Hi Patrice 13,

Your prob sounds a lot like mine.  Since I kept calling it a "gas bubble" or "ball stuck-in-there", I felt that the docs didn't believe it was anything more serious than gas.  Ha!  This "thing" was causing serious pain & during a "flare-up" I'm not able to do much of anything - except suffer.  Nothing helps.  

The "bubble or ball" is there all of the time, as if it's stuck.  Sometimes it even seems to spasm.  The "ball" resides in my Left Upper Quadrant, under my left breast & inside my ribcage.  I feel the largeness or pressure from it through my upper chest & upper abs - right thru to my back.  The doctors seem to think there is nothing there except intestines, so it MUST be IBS.  (I refused to accept that because this wasn't affecting my bowels)  Yet, they still said 'IBS'.  

All tests were 'normal'.  Ultrasounds.  One scope up & two scopes down.  Two ct scans. Two HIDA scans. Numerous blood tests, etc., etc.  They wanted to do an ERCP to look at pancreas & ducts.  My gastro-doc referred me to a university hospital.

Before the appointment at the university, I went in to my family doc for something unrelated.  He asked me about my "stomach problem."  When I told him it was still killing me, he asked me about the testing I had done thus far.  We talked & he suggested that I have an MRI of that area.  An MRCP.  Easy & noninvasive.  I did it.  

Within one day of the test,- sure enough - it showed a "fluid filled cyst on the gastric pyloric valve, lateral to the head of the pancreas..."

I'm still not even sure of what that means.  Since my family doc ordered the test, he got the results.  He read & explained it to me but told me to take it to the gastro doc.  I have an appt for next week.

It sounds so absurd, but I am actually happy that something was finally found.  I mean, I'm not happy that there IS something wrong, but there is a wierd satisfaction,- sort-of, like, "See, I told you there was something causing this pain" or, "Ah-ha, it's NOT all in my head".  I feel like yelling that they can just take all their pills-that-don't-work & tranquilizers & just put 'em where the sun.....  Well you know....  

...I just don't understand why in the heck it takes such persistance & time, (& so much suffering) to get the right tests to make a correct diagnosis.  Why did I need all those b.s.tests, when I kept telling them where exactly it hurt??? I knew that the problem was just as food empties out of my stomach & enters into the small intestine.  I could feel the "ball" squeezing in there.  I also believe it is causing some disfunction with the digestive enzymes of the pancreas, adding to my discomfort.

Anyway, please insist on an MRCP.  It is a concentrated MRI of this LUQ area.  I hope I can help you avoid some of the run-around.  

Thanks for listening to me.

Thanks for the info, I will pursue that possibility.  I do not experience pain with my bubbles, but maybe it just depends on what nerves are being pressed upon or not?  I can very much sympathize with you regarding the "lights on but nobody home" looks that the doctors give you.  Then after that look, comes the "oh this is just a stressed out woman" look.  And I have been prescribed muscle relaxants and tranquilizers -- and never once filled any of the scripts.  I just do not believe that anyone WANTED to figure out what this really could be.  I do appreciate you sharing your story and if you get a chance let me know what the resolution turns out to be.  Good Luck!

I am not sure about the "ball thing", but I can relate to gas some how causing weird cardiac responses.  It causes tightness in my chest and it feels like an irregular beat.  Once again the doctors don't seemed concerned.  If they haven't seen it in the Medical Books, you can forget it. :(