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Upper LEFT quadrant pain

I am 31 years old. This past May I had severe left sided upper quadrant pain. It felt like it was just under my ribs, usually in the front but sometimes in my side and when most severe, in my back. It lasted for about 3 weeks and I just let it go, confident that it would just go away.
In the first week of August the exact same pain came back. It was so severe that I called my MD after only 3 days. I had chest x-rays, abd sonogram and blood work. The only abnormality was my amylase which was 397. My lipase was somewhat elevated also. I had an abd CT which showed a slightly enlarged pancreas but was told that was probably normal for my age. I was but on prevacid and told to see what happens. I still complained of severe pain do I had an EGD. All was normal. I then had an ERCP done and while no obstruction was noted I did end up with pancreatitis and was in the hospital for 5 days. The 'pancreatitis' pain has now resolved but my original pain remains. I can now relate some of the pain to after meals but that pain usually occurs on the right side. The left sided pain is ALWAYS there. It gets bad and then eases up but is always there. I do become nauseated at times but I am not vomiting. I lost 10 pounds in the hospital but put 6 back on. No further weight loss has been noted. My GI physician is stumped. He did mention sphincter manometry but is hesitant due to my pancreatitis.
What I want to know is this: Is there a profile of patients who have sphincter dysfunction? Are there certain things that cause it or is the cause unknown? Would that cause LEFT sided pain. With the tests I have had done, would CA be ruled out or would that still be a possibility?
                          Thank you,
                              Elizabeth
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A related discussion, Pain in left upper quadrant was started.
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Was wondering if any of y'all got any answers?  I have this same problem since I had my first son by C Section...also sharp stabbing groin pains.  Please let me kknow.  Thanks.
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WOW!  As many of you I was told the same lies by the Dr.!  I went to 3 or 4 different Dr.s the first one said I pulled a muscle and put me on pain killers.  The second Dr. told me I pulled a muscle/pain killers.  The third did some blood work and the fourth did just about every test ya'll mentioned and everything came back normal.  Well I doubt this kind of pain is NORMAL!!!!   I am 22 and I have had it off and on for about a year and a half in my left side.  And no one can figure out what it is.  They told me to keep a diary of like the foods I ate and when I went to the bathroom and when I felt the actual pains etc.  But I guess that didn't help to much either.  I am a little scared after reading that some of you have had this for MANY years!  Scary!  I to don't like going to the Dr. much and even more so when they can't even figure out what's wrong.  So many trips to the Dr.  and the insurance doesn't cover EVERYTHING!!!!  I can't believe all of us could have this pain and no one knows what it is??  Crazy!  Thanks for sharing!  Hope everyone feels better!
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I, too, began having severe stabbing knifelike pain under my left lower rib cage about two months ago. It was so painful I couldn't even touch the area lightly. Three different Doctors, and two emergency rooms diagnosed it as a "muscle strain", and gave me pain pills (which I found out later compounded the problem even more). I knew it was my colon, but not sure what was wrong. Today I finally got the answer: colonic splenic flexure distention. My Gastroenterologist described it as the opposite effect of a P-trap in a sink drain, only instead of water in the bottom of the drain keeping gas from traveling back up the sewer pipe, the gas is in the "top" of a P-trap, with stool keeping the gas from moving. The gas just balloons against the rib cage, and causes pressure and severe pain in the rib cage. The problem is compounded with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS--aggravated by stress), or constipation, or pain killers.....anything that slows the normal bowel movement process. The "cure" is to move everything along, either through adding fiber (i.e. Metamucil, fresh fruit, etc.)or by taking Milk of Magnesia or other laxatives. I still experience intermittent pain, but it is usually now a signal that I'm getting blocked. I suffer with IBS, Diverticulitis and reflux (GERD), and take Prilosec, Propulcid, and Metamucil daily for same. Now Prilosec is being taken off of the market, so will just keep increasing the fiber and drinking water. Good luck!
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JB
I have had pain on my left side, below my rib cage for about 3 weeks now. Before, I started getting this pain I was very constipated for several months with small, hard stools.
I'm in a constant bloated state and do not get much relief after bowel movements. Like everyone else, I've been to every doctor in the book and they aren't finding too much.

Any help would be nice.

Thanks
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Not very reassuring. I'm 37 yr old male and problem has worsened for last year or so. Upper left pain, gas, dizzyness, fatigue. I'm in good shape, stopped smoking, eat OK. Maybe we should form a group to ensure that if all symptoms related to same thing, a successful treatment could be shared if found. Any ideas ?
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I have read a lot of these post and all of you seem to be having difficulty similar to me. Anyone is welcome to email me personally if you feel symptoms like mine. I'm at a total loss as to where to go, what to do next. ***@****
Approximately four years ago, I started waking up at night on my left side with a pain under my left rib cage toward my sternum and thru to my back. When I'd roll over, it would feel like a foot is asleep and waking up. When that would happen, it would bother me for days sometimes accompanied by burning for hours, days even and sometimes I'd have shortness of breath. No combination of diet, IBS medicine, antacids, bentyl, nothing, NOTHING helps. I've had a negative EGD, Colonoscopy and negative CT's and MRI's. I've been to my GP more in the last four years more than I've ever been to the doctor in my whole life, I've seen the Gastro doctor and a neurologist. The only time I seemed to get help was from diathermy which is a heat treatment but even that didn't fix it but seemed to provide some relief. One time the pain hit so bad I thought I was going to climb the wall it was as bad as passing a kidney stone or childbirth. It seemed like it could be bowel but not really. Now I've had at least 6 or7 of these episodes as I call them, they come on really hard but only last 3-15 minutes but it gets almost unbearable then I feel bad for days even weeks. Just posting because I see here I'm not alone and yes, I was flat out told it was all in my head!  Thanks for reading and praying for us all!!
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A related discussion, Upper left quadrant pain was started.
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Begin juicing beets And carrots first day I would start out one beet And three or four carrots. Then slowly add to that. Beets are very strong don't juice just beets and drink a whole bunch they are powerful and canals you quite ill.  Take it slow and read up on juicing. It's a lifestyle for people who are tired of being in pain. Or just I'll all the time. People say they don't have time it takes a few minutes a day and puts years back into your life. Please do organic veggies if possible. Wash everything really well. I am pain free now after three weeks of juicing I still get suk if I eat crap food because my body dislikes junk. Think of your body as a farari! It takes the best grade of fuel to operate! Junk builds up parasites infla
E organs and gallstones hurt and cause illnesses like colds etc.... Juicing eliminates hidden toxins parasites and cucumber for example gives you great skin . You must clean out the inside organs to get the outside organ or skin to be healthy and supple. Read Suzanne summers books if you really want to learn nutrition and health and have A healthylife!!!  
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I havd been Dealing with pain in left side for years when I started juicing! Get a jack Elaine juicer grab your beets carrots celery cucumbers and drink!!!! Put away all sugar, sodas, and garbage and clear out of house. That means no cookies either. Begin slow by juicing a cucumber a day with One or two beets don't forget the roots and leaves!!! Mix veer juice with celery and carrot and cucumber, beets kill cancer so go slow. Add fruits and other veggies, don't mix fruits and veg, and slowly you will get better. I eliminated all red meats.  Eat fish chicken and never fried foods.   After a month of eating mostly juice, raw veggies, chicken fish and juice you should begin to purge all toxins. Lots of info on net for juicing. My entire family juices now and it's family fun!!!  We also got a wheat grass juicer and this stuff will aid in your healing like crazy. Also buy a parazapper by Hilda clarke online or do parasite cleanse. Online info avalable for how to. Parasites cause many problems so it's important to do thus. At first juicing brings on symptoms sometimes like fever blisters which can be viruses hidden in nerve tissue. Grap DMSO from nutrition store place a dot on middle of sore it kills it. I am not a dr but study nutrition after being sick my whole life. Email 'me' at ***@**** if you have any questions I'll help the best I can!  Also it's good to drink 6 -8 distilled glasses water a day.
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I am happy that I am not alone. I have had this for 7 years, I am seeing a new rhuemotologist next week. I think My own thoughts that I might have gotten shingles 7 years ago when my kids had chicken pox and it destroyed the nerves in my back and chest. I did not have the rash but I hear 15% of people get no rash. Anyone ever hear of this before?

If you want email me at ***@****

Have a nice day
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Oh my Stars!  I can't believe I found a web site where people suffer from the same symptoms of Left Upper quadrant pain.  I too have been through all of the gross and disgusting tests that all came back normal.  It desperately affects my life and stops me in my tracks.  I was sent to a pain specialist who put me on all of these strong narcotics that snowed me to the point that I couldn't work effectively so I stopped taking them.  I felt that they didn't help that much, snowed me, and why should I take such strong narcotics everyday for a pain that I wasn't having every day?  Go figure.  I have lupus which alot of Dr.'s use as a dumping ground diagnosis, and the last thing my Gastro doc said in regards to the pain is that it could just be related to my lupus, as if to excuse himself from having to truely find out what is causing the debilitating pain.  Thank you to each one of you who have posted here for sharing your intimate stories.  I feel as if each of you have already personally written a portion of my own story.  Not a fun journey, but at least we have each other to discuss it with, as family and other friends could care less about our bowel habits and our disgusting and painful barium enemas.  God Bless Each one of you, and someday, hopefully we'll have a diagnosis and most of all a cure from this mysterious pain in our sides.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Oh my Stars!  I can't believe I found a web site where people suffer from the same symptoms of Left Upper quadrant pain.  I too have been through all of the gross and disgusting tests that all came back normal.  It desperately affects my life and stops me in my tracks.  I was sent to a pain specialist who put me on all of these strong narcotics that snowed me to the point that I couldn't work effectively so I stopped taking them.  I felt that they didn't help that much, snowed me, and why should I take such strong narcotics everyday for a pain that I wasn't having every day?  Go figure.  I have lupus which alot of Dr.'s use as a dumping ground diagnosis, and the last thing my Gastro doc said in regards to the pain is that it could just be related to my lupus, as if to excuse himself from having to truely find out what is causing the debilitating pain.  Thank you to each one of you who have posted here for sharing your intimate stories.  I feel as if each of you have already personally written a portion of my own story.  Not a fun journey, but at least we have each other to discuss it with, as family and other friends could care less about our bowel habits and our disgusting and painful barium enemas.  God Bless Each one of you, and someday, hopefully we'll have a diagnosis and most of all a cure from this mysterious pain in our sides.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have been having left upper qudrant pain also very bloated.
Loose bowels. etc taking Axid not helping. comments please
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DJ
yeah guys see exactly where you are coming from.
I was very sick in London after eating a "dodgy" beef meal, & my stools where heavily laden with blood.
After getting over the sickness that was defined as gastroenterietis, I have had pains in my luq on & off roaming arround the area for about 4 yrs, docs dont seem overly concerned with it, but stools etc have never been right since the sickness, a general feeling of tiredness often accompanies the pains & dull aches.. had all the tests & not getting any answers......
seems like we can only deal with it & get on with life, I tend to get the worst pains pre meals, yet after this experience bloating & frequent bowel movement ....

be well..
Helpful - 0

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