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right side pain

okay after vomiting i know have really bad pain under my right rib.  none of this makes any sense.  
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Avatar universal
Update,  I saw Dr Bunick, a Specialist,  I guess the hida scan caused my pancreus to spasm.  He gave Me Diclocymine.  (spelling my not be right).  It did miricles for the pain.  I felt the best ever since all this stuff started.  I had 3 days of normal.  Then I broke out in a rash.  The rash progressed to my entire body, fever hand swelled, glands in my throat swelled.  I stopped. Everything went away.  Doc. said I was allergic.  Figures.  Back to square one.

I did have a barium xray of my upper intestines, no results on this yet.  And a colonoscopy.  Found 2 polops. one 1mm the other 2mm.  No results back on them, also sent out a test for ulcerative colitis.

Will know more 4/2.  
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Avatar universal
I have been sick for a few weeks now with this, but I have so many other health problems, that I didn't know if this was on top of that or not.  One day I just began to have cold sweats, weakness, and severe pain and nausea.  MY CT scans came back today that they see infiltration of the liver and areas that show up that they can't identify, so I have to get a MRI with a special dye or something.  I have pain all the time.  Sitting is awful.  I can eat lying down without getting sick most of the time. I am seeing approx. 15 specialitists about other issues.  The iniltration of the liver is most probably due to 3 years of high does of steroids for a severe lung disease.  I am so weak it's ridiculous.  My neurologist has asked me to retire at 42, at the time, I was 41.  I am supposed to go to the Cleveland Clinic soon because my body is getting worse each day.  Keep us updated.
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875426 tn?1325528416
Thank you for the update!  Well, the improvement in the pain level with the prilosec would seem to indicate acid as at least one of the sources of pain whereas they weren't able to pinpoint a simple but painful musculoskeletal source of the pain with the heavy physical movement you had mentioned before.  

I wonder if the heavy physical movement was while bending down?  That could cause acid to reflux when the esophageal sphincter muscle is not working properly.

Hopefully the GI doctor will order an MRCP to look at all your duct work, which includes the pancreas duct work.  Your pancreas is located behind your stomach on the left side and if you had a gallstone in the pancreatic ductwork, a person could develop pancreatitis, which could cause both abdominal pain and vomiting as well as other symptoms.

Please keep me posted?
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Avatar universal
Okay, went to my gp.  she upped  my prilosec to 80 mg a day.  It was rather amazing after I took the  second dose.  The pain in my left side is almost completly diminished.  The rest of the symptoms have pretty much gone.  I am not sure what to think of this.  I feel a lot better now. We will still keep the app. for the specialist as the pain is not fully disappated.  It is pretty much constant.  But much more managable.  Both the gp and the reg. gastro guy check for the rib thing.  They don't think it  is that.

Thank you all for the info.  So far nothing fits.  Still a mystery.  I guess maybe it could be the ducts.  
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875426 tn?1325528416
I'm glad your mood has picked up! :0)  Let me know what your GP said?  The contrast used for MRI is supposed to leave your body very fast compared to some of that radioactive dye they use for HIDA or I think CT as well- another reason to ask for an MRI (MRCP if they want to focus on ducts) from the GI doctor if they want to take some more pics w/contrast.  The radiologist had absolutely no guess what those spots that weren't cysts on your liver were?

As far as diet goes, as long as you are getting proper nutrition, doing what works sounds smart to me!  I went through a period where my GI tract was daily upset with nausea, diarrhea and at times vomitting.   I had a doctor prescribe a mild tranquilizer, generic Librium, and aside from some continued nausea, the symptoms disappeared.

If the pain still is subsided to practically nothing except for heavy physical exertion, it is highly likely the source is a musculoskeletal one.  You may want to look up costochondritis and see if you don't think that may be the source of your pain.  
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Avatar universal
Hello, I'm so sorry your having this pain. May i make a couple suggestions? Have your doctor order a blood test for Chron's, also if the high fat diet causes problems it could be a gluten allergy, i think it can cause diverticulitis (or however you spell it) also it might be a good idea to check your thoracic spine, its possible that you could have a nerve pinched that can cause pain in your rib area as well. best of luck to you.
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Avatar universal
I am in a little better mood today.  I would really like this to end!   I go see my gp this morning.  The ER recommened I follow up with her.  I am going to ask for some kind of anti anxity drug.  And I have a list of questions for her.  I would really like some answers.  So far no one has any.  I have made some decisions.  I will not go off my diet!  Period.   I don't care what the docs say.  The diet is the only thing that has helped.  I am not sure of anymore testing.  I really do not want anymore dyes or radioactive crap.   Not unless someone can give me an answer as to why the last one made me so ill. Maybe on the 11 the gi specialist can come up with an answer.  We will see.
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875426 tn?1325528416
Wow, I definitely did not have anyone recommend I eat a high fat meal prior to my HIDA scan!  So, you'll want to ask the specialist for an MRCP to look at your duct work then.  That is the type of MRI that focuses in on all the duct work- liver, gallbladder and pancreas.

I have a stomach very sensitive to certain things myself.  I've got GERD, but I think perhaps my dysautonomia is contributing to the high sensitivity to foods.  You've got a diet working for you- sounds very sensible to stick to it!  Fatty and fried foods both are bad for acid reflux and since you've got it, you definitely are on the right track to avoid such things.  
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Avatar universal
The pain has subsided to almost nothing unless i do heavy physical movement.

The gastro doc is sending me to a specialist to see if there is somthing wrong with my ducts in the liver.  

I want to mention that if i eat no fat at all i am fine.  The heartburn, acid reflux and stomache pain is gone.  

Right before the hida scan i was eating brown rice, veggies, fruit ( no citrus) a little dairy (non fat yourgart) and whole wheat bread.   I felt the best I have in ages!  I had energy.  I felt good.  All the pain was gone.  My stomache was good.  

The day before that scan I ate a high fat diet as recommened.  By 1:00 p.m. I was sick.  The heart burn and acid reflux was back, the stomache pain was almost unbearable.  After the Hida scan I had pain in left and right side under my rib cage.  Miserable heart burn that nothing helped and extrem nausea to the point that I couldn't eat.  

I will go see this specialist.  But to be honest, I have had enough.  If he doesn't give me a resonable answer,  I will stick to my diet and enough will be enough!  I am tired of docs.  and Hosp. tests ect...


Helpful - 0
875426 tn?1325528416
A little about me, in case you would find it interesting (otherwise skip the first paragraph):

I have a couple lesions on my liver- one they've identified, the other they are trying to figure out.  MRI is what I've been getting after an ultrasound that picked them up.  They are supposed to be the best for determining about hemangioma, which is the one they pinned down with MRI, but the smaller lesion, still not sure.  I also had a HIDA scan due to upper right abdominal pain and my ejection fraction was at 52 percent- MRCP was done which looks at the duct work to liver, gallbladder and pancreas- all looked fine.  You are older than I with a better GFR than mine!  

You have some lesions on your liver they have not identified- did they suggest a follow-up study for those?  Did they order in your many blood tests an AFP tumor marker test regarding your liver lesions?

The upper endoscopy should have helped a GI doctor to identify if you had any hiatal hernia, ulcers, suspicious areas in your upper esophagus, stomach, or your duodenum.  The abdominal CT scan and blood tests should have picked up problems with kidneys, pancreas, gall bladder, etc..

I am wondering if all the stress you are under with all these tests has gotten to you and whether things would settle down again as before with time and you would feel better?  Anxiety itself can cause GI upset.

If it were I had your unidentified liver spots, I would be concerned about trying to get them identified if possible- maybe you could ask the GI doctor to order an MRI of the liver?  Also, if they think appropriate, to order a cancer marker test (AFP tumor plasma test)?  

Another thing concerning to me is that very high spike you had in your blood pressure, along with the light-headedness and sweating.  I hope they did more than just an EKG as far as your cardiovascular system was concerned?  Did they tell you to keep track of your blood pressure with a home blood pressure monitor (Omron is a highly recommended brand)?  Did they put you on blood pressure medication?  In case your blood pressure spikes really high again as it did before and you feel sweaty and maybe even get a headache with it- I hope you will take time to find out ahead of time if, with this last episode, of all the blood tests they ordered, they ever ordered a fasting plasma free metanephrines to try to rule out pheochromocytoma.  I know it's a rare tumor & might not be detected if extremely small, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked as something to try to rule out if the spikes continue to happen.

I know with costochondritis, it can cause pain and I seem to recall it has made me nauseated in the past with the pain of it.  Can you feel about in the area it hurts with your finger tips and see if there is one spot that feels particularly painful and tender?  If you can, ask the GI doctor if you might have it because it would be a strong possibility of one thing wrong (though would not explain all symptoms you have mentioned).  

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Avatar universal
Yes, the pain is on the left side.  yes they did the ekg,
Lets see in the last month I have had an upper endoscopy, ultrasound on my gall bladder, ct scan of the gall bladder. a hida scan and my entire adominal upper and lower. So many blood test that I should be anemic now.  Everything is normal.
The ct showed cysts in my liver along with several spots the ct couldn't identify.

My GRF is 87.5.  Normal.

I have been seeing the gastolist for a month and a half.  No gall stones.  Gall bladder is functioning at 68%.


I am ready to give up.  I see the gasto guy Tue.  I am calling my doc. Tue also.

The er gave me a print out of all the tests they did.

The pain is there still, but manageable with the tramadole.  

Before the hida scan, i was eatin nothing but fruits veggies, rice, some boiled chicken and turkey.  I felt good.  The stomache pain was gone.  I had energy and was doing normal stuff.  After this stupid scan I got the pain which has not abated, nausea and can not eat anything without vomiting or being very nauseas.  Yesterday I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with a little salt.   It made me nausous, but it did stay down.  I really didn't eat anything for 5 days.  Crackers and chicken bullion.

I still think it really has to do with the hida scan.  I think this aggravated somthing.   What I do not know.  Because the gall bladder is on the right and all of my pain is on the left.  
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875426 tn?1325528416
You started off saying the pain was on the right, now you are saying the pain is on the left- please clarify?

You say you had extremely high blood pressure, were sweating, light-headed, and had bad pain under your left rib cage, but you don't mention an EKG?  I hope they did one of those as well as the kind of blood tests to check to see if you were having a heart attack?  If you feel like you are having heartburn, know that a heart attack can feel that way in women.

  If you have further episodes of spiked blood pressure and sweating and your cardiovascular system checks out okay, may I recommend you ask your doctor for a plasma free metanephrines fasting blood test to try to rule out a pheochromocytoma, which emits high levels of catecholamines and can cause these symptoms?  The test I mention is one of the best there is for ruling out this rare tumor, usually located on an adrenal gland.  Ones that under 1 cm a CT scan are less accurate for than larger ones.

The thing Dee was referring to is costochondritis.  A doctor who suspects this musculoskeletal inflammatory condition can typically pinpoint it with palpation.  It can be very painful and can even make it hurt to breathe.  It can strike either side of the rib cage area.  

The area you describe (below the left rib cage) as well as the nausea very possibly could be attributed to the gastrointestinal system- the stomach is on the left and behind it, the pancreas.  I think you are smart to have an appt. with a gastrointestinal specialist.    

The spleen is also on the left side as well as the left kidney.  High blood pressure can lead to kidney disease and kidney failure according to webmd.... in the blood testing, did they check your kidney function and determine your GFR (glomerular filtration rate)?






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Avatar universal
Have had upper endoscopy, ct of gallbladder, ultra sound of gall bladder and a hida scan.  all normal.  the hida was 68%.  the pain is in my left side under my rib cage.  i have at this point given up.  no one knows why this is happpening.  and i am tired of being poked and prodded.  i go see the gastoloigist tue.  
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Avatar universal
I went to work, after about an hour and a half I had really bad pain under my left rib cage, sweating, light headed. when they took my bp it was 190/120.  They sent me to the e.r.
After 4 hours, blood tests, a ct scan of my chest uppper and lower stomache, they came back and said everything was normal.  I have a couple of cysts on my overies( I knew about those) and a couple of cycts in my liver ( I didn't know about)  They wanted me to stay for another 3 hours we had already spent4 hours there, with no results i lost it.  and left against medical advice.  My stomache is upset this a.m.  the pain is still there but manageable.  this is a holiday weekend,  i will try and hang out till Tue.  but if the symptoms come back i guess i will have to go back.  3 months of crap and no answer.  
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1331804 tn?1336867358
I agree with what the original replier stated.  Your symptoms are consistent with gall bladder disease.  Gall bladder disease is caused by gallstones that form inside the gall bladder.  A gall bladder attack typically happens after eating.  Symptoms of a gall bladder attack include: nausea, vomiting, fever, jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and/or skin - if you have this symptom, get to the nearest emergency room immediately), diarrhea, severe abdominal pain.

I had to have my gall bladder removed in December.  I had several gall bladder attacks with the last attack being considered as massive.  

The gall bladder is located under the liver which is right below your ribcage on the right side.

An ultrasound found the gallstones.  I recommend that you see your doctor as soon as you can to determine the cause of your symptoms.  There is always a chance that something other than gall bladder is causing your symptoms, so it is very important that you setup an appointment with your physician as soon as possible.

I hope you feel better soon.  You can possibly reduce your symptoms by eating a diet in low fat, stay away from dairy and highly processed foods as these put your gall bladder into overdrive and if stones are present, uncomfortable symptoms present themselves.  Please keep us posted if you can.

femmy
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317787 tn?1473358451
I am not a doctor however I have had pain as you mention.  It could be gas or you could have pulled a muscle when vomiting, I think it is called costranditis not sure of spelling but that should be good enough for a search.  It is the tissue between the ribs and can be strained
Good luck!
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875426 tn?1325528416
I recommend you got to the doctor right away and get checked to see if you are having a problem with your gallbladder with those symptoms.
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