Intermitten Sharp Dibilitating pain about 2 inches below right rib cage

Question

I have experienced a very sharp debilitating pain a couple of inches below my right rib cage. There may be many months between the incident. It takes my breath away and lasts for about 30 seconds.

Currently I have been undergoing tests for an auto immune problem.  For more than  a year I have been having problems with lesions on my scalp and body.  The sores start out small then become hardened but never go away. They were initially mostly on the crown of my scalp by have recently spread to the front of my head to my hairline.

Also, I have the same that breakout other places on my body. always leaving scars and taking months to heal. My dermatologist did biopsey's last summer and again this summer. Each time they came back with MRSA. The sensation is burning, no itching. Sores over my  body take months and months to heal. Last tests were swab of nose and lesion. This has been going on now for nearly 2 years.

I've had loads of blood tests, seen a rheumatologist  dermatologist and family doctors. I've had multiple antibiotics over the past year. They not only don't work, I have more breakouts while I'm taking the meds.

So frustrated that after all this time still no certain diagnosis. I've started having migraines again. Haven't had any since post menopause 10 years ago.

Any ideas.

Thank you,
JSH

This discussion is related to pain on the right side of body just below rib cage.

panda2526 · Answer

PS the pain in your abdomen is also significant. HAve they checked for liver function, inflammation, infections or viruses?

The liver tests that are indicative of underlying liver issues are ALT, AST and GGT.

The gallbladder and pancreas can also have damage, and are involved in the process of inflammation and subsequent pain in that area. Do you or have you had gallstones? Do you have diabetes?

Thyroid malfunction? 

Family history of liver disease, cancer, cirrhosis?

 Enlarged Pancreas? Spleen? Yourself or family?

Any heart disease? Heart failure? Irregular heart beat?

Joint or body pain? Fatigue? Memory problems? Eye or vision issues?

Just some questions that might help you look in a direction with your drs.

Cheerz

panda2526 · Answer

Look up porphyria cutanea tarda...

Condition found in people with iron overload. Iron overload can be acquired (due to other conditions that require iron therapy) or it can be inherited. Symptoms in women show up later in life, and usually after menopause within 10-20 years.

Genetic iron overload is called hemochromatosis, but there are other conditions that cause iron overload as well.

The drs need to check ferritin, transferrin saturation, TIBC and serum iron. These are not routine blood tests and they have to be specifically ordered. If you have copies of your test results you can look and see if this is something they've checked for. It is often missed by drs and specialists. They tend to overlook females and women in their early 40's and 50's, even into the 60's, until there is so much organ damage that they stumble across it.

Your skin lesions are a very good clue...this is something very common in iron overload and the related disorder, porphyria I mentioned at the outset.

Take care...if there is anything else I can do...BTW, hemochromatosis is very common, is genetic, and is found predominantly among people of European background.