left side pain

SABRINA THANJKS FOR THE WEB SITE.VERY INTERESTING.WELL ITS BEEN A FEW WEEKS SINCE I POSTED.i WENT FOR A SECOND OPINION WITH ANOTHER GASTRO DR.I REALLY DIDNT LIKE THE DIAGNOSE.THIS ONE IS TELLING ME THE SAME THING THAT THE FIRST ONE TOLD ME(HE IS AN ASSOCIATE OF THE FIRST ONE-GO FIGURE)ANYWAY HE HAD MY  CHART FROM THE FIRST DR AND LOOKED AT IT AND TOLD ME I HAVE IBS AND HE CANT EXPLAIN WHY I AM HAVING PAIN IN MY LEFT SIDE.HE SAID I HAVE ALREADY BEEN TESTED FOR CHRONS(FUNNY CUZ THE FIRST DR DIDNT TELL ME THAT)AND ITS NOT CHROHNS.HE IS TESTING ME FOR CELIACS BUT I DONT HAVE THE BLOODWORK BACK YET.NOW THIS IS WHAT GETS ME.HE WROTE ME ANOTHER script FOR ANTIDEPRESSANTS!!!!

     I AM SOMEWHAT OF A TALKATIVE PERSON.I CAN MAKE FRIENDS VERY EASILY AND I LIKE TO TALK.I CAN MAKE CONVERSATION WITH A TOTAL STRANGER.THATS MY NATURE.I AKS QUESTIONS IF I DONT UNDERSTAND. AND JUST HAVE A "BUBBLY" PERSONALITY.PEOPLE LIKE TO BE AROUND ME.THIS DR SAID I TALKED TOO MUCH AND HE THOUGHT I WAS TOO HIGH STRUNG!!!HENCEFORTH THE ANTIDEPRESSANTS.I GUESS TO "CALM ME DOWN' AND MAKE ME NOT WORRY about MY PAIN.I WONT TAKE THEM.MY HUSBAND DOESNT LIKE THE WAY THEY "MELLOW" ME OUT.HE LIKES ME "BUBBLY"!!!

     SO NOW I STILL HAVE THE PAIN.I AM IN TAMPA FLA RIGHT NOW(I LIVE IN ATLANTA)AND GOT HURTING SO BAD LAST NIGHT I ALMOST WENT TO THE ER.I AM NOT IMAGINING THIS!!! IM GETTING P-----D OFF BECAUSE I CANT GET  ANSWERS.

     AS FAR AS THE WEBSITE YOU RECOMMENDED FOR ME.I DONT HAVE JOINT PAIN EXCEPT SOMETIMES IN MY KNEES.I HAVE ARTHRITIS STARTING IN THEM.AND THE RASH THAT I GET OCCASIONALLY ON MY BUTTOCKS NEVER GETS ANY BIGGER THAN A FIFTY CENT PIECE AND ITS ALWAYS IN THE SAME PLACE.I DONT HAVE IT RIGHT NOW BUT I DID HAVE IT WHEN I WENT TO THE GASTRO AND HE DIDNT EVEN WANT TO SEE IT!!

    IT SEEMS THAT NONE OF THESE DRS WANT TO SPEND MORE THAN THEIR 15 MINUTES WITH ME,IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE THEY DONT CARE EXCEPT TO COLLECT THEIR CO PAYMENT.

    ANYONE WITH ANY OTHER IDEAS???????????????? I AM MISERABLE AGAIN TODAY

Cindy now that you have had the blood work I really think you should try a gluten free diet for a week or so, I saw an 80% improvement in my pain

hey cindy,

i feel for ya. i'm right there with you and everyone else posting. I've had the left side pain for over a year. On Friday i go in for a colonoscopy. I know it sounds crazy, but I hope they find something to justify the pain i feel. On March 3 i have an appointment with the endocrinologist, which I decided to make on my own after my last dr. visit. When I went I showed him the papers i printed out from an endocrinologist, which he said he agreed with and then told me i'm not that kind of dr, but he'd give me a referral. That never happened and i kinda figured that would be the case so i took matters into my own hands and scheduled the appt. i figure i better have a back up plan if nothing comes of the colonoscopy. I'm tired of having hives!!! Most of all I'm tired of doctors not relating the two.

I watch Mystery Diagnosis on TV and it seems to me a lot of the time doctors don't see the whole picture. If you don't know what i mean just look for episodes on youtube. Some of you suffering may find some answers from the episodes because i've seen several relating to GI problems. Unfortunatley I have yet to come across anything like mine.

Best of luck to all of you in finding out some answers!!!

Hey Sabrina,waiting to hear how you appt.went on the 3 rd.Hope everything is ok.As for me i couldnt make my appts cuz my daughter had an accident on her job(she almost lost a finger)Ive had to put her first.

  Im still in pain in my left side and it still is radiating into my back.I wish there was a miracle cure or diagnosis for me.Havent got bloodwork back yet from celiacs but i am trying the gluten free diet.I have been gluter free for 3 weeks now and its not helping me.My back feels like someone hit me with a 2 x 4!!!Wham!!!   cindy

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I haven't gotten back on in awhile.  My dad had to have surgery to have half of his left lung removed due to lung cancer.  Luckily all is well.

Well, as for me, I had my colonoscopy done and I'm still waiting for my follow up.  They just called to say no cancer, which I guess is a plus, but I'm sure glad I didn't wait on the GI doc.

I decided to go to an endocrinologist and I'm really glad that I did.  They saw my blood tests and diagnosed me on the spot with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  I went with the blood work performed at my GP and when I told them of my symptoms and I thought it might be my thyroid, the physician's assistant immediately felt it and noticed it was enlarged.  When the doc came in, he said he could see it from where he was.  I never noticed my neck being that big, but the doc does specialize in this area.  They performed an ultrasound of my thyroid, but did not find any nodules, just that it was enlarged and highly vascular.  My blood tests showed my TPO or anti-microsomal at 1000 when the normal range was 0-34 and I had a TSH of 5.38 when the normal range was 0.34-4.82.  I also had a T4 Free of 0.38 when the normal range was 0.59-1.17.  All of this in conjunction with my symptoms of constipation (left side pain), chronic hives, night sweats and weight gain led them to the dianosis of Hashimoto's.  Thank God!  Finally an answer.  I was immediately started on an increasing dose of Synthroid, which still needs to be tinkered with to balance me out as they continually perform blood tests. 

I had a follow up appointment today, and the results from the blood tests showed that I had pernicious anemia.  Symptoms of this can include diarrhea and constipation.  The test showed that something called intrinsic factor is under attack in my body.  Intrinsic factor allows you to absorb vitamin B12, and therefore I am deficient.  They provided me with a B12 shot and a prescription to continually give myself shots.  I will need them for life, but I'm willing to do this if it works.

As an update on my GI symptoms, after taking the Synthroid for awhile my left side pain has gone away.  The doc feels that this is primarily due to the reduction in constipation.  I still have hives, but they said the B12 injections may help.  I finally feel like I have doc's and his assts that are willing to help.

Just to let you know, Hashimoto's and other thyroid problems are very common and can cause a number of GI problems.  Thyroid problems are more prevalent in women and have a higher tendency with age.  I'm only 29 and have found that this seems to be what has been plaguing me.  Please look into this if you feel you are not getting help elsewhere.  Best of luck and I'll give you an update when I go back to the doc or see changes in my symptoms.

My symptoms are identical to squatsmo ( see their post above.) However since he/she has no e-mail address I cannot find out how they faired with their problem.
I have bouts of d and c. Always plenty of flatulence and burping. The pain goes from my side and radiates to my back at times.
Had an abdominal ultrasound which was fine. Some abnormalities in my blood, high wbc count. But I also have had an infected tooth. That has since been taken care of so now I need to be retested. Also had an endoscopy and colonoscopy. All turned out fine. Only other thing the doctor suggests is a CT scan, which I hate because of all the radiation you get. But I guess I gonna have to do it. I have been diagnosed with diverticulitis and ibs about 5 years ago. Haven't had a problem with ibs for quite some time. Lot of stress in my life right now, maybe thats the reason for the pain. But I never had that kind of pain before now.
At times Lorazapam seems to make the pain go away. Not always but most of the time it does.
WIsh I could have contacted squatsmo but I suppose that's not to be.
Am trying to watch my diet. Cut back a bit on caffiene and dairy but it's so hard. I am a coffee addict in the morning. Got to have a cup of half caf at least. This has been going on for exactly a year now. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I do think my hormones are going wacky as I am approaching menopause.

sierra brooke

Still going on?

Joyceebugs

sounds like IBS. The high WBC could be from your teeth, but I am sure you know the diver can act up as well or perhaps something else, good your getting retested.

It sounds like IBS however.

Hormones might help or cause a flare, it can go either way. Moods can cause flares.

Check out the IBS 101 post.

There are ways to treat pain in IBS. Some can be more effective then others. They have good ideas of what is causing the pain in IBS. However, they need more research in this area for sure.

Some of what your posting here isn't IBS. Some might be.

You should look over my IBS 101 post on diagnoses.

Pain on the left side is common in IBS.

don't know about high potasium levels.

You need to go back to the doctor.

Have you had any tests done yet?

Joan, just fyi, but most IBS research is done on women, because more women have IBS.

Hi. Im new here. Not sure if I have IBS. The symptoms I had previous to this last summer were mild. After a 7 wk course of antibiotics (sinus infection) and a terrible bout with salmonella, the symptoms exploded! Here are some symptoms I have had: loose stools (w/undigested food particles) and constipation...currently loose stools (in the A.M.), cramping, gas, bloating . inability to pass gas (P.M.).....discomfort in my tail bone and hips off and on for a few years now. I really thought the bowel stuff and the back pain were separate issues....(Now I know better.)

These symptoms subsided for about two months..but returned soon there after, only now there's a pain that seems to come and go under my left rib area...and on the inside of my left hip.

This pain under the ribs seems to be somewhat relieved by pepcid a/c acid reducer...the gnawing seems to subside, but there's still residual aching. Even with this acid reducer I still have the full, acidy, gassey feeling in my gut after eating, or just drinking water..even on an empty stomach... seems to last forever.

Saw my GP 2 wks ago and had blood work up and stool testing. No abnormalities and no blood in stool. She wants me to see a GI doc...but the appt isnt until MID FEBRUARY!!!! In the meantime the Doc told me to increase water intake, start psyllium intake and take align as well. It seemed to work wonders for the first few days, my tail bone and hips are better....but thats when the acid stomach and the pain in the left side became worse.

Its true I think it could be IBS...however, I wander about diverticulitis, and peptic ulcer....I've been to my GYN, thinking it could be my left ovary or endometriosis. He did a complete exam, and couldnt find anything wrong, but thought that i was on the right track with the IBS theory.

I've done some of my own research, which is good and bad...(but now my anxiety levels are so high right that I think its part of the acid problem). I am at the very beginning of this...at the rate I'm going, it could be months before there's an answer. It's so stressful. I am hoping someone here has some words of encouragement...could maybe offer a prayer or two....or could give me some hints, or ideas as to what this may be...what to eat..not to eat?

Sorry this has gone on and on...I appreciate you taking a look.
Thank you
Dawn

In early September, concurrent with my wife's cancer surgery, I started to feel a sharp pain near my appendix. The pain soon disappeared and reappeared on my left side where it has stayed. Bowl movements were not a problem until I squeezed too hard and the left pain was intense. It soon subsided, but never goes away. Sometimes, it moves to the left kidney area. The last few days I was constipated and could not pass gas which concerned me. Today however I had the runs throughout the day and especially after breakfast and lunch. Anyone have a clue of what is happening to me. Just want to feel normal again. I am 61.