Stomach/Back/Leg Pain

[virgogrl]

Hi Dr.  For the past month I have been experiencing a strange kind of pain.  I am getting sharp pains on the left side of my stomach, right at my waist.  I will get 2 or 3 pains and then it will go away, it usually just lasts a few minutes.  Some days this happens once and other days it happens multiple times.  If I am standing for a long period of time and have these pains I will also experience back pain on my left side which shoots about halfway down my left leg leaving an aching back and leg which can be quite painful. I have also been experiencing a lot of bubbles in my urine, I don't know if this is related but I am guessing it is because when I am in pain I seem to get more bubbles.  This pain also happens sometimes when I am sitting but it is mostly when I stand.  The pain is tolerable and hasn't gotten worse but it's not going away either.  Anyways, I have a few questions:

1.  Any ideas as to what could be causing this?  I have tried to track the pain to a particular activity or food and have had no luck.

2.  Any home remedies I can try to alleviate these symptoms?

3.  I don't have health insurance and know if I have to go to the doctor and have tests it is going to cost me a fortune.  If I have to go to the doctor can you recommend what type of doctor I should go to so I can try to minimize costs so instead of going to my general doctor and getting a referral maybe I can go straight to the source.

Thanks

[BeingMe]

I have had the same concerns as you. After visiting my doctor I was diagnosed with a kidney infection.

[Hudson]

Hi there, you want to consider an ovarian cyst? I just had one and had pain on the affected side as well as in my lower back and down my leg. Just a thought as something to rule out.

Hudson

[virgogrl]

Thanks, are the bubbles in the urine indicitive of anything?

[Kevin Pho, MD]

To answer your questions:
1) Left lower quadrant pain can be caused by diverticulitis, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or non-GI causes like a kidney stone, hernia or groin pull.  

2) Treatment is difficult to recommend without knowing exactly what is causing the discomfort.

3) I would suggest a GI physician.  A CT scan and colonoscopy would comprehensively evaluate the lower GI tract for possible causes.  

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_b

[Hudson]

Hi again, yes, typically the ovarian pain is more towards your groin. It was just a thought.

Hudson

[virgogrl]

Interesting, that's what I originally thought it was but my pain is at my waist, isn't that too high for an ovarian cyst.  I would figure the pain would be much lower.

[virgogrl]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I am a 32 yr old female.