Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Why Will No Doctor Believe Me

My primary doctor admitted me to the hospital after an ultrasound showed tumors all over both sides of my liver.  After having an MRI, it was determined 2 are cysts and the rest are large hemangiomas.  I continue to experience A LOT of pain on the right side of my rib cage, and the center just above my belly button.  I can't even lay on my right side at night.  They found nothing wrong with my gallbladder, just my liver, yet I have just seen the 3rd doctor, and all tell me I couldn't possibly be having the pain I say I'm in.  I just end up feeling ridiculous, but I shouldn't.  Now that I read all these other comments I know I'm not alone, but who out there will help me get to the bottom of what's going on and why I'm in pain?


This discussion is related to liver hemangiomas and pain.
5 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
If you have any questions that you would like answered, please post your question as its own post because this one is so old.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am starting to feel like its hopeless. I had a great career that I had on hold until I was 34. I was a police officer and loved it. After a couple of years in 2004 I was hit with severe diarrhea for 3 months straight till a mixture of medications finally slowed that down. The first 45 days I lost a pound a day. During this I tried to still work that made it worse. My gun belt had to be on my so tight since I was so skinny it damaged a nerve that was another major problem until surgery finally fixed that. I still have problems with that but am more worried about the constant pain in my side. It makes me wake up at all times of the night sweating and cold chills. At the beginning it seemed everyone was trying to help and test test and test. They found two hemangiomas in my liver only 4mm in size. I was sent to cleveland clinic and was told they want to do another MRI in 6 months to see if there was any change. 150 10/325 percs a month to help with the pain. Well by the end of two years they stopped growing and were 8mm. After not working and all the percosets and steroids I was finally getting my weight back. They said I have sever IBS irritable Bowl Syndrome.
That's were they left off in 2007. Since then I don't work, I am very tired all the time. I am always letting people down because I have to cancel at the last minute because of stomach issues. My wife is getting ready to kick me out. My kids think I live on the couch and I was starting to give up on doctors. The pain now I can only describe as almost feeling like a big tooth cavity being in my right side at about the level of my elbow. It hurts to breath in or out and no way can I lay on that side. It feels like if I get punched what ever it is will burst. A few weeks ago I went to a new doctor and to my suprise she really listened to me. She did blood work and saw that my cholesterol is high, high blood pressure and a bone density scan showed I have osteopeania forgive me spelling but bones of an 80 year old and I'm 41. She is sending me to a liver specialist and I need to also go to an orthopedic surgeon because I now know why I always had headaches.  A hemangioma is also growing in my c8 vertebra that she said has grown since 2007 when they did an mri but never mentioned anything about the hemangioma. Instead they fused my c6 and c7. They still didn't tell me anything about it when I told them me arm and neck are still hurting and the fusion didn't work.
Well now I'm waiting for the appointment with my liver specialist and am trying to be hope full. It is very hard since I know its going to take such a long time to get any results. I just hope that any of you people that are having pain from the liver hemangiomas get the right doctors. I know I thought I did since I was sent to the cleveland clinic the first time. I am not giving up because I know something is wrong and its hard to get everyone to believe me because its only me that knows how much I am in pain. I will let you all know what I find out if anything at all. Good luck to all of you and please make the doctors listen to you.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am so happy to read that I am not alone, I discovered that I had this hemangioma in my liver after I had my son..I got put back on birth control and kept having pain in my upper right side. Since I had just had my gallbladder removed earlier that year they thought maybe a duct was leaking..when they discovered that wasn't what it was I had a regular ct scan and the Doctor told me that they had known about the hemangioma all through my pregnancy but never told me because it wasn't a big deal?! Once I got off of the birthcontrol it only bothered me right before I got my period every month. Now I've been in the emergency room the last 2 nights in so much pain and uncontrollably throwing up! They said from the past scans it looks like it has grown, but there's nothing they can/will do for me. Is all they do is give you pain meds which really don't even help and send you home. I'm hoping to get into my regular dr this week and it looks like I need to get into a gastroentenolgist? This is a nightmare!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i have been dealing with pain in the right side of my abdomen and back since march 18th 2009 the pain would go away and come back at different times or when i ate sometimes. after being told i have a compressed spinal disk and seeing a chiropractor that answer didnt sit right with me months later i was told about cysts on my ovaries which i then demanded to be checked for hemangioma which i felt i had ...it took over a year 3 ultra sounds 4 ct scans and 1 MRI to then be told that i have 2 hemangioma on my liver and are 1.1cm and 1.2cm and should not cause pain... march 9 2010 the pain came back...bad like when i first had problems a year ago... im wondering if theres any point to go back to a dr as he doesnt do much and has already told me the hemangioma will not cause me pain.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hemangiomas usually cause no problems or symptoms, and usually require no treatment.  However, a large Hemangioma can cause problems and even burst.  Most doctors will want to know once it's discovered that you have these, if you should develop the pain you are describing, as surgical removal may be necessary.  I would get a fourth opinion since they say your's are large, and having so many may be equivalent to having very large ones.  Google this and print the information and take it to your doctor, demand answers!  Good luck to you.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Gastroenterology Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem