Mid back pain on right side

[sargent]

Good Morning, I have had my husband to the hospital emergency room 3 times in the last 2 weeks. The first time he was dizzy and was diagnosed with Vertigo and given a drug called Meclizine generic for Antivert. He was admitted to the hospital because of a pulse rate of 43. He took the medicine for 3 days and the symtoms from it was about as bad as the dizziness.He still has the dizziness. My daughter found some exercises that helped more than the medicine. He now has severe back pain on the right side that wakes him up at night. He was told a muscle spasm and the second time I took him to a different emergency room and they did a ctscan for a kidney stone and found nothing.The Dr. did say it is not a spasm or pulled muscle. It seems odd he did not have this before he went to the hospital the first time. His mother had a stone and it would not pass so they went in to take it out. She never healed from the surgery and went to another hospital and there they found pancreas cancer. By the time they found it, it was to late. My husband was given pain medicine called Loratab and muscle relaxer flexeril. This does not get rid of the pain but helps to tolerate it. He was diagnosed with diverticulitis 2 years ago and was on meslimine for sometime and it did nothing. He stopped taking that and is taking Xango juice made from a mangosteen fruit grown in South east Asia. It also has other juices in it and it has the bowel problems under control. Prior to that he had leg pain and the VA Dr. gave him 800 milagrams of motrin 3 times a day and was not doing regular blood tests and we feel this is what caused the bowel problems. He does not take medicine very often and the 2400 miligrams seemed allot. I may be giving you to much info but I am afraid to leave out anything because it may be something that is pertnent to his problem. I and our 4 girls are so worried we do not know where to turn or what to do next. He too has tried different mattresses and it does not help. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

There an be several reasons for right sided pain, including muscle causes, kidney stones, or abdominal diseases (i.e. irritable bowel disease, appendix disease).  The CT scan would evaluate for kidney stones as well as the appendicitis.  

You can consider a spinal MRI to evaluate for a herniated disk.  A referral to an orthopedist or physical therapist can be considered of the pain continues.  

If the bowel continues to be suspected, a colonoscopy can be performed.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_

[kickylee]

Have the MRI.
Just thought I would throw this out there. For two years no one could figure out my back pain or the pain up under my ribs which was much worse than my back pain.  My bowels were also effected.  After four specialist I was sent to a pain clinic. They were planning on doing a nerve block.  Just by chance, the day I went for my second appointment, I insisted on an MRI due to horrible spasms in my back.  Everything I had was found to be related to a severely herniated disk at T10-T11.  They replaced it with one of my rib heads and all the pain is gone. I would definitely check into the MRI.

Good luck to him!  I know what living with chronic pain is like.

[gail806]

A related discussion, back pain was started.

[shakeit462]

A related discussion, back pain was started.