Flank pain only during sleep/upon waking

[SJMCRAE]

Every morning I wake in excrutiating pain in the lower back (kidney area) that radiates to the front of stomach.  This pain is so severe that it wakes me up and makes it difficult to take a deep breath.  I feared it was kidney's and had a battery of tests done, along with MRI's that showed nothing.  Dr. thinks it could be muscle related.  The pain seems to arise after 5-6 hours of sleep.  At first it seemed that the pain was immediately relieved once I voided of a morning, now it seems that as soon as I stand I get relief, which makes me think maybe it could be nerve compression?  The pain wakes me from sleep and gives me anxiety in the evenings before bedtime due to the fact that I know I will wake in horrible pain.  This has been going on for the last 9 years after the birth of my daughter and has progressivley gotten worse.  The doctors are stumped as to what this can be and has referred me to a chiro and recommended a nerve block. If anyone has any ideas, please advise.  Thanks!

[blazeaglory]

I will also try magnesium but at the moment I get allot of magnesium in all the wholesome food I eat so I dont think thats an issue

[blazeaglory]

Funny thing about the artificial sugars...

I have NEVER had pain like this until I started drinking vitamin water ZERO with artificial sweeteners! And I have also NEVER had artificial sweeteners before either

So now I am going to cut out the artificial stuff and see what happens. I will also try the sloping method "if" the pain doesn't go away after the artificial sweetener removal.

[Globaltrot]

Relieved I found this forum! I have suffered from back pain for a long time now, but last year around May I developed a pain on my right hand side waist. It always seems to come on after sleeping for a few hours and then persists throughout the night and for a while when I wake up. I have tried adjusting my sleeping position multiple times but it hasn't helped. Sometimes the pain (though it becomes more of an ache in the day) will persist through the day which is what I'm currently experiencing. I've noticed also that I have a tendency to get more bloated now, even when I haven't eaten. I did wonder if it had anything to do with my right ovary being removed as roughly after that is when the pain started. It just seems strange though as it is so much higher up. Unfortunately I live in Cambodia at present and the medical expertise here is non-existent; Bangkok is incredibly expensive so I am trying to sort out another solution before flying home to England in July. It's very blatant that my right side feels different to my left. Occasional bouts of weakness and bowel problems happen also so I'm not sure if anything is related.

[Raych5]

I have the exact type of pain as what you described. It comes on after sleeping for a few hours and hurts so badly that I can barely turn to the other side. After I am up and moving around for a while, it lessens to an ache and then mostly goes away. I was afraid that it was something kidney related and I have not been to the doctor yet. I was wondering if you have been home yet and been evaluated.

[SkellySays]

Have the same problem as most....but I read all the comments yesterday and noticed three or four cases where magnesium supplements fixed the problem so yesterday I bought some. Well I'm laying in bed right now pain free. Can't believe it. So happy!!! Go buy some magnesium vitamins people.

[Godadada]

I have a very simillar problem for 5-7 years now. I've been to handfull of doctors who coundnt find a cause. Until i went to neuroligist. Apparently one of my vertibree is slightly moved which causes uneven musceles and maybe a blicked nerve... I have started electrostymation for my spine myscles and it seems to be getting better.. Fingers crossed!

[Alohaly]

I feel exactly as you do.  I am so afraid to go to bed at night.  I don't know what the problem is, but I am relieved to find that it may not be fatal as many others have experienced the same problem for years.
I, too, have gone to the doctor, had an MRI, and been told that nothing seems to be amiss.  After reading these posts I'm going to rush out and get some magnesium tablets, just in case they may help.
I don't agree with the "pooling" theory, as I get up at least six times a night to relieve myself (I take a water pill and would rather pee at night than throughout the day) therefore I don't collect urine in my bladder.  I was grossly overweight and lost 65 pounds over a period of two years.  During that time I ate little or no carbohydrates, ate no sugar and drank at least 80 ounces of water every day.  I do not drink coffee but I do like zero cola. During the two year period I did not suffer from the side pain, which feels like waking up with a butcher knife stuck in my right side below my rib cage.  The initial pain goes away after a while upon standing and moving around, but there is always a hint of it lurking in there somewhere.
I have very little stress in my life, I am 74 years old, own my home, pay my bills and have no debt.  I have family, friends and canine companionship.  I have many interests and hobbies and keep my mind alert.  I teach music and dance and keep my mind alert writing books making teaching videos.  I am not a wimp or hypochondriac and I have a rather high pain threshold,  But this HURTS.  It was really the only stress I am having right now, and reading this blog has helped alleviate that stress because I now know I am not crazy and more importantly I am not alone.