Do I have IBD? Please help!

Hi all,

I have had GERD for 3 years and for the past year have struggled with a pain in my upper right quadrant, right below my ribs. I have had numerous liver and pancreas blood tests, an ultrasound, a CT scan (about 6 months prior to this coming up, due to a different condition), and physical exams, etc. My dr's don't think I need a HIDA scan and I agree, since I want to avoid the contrast.

The pain began one month after beginning to take Ranitidine for reflux. Over three months the Dr's were clueless since all tests came back normal, but eventually we realized that when I went off Ranitidine it would go away a few days later. I also got the pain from Prilosec and Nexium and Cimetidine/Fometidine (even though I had been on Nexium 1+ years in the past with no problems).

The pain feels a bit like a swollen or throbbing muscle or organ and comes and goes throughout the day. In the past I have had weeks where it goes away completely, only to return after I think I am finally over it (most recently, out of desperation of reflux, I took align, which miraculously took away my reflux and right side pain for a couple weeks before it recently returned).

I am very worried because now I get it even when I am not taking any pills at all, and it hasn't gone away. Initially it always went away a few days after stopping whatever pill I was on (it even came after taking natural pills like acidophilous and digestive enzymes). It has no relation to what I eat or anything that I have been able to understand, it just decides when to hurt and not hurt.

My dr's have said they have done all the tests and they always come back normal. My GI said he'd consider an ultrasound since the last one was a year ago, so I could do that...but since I had one already and a previous CT scan I really don't think it will find anything, especially since the pain can disappear for weeks (at least in the past). In total I have had the pain for 13 months at this point. My dr's think it is visceral hypersensitivity, but I would have thought that would cause pain in the entire abdomen or in the stomach area, and not just in a localized area in my URQ.

Please any advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope to find someone with this problem so that I can finally find out what it is and stop worrying about serious liver and pancreas problems (even though blood tests always come back normal, I can't get them out of my mind).

Thank you all and god bless. I am a 28yr old male and never had any problems before I got reflux in 2008, which is unmanageable and for which I have given up taking medication due to this right side pain. FYI important to note when I get the right side pain my reflux often subsides considerably/completely, even for days. Yet once it goes the reflux comes back...it is as if they are related.

acidrefluxman, I'm in the same boat. I'm having a CT tomorrow (my first) to see what's going on in my URQ. I do have Crohn's, though, so there's at least some idea as to what might be causing my problems. I have also noticed that my URQ pain increases relative to how full my bowels are. If I haven't had a BM in a day, I'll have much more pain the next day.

Has anyone done an MRI of your ribcage to see if there's an issue with your ribs or tendons in the area? Has anyone considered a referred pain problem and looked elsewhere in the abdomen for anything that might be unusual?

My gluten free trial has been a success from the point of view that my BMs are more normal, but my URQ has only gotten worse (I stopped some of my Crohn's meds at about the same time as changing my diet for unrelated reasons).

Oh, one thing you didn't mention is an endoscope.  Has your GI looked into your duodenum ever?

also, the pain can exist but never hurts more when I push on the area...I never feel sensitive or anything. Only thing is if I take a full breath and hold it in, I can make the pain constant (probably due to the pressure surrounding it?) Thanks.

ok, thank you. Is it possible that I have Crohns with just one symptom? I wonder if I can someone test myself with food or something to see if I may have it?

I'll be seeing my GI at the end of August and will bring all of this up. Thanks.,

I have been having chronic URQ stabbing for over two years.  I have had a lot of tests plus surgery on an over 90% blocked celiac artery.  I have gastra reflux and gerd, gastroparesis, horrible IBS-D.  I am on a very restrictive diet and a ton of meds.  Questran has helped the diarrhea, but not during bad flare-ups.  I still have the daily URQ pain .  I take Tramadol plus get gut pain injections every two months.  Mine mimics gallbladder.  I had a Hida Scan.  It showed stones and a drop in percentage points, but it isn't low enough yet to get it removed.  I have also been told that this could be SOD.  I would have to go to Mayo for a dangerous procedure and run a high risk of returning with chronic pancreatitis on top of all of this.  People who have had this done usually end up going back in three months with the same pain.  I am not willing to take that risk.  I know what you are going through.  Chronic pain is no joy ride.  Do you also have IBS?  It can cause a lot of symptoms.  Before Questran, I was going 9-15 times a day.  I am extremely underweight.  Best wishes to you.  I have pain with or without eating, but eating makes it worse for me.  I am also lactose int.  , so I can't eat anything to add some weight.  I do drink Boost.