Pancreatic Cancer?

Posted , 10 users are following.

Hello,

I am 20 years old and male, and I have been experiencing symptoms for months and doctors still suspect IBS but I suspect something else.

Since about 5 months ago, I have been passing very greasy, floating stools that are light brown and I am seeing some undigested food in my stool such as rice, nuts, etc.  Then about a month and a half ago I began experiencing mid back pain that has since spread around my back, and up my spine to my upper back. I started getting upper abdominal pain as well, which comes and goes and feels like a dull ache and sometimes is worse when I bend forward, and I now have abdominal pain on the right and left sides under my ribs too. Also some right sided chest pain, where my lungs might be.

I have lost very minimal weight and it has remained relatively stable but I eat a lot so that might mask the weight I should be losing.  I am itchy all over sometimes but my skin is not yellow and my eyes are not noticeably yellow, only when I lift my eyelid I see a bit of yellow but I REALLY have to look. I lost my appetite for the past few days and I am nauseous in the morning, but I was extremely anxious and had drank a lot the day before so that may have just been from a hangover. I also have gotten depression which is also a symptom of pancreatic cancer unfortunately.

EVERYTHING on google says I have pancreatic cancer. I also have health anxiety. Blood tests and abdominal ultrasounds have come back normal, my Lipase level is 109 which is sort of on the low end of normal. I have had CEA and CA 19-9 blood tests which have showed up within normal limits, and I had a CT scan 10 months ago before I had these symptoms for something unrelated (possible appendicitis) which came back normal for my pancreas. I am vitamin D deficient so I’m taking supplements, fiber, probiotics, and nothing is really working for my digestive issues. I am worried about something like pancreatic cancer or gallbladder cancer, and I don’t know what to do. I just want to have peace of mind. Should I worry?

0 likes, 28 replies

28 Replies

Prev
  • Posted

    Hi everyone. Quick update. So I had another CT scan done and they found swollen lymph nodes in my abdomen and my spleen was enlarged, just like on my last CT scan last May. They also found a 5 mm nodule on my right lung. Not sure what that means.
    • Posted

      Has your doctor told what these findings mean?  If they haven’t, ask your doctor to explain them to you.
    • Posted

      No, the doctors haven’t said anything to me yet. Does this sound like lymphoma to you? I’m so scared
    • Posted

      Swollen lymph nodes in your abdomen could mean any number of things including infection such as gastroenteritis which is a very common cause.  I don’t know what the enlarged spleen and lung nodule could be.  Keep going back to your doctor and push for an explanation.
    • Posted

      Hi joey. Just wondering how u are getting on with ur diagnosis? 
    • Posted

      Hi, sorry for the late update. They looked at my first CT before the most recent one and could see the nodule and said it has not grown in a 10 month span. So I don’t believe they want to go further.
  • Posted

    Since the doctors suspect its IBS I wouldnt worry as much. It looks like you have health anxiety. ive has IBS for the past year. And all the symptoms youve said are what I typically go through. Remember that anxiety makes IBS symptoms much worse. So try to forget about the issues and try to calm yourself. Youll see a really big difference if you worry a lot less. 
  • Posted

    Update: 

    They looked at my first CT before the most recent one and could see the nodule and said it has not grown in a 10 month span. So I don’t believe they want to go further. I don’t know if I should be okay with this. I get pain sometimes in that spot where the nodule is but I might just be hyper aware or anxious.

  • Posted

    Hi Joey,

    I am in the same boat as you. Exact same symptoms except most of my pain is under the left rib cage. I have floating stools too. Except, the weird thing is when mine hit the water, this weird yellow, yellow/brown liquid starts draining out of it (sorry to be graphic). I’m stuck in this constant state of panic as well, constantly thinking they’ve missed something.  It’s a miserable existence.  I am glad your CT was clear, I am pushing for a MRCP and hope to get it soon. I keep looking at my son, and my wife who is pregnant with my first baby girl and sometimes just want to sob, thinking I will not be around to see them grow. I hope you get better and get a final diagnoses that makes you well. Best of luck. 

    • Posted

      Hi,

      I have very similar symtomps including upper left back pain, have you found out anything?

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.