsorption syndrome and leaky gut not up taking my nutrients from my food trying to repair my gut but I also feel I have a chronic inflammation going on and they say I don't. You also mentioned you had the fructose intolerance test was that with the hydrogen breath test. I will talk to you some more I'm on my way to do some training interested to share. Oh one more thing I have sense too small cyst in my liver one small cyst in my right kidney 1 Glen Ewell as they call it near my spleen which can be mistaken for a cyst or worse so I asked have they confirmed with you what your lesions are in your liver or are they too small to know
    • panxious
      panxious Fireid13

      Posted

      Hey there-

      I have had a full blood panel and nothing remarkable. Also, both of my tests (lactose and fructose) were the hydrogen breath tests.

      My PCP told me the MRI confirmed that my liver lesions were related to taking birth control (I haven't been on this in 3 years) and that no futher evaluation of the liver lesions were needed.

      Interesting that you mention leaky gut...I've researched this heavily because I did feel somewhat that I had issues with leaky gut in the past. However, this is the first time in my life where sickness has affected me so much that it interferes with daily life.

      It's also worth noting that I got sick right after coming back from a stressful work trip in Hong Kong. Long days, 16hr flights, time changes, issues with colleagues etc. I'm not sure but it seems that stress could have easily triggered whatever is happening my body or at least made it more apparent.

    • Fireid13
      Fireid13 panxious

      Posted

      My. Is even admitted that it can go either way it can be good issues that cause stress and vice versa and they both go hand in hand no matter what just like anxiety and depression sooner or later if you have too much anxiety you're going to get depressed and if you have depression it's going to get you anxious at some point as well. Dr throw too many people in one big group and think that we're all ignorant and then when the ones come around that know what's going on they don't like it. What I'm asking is does it have contrasts did you get contrast and how big or small are they mine are about to millimeters of Peace which is very small but I made them confirm with an MRI that they were cyst and I will send you an article or a link that actually and cyst in organs together which I have been wondering for a while now and finally found something that tells me so also they say there's no blood work to prove yeast in the bloodstream but I suspected blood cultures and this article also mentions to recheck after treatment to see if the blood culture show any signs of East so they don't like people that try and I'm wondering why they are not easily coming forth with yes people have power over gross and Candida Health breaks possibly from the diet in the medications they're giving out today and possibly due to the antibiotics and they don't want to admit it and you know why that is because who runs but Dr insurance and pharmaceutical companies so I'm about to threaten them with going to an investigative reporter and blowing this whole thing out of the water I know it sounds like a conspiracy and I'm jumping the gun but I see too many people on this forum and go through the same thing and being a paramedic I know enough of what's going on that shouldn't be when I see it and experience it for myself they are sitting on their butts and not wanting to do any preventive care for anybody. So you have looked into dysbiosis as well correct it kind of means a bacterial overgrowth and a problem with enzymes or hormones and not being able to break down your food they all kinda go hand in hand and can cause leaky gut with an overgrowth. So I will send you the link to that article when I get home. My point is with your fatigue that was my iron I feel pretty good now but also feel if I have a heat intolerance as well and brings it on and I feel sick if I start working out real hard or my worry is going into a fire in overworking myself so I have a lot to think about.
  • AileenM1974
    AileenM1974 panxious

    Posted

    OMG I am going through this right now, everything coming up as tickety boo, bloods good, scans good. Go away and stop bothering us! Feel like I am hitting my head against a brick wall. Do you feel breathless as well sometimes?

    • panxious
      panxious AileenM1974

      Posted

      Yes, absolutely I do feel short of breath. And I don't have anything to connect it to. And I STILL.HAVE.NO.ANSWERS

      It's the most frustrating thing in the world.

    • AileenM1974
      AileenM1974 panxious

      Posted

      wrong answer LOL ;-) xx I am back at docs tomoro to vent again shall keep you guys posted. Its nice to know its not all in my bloomin' head!

       

  • Delgal
    Delgal panxious

    Posted

    Has anybody got any answers yet? I have all these symptoms. They vary in intensity from day to day and week to week. I have liat 1.5 stones after being told it was due to being obese. This has been going on for 18 months now. Today is a bad day as pain is 'grumbling' quite alot and i have a nauseous feeling. Fed up . Com with being fobbed off by doctors. Had ultrasound and xray. Bloods. Also been told that it is muscle sprain damage around the 2 lower floating ribs and not to sleep on that side. When i put any pressure on it i feel pressure in my chest/lungs and feel sick.

  • nicola27252
    nicola27252 panxious

    Edited

    I suppose after three years you don't have an answer to your symptoms? I have the exact same symptoms right now and I'm freaking out. I had an mri of my upper abdomen which only showed gallstones, but I'm scared it's something with my pancreas and read that mri can miss pancreatic problems. I've got an upper endoscopy later today, but I feel I've still got a long way to go to find a diagnosis.

    • panxious
      panxious nicola27252

      Edited

      Hi there! I never had gallstones and the last few years when I wrote these posts were extremely frustrating. However, FWIW, I will tell you what did eventually help. I found an amazing acupuncturist who dx me with Liver Qi Stagnation (google can help explain all the symptoms.) After the first few treatments in combination with herbs, I felt better than I had before. The Western medicine route never gave me ANY answers at all, aside from anxiety. I would highly recommend trying acupuncture (if you haven't already) and find a good, seasoned practitioner. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

  • sonia75029
    sonia75029 panxious

    Posted

    who did all the test is it gastroentrologist ?

    • panxious
      panxious sonia75029

      Posted

      Yes, all the tests were done through my gastroenterologist. Ultimately, nothing came of this. If you see my other recent reply, I went the acupuncturist/Chinese medicine route, which proved to be very helpful for me! 😃

    • charcey97
      charcey97 panxious

      Posted

      I love that you did this! I often feel most people dont use naturopathic/eastern medicine enough. There's a place for both western and eastern medicine. Always beneficial to use both and know when to use one over the other.

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