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On the off chance anyone has any ideas on flank pain

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Posted 9/1/2009 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
I had a kidney infection a few weeks ago. One of the things that caused me to call my doctor was intense flank pain. It started out somewhat fleeting and sporadic then over the course of a week or so got more intense and became a constant. The infection is gone. I have had a CT and my Kidneys are A OK, as is my bowel system according to the CT. The only thing that showed up was some fibroids. My GYN says no way they are causing the pain. This is INTENSE pain. (I'm a crohnie, I can take pain) Keeps me up at night, makes me not want to move, and nothing (pain meds) touches it. This is week 4, and I am just done with this. Not much causes me to have a pity party, but I just broke down after my appointment today when the doctor said he had no idea what was causing my pain and maybe it was muscle, had i been doing any yard work? 4 weeks of muscle pain? I don't think so. Its both sides, all the time, nothing makes it better or worse, keeps me up at night, and none of the doctors have any ideas. I have an appointment with my primary to start over tomorrow, but you guys are the real experts, so any ideas?
Posted 9/1/2009 10:38 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Zanne, I’m sorry I can’t offer any help with what it could possibly be, but I hope you feel better soon. Do you get any relief sitting in a steaming hot bath? Just for temporary relief?

 

By flank pain, do you mean the area right at the top of your legs near your groin? I used to get intense pain there around that time of the month, so awful I had to sit down to stop it from hurting, I never understood the pain. Also when my crohn’s has been punishing me I get the same pain.

Posted 9/1/2009 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Zanne,
I have had flank pain for the last year and no one can decide what is causing it. It isn't as bad as yours. Most of the time it is painful but not bad enough for a pain pill. I only have my on my right side most of the time. My pain is located front and back around my waist area.Sometimes I also have pain under my right rib. I have polycyctic kidney disease but have never had any problems with my cysts so I am not convinced these are the problem. The CT and SBF showed nothing. I go back to my GI in three weeks and am asking for an ultra sound of my kidneys to put my mind at rest. Sorry I wish I could be of more help.

Elizabeth
Posted 9/2/2009 12:32 AM (GMT 0)
what they usually do is give you cipro and IV and this kind of just swells everything and typically you never see the stone (if there was one). nevertheless it does work. Always keep your kidneys warm like if you need a blanket when you sit (just avoid getting a draft there, yuno). It is possible it is inflammed (canal) and it just feels like you are passing a stone. I know this pain it is one of the highest. Stay hydrated.
Posted 9/2/2009 5:34 AM (GMT 0)
The only things that I found for that are ectopic pregnancy and hematoma with nerve involvement. The hematoma would have to be in the area where the nerves supplying the painful areas emerge from the spine or near there before they diverge to either side. I don't know how likely either of these possibilities is, but that's all I can come up with.
Posted 9/2/2009 1:28 PM (GMT 0)
Zanne,

I have an area in my right ribcage and back that flares up every month or so and gives me horrid pain. I can take my Percoset and it just takes the edge off. I find my heating pad draped over my side helps the most. I have people suggest costchodritis(sp?) as a possibility. I asked my GI about it and he suggested that it might be something in the muscle, but the closest description I have found for the pain is the costcochondritis(sp?). Google it and see if that sounds anything like you are suffering.

Gentle Hugs,
Gail*Nanners*
Posted 9/2/2009 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
hey Zanne I have that pain on my left side a lot lately. It goes around from the front rignt rib area, then around to the back thru the shoulder blade. I think mine is muscular, but it is defintely diet related. I found if I get more protein and potassium the pain eases. No this is not just an ache but a fierce pain that can knock you to the floor...I hope you get relief soon
Posted 9/2/2009 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys. I knew you all would have some suggestions. I saw my primary this morning and they sent me to a spinal specialist. He thinks I need physical therapy and maybe a cortisone shot. Upshot being that I need to strengthen muscles surrounding my pelvic bones. I'm not sure I buy it, not with how fast it came on and how intense the pain is, but at least I'm on a path now. Yesterday no one had any ideas and no treatment plan. So today, I have a plan and if I don't start feeling better in a few weeks then we re-evaluate. I will research some of your ideas as well and see what might jump out at me. Thanks again. This is why I love this site turn
Posted 9/2/2009 6:02 PM (GMT 0)

Zanne,   I also have had three resections and periodiaclly have had odd pains that my doctor has attributed to adhesions.  I have never had anything as severe as your pains,  but I think it could be a possibility depending on what might be adhered to what organ.

Moodindigo

Posted 9/2/2009 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
Moondingo, I have was wondering if that is the cause of mine too. I know adhesions hurt, but I wouldn't think they would hurt as bad as the ribcage pain I get. I had a liver resection that was why I was thinking mine could be adhesions too. That could be a reason that the pain meds don't work????? Did your doctor recommend anything for the adhesion pain?

Thanks
Gail*Nanners*
Posted 9/2/2009 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
I had yjat pain and thought i was dying! It ended up to be where my fistula and abscess was but they thought initially it was an infection in a muscle on one of the muscles on the flat of my back and I had a biopsy.....They said it would not show on a CT. However adhesion pains can be really really bad so I would not rule it out.
Posted 9/2/2009 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
Nanners, my pain was not severe enough to require pain meds. The pain would last for weeks or months sometimes and then subside. That made it even more difficult to diagnose. I don't underestand why pain meds wouldn't help if the pain was caused by adhesions. I didn't think the the cause of the pain mattered... . I always felt the adhesions diagnosis was just a guess anyway since it would be hard to show up on tests. However I just remembered that before one of my surgeries the xrays showed that healthy intestine was matted together presumably by adhesions causing obstruction. So maybe there is a test that would point to adhesions. I hope you can figure out what's causing your pain. Then hopefully they could treat it. Moodindigo
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