Side and back pain..

[Lissat81]

I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on what could be causing the following symptoms (I have had them for two/three years off and on now):

Side pain (mostly right side between rib and hips)
When I have the side pain I get pain in the back (behind where the side pain is, sometimes mid back)
It makes me nauseous where do not want to eat and find myself gagging when look at something offputting.  If I do eat symptoms get worse..
Diarrhea and flatulence constantly (doctors have told me it is a result of previous surgery - gallbladder removed)
Blood in urine occasionally (not female related, wrong time altogether and not happened much, three times in the past year for two days roundabouts each time before it went away, no sign of infection when tested, came up negative and ct and ultrasound of kidneys came up normal)
Foamy urine
Constant dehydration
Swelling in the feet..
Extreme tiredness..

Yes I know, it is a long list guys and its probably hard to work it out considering there is so much going on but I am frustrated :(  For two years the GPs have been sending me for the same tests which have shown nothing (gallbladder gone so no stones, no kidney problems/stones) etc.  They have basically said no idea, take pills and deal with it but finding it hard to do that as it gets worse.  I wake up exhausted, ALWAYS in pain, just a matter of whether it is dull or sharp and the doctors are making me feel as though I am a hypochrondriac who should just "get on with it".  I only wish it were that easy.

Anyone else have/had the same problems at all?

[Lissat81]

I have soooo been there and done that!  My doctor has been telling me for years it is nothing, its only after going to another doctor when I had blood in my urine (visible before tests even done) that she has decided to do more tests and then refer me on to a specialist (after being told it is just back pain, take pain tablets and deal with it and blood goes away so no big deal etc from three other doctors!).  I was losing hope after two years of being sent from here to there and still not entirely hopeful as I do not want to be disappointed when they find nothing again :(  But reallllly want something to be found already!

Just a thought.. have you had a CT scan on your back at all?  My sister had back problems at one stage which was causing noticeable swelling, pain in side, back, leg etc, but the doctors kept saying to her just take tablets to get rid of the pain when you have it and all good basically.  Anyhow, tablets were a constant thing so went to doctor and asked for a referral to back specialist who said that she needed to have a CT scan as the swelling may be causing pressure on nerves which could be cause of side and leg pain.  The scans came back showing it was and she had degenerative disk disease (accident at work a few years back lifting a box probably cause of it) and she was sent to another specialist for some type of epidural needle with I think quartazone or something like that which reduced the swelling (took around a week to fully work, not instantaneous) and took the pressure off.  After that she was a LOT better.  

What I have said may not be applicable to you but thought I'd mention it as you never know.

[Lissat81]

Thank for you the suggestions doctornee this has really been wreaking havoc on my life, work and personal.  I will definitely have to look into it further.  I have asked my doctor to refer me to a specialist so we can start the elimination process and work out what it is, rather than waiting for other symptoms to develop so it is clearer to her (she has admitted she really does not know, suspects it more than one problem which is why confusing her and that is all she will say on it). After being given the "runaround" for the last two years I finally have an appointment to see a specialist on Tuesday.  My cousin does have Celiac Disease so something to check (my doctor dismissed it without doing any testing, just concentrated on the kidneys) so could be an idea to see about that.  Just one last question to clarify sorry.. so Crohn's can cause blood in the urine as well?  

I appreciate your help and your prompt reply to my earlier post :)

[Lissat81]

Thank for you the suggestions doctornee this has really been wreaking havoc on my life, work and personal.  I will definitely have to look into it further.  I have asked my doctor to refer me to a specialist so we can start the elimination process and work out what it is, rather than waiting for other symptoms to develop so it is clearer to her (she has admitted she really does not know, suspects it more than one problem which is why confusing her and that is all she will say on it). After being given the "runaround" for the last two years I finally have an appointment to see a specialist on Tuesday.  My cousin does have Celiac Disease so something to check (my doctor dismissed it without doing any testing, just concentrated on the kidneys) so could be an idea to see about that.  Just one last question to clarify sorry.. so Crohn's can cause blood in the urine as well?  

I appreciate your help and your prompt reply to my earlier post :)

[2Young4This31]

I too have the same pain but its on my left side but i also have some sort of growth on my ribcage .Doc told me its possible its cartilage build up . or a muscle thing , but i doubt its a muscle thing only because  i have been dealing with this for 3 yrs now . the pain is between hip and bottom base of the ribs into back and towards spine . and now im feeling pain going up more in back  probley cause of i also have a cold i think and ive been coughing . so its possible due to that . i cant turn towards the right it hurts .almost like something is stopping me from doing so. i also noticed when i lay flat on my back i can feel pressure and my back hurt . Anyways i would go for a second opion or maybe a specialist and see what they say , maybe they need to dig deeper to see whats really going on. all i know is i feel the same way you do and im afraid my doc thinks im a nut case lol . but i dont think pain thats been going on for yrs is a normal thing ! Aparently our body is trying to tell us something that isnt right !!!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Gross hematuria (blood in urine) visible to naked eye is also seen in kidney and bladder stones, cancer of kidney, sickle cell anemia, bladder endometriosis, low platelet count, bladder injury and bladder infections. Hence though kidney and bladder stones have been ruled out other causes should be looked into.
The other possibility is that you also have an inflammatory bowel condition such as Celiac Disease/Ulcerative Colitis/Irritable Bowel Syndrome/ Crohn’s disease. All these result in tender abdomen, loose stool or loose stools alternating with constipation, abdominal distention, cramps etc. Since there is blood in urine and the urine is floamy (may be due to high proteins), chances of Crohn’s disease are high. Possibility of associated diabetes too should be looked into.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Do consult your doctor and maybe get a referral for a gastroenterologist. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!