Right Upper Abdominal Pain

[briggon]

For the past 3 months I have had a pain in the right upper part of my abdomen area just under my ribs. I have had several things done such as CT scans, Gastric Empting Study, and today had a small bowel xray, I will not know what the test today showed until monday, but all the other tests keep coming back fine. I had my gallbladder out about 4 years ago. I am beginning to think that I am going crazy because all these tests come back normal, but Im still having this horrible pain. Do you have any suggestions of what this could mean?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Right upper abdominal pain after cholecystectomy can be caused by Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.  An ERCP with Sphincter of Oddi manometry can be considered.

Inflammation of the upper digestive tract, ulcers, or GERD are also possible.  I would also test for a bacteria known as H Pylori - which is associated with these conditions.  An upper endoscopy can be considered to evaluate for these possibilities.

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_

[Linda J]

Hav you had a liver panel done? It could also be muscular?

Linda J

[Biskie2]

You may have bile duct stones or Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.

[Kalio1]

Is that the only symptom? Upper right quadrant pain?
I agree, get a liver panel done.

[Liver test]

kalio im wondering if you could help me with some of my questions. Looking for answers to my symptoms and what i can do or tell the doctors.

[Kalio1]

What was your question? I will help if I can.

[Roger1959]

My wife had GB removed on May 4th. Now she is having more pain than before. Mostly in chest and rib area and upper back> she says it feels like a stabbing, burning sensation and more is always burping. Surgeon says to wait till end of June before doing more test. Sometimes I wonder if the doc's even know what's going on.

[Kalio1]

Get a second opinion! Go to a specialist. Demand an appt. with the doc who did the surgery. Be proactive, get answers keep going until you get answers. You could be dealing with a surgery related event,infection, who knows but I'd get her seen by someone new if you are getting the brush off or the doc is minimizing her pain. She should be getting BETTER not worse.

[Liver test]

I have all the symptoms of cirrhosis. Had i biopsy that showed mild fibrosis and mild portal imflammation, slight fatty liver and a moderate amount of heppacullar iron present. After biopsy i was on trazadone and clonpine for 3 months which i think made my liver much worse. I have quit drinking now for 15 months but drank for 20 years heavy. I have the symptoms now but my doctor says with my biopsy i should not be getting the symptoms im telling him. I try to explain that the pills made my liver worse
they will not listen . I have lost weight body size, but my weight is the same as it was a year ago due to that i bloat up and i tell them its water weight. My symptoms include alot of weight loss 5 inches off my waise. Hot alot, feel horrilbe, lazy, I use to go to the bathroom all the time now it seems i dont go that much. red palms, dry mouth- all the time. niver hungry, get confused alot when i seem to drink soda of coffee.
Private parts got smaller, indents are left in my body from the couch, my socks , underwear ect. red to tan looking face. My eyes seem to get glossy or weird looking when i drink coffee and soda. Stomach growls alot. Just looking for what other tests other than a new biopsy i can get to prove this is a liver problem. I know my liver is worse than the doctors think .One doctor just ran a cat scan and liver function test and those were normal . But they can be normal with cirrhosis. I started to feel bad for about a year before my symptoms showed up. I drank alot to ignore my symptoms. I also have a strange smell on my skin. Any help will be great

[Kalio1]

You have had a comprehensive set of tests. I would do all the things one should do to maintain liver health which is what you would do if you did have a diagnosis of cirrhosis, which you do not. Drinking a lot for a long time can cause some liver scarring but the remedy is to stop drinking and you have done so (congrats on that) It can't hurt to eat a liver friendly diet, exercise regularly and stay away from alcohol. Being overweight causes liver stress so if you are overweight you could try to lose it. Lack of proper diet and poor exercise habits can make you feel really lousy and if you are under the weather then it can contribute to poor eating and lack of exercise. I'd take a multi vitamin and maybe B complex and try exercising each day, even if you can ony do a little bit.
Maybe you are right and the pills were hard on your liver but I don't see how a doctor could say one way or another after the fact, and the doc confirmed that. You stopped the pills. There are a lot of things that have "I don't know" for an answer in medicine. I think you have been thoroughly examined and should be grateful that whatever liver damage you might have would be slight, so slight that you can't detect it, another good thing. That doesn't mean you aren't having symptoms I just don't know what you want the doctor to DO about it, he can't treat something he can't see, besides I think the treatment is a good diet and exercise and no alcohol. Liver issues can contribute to depression. I'd be screened for depression, some of your symptoms also sound like symptoms of anxiety/depression. I am certainly no doctor but that is my advise. Good luck.

[kmz123]

can anyone check with their liver specialist to see is Florinef
0.1 mg twice a day is safe to take with liver disease for
dizziness.  Thank you I am getting conflicting answers.
Maybe Kailo of liverproblems could check thank you.

[kmz123]

the florinef is also called fludrocortisone.  thanks
for your future help.

[kmz123]

the florinef is also called fludrocortisone.  thanks
for your future help.

[NormalGuy]

I was having the exact same problem as this since I was nearly 11 years old. There was never anything anyone was able to do to correctly diagnose any of the problems I had. It seemed that if all I ate was fruit, it would go away for a while, but then inevitably, after some time (maybe months or weeks), it would be back once again. And I was in the category that a lot of you are in where the pain was so bad at times, that if I had a gun, I am sure I would have done something permanent to myself.

For relief, I have found that alternating between almost scalding hot showers and sitting silent on the toilet in the normal position, to work to stop the pain in about 30-60 minutes most times.

Over the years (31 years old now) I have managed to fast a few days, and it would be gone for a while. Through doing my own research and observation, and through sheer cooincidence, a friend that has problems with constipation let me try a few tablets of his. From a place online named GHC health:

http://www.ghchealth.com/health-products/product_info.php?ref=167669&products_id=28

I have now been a full time user of these tablets, and while taking them, I have not had any more occurrences of the pain. When I went through a dry spell, and was not taking them, I found that too many espressos or coffee drinks brought the symptoms right back within a few weeks. But it I just moderated my coffee intake, I could get away with only using the tabs every few months or so.

I have recently bought a Green star Juicer, and have found that I can get the same great results simply by going on a juice fast for one week, every 6 months.

My assumption of this problem is that it has something to do with constipation, or some form of obstruction of the large intestine. The reason I say this, is because there was a time when I was having a nice hot shower, and the pain started shifting from upper-right abdomin (abdomen), to center, to left, then started to drop as though it was descending towards the backside to be pooped out! The process took about 30 minutes from the start ofthe pain's movement, to ready to dump.

Now combining that experience with understanding what the Oxy-Powder in the above link does,  it makes sense to me that the pain is some form of bowel distress caused by an impaction or adhesion or something with the fecal matter.

Anyhow, I would highly recommend you try that supplement at the link above. It was kinda pricey, but the fact that it helped my pain go away on a semi-permanent basis, I couldn't put a price on that!! Also, a whole body cleansing has done me good as well, to help clean out my liver and kidneys. Here is the link to their cleansing system.

http://www.ghchealth.com/health-products/product_info.php?ref=167669&products_id=197

Please post back here if this information helps any of your conditions. Especially the hto showers and the dumper position on the toilet.

[joan of Arc]

I havv had Gall stones operation (a very difficult and challenging operation at the time surgeon told me) - ever since I have been experiencing excruciating pain in my right upper side - I've had all hte necessary investigations and have been told I have Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Overlap Syndrome -  my gastrionologist states I should have no pain from the liver - I'm mystified as to where this awful pain comes from when I am very weak and vomiting too maybe twice a week - my life is taken up with pain - I am unable to perform normal activities as I would love to e.g. drive my car and maybe swim - my gastrionologist has stated I must not have any medication other that Co-codomal as I must take care of what liver I have left as I shall not be suitable for transplant.  I would be so grateful if a medical person can possibly red this and try to advise me - my family would do anything possible to help me.  Many thanks a concerned lady!

[boatlover]

Hi,
I had a cholecystectomy in March of this year. I have seen specialist after specialist and feel extremely discounted by all but two.
I have had an Ultrasound, Hydascan, CT Scan, blood panels etc etc
All came back normal except for liver panel and CT Scan. At five weeks post op, CT showed fluid under my liver which surgeon and specialists said could be normal due to rinsing of gall bladder etc etc.
Liver panel also came back slightly elevated.
I have been running a daily low grade fever (between 99.5-100.5) post cholecystectomy (over four months now).
I am a type III candidate for ERCP and MRCP has not been mentioned. I should also note that two stones were originally seen on my ultrasound but only one was retrieved on my surgical pathology report(surgical dictation also makes no mention of contrast dye being used).
Pain is ongoing continuous but gets better/worse depending on the day.
I am currently on Vicodin and Levsin for pain management (Levsin does not work).
My current specialist is reluctant to do an ERCP because of the fat that almost all my tests are normal and the risks/complications could far outweigh the benefits. I am a scientist and have heavily researched my condition.
Can SOD be caused from surgical error? Can H pylori be detected in a blood culture (not yet done).
I am a 34 year old female who was PERFECTLY FINE before this surgery. The chronic pain is extremely frustrating along with mixed information from my doctors.
I am also considering another CT Scan to determine if the fluid is still present under my liver and if so, can aspirate it and do a biopsy?
Feedback welcome!!!

[KBellaLuna]

I've been reading all of these posts regarding "upper abdominal pain", specifically the ones mentioning pain under the right ribs.  I've been trying to find a cause of my pain, which is similar to all of yours, except I can't say that what I have is PAIN.  It's more of an ache, a dull kind of annoyance more than anything.  It gets a little worse at times, but it's never as bad as all of yours seems to be.  
After tons of tests, the HIDASCAN determined that my gallbladder wasn't working right, so, you'd think that's what was causing the problem. I had it taken out 3 weeks ago today. Well, that mustn't have been the problem.  The "ache" started again about 3 days after surgery. (And the surgeon I had was an ***!  when I went for my follow up, I asked him why it still hurt the same. He replied, "Must have been something other than your gallbladder, then", as he meandered off after barely looking at my incisions.)
So, now tomorrow, I go for a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis.  I cant' decide if I hope they find something or not!  I guess the fear of what they might find is worse than the "ache" itself.  
In any case, does anyone else find that this is more of an "ache" for them than a "pain"?  Mine is under my right rib, sometimes feeling as if there's something there that isn't supposed to be, it goes around my side/waist to my lower back and up my back a bit.  
Could you let me know if this sounds familiar to anyone?
Thanks,
B

[bjsun]

KellaLuna, I am anxiously awaiting a doctor's reply to your message because it sounds exactly like my ache/sometimes pain. In the past three weeks, I have had a CT scan with barium, a CT scan without barium, 2 abdominal ultrasounds which looked at the gall bladder, kidneys, pancreas, bile duct, liver, and abdomen. I've had 1 vaginal ultrasound, three blood tests, two urine tests, a colonoscopy, and 2 pelvic exams. There are uterine fibroids down low, but are not the cause of the right side ache.
My mother and sister are both nurses and strongly recommend my next step be a biopsy of the pancreas, since pancreatic tissue problems are, according to both of them, difficult to diagnose.  They are both concerned because each has had a friend die of pancreatic cancer and the beginning symptom was right side pain. Sometimes a symptom like jaundice appears, but in many cases by the time a person is jaundiced, the problem is too far advanced to save a life. I am making arrangements to go to Virginia Mason Clinic in Seattle in the next week or two for the biopsy. I hope they can rule this out, like so many other things have been ruled out. All my test results are coming back healthy.
If a doctor or other person who has gone through something similar, or treated something similar, is reading this, please reply. My symptoms have lasted more than 6 weeks now, sometimes with fever and sometimes without. Thank you so very much. All the best to you, Kella. I hope your tests went well.

[Yoda13]

I am experiencing right under the rib cage pain. I had an ultrasound which determined that I had no gallstones. I did have some liver calcifications. I have been extremely dizzy. I have experienced buzzing in my ears, especially when I turn my head suddenly and I easily get tired. The pain occurs more when I eat heavily or drink wine. I get relieve when I stand or lay down. I get shoulder pain (both sides right and left)Does anyone have any idea what this might be? The pain comes and goes but it is bothersome when it is there.Sometimes it doesn't let up for hours. I have been recuperating from an LS annular tear and some disk bulge on L5.This pain started about 1 month and a half ago.

[runerose]

A related discussion, No insureance, Lots of problems was started.