Not feeling well - nausea, right back pain, weight loss

Hi Kurt, thanks for the reply.  I don't drink.  Back in my college days, yeah, plenty.      Only on rare occasions since.  Last drink I had was probably 10 mo. ago.  I do admit to indulging in a lot of bad food though on a regular basis (pizza, chocolate, chips, were some of my biggest vices).  Ever since my issues started however I've cut all that stuff out.  I was also a pretty active guy before, doing cardio 3-4x per week.  Haven't worked out in a long time as I feel like I can't afford to burn the calories now.  I miss the old me.

Is your ULQ pain in front as well as the back?  How would you describe it?

My only pain in the front is more like muscle tendon pain, just left of center, where the last rib meets the sternum.  I can pretty much put my finger right on it.   I asked my PCP about it once and he mentioned it may be costochondritus pain, but I'm not sure.  I wouldn't describe any of my pains as debilitating, just sort of nagging.

Could be the fatty foods doing it to you than.. sounds like your not getting enough nutrients, like your body isnt absorbing enough.. 

Its so hard to describe the pain, its just constantly there.. sometimes its sharp but majority of the time its a dull ache and crampy feeling..

I know what you mean about the pain just left of centre on the chest i have that to its like between my nipple and centre chest but at the last rib there

Hi Reefsider, 

I'm currently seeing a GI doctor who's part of a group that specialize in GI and liver.  I was recently referred to him through a friend who's a surgeon.  Back in Oct I went to a liver specialist at a larger metropolitan medical campus, but after reviewing my case they pretty much said I didn't have anything serious based on my normal labs.  They performed a quick fibroscan of my liver to test for signs of cirrhosis and it came back normal.  The Dr performed the scan himself (nearing close of business hours I guess, and they were 'fitting me in' as it wasn't a regularly scheduled apt), which I thought was weird, and it seemed like he only tested one point on my right side.  The whole experience however felt a little odd, as if they were just placating me since I didn't have any obvious signs of liver damage, looked healthy, and all my recent blood work was normal.  They told me to come back if my liver enzymes change.

To be honest, early on I was never really concerned about my pancreas as being a cause to my symptoms.  I was more concerned about my liver as that was only thing that was called out on the CT scan as being 'abnormal'.  But I could not find much information linking my digestive issues to the liver, other than issues stemming from major liver damage which i don't seem to have.

Ive been reading a bit on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and pancreatitis and while both appear to have some correlation with my digestive symptoms I don't seem to have a lot of the 'classic' pain symptoms.  I'm anxiously waiting for the results of my most recent MRI/MRCP (performed this past Fri).  To be honest, I'm kinda hoping they don't find an issue with my pancreas as its one of the thing that's most concerning me right now.

Also wondering if SIBO may be the major reason for my current condition (its been known to cause malabsorption as well), though I've read that its often viewed as more of a condition from some other underlying cause.

I'll try and keep you all posted.

 

Thanks for  responding.  Be aware that if you have chronic pancreatitis, and I hope you don't, that you may not experience much pain.  A lot of people do especially during the acute stage but as the disease progresses it's not uncommon for the pain to decrease or go away altogether.  Sounds bizarre I know.  I seem to get a generalised stomach ache when my (chronic) pancreatitis is playing up, sometimes sharpish pain in stomach area but generally I'm pain free just uncomfortable with constant diarrhea/constipation/bloating.  So don't assume your pancreas is tickety boo because you're not in excrutiating pain, follow through, your weight loss is a bit of a worry methinks and your symptoms should be investigated more methinks.  I agree your symptoms could still be as a result of SIBO. Push on.

BTW many of us with chronic pancreatitis have never been drinkers or fatty food fans, sometimes it just happens.  I have another weird disease and my diagnosis was Chronic Auto Immune Pancreatitis.  I have malabsorption issues, malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies etc etc.  It's a bummer and I hope you don't have it but do push for answers.

What were your symptoms in terms of pain? How long and where? Pain aggravated by moving the body?

That's what I feel, and it's in the LUQ, plus nausea and change in bowels.

Hi there pcbessa.  I'm weird medically so not sure my signs were at all typical.  My doc's thought it was another 'thing' I have and put me in hospital periodically for strong pain relief.  That went on for a couple of years on and off.  Didn't do a thing and I kept saying the pain was different but it fell on deaf ears.  

My pain was like a high stomach ache which went through to my back mostly, interspersed with sharp pain at about where my ribs start on left.  Movement did exacerbate the pain, I'd basically have to sleep where I landed many times and woke myself up if I turned in my sleep, it was awful and I was hunched over like I'd just had abdo surgery when walking around. 

Sometimes I felt I was having a heart attack, would perspire, get dizzy feel nauseous and was even monitored in the ER with suspected heart attack one time.  I'd also get an incredible thirst sometimes so then I started thinking I might have diabetes because my bsl was all over the place too.  My guesses were wrong but at least I was thinking about it unlike my doctors'.

The telling symptoms for me were my bowel movements, my malabsorption issues, food went through within 15 mins max of eating.  My doc's didn't hear me at all, they all get so obsessed with my other thing.  I moved  to the city, found a decent GP who doesn't blame everything on that.  I requested an abdo CT which showed my calcifying pancreas, was referred to the best gastro guy who specialises in the pancreas hereabouts had the endoscopy etc and here I am.  I hardly get pain now btw, sometimes but more the stomach ache than the sharp pains, a chronic thing apparently.

We're all different and throw different symptoms depending on which bit's dodgy.  Whenever something doesn't fit a precise format doc's pass the buck these days (I've found, but I'm getting old and remember more thorough times).  

The problem is that once gall bladder, liver, pancreas are ruled out the doc's feel great, tell the patient to feel great and drop the ball entirely or often, start on the mental health route which isn't always appropriate.  Meanwhile there are still numerous ills which can be overlooked and the patient's symptoms remain or get worse. It requires persistence if one is to get answers sometimes.  

Sorry for long response your question got me thinking about the process on my way to diagnosis which brought up all my memories of frustration back then.  Besides I've always been a short story long sort of gal. Hope there's a helpful word or two in there for you.