If you can't quit the coffee, you might try the juice instead. Your esophagus might also be the culprit, do you get acid reflux? It can pretty painful when you get esophagitis, and the acid in the juice won't help.
OK, I'm done.
i will give them a try...thanks..the ginger root
i have to drink coffee to pay my bills at the moment...i don't drink much but you can't be a barista and not do quality control...i do have others check it when i can but that can't always happen...
and i have an appt. w/ a dr. to try and figure out what the problem is...
glad to hear you quit the coffee and it helped!
Well, you do what you want, but coffee caused me a LOT of problems with gut pain.I don't drink it anymore at all.
Something that helps with nausea is Ginger Root capsules. Those things work miracles for me.
hi AKHepper
i thought about dietary changes...i don't take vitamins...or eat red meat (any meat)..i do drink a lot of juice but always have..and i can't quit coffee...i am a barista! hahaha...i don't drink tons of it but i do have to test it to serve it..
i love spicy food so that can be changed...but i haven't noticed a correlation with my food intake..
i do have nausea on a daily basis...
anyway...i appreciate your input :)
I have a lot of trouble with colon pains, related to diet. Right around where the liver is, but sometimes on the left/middle, too. You might try eliminating things from your diet to see if that helps.
Things like vitamins, fruit juices, red meat, coffee...all kinds of stuff can irritate your guts.
Mine would start hurting about 6 hours after I ate.
thanks Mike..no need to apologize...i have only posted a time or two and i certainly don't expect people to know that i have HCV...and i appreciate that you didn't just assume that...i am feeling better thanks to your posts and everyone else who posted...i have had HCV for awhile ..only known about it for about 6 years...i did some time in prison for drugs and since i have been out (6 years or so) i have just been rebuilding my life and avoiding the HCV...now it is time to start facing it and i am having some intense reactions...hahaha...i am so glad to have found this site and happy that people are understanding!
Hey BklynBoy81
pretty sure it isn't heart burn...it is a way different feeling..i wish it were because those tropical fruit tums (although chalky) are quite tasty :)
HI again nygrl7...thank you for helping me once again...i really do than
k you for quieting my nerves!!!
and
merrybee...
i have an appt. w/ a Dr. mid April and I will will definitely utilize the information you offered...thank you for taking the time to post that...my nerves are a bit more calm today..i was definitely having a moment yesterday...i am glad you all can relate but of course sorry we have all experienced the freakout!
sorry GB is central oand to the right...I never spell check of proof....me bad....also can radiate around to the back, whole right side, and even up into the right shoulder.
no perfect or easy answer here. Certainly with HCV you can get enlargement of the liver and spleen. Liver itself has no nerves in it, but as either of these organs enlarge they put pressure on surounding nerves.
Also, the infection itself can lead to additional fluids in surrounding tissue, sometimes a condition called costchondritis, inflammation of the rib cage can stem from this...at that point the pain will seem all around your rib cage.
In front only other possibilities exist: such as a gastric ulcer or hernia, intestinal blockage diverticulitis of the transverse colon, also in the area, even pancreatis or gall bladder disease can cause the semi central pain you decribe.
In my case it was finally determines that I had not one but 4 of the above conditions, simultanously....compounded by one contributor I had no idea about, which was artifical sugars I had begun to consume these to lower my insulin resistance, but these can irritate the entire digestive tract.
You need tests and scans to rule in or out each of these possibilities.
If you pain is GB it can feel like it is central or to the left, up front or down deep.
If the pain is most noticable about 20-30 minutes after you've eaten fat and/or protein it may by your GB but you'll need a Hidascan, not an ultrasound, to confirm this.
My docs thought it was just my liver and slpeen causing the pain, which the CT showed enlarged.... but I knew it was the GB also and after months of demanding the test they finally did one, and took out "the worst looking corkscrew shaped monstrosity" according to my surgeon. (it's suppose to be pear shaped).
One ER doc told me it was all stomach acid....well it wasn't.
Only my liver doctor believed me when I said it was my Gall Bladder....4 others did not...I finally had to take a witness to my GP and get threatening to get the test done....she didn't like me listing all the symptoms and having self diagnosed I guess.
It seems the more well informed a patient is, the less some egos like it...and they can be dismissive as all get out. (she wrote I was "reading on the internet" like that was making me an idiot. Turns out...she was wrong and committing malpractice.
Bottom line, know your body, and get to the heart of what is causing the pain...
my surgeon said I was lucky my GB had not burst and caused my death, it was causing some peritonitis before removal...which is very serious.
mb
You said: "Some speculate that you can feel pain when your liver capsule (the membrane surrounding it) either expands or shrinks but since you aren't even on treatment yet - it wouldn't be doing such a thing."
I don't think you're right about that. The liver swelling can stretch the capsule and result in a dull ache in the URQ. That is irrespective of whether one is treating. I and many people I know definitely had that dull ache and my transplant surgeon confirmed that the distension of the capsule can create a dull ache. I am not saying that Sabbath has that pain but rather that it is real and unrelated to treatment.
Mike
You most definitely are getting ahead of yourself. Mostly, there is no such thing as liver pain itself because your liver does not have any nerves in it to FEEL the pain. That is why a liver biopsy is not incredibly painful (actually it's pretty painless). Some speculate that you can feel pain when your liver capsule (the membrane surrounding it) either expands or shrinks but since you aren't even on treatment yet - it wouldn't be doing such a thing.
That is even if it were on your left side.
Most likely it's just some unrelated pain. Those of us who have finished treatment can attest to the fact that we tend to blame everything on hep and it's treatment but then when it's done and we are cured..........we can't blame those simple things on it anymore!
I apologize for not knowing you are HCV positive.
You definitely should follow up and get an idea about the shape of your liver and learn about your options at this time. Treatment may be the option that makes the most sense and on the other hand waiting for the new drugs on the horizon may make more sense. Some education and good professional advice as well as getting some input here will allow you to better understand HCV and you'll probably feel more confident about your situation.
I still would not panic. I suspect that you are not in any imminent danger.
By all means express whatever anxiety you are experiencing. It's a safe bet that many people here will easily relate to the concerns and fears you have. I think everyone freaks out when they start addressing this disease - or just learn that they are infected with HCV.
I wish you the best,
Mike
Hey mike...
I definitely have been diagnosed with Hep C...I may have had it for over 10 years or so...
I have had blood tests done and never been told my levels were elevated (last test about a year ago)...i really don't know any technical stuff about Hep C...i just know i have it and why...
i am sure i am getting ahead of myself...i just have been feeling physically bad for awhile and until lately i have avoided the fact that i have hep...except i have a blood test done once a year...i go to a regular MD...i do have an appt. w/ a clinic Dr. at the end of April...hopefully to get a referral...??
so..yes i am a little freaked...and also a little ahead of myself...i am a pretty strong person in life...but i feel like i can express my freakazoid attacks here and get a little relief from holding it all in...
thanks mike :)
my pain in that area is gastritis diagnosed by an endoscope
Denise
Perhaps I missed it but I don't see where you've posted that your liver enzymes are elevated or that you have been diagnosed with any liver disorder.
If that is actually the case then I think you are getting way ahead of yourself.
Before you get worked up any further you should get a complete blood count and a liver panel as well. Those results will allow your doctor to determine whether your liver shows any evidence of disease. If by chance it does show evidence of liver injury then a viral hepatitis test can be done to determine whether you have any viral hepatitis -Hep A, B or C. In the meantime I see no reason for you to be freaking out - unless I missed something.
Good luck,
Mike
How refreshing to see accurate information.
Thanks,
Mike
do you mean late stage liver disease?
i also read that it could be due to hep c...and anemia...
i think i am really starting to freak out..
i mentioned this to a dr. before and they shrugged it off as fatty tissue (i am 20 pounds overweight) but i didn't think fatty tissue could have discomfort...
i have a dr. appointment at the end of april..the clinic here is booked solid...
yeh...i am definitely not maintaining really well...
i am feeling like maybe i should stop researching things because it is throwing me in a depression...but at the same time i like to have a clue...
should i go to the ER?
You can definitely have spleen pain. The spleen enlarges with late stage disease and it can cause pain and a feeling of fullness in that area.
haha if you have pain in the left side.. possible heartburn or something with your heart or stomach.. i really dont know if you can have spleen pain lol..
thank you
now i can research spleen pain...hahaha..
The liver is on the upper right.. The spleen is on the upper left..