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Undiagnosed Persistent Upper Left Abdominal PAin
I am a 39 year old female. For the past 2 1/2 months I have been experiencing upper left quadrant abdominal pain. It tends to localize below my ribs but above the navel, about 3 inches left of center. My side also gets tender and my mid back gets muscle spasmy. The pain has sometimes feels like a very tender pulled muscle, but also will feel like a sharper twinge (similar to what I've experienced sometimes when jogging). When the condition was most accute in 4 wks weeks ago, even my skin to the slightest touch was ultrasensitive - almost like a rope-burn type of sensation. I also had a wiggly, twitchy feeling in the muscles there in the upper lft. abd. and into my left side/flank.
I have NO nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. I have not lost any weight and energetically do not feel sluggish. My oral temperature ranged from 98.8 - 100 F. I also have pain in my left groin that feels like a groin pull and also near the front of of my hip bone. I've also noticed that occasionally my left arm feels heavy and weak, with the grip in my left hand feeling weak as well.
I have had xrays, IVP, ultrasound and CT scan. Initially my urine dip showed blood and it was thought i might have a kidney stone, but in further testing the urine showed 0 - 3 red blood cells, which I am told are normal levels, and the IVP did not turn up anything. Only the ultrasound turned up a very small (1.6cm) hemmorhaggic cyst on my left ovary. The gynocologist did not think my pain, being up so high, was caused by the cyst, and instead felt the cause was visceral and definitely not gynocological or musculoskeletal. The CT scan also showed normal, although I was told there was some fluid in my pelvic area, which was attributed to the cyst. All of my blood work has returned completely normal, including amylase / lipase levels.
I was then sent to a Gastroenterologist who asked me some questions, concluded it was muscular and sent me home to take ibuprofen. She did not do a rectal or scope me. Stool sample results came back normal: no e coli, no giardia, no parasites, no blood.
I have been prescribed darvocet, levsin, ibuprofen and naproxen, none of which have made any difference.
Also - have eliminated dairy, alcohol, caffeine from my diet and added extra fiber. I eat no red meat and haven't for approx. 20 years. I have smoked on and off for approx 20 years, most recently less than 5 / day, but have been smoke-free since 1 / 1 / 2000. I do have GERD, but treated myself with herbs and diet and have not had a reccurrence in about a year.
I am at a loss for which way to turn for help next. My primary care physician seems to be at a loss as well. I also had some thoracic and cervical xrays to see if I might have a pinched nerve causing the pain - nothing apparent showed.
Can you help with any suggestions as to what might be the diagnosis, or references to someone in my area (Boston) who might be able to help? I am also concerned perhaps something was missed on the CT or KUB xrays. Should I have a chest xray? Ultrasound of my spleen / pancreas area? Did the CT scan cover this?
I appreciate your time and consideration and any advice you can offer.
I have NO nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation. I have not lost any weight and energetically do not feel sluggish. My oral temperature ranged from 98.8 - 100 F. I also have pain in my left groin that feels like a groin pull and also near the front of of my hip bone. I've also noticed that occasionally my left arm feels heavy and weak, with the grip in my left hand feeling weak as well.
I have had xrays, IVP, ultrasound and CT scan. Initially my urine dip showed blood and it was thought i might have a kidney stone, but in further testing the urine showed 0 - 3 red blood cells, which I am told are normal levels, and the IVP did not turn up anything. Only the ultrasound turned up a very small (1.6cm) hemmorhaggic cyst on my left ovary. The gynocologist did not think my pain, being up so high, was caused by the cyst, and instead felt the cause was visceral and definitely not gynocological or musculoskeletal. The CT scan also showed normal, although I was told there was some fluid in my pelvic area, which was attributed to the cyst. All of my blood work has returned completely normal, including amylase / lipase levels.
I was then sent to a Gastroenterologist who asked me some questions, concluded it was muscular and sent me home to take ibuprofen. She did not do a rectal or scope me. Stool sample results came back normal: no e coli, no giardia, no parasites, no blood.
I have been prescribed darvocet, levsin, ibuprofen and naproxen, none of which have made any difference.
Also - have eliminated dairy, alcohol, caffeine from my diet and added extra fiber. I eat no red meat and haven't for approx. 20 years. I have smoked on and off for approx 20 years, most recently less than 5 / day, but have been smoke-free since 1 / 1 / 2000. I do have GERD, but treated myself with herbs and diet and have not had a reccurrence in about a year.
I am at a loss for which way to turn for help next. My primary care physician seems to be at a loss as well. I also had some thoracic and cervical xrays to see if I might have a pinched nerve causing the pain - nothing apparent showed.
Can you help with any suggestions as to what might be the diagnosis, or references to someone in my area (Boston) who might be able to help? I am also concerned perhaps something was missed on the CT or KUB xrays. Should I have a chest xray? Ultrasound of my spleen / pancreas area? Did the CT scan cover this?
I appreciate your time and consideration and any advice you can offer.
I noticed that I mis-spelled the name of the test that I am having next week, It is called an MRCP, which stands for Magnetic Resonance Cholangio pancreatography. I am also seeing a kidney specialist on the 29th as from my CT scan they did find that I have a kidney stone on my right side, although they really don't think this is my problem I still have to get it checked out further. Just curious, do you notice any correlation between the pain and your menstrual cycle????
Grammoo: does the zantac help? do you notice if eating affects the pain? In my case, I don't think it does.
MMN: I have been trying to determine if I notice a difference with my menstual cycle. This month I had the sharp twinge pain all day no change the day before my period.
Keep me posted on any diagnosis. THANKS!
MMN: I have been trying to determine if I notice a difference with my menstual cycle. This month I had the sharp twinge pain all day no change the day before my period.
Keep me posted on any diagnosis. THANKS!
Hello,
Your systoms are alittle like mine. But I have a chronic uncurable disease of my pancreas called Chronic Pancreatitis .The cause of mine has not been found yet. I was dx at the age of 18yrsold in May of 1996 and now its 4yrs later I'm still trying to find the answers. I'm 23yrsold almost and as every year that goes bye I get more infections and attacks of my pancreatitis. The enzyme blood test that you said of the amylase and the lipase ,has results of numbers and not negative or postive ,but if you counts are alittle above normal or alot than you might have pancreatitis ,but this only one test that you need to firgurie out if it is or not. the other tests are,
ERCP with manomatory ,MRCP ,Ct.scans,EUS,ultrasounds, all of the pancreas and stomach.
The doctor who does this is a gastro.specialist.
. I hope this info.helps alittle.
I have to go now as for my pancreatitis is atcing up.
thanks for listening.
yours truly
tammi G.
Your systoms are alittle like mine. But I have a chronic uncurable disease of my pancreas called Chronic Pancreatitis .The cause of mine has not been found yet. I was dx at the age of 18yrsold in May of 1996 and now its 4yrs later I'm still trying to find the answers. I'm 23yrsold almost and as every year that goes bye I get more infections and attacks of my pancreatitis. The enzyme blood test that you said of the amylase and the lipase ,has results of numbers and not negative or postive ,but if you counts are alittle above normal or alot than you might have pancreatitis ,but this only one test that you need to firgurie out if it is or not. the other tests are,
ERCP with manomatory ,MRCP ,Ct.scans,EUS,ultrasounds, all of the pancreas and stomach.
The doctor who does this is a gastro.specialist.
. I hope this info.helps alittle.
I have to go now as for my pancreatitis is atcing up.
thanks for listening.
yours truly
tammi G.
I just arrived home from a hospital stay. The pain you describe is so similar to what I experienced. My diagnosis is colonic splenic flexure distention. I don't yet know the cause or treatment, but will post another note when I find out next week. I do know what happens to the colon. For some reason the splenic flexure on the upper left quadrant of the colon, up to the rib cage and around the side fills up with gas and extends upward to the diaphram. The gas is trapped and cannot be expelled. Thus causing severe pain and cramping not unsimilar to a severe muscle spasm. This was found by a simple x-ray of the abdomen, then I had to have an emergency colonoscopy, to find out the cause of the obstruction. I'll let you know
I TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM,I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT EVERY TEST THEY CAN THINK OF,AND ABOUT 14 DIFFERENT MEDS.DOCTORS ARE ALL SCRATCHING THIER HEADS,I HPE SOMEBODY IN THIS GROUP CAN COME UP WITH THE RIGHT ANSWER...HAS ANYONES DOCTOR MENTIONED POSSIBLE ADHESIONS????SOMETIMES MY PAIN FEELS LIKE IT IS PULLING WHEN I LIE ON MY RIGHT SIDE...
I have very same symptoms as Pam and doctor can not determine problem. I would like very much a followup from Pam.
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