Challenge to diagnose

I have had a difficult time getting a diagnosis for a chronic condition which started about ten years ago and has been getting worse. I have an ever-present pain in my upper left quadrant and left upper flank. When I lie on my stomach and raise my left leg, there is a pressure as if something is inflamed in my abdomen. That never changes, but I also have bloating  and flatulence that comes and goes. That seemed much better after 3 months in Asia, so I am thinking it may be wheat and/or dairy related. I also noticed that my skin was more smooth after being in Asia, although the small bumps that I normally have are not what I would call  a rash. When I returned home and the bloating got bad again, I got tested for parasites, but the tests were negative. Sometimes I have soft stools, but not diarihia. The pain is not intense except when lots of gas. There is also steady but mild pain around my heart cavity, like maybe the lining is a bit inflamed, or perhaps this is a refered pain.
ALL of these pains occur only on the left side.
A new set of neurological symptoms has shown up in past six months, perhaps related, perhaps not. I have blepharospasm (twitching) in my eyelids, and my voice is unreliable ( slips). These two symptoms are definitely worse when there is stress or anxiety. I also have occassional heart palpations (pounding) , but unrelated to exertion or stress, and tingling on the bottom of my feet.
I had cat scans last week on my abdomen and head, and they were good...so that was a relief! I had a colonoscopy two years ago, and aside from a few small diverticula which the doctor said wouldn't explain my upper
pains, it was good. There is no pain on palpation of my abdomen. I have not lost weight ( alas). My recent ekg was fairly normal other than the one irrithmia that showed up ( they are not related to exertion and I only notice them a few times a day) which the doctor diagnosed as benign.  I am in pretty good health other than this darn abdominal problem
I would love to get a diagnosis and get my health back. Any ideas would be so very greatly appreciated!

[meniere135]

I would try a gluten free diet.  It might help your arrythmia too.  When you have a gluten problem, many vitamins and nutrients don't get absorbed.  Look up celiac disease and read about the diet.  I don't know if it will solve all of your problems, but maybe some , or all, will be helped with the diet.  Two of my brothers had atrial fibrillation and when they started the gluten free diet (for other reasons) the atrial fibrillation went away for both of them.  They haven't had an episode for 10 years.  As for the tingling on the bottom of your feet, I get that when my lower back feels like I want to stretch it - it must be clamping down in the vertebrae to some extent.  The blepharospasm might be due to a deficiency - stress makes everything worse!  When you are stressed, we use up many nutrients and end up temporarily deficient and we also tense up in the spine usually and that can cause many symptoms from your head to your toes.  I would start with the gluten free diet - since you felt better in Asia.
And lactose intolerance also can be a result of celiac disease.  Some people can reintroduce it later without a problem.  But many people just can't touch cow's milk.
Just eat au natural!  Fish, meat, chicken, etc. with veggies and fruits.  Try rice and potatoes - not prepackaged (they can contain gluten).  Avoid soy sauce with wheat in it.  I use La Choy.  See how it goes.  Nature Made vitamins are gluten free.  If on any medications, check with your pharmacy to make sure they are gluten free.  It's an easy thing to try.  

Good luck!

[lindentree]

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my post. I will try the gluten free diet. I got blood drawn yesterday to check for gluten antibodies. I am actually hopeful that the problem is gluten, because the progoisis is good for recovery.
Bless you for your help!

[meniere135]

Even if your gluten antibodies come back negative, give the diet a try.  Many people are "intolerant" to gluten (can't digest it too well) but their bodies don't make antibodies to it.
My one daughter tested negative to the antibodies, but I put her on the diet anyway and WOW!  What an improvement!!!!!!!!!!  For some, another angle to think about is that gluten feeds yeast - and maybe yeast is your underlying problem and gluten elimination helps them die off.  It's no so simple as "Celiac disease".

Good luck and may God bless you with relief!!!!!!!!!!