Ongoing Flank Pain

Hi,

I am male (just hit 40),and for the past 3 years or so have been experiencing side pains in the flank area (both sides), but mainly on the left side,which feels like a stitch pain and can just occur for no reason sometimes I have noticed at certain points of the day or from just mild exercise (e.g playing in the park with my son), I have now within the past 2 months started feeling light headed and really tired,especially in the morning,it's really difficult just to get out of bed.
The doctor has done liver test,and full blood count and an ultrasound,intially he thought it was a muscle problem and prescribed codeine,which I felt wasn't the problem (as it feels like an achy organ inside),he has now suggested it maybe IBS and my next step is to provide a faeces sample,however I haven't been able to as yet,as have had diarrhea pretty much since the request. It is now getting to the point where it is effecting my whole life as I feel rotten everyday,and is on my mind every waking moment, I just want to know what the problem is.

I don't know if this is related but I recently started getting light headed and headaches and get achy feet,from walking or running and in the past few weeks have developed some little red spots (initially on my hands,that if you squeeze them,water comes out and they turn into blood blisters,these are now on my chest and arms.

Greatful for any help,as my doctor has admitted that he doesn't know what to suggest next.

Thank you for your help

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Persisting flank pain is generally due to kidney problems. Blood urea, serum creatinine, urine examination and CT scan of the abdomen should be done to look for a stone.
The other possibility is a pinched nerve.
Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Persisting flank pain is generally due to kidney problems. Blood urea, serum creatinine, urine examination and CT scan of the abdomen should be done to look for a stone.
The other possibility is a pinched nerve.
Do discuss this with your doctor and get yourself examined. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[doreenn]

Are you still taking the medicine? Some meds can give you little red spots like that especially if you (or the medicine makes you) sensitive to the sun. It has been happening to me this summer every time I sit out when I am not under an umbrella. Also, I'm curious, have you changed your diet at all? Have you ever been tested for celiac disease? That can give you stomach (and flank pain, as a result of gas) and make you tired, as you wouldn't be absorbing a lot of nutrients.  It also gives you diarrhea when you are eating the wrong things. My rheumatologist suggested that celiac can go hand in hand with fibromyalgia or lyme's disease. Perhaps the doctor to see would be a rheumatologist, rather than a general practitioner. It's important to find a good one so do a little bit of research first!!  Good luck!

[mynicknamehasbeentaken]

No not taking any medicines at all not even pain killers,my Doctor has left it with me really,he sugested it was IBS,so hasn't tested for Celiac I have had diarrhea (well not to get to graphic),but soft stools for a week or two so have been unable to provide a sample which is the next test for me. The little red spots which I have had in the past (as I have had the flank pain for 3 years + now),turn up every so often,generally on my fingers,if you squeeze them they turn into blood blisters which then pop and take a about a week to scab over and then disappear,they have just in the past few weeks spread to my stomach and my legs and feet,except these are itchy and bleed when scratched. I haven't really changed my diet other than have trying to eat a little more healthily so cut out junk food and reduced my alcohol intake.

[mynicknamehasbeentaken]

I have just checked (and thank you Doreenn) and the little red spots look exactly like Dermatitis Herpetiformis (sometimes called "a gluten rash" or "a celiac disease rash"). Maybe I'm getting nearer to a solution :)

[doreenn]

I apologize about one thing. I mislead you in that I told you to seek help from a rheumatologist.  Actually, you would need to see a gastroenterologist to be diagnosed with celiac disease, as not only blood work would need to be performed but a gut biopsy would need to be performed (which, I believe are all done with some form of anesthesia or another, so you don't feel anything).  Having said that, as I mentioned above, celiac disease often times does go hand in hand with other autoimmune disorders so just pay attention and perhaps a visit to a rheumatologist could be in order, maybe even just for a blood work-up to just make sure everything is on the up and up! Good luck with everything!!

[starrangelar]

It sounds like you need your renal fuction checked, although it sounds like your MD gave you the full battery of test. And it also sounds like maybe celic disease shoud be considered.

[mynicknamehasbeentaken]

I have had a kidney function test a while ago probably within the last 18 months and came back fine,my last liver function test came back fine but am sure they said my bilirubin was little high but they didn't seem concerned,well I suppose that's why they diagnosed a muscle problem initially.

[doreenn]

Kidney pain always is the first culprit when thinking about flank pain, however, if your doctor did blood work that would probably be the first thing that stuck out to him.  More importantly, he should have checked your urine for blood, bacteria, keytones passing through, urobilirubin, etc. Anything that would set off an alarm.  I am hoping that this simple test was done automatically when presenting with flank pain! If not, that would be your first indication for switching doctors!  As for celiac, it is often one of the last items checked for and if you continue with bowel problems, especially any fluctuations in output, it would be wise to seek out a gastroenterologist, even if he suspects IBS. A gastro would be better able to diagnose or confirm suspicions of IBS, Celiac, Crohn's, or any other intestinal issue.  There is one other minor thing that presents often, that hurts like the dickens, which is when we damage our last rib, which is a "floating rib". That, you would be able to tell, by basically poking in where the ribcage ends, and if it is extremely tender to the touch, you could have damaged your floating rib, which often times takes months to heal. (This could be, of course, in addition to any of the above, since you do have other symptoms going on, which the doc above failed to pay attention to when speaking of kidney problems, since they don't cause the blisters - which is why sometimes it frustrates me to hear a doc respond because they are not seeing the whole picture or are only responding to the portion of the symptoms that they WANT to see.). Another way you can tell that you have hurt your ribs, would be that every once in a while if you turn to your side AND DOWN, you will feel like something inside has gone terribly wrong, for that moment, and it really hurts.  I mention it, because I have both.  I just want to see you get better, and not settle until you have ANSWERS, so really, THE BEST WISHES with your answers!!!!

[mynicknamehasbeentaken]

Thank you, to be honest when I look at pictures of the blisters on the Internet,they do look similar,but I only have a few,the ones I have seen on the Internet seem to be clustered (I supose they show worst case scenario), I don't think it's a floating rib as I feel really fatigued mainly in the morning and early evening,and my head often feels 'light-headed'. It does feel like my body isn't getting the nutrients it needs.

Once agin thank you for your help

[doreenn]

Good luck, Really!  I hope you find your answer!  Please let me know how it's going!