Possible Liver Problems?

[RTMontgomery]

I am 45 years old and a female. For over 7 years I have had an off and on dull pain on my left side. It mostly hurt when I moved. It felt like my ribs were hitting something and it hurt. It would last for a few weeks and disappear. It would flair up maybe once or twice a year. They couldn't   find anything wrong with me. They did ulrasounds and bloodwork. Then last July the pain came back on both sides under my ribs. They did a CT and it was clear. THey did bloodwork and an ultrasound and they were clear as well.Now the pain is wrapped around to my back and sometimes it is a sharp pain.  I can feel it on my sides too. It's like a big rubber band around my upper torso.  It also feels like its swollen in that area, like it wants to come out of my body. I am tired, have Terry's nails (lightly) and Beau's Lines on both thumb nails and big toe nails.  I do get gas often. I pass it both ways.  I have had heart surgery when I was 10 to correct the pulmonary valve and I have Chiari Malformation which I have had to start taking pain meds for. The pain came before the meds though and I do not drink at all. I eat a healthy diet of good fats and good carbs with  no sugar, except for occasional treats. Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? I am so tired of going to the dr and not finding anything!!!  TIA for any help or ideas. I have a call into the DR, again, so that I can see him soon. I was hoping to give him some suggestions! The only thing he seems to want to do is some test to check for ulcers.

[HectorSF]

"Does any of this sound familiar to anyone?"
The symptoms you mention (For over 7 years... dull pain on my left side-the liver is on the right side, swollen in that area, gas) are not symptoms of liver disease or advanced liver disease (cirrhosis).

Pain is an uncommon symptom of liver disease. It typically has many other symptoms that bring a patient to a doctor. When people do have pain from liver disease it is usually because the person has advanced liver disease along with its serious physical changes to the body.

Cirrhosis of the liver can readily be detected using an ultrasound, CT or MRI of the abdomen. If a [person has cirrhosis the scan will show abnormalities of the liver size and structure as well as abnormalities of the blood supply surrounding the liver. Since none of these were found on either your ultrasound or CT scan you can not have cirrhosis of the liver.

Also is would be very common to find abnormalities in your blood lab levels if you had cirrhosis such as a low platelet count and other liver related tests.

Since no one has come up with a diagnosis and you are still having pain I would seek a second or third opinion. Perhaps at a large teaching hospital, if available, where they have the most resources for getting to the bottom of what may be causing your pain.

Best of luck to you.
Hector

[RTMontgomery]

Thank you!!!