RUQ pain - no diagnosis

[Greg C]

Ok, maybe someone can give me a little insight into what to look for.  I have had pain under might right ribs extending into my back at times for three weeks. A little stomach upset, but only mild - no vomiting - a little loose stool which fiber helps.

34 years old - overweight (285)
Ultrasound - normal
Blood work - normal
CT scan - only indication is slightly enlarged spleen

Have been on Cipro for one week
Have taken flagyl for three days - just stopped because of side effects maybe from flagyl (headace, chills, stomach spasms).

Pain is not diminishing.

I'm thinking the gall bladder.  My doc is looking at diverticulitus, but my pain is in upper right quadrant, not the usual place for this.  I know he's going to try barium enema next.  Should I push for a hidascan?  Other things I should ask about?

I'm also concerned about potential for malignancies.  I smoked for 10 years and quit 5 years ago.  I haven't had any symptoms of lung cancer such as blood, or coughing - never the less, my body feels "funny".  It's hard to describe.  Not a good diagnostic description, I know.  It feels like a pressure - like a softball has been shoved inside my ribs and is pushing everything around.

[kate zoerman]

28 years old.  I have had pain in my right side right under my ribs for about 2 weeks.  Vomiting and loose stool for about 3 weeks. I have lost 5 pounds since this has all started.  so my weight is down to 105.  I have had an ultrasound and blood work done and was all normal.  I am schuduled for a hidascan and do not know anything about it.  I am feeling the same as other people, that is very hard to descrip.

[Deb]

Hpylori bacter  blood test first and formost I had same syptoms, took three attempts to get my doctor to listen. Came back positive.Floored him. Most sypmtoms went away after treatment and a healing time period. Had my gal bladder out to but also had second bout of hpylori same symptons, went away after antibiotics.
take the blood Test !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Watch your diet keep track and map it with symptoms. If you eat a fatty meal and later you have pain it is probably your gall bladder. My mother took one flax seed oil caplet and had the same pain.I am sure she has a gall bladder problem.

[belinda]

Do you have additional problems or increased pain when eating high fat ... or greasy foods? If so, then definitely push for the gallbladder screens first.  If your doctor won't do the test, then get a second opinion.  

[Angela M.]

I had pain in my URQ for about a year.  Finally went to the doctor who sent me to get an ultrasound (after scaring the hell out of me with a cancer talk).  I found out that I have 2 large gallstones that take up about half of my gallbladder.  Now I have the prospect of surgery at Christmas.  Great.  I'm hoping this is all that's wrong and the surgery has no complications.  Good luck to everyone on finding a cause for their pain.

[Burt, British Columbia]

Comforting to read so many reports of swollen feeling just under ribs.  I first developed this 11 years ago after getting some kind of bug (undiagnosed) in India.  I went through 3 years of it coming and going along with mild digestive irregularities.  Recently I developed it again.  I had many of the tests listed by others.  Diet seems to have some impact, but not a lot.  It's unrelated to when I eat.  Recently I've had acupuncture and this is the only effective treatment I've found.  After two sessions and also some sessions of visualising a heathy 'flow' in my liver, the inflamed feeling went away for several weeks. It's now back following a business trip and much stress so I will return to acupuncturist.  The only thing I'd add is that it's worth finding a really good acupuncturist because if those needles don't produce a really deep ache when they put them in, they ain't working!

[gill mcdonnell]

What is the answer to the above question please.