GASTROENTEROLOGY COMMUNITY
Help - chronic abdominal/back pain right side - 6 months

Help - chronic abdominal/back pain right side - 6 months

I have been suffering from abdominal and back pain ranging from 6-8 every single day...occurring on the right side of my body, seemingly under the ribs in both my back and my front.  It starts when I wake up, or it wakes me up, and continues throughout the day...sometimes it gets worse, and sometimes it gets a little better.  Being sedentary...ie. sitting in my computer chair for prolonged periods of time definitely makes it worse.  I have to move around.  Putting pressure on the area where it feels like the pain is coming from also seems to help, and as soon as I release the pressure it hurts again.  The pain goes away late at night every night...and then it is back again as soon as I wake up.  I have also lost about 15 lbs and I am very slight as it is...male, 5'11'', 135 lbs currently.

I went through a lot of testing in August/September of 2010 and everything was negative until I had a HIDA scan which showed abnormal ejection rate of < 35% and I had an immense amount of pain during the test.  So I ended up having my Gallbladder removed in October of 2010.  After I recovered from the surgery, I was fine.  I felt no pain, my symptoms were gone...I thought I was done with this disaster.

Then, all of a sudden, in December 2010 it came back one day when I woke up.  Had an MRI which showed Pancreas Divisum and my GI doctor referred me to a local hospital (a very good one) in order to see an expert in treating this problem.  The first doctor, after talking to me for quite a while, thought I was a good candidate for an ERCP to put a stent in to relieve the pain...then he had to go talk to the head honcho pancreas guy at this hospital who actually does the procedures, and he did a complete 180 on me.  He said that he didn't think the pancreas divisum was causing my problems, as I don't have pancreatitis, and he needs to see more definite evidence before they do this procedure because it is risky.  I was a little shocked and didn't really know what to say.

I am kind of back at square one now...looking for what this could possibly be.  I am currently trying Gabapentin in case this is nerve pain...I am wondering if this could somehow be musculoskeletal?  It is not working...I'll probably try a muscle relaxer after this...which I'm sure also won't work.

Does this sound like it is pancreas divisum causing this pain?  I am not sick...other than being in pain every single day.  Should I just get a second opinion on that subject?  Could it be something else?  The MRI didn't show any blockage in the common bile duct, fwiw.  Thanks for any replies...
Related Discussions
Have a Gastro question?
100,000+ doctor answers
Post a Comment
To
Comment
Post A Comment
Go
Blank
Gastro Tracker
Log symptoms & treatments
Start Tracking Now
Blank
Food Diary Tracker
What are you eating?
Start Tracking Now
MedHelp Health Answers
Submit
Top Digestive Answerers
Avatar_n_tn
Blank
CalGal
Avatar_f_tn
Blank
mammo
Cincinnati, OH
Avatar_f_tn
Blank
patient915
CA
1728693_tn?1332168862
Blank
Kaneda2112
Bowmanville, ON
Avatar_f_tn
Blank
Sechmeth
Christchurch, New Zealand
168348_tn?1333651418
Blank
ChitChatNine
RSS Expert Activity
1741471_tn?1336957856
Blank
LIVE WEBINAR TOMORROW!-SUPER BODY, ... Blank
May 22 by Michael Gonzalez-WallaceBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Fibromyalgia Awareness
May 11 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank
2126606_tn?1335910182
Blank
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia reduces...
May 03 by Clare Waismann Kavin, RASBlank