Upper LEFT quadrant pain

[Elizabeth]

I am 31 years old. This past May I had severe left sided upper quadrant pain. It felt like it was just under my ribs, usually in the front but sometimes in my side and when most severe, in my back. It lasted for about 3 weeks and I just let it go, confident that it would just go away.
In the first week of August the exact same pain came back. It was so severe that I called my MD after only 3 days. I had chest x-rays, abd sonogram and blood work. The only abnormality was my amylase which was 397. My lipase was somewhat elevated also. I had an abd CT which showed a slightly enlarged pancreas but was told that was probably normal for my age. I was but on prevacid and told to see what happens. I still complained of severe pain do I had an EGD. All was normal. I then had an ERCP done and while no obstruction was noted I did end up with pancreatitis and was in the hospital for 5 days. The 'pancreatitis' pain has now resolved but my original pain remains. I can now relate some of the pain to after meals but that pain usually occurs on the right side. The left sided pain is ALWAYS there. It gets bad and then eases up but is always there. I do become nauseated at times but I am not vomiting. I lost 10 pounds in the hospital but put 6 back on. No further weight loss has been noted. My GI physician is stumped. He did mention sphincter manometry but is hesitant due to my pancreatitis.
What I want to know is this: Is there a profile of patients who have sphincter dysfunction? Are there certain things that cause it or is the cause unknown? Would that cause LEFT sided pain. With the tests I have had done, would CA be ruled out or would that still be a possibility?
                          Thank you,
                              Elizabeth

[from Diane to Carol D. and others]

My CAT showed two things--a gallstone and that dastardly enlarged uterus.  The gallstone does not explain left side pain and the enlarged uterus is back to normal via the transvaginal.  I'm back to square one.  My primary said that the CAT showed that the kidney on the left side is fine.  He is stumped!!  He is figuring possibly a pinched nerve or costochondritis (which I might be mispelling).  My gut feelings tell me know.  So, my bloodwork, ultrasounds, colonoscopy, CAT all fine!!  Now what?  I still have the pain!  IVP is next--it will probably be fine.  Does it show anything different than what a CAT would show?  I read about LGS--what's that?  What is bracing?  What is splenic flexture?  I read about these at another net site.

If there is any new info or suggestions out there, please help!!

[Carol D.]

Hi Diane -

I hear your frustration with more "normal" test results. But at least we know the things they can see show no sign of problems. I'm thankful for that.

The leaky gut syndrome (LGS) is something I learned about through another web site of Dr. Walt Stoll's (http://www.bcn.net/~stoll/). I actually bought his book.  The web site can probably describe things better than I but:

LGS is when the good bacteria that line your intestine get destroyed (antibiotics, etc) and then it can no longer keep harmful bacteria out.  Basically your gut "leaks": it doesn't have a good tight seal against invaders.

I think bracing (according to Dr. Stoll) is sort of like stored up tension in your chest/ribs that often causes pain (and chostochondritis.)

Splenic flexure syndrome is when gas gets regularly trapped in the right angle bend of the large intestine, which is on your left side where it wraps around your spleen.

I have thought all of these 3 might be contributing to my pain, but who knows.  I'm now taking probiotics (acidophilus plus other good bacteria). Also taking a meditation class (Stoll refers to it as skilled relaxation or SR), for the bracing (have also been to a chiro about this). And for the trapped gas I am seeing a CHinese doctor who has prescribed herbs.  I still have the pain but it defintiely has decreased in intensity (occasionally flares up worse but...)  Who knows!?

I would go to the Dr. Stoll website to learn more about these other things becasue I'm afraid I might not have translated the gist of them correctly.

Keep me posted, Diane, and I'll do the same.  I feel like it's a good idea to post to the board here because if one of us stumbles upon an answer, it might be of help to others who look here, as well.  I don't think the doctors here answer many questions on this board; it seems much less active than other boards I've been on, but I check it on a regular basis, so you'll likely continue to see my posts here.

I see another doc tomorrow - maybe he'll have the magic answer??  Hope so -

Carol D.

[Diane to Carol D.]

Hi Carol,

Thanks loads for the explanations of those three conditions.  They are really quite interesting and may be of some help in our attempts to self-diagnosis.  I guess self-diagnosis is better than no diagnosis at all, which is what we are getting from the docs!!  

After reading your explanations, I can honestly say that I feel like I have a combination of splenic flexture syndrome and costochondritis.  I definitely get the trapped gas on the left side and I have such sore ribs, I feel like I went 15 rounds with a prize fighter.  I would have thought, though, that the colonoscopy I had would have cleansed the colon and eliminated the trapped gas permanently?  What do you think?  

After all this addtional information you have supplied me with today, looks like I may be a busy beaver researching it all on the net.  Hope tomorrow is not a demanding day at work so I can do some digging, 'cause "God knows we need to get some answers!!" I'll also be looking into Dr. Stull's book--seems it could be quite helpful.

Thanks for all the "scoop" and PLEASE keep in touch. Of course, I'll do the same.

Thanks,
Diane

[Diane to Carol D. and others]

Received results from my CAT.  Two insignificant things were discovered--a gallstone and an enlarged uterus.  Both my primary and I believe that the gallstone is not causing my left side pain because of the right side location of the gall bladder.  The enlarged uterus has been eliminated as the problem becuase of the transvaginal showing that it is back to normal size.  My primary seems to be stumped and of course so am I.  He thinks it may be a pinched nerve or costochondritis--my gut feeings tell me no.  He ordered an IVP, but what will that show that a CAT does not?  So far, bloodwork, 4 ultrsounds, CAT, colonoscopy were all fine.  1 1/2 months ago the urine specimen showed a slight kidney infection which I am assuming the antibiotic took care of.  Now what?  The pain is still there!!  

Carol--read you on another web site talking about LGS, bracing and splenic flexture.  Excuse my ignorance, but what are those conditions?  Please inform as soon as possible.  

Diane

[Diane to Carol D. and others]

Received results from my CAT.  Two insignificant things were discovered--a gallstone and an enlarged uterus.  Both my primary and I believe that the gallstone is not causing my left side pain because of the right side location of the gall bladder.  The enlarged uterus has been eliminated as the problem becuase of the transvaginal showing that it is back to normal size.  My primary seems to be stumped and of course so am I.  He thinks it may be a pinched nerve or costochondritis--my gut feeings tell me no.  He ordered an IVP, but what will that show that a CAT does not?  So far, bloodwork, 4 ultrsounds, CAT, colonoscopy were all fine.  1 1/2 months ago the urine specimen showed a slight kidney infection which I am assuming the antibiotic took care of.  Now what?  The pain is still there!!  

Carol--read you on another web site talking about LGS, bracing and splenic flexture.  Excuse my ignorance, but what are those conditions?  Please inform as soon as possible.  

Diane

[Diane to Carol D. and others]

Received results from my CAT.  Two insignificant things were discovered--a gallstone and an enlarged uterus.  Both my primary and I believe that the gallstone is not causing my left side pain because of the right side location of the gall bladder.  The enlarged uterus has been eliminated as the problem becuase of the transvaginal showing that it is back to normal size.  My primary seems to be stumped and of course so am I.  He thinks it may be a pinched nerve or costochondritis--my gut feeings tell me no.  He ordered an IVP, but what will that show that a CAT does not?  So far, bloodwork, 4 ultrsounds, CAT, colonoscopy were all fine.  1 1/2 months ago the urine specimen showed a slight kidney infection which I am assuming the antibiotic took care of.  Now what?  The pain is still there!!  

Carol--read you on another web site talking about LGS, bracing and splenic flexture.  Excuse my ignorance, but what are those conditions?  Please inform as soon as possible.  

Diane