UPPER RIGHT SIDE QUADRANT/ALWAYS/NO ANSWERS

[GHOST311]

For over 3 years this pain has been here. However its changed. I have lost weight, er, gastro doc, all stomach tests, blood work everything comes back normal. But, ITS REAL..Does anyone know if my Medications may be causing this? I'm 40yrs old, type 1 Diabetic. humilin 70/30 and R insulin, Nexium, Premarin, klonopin, Prozac, FENTANYL(type 2 narcotic), Plavix,and Phrengren. 13 surgeries since I was 20yrs old. already had Adhension removed Jan 09. I have many doctors. Heart, gastro, ob/gyn, Pain management, Family and alot of ER'S.. Do i have Pancretitis? the pain will rotate to right side too and back. But, its always there. If there is a stomach condition out there, they have said I got it. already been checked for HIV,Liver, etc. CT after Ct, endoscopes. ALL IS FINE THEY SAY.. Does anyone have an answer? email: ***@****.. Thank You

[Jaybay]

Adhesions aren't off the table even though you had surgery for them once already.  In some people, scar tissue can be the gift that keeps on giving.  You probably already know that scar tissue usually doesn't show up on imaging studies or other tests making it difficult to diagnose the problem.  Surgery is both a diagnostic and treatment tool, but without an indication of a surgical problem on tests, most surgeons will be unwilling to do a diagnostic laparascopy.  Most, but not all.  More surgery has its own risks as it can cause even more adhesions to form.  Some doctors refuse to believe that adhesions can cause pain.  I'd love for just one doctor who holds that belief to experience one day of the reality of bowel adhesions.  They'd change their tune PDQ!

Take a step back and gather your medical records and review your own medical history.  Get copies of lab and other test results and copies of any surgical reports.  Put together a timeline of what symptoms cropped up when.  Note anything that made the pain better or worse.  Note med changes including over-the-counter and herbals.  You might be surprised.  The exercise of reviewing everything sometimes will get something to pop out that you hadn't thought of previously.  Once you have it neatly put together, start fresh with a new doctor - GI would be a good place to start.  Make it clear that you're looking for a new set of eyes on a chronic problem.  If it's more than a page or so, you might send him a copy a week or so before your appointment and ask him to review it before you come in.  That will give him a good starting point and help make the most of your appointment.

I was in your shoes for years before I finally found my trio of great docs - GI, surgeon and pain doc.  I've been with two of them for 12 years and the pain doc for 5.  The search can be long and frustrating, but keep it up!  Nothing will happen unless you can be your own advocate.  I hope you'll hang around here - this is a great community with people just like yourself and we understand what you're up against.  Keep us updated on your progress!  :-)

[Tuckamore]

Hello Ghost,

I am so sorry to hear about your painful symptoms. It sounds like you have been through the mill. My heart goes out to you. As you can see email address are discouraged on the forum and will not be shown. Please feel free to use our PM.

Gallbladder is a good suggestion. But it is my bet that was one of the first things they considered. However if you have not had a HIDA scan it is certainly worth a try.

It would be difficult for me to beleive that pancreatitis would not have shown up on one of the many tests you have had but again it may be possible they missed it.

Tests for pancreatitis include, Fecal fat test, Serum (Serum means blood) amylase,
Serum lipase and Serum trypsinogen. These are fairly common blood tests and would or certainly should have been done on a routine draw.

Inflammation or calcium deposits of the pancreas may be seen on, Abdominal CT scan,
Abdominal ultrasound or ERCP. Again I assume that pancreatitis would have shown up when they were searching for a diagnosis. When a CT is ordered they are usually looking for one condition or another but they look at the entire picture to rule in or out other possibilities. That's why these tests are so good.

I am sorry that I cannot analysis your medications. In reviewing your them nothing pops out as a causation for your pain or symptoms but I am far from an expert. Please consult with your local pharmacist. This is their area of expertise and they are far more educated in medications and their interactions than even our physicians. We often over-look them as the great resource they are. They will best address your concerns.

We all know the how chronic pain wreaks havoc on our daily lives as you too have unfortunately discovered. Again I am so sorry for your pain. Please know that we are here for you. Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.

Take Care,
~Tuck

[RunningMom]

You should ask for a HIDA scan.  It sounds like it could possibly be your gallbladder.  I had the same pain as you and it took doctors three months to figure this out.  I was almost sent to pain management, but luckily I was sent to a surgeon and he performed the HIDA scan, which showed my gallbladder had stopped working.  Good luck.  It's worth a shot to have this test done.  This test takes 2 hours to perform.