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Pain under left rib cage - intensifying.

Posted , 12 users are following.

james40298
james40298

Hi, my name is James and in Summer 2017 I started with a strange set of symptoms that made me think I had a pancreas issue.

I had pale stools, tingling skin, itchiness, dry mouth and fatigue as well as a mild but constantly noticeable twinge at the bottom of and under my left rib cage.

My appetite remained okay and there was no weight loss/gain pattern of any note.

I saw my GP who conducted a range of blood tests, urine tests, abdominal ultrasound and a CT with contrast of upper and lower abdominal area . Ultimately, there was nothing remarkable and no diagnosis was made.

Over time the symptoms subsided.

However, a few weeks ago a similar pattern of symptoms emerged. I started with stomach ache which was a mild gnawing pain and my stomach felt very acidic. That passed but shortly after and now for the past 3 weeks i have been suffering with a very dry mouth, itchy skin all over (no rash/redness), pain under both sets of ribs as well as in the kidney areas and tingling skin.

The GP checked for diabetes through urine and blood tests and those tests along with a standard battery of tests (bbc, u&e etc) were all normal.

I then went for an abdominal ultrasound which looked in detail at the Liver, aorta, spleen, kidneys, gall bladder, pancreas and bile ducts and again, the technician said he had a great view of all the organs and it was totally unremarkable and that I have nothing to worry about from that perspective.

So in conclusion, with 2 rounds of this in less than 12 months and specialists, GP 's seemingly unfazed, can anyone, from experience or professional perspective explain the itching, tingling left upper quadrant pain etc.

This has got me feeling really down and I feel like a burden to my family as I know something isn't right but nobody can identify a cause. If anyone has any thoughts, I would love for you to share them.

Thanks for your time.

James

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • DavidUK1984
    DavidUK1984 james40298

    Posted

    Hi James.

    I see we are in somewhat similar situations. I would personally look to try and get a CT scan. The problem is they won't give one out easily, when the ultrasound came back normal. It is a horrible illness to have to worry about.

  • NixKiwiWolf
    NixKiwiWolf james40298

    Posted

    I’ve had pancreatic cancer and even though it took quite a while to diagnose, it was obvious from my first ultrasound that there was something wrong with my pancreas. If all your tests have come back clear, then it’s probably something else. An allergy? Do you suffer from anxiety or stress? I’m not a doctor so if you are still concerned, consult your GP.
    • james40298
      james40298 NixKiwiWolf

      Posted

      Hi Nix. Sorry to hear that you have had Pancreatic cancer. Thank you for your response to my concerns, it is greatly appreciated

      I do suffer badly with anxiety, i just struggle to see how stress can cause such real symptoms. I will speak to my GP in the week. Thanks again and I hope you are okay.

  • NixKiwiWolf
    NixKiwiWolf james40298

    Posted

    Oh, I also had sudden and severe weight loss and episodes of excruciating pain that landed me in A&E a couple of times. The rest of the time I had gnawing pain that made me unable to settle for lng periods of time. No pale stools or blood problems though. But everyone is different.

  • HumanBeing
    HumanBeing james40298

    Posted

    This could very well be stomach acid problem or something related to gut flora. You maybe fighting a viral infection. Try Mastic Gum its a natural product and very effective against mild stomach problems.
  • kay82451
    kay82451 james40298

    Posted

    I would see a good GI Dr.  It could all be caused by anxiety but I’d go to the next step in Drs before I assumed that. 

    Good luck James. 

  • clivealive
    clivealive james40298

    Posted

    Were you tested for an h-pylori infection? This can lead to malabsorption of Vitamin B12 and Folate which are not automatically checked in an FBC,

    I am not a medically trained person.

  • sonya_72817
    sonya_72817 james40298

    Posted

    James40298,

    I'm sorry you are going through this. I totally understand feeling down and like a burden. 

    I often wish I could live with someone who has pancreatitis just so I could be with someone who understands. Sounds ridiculous but when you're the only one who feels these things. Nobody could understand. I know.  I know that chronic pancreatitis is hard to diagnose. Acute pancreatitis is not. You do a blood test. They can see your liver enzymes are elevated. After so many attacks mine don't elevate. 

    I don't know what to say about your different symptoms. Some sound like a pancreatitis issue. Some don't. The tingling and burning does not sound like anything I've had. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more. I just understand you feel bad and wanted to add my support. 

    Be well,

    Sonya 

  • Psychdoc
    Psychdoc james40298

    Posted

    Hi James, I'm truly sorry for how you are feeling. I experienced pancreatitis 14 years ago while pregnant. The doctors all thought it would go away after I gave birth. Flash forward 12 years multiple ERCPs due to a birth defect called a divisum in my pancreas. I had the Whipple surgery in Dec 2016 and have less pain, but now due to absorption problems, I'm 90 pounds. My advice to you is get a good GI doctor and a good pain doctor. Trips to the ER for main meds get you unfairly labeled a drug seeker. Nobody k owns your body better than you. Avoid greasy foods, alcohol and smoking. Good luck and God speed.

  • Tee44
    Tee44 james40298

    Posted

    Hey James did you ever figure out what it was my story is nearly the same..pain under left rib and in abdomen and itching and tingling everywhere intensifying, most of the time without rash though there is sometimes occasionally.. CT scans and MRI's all showing 'unremarkable' but obviously something serious going on after months of this getting worse. Hope you are doing better, thank you.

  • joseph40038
    joseph40038 james40298

    Posted

    Hey James, I feel like this entire post could be a double for what I have been going through for the past 12 months. What ever came of this?

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