kidney pain/ flank pain

[rew135]

I have pain in the sides of my back where my ribs meet my side. The pain is deep and so intense that I have been to the ER on several occasions with the severe pain and vomiting.

My body tells me it is my kidneys. I have kidney stones, but my GP insists that the pain is not from my kidney stones because they are not obstructing the duct. I asked him if it was possible that my stones were moving around and he told me that kidney stones do not move around and they do not cause pain. He told me I needed to have my gallbladder out, so I did to find out 2 weeks later from a different ER doctor that my gallbladder was not infected, inflamed, nor did it possess any gall stones.

My GP also would not refer me to a urologists. Instead he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon who did an MRI. I have not received the results from that scan yet. The Ortho doc suspects a bulging or ruptured disk, but he has also referred me to a urologist who I have not seen yet.

I also went to a GI specialist who did an upper GI and small bowel scan that came back normal.

I have been on pain meds for about a year now, and I am wondering if my kidneys are suffering from the harsh effects of the medication I am taking to mask the pain  have.

My pain is acute stabbing pain that is on my right side where my ribs meet my spine. Sometimes it will be on the left side, but never both sides at once. When my pain starts it progressively gets worse. Almost like the feeling of contractions. It hurts so bad that I can not get comfortable no matter the position I am in. Then I get nauseous and sometimes I vomit. Nothing relives the pain except medicine at the ER. It feels like a needle is on my inside and it just keeps moving and stabbing me.

Things that I notice "trigger" these painful episodes and I know it might sound crazy but it happens about 10 minutes after drinking a red bull. Also alcohol can trigger attacks. I also run a low grade fever the day after drinking alcohol and I have severe pain in my sides and back.

Any ideas on what I may be going through? I am emotionally exhausted trying to figure out what is wrong with me. Sometimes I feel like the doctors think I am crazy because none of them can figure out what is wrong. I feel like I am not being heard or taken seriously and I am becoming depressed with all of this.

Any advice would mean a great deal to me. Thank you.

[rew135]

Thank you. i just got my results from my MRI and my CT scans. All of my tests are normal.

[DrKalraMD]

Hi, probably it seems to me spine disorder (prolapsed disc, TB spine etc) or sometimes in pancreatitis (inflammation of pancreas) can cause similar kind of symptoms.

For spine disorder, MRI is usually done and for pancreatitis serum amylase along with ultrasound or CT scan is usually done. Low grade fever, precipitation of pain with alcohol is quite suggestive of pancreatitis.