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AGAIN! Stomach and back HUGE discomort - help

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Posted 1/15/2013 5:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

I posted a week or so (?) ago about the terrible almost constant stomach pain/discomfort and accompanying pain/discomfort in my back, right side.  It abated briefly after a massage last week (Bowen technique massage - my first) and since then it's been coming back somewhat gradually until the last 3 days and it's gotten so bad I truly don't know if I am going to make it.

I have googled (I know!) to try and find ANYTHING that might match what I am feeling.  I had my gallbladder out 4 years ago.  I had comprehensive cat scans done in Oct which were fine.  And now this unbelievable pain.  I keep telling myself to take deep breaths and this will shift/improve at some point, but it's not.  It gets worse as the day goes on.  I finally broke down a while ago and took a muscle relaxer for my back.  I am 100% confident there is nothing wrong with my back despite the intense pain that are (right side).  Instead I am sure it's referred pain from whatever is going on in my stomach.

I can hardly bear it.  The pain is not sharp/jabbing.  It is constant and pronounced - more in my back than my stomach. I have a hot water bottle on it to distract me from the pain and yet I can still feel it, just somewhat less.  The muscle relaxer has not kicked in at all.

It hurts so bad I can hardly sit for any length of time.  Has anyone ever had anything like this and if so, what helped?  I am doing detox bath each night.  I am not only Lyme meds or supplements, but am sure I have Lyme due to testing and symptoms.  Waiting to see LLMD. 

Could this be Lyme related?  I'm sure the answer is yes (what is not Lyme related?!) but I also worry it is something else. I get a low-moderate level of nausea that accompanies it too but it doesn't negatively affect my appetite- I know, weird!

I already take Glutagenics and do a ton of ginger root tea.  I drink lots of water and have an amazingly healthy diet.  I take probiotics,  digestive enzymes, eat coconut yogurt, and a variety of other supplements - none new that might be causing this. What I eat doesn't make it better or worse.

I have no temp, no pain at the belly button (appendicitis symptom) and urine output and color is fine. I've had UTI's before - I'm sure it's not that.

Can anyone help me?  I don't know how much longer I can take this.  Thank you, kathleent

The pain

Posted 1/15/2013 5:10 AM (GMT 0)
kathleenta,

Where exactly is the pain? Upper or lower? How old are you? Do you menstruate? If so, where in your cycle are you? You can answer me privately if you like. I was having horrendous issues as well and found out it was endometriosis as well as cysts on the ovaries. The pain can become unbearable depending on where in your cycle (when the cycts are burting or from the endometrosis, where the lyme like to reside).

I am not a doctor, just giving suggestions what it was for me..

Email me if you like,

Samantha
Posted 1/15/2013 6:44 AM (GMT 0)
As I wrote when you last posted, I have the same thing. Intense pain in my abdomen, under my ribs that kind of pinches when I sit, into my back, feels like it is going to snap in half. It is now into my chest and up into my throat that feels like there is a lump in it. The pain makes me groan. I also have no problem with digestion, in fact better than it has ever been in my life. I have a hard time sitting still. I spend a lot of time just pacing because it hurts so much. So uncomfortable in my own skin. A lot of the time now it is in my ribs as well. I understand exactly what your talking about. I just had another CT scan but I don't have the results back yet. I truly feel your pain. I so understand what you mean. It kind of stings and burns and feels like my insides are being grabbed by something sharp and pulled in, I know that sounds odd. I am constantly trying to figure out if it is muscle and connective tissue, or something on the outside of my stomach or intestines. It does do me in. I hope someone else can chime in here with some answers for you, it would help me as well. Good luck with getting some answers.
Posted 1/15/2013 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you both.  I am postmenopausal. I also have the "throat" thing yo describe.  My stomach pain (right side mostly) upon waking is about a 2 on a 1-10 scale.  But my back pain is horrible (about a 5) upon waking.  It starts in my upper back - across my shoulder blades and feels like it is breaking in 2. 

I am nauseous all night (I wake up from it over and over, but do not vomit, etc.)

Then, as the day progresses, my stomach pain increases and is predominantly on the right side - under my rib cage and around to the right a bit.  It gets worse as the day goes on until it's about an "6-7" when I get off work at 5-6 pm.  By now my back pain is far worse in the right side (shoulder blade down to waist) and it's at least an "8".  I can barely make it.

I go home, get the hot water bottle and just lay.  The heat does not help the pain to stop but it distracts me from it - if that makes sense. 


My nausea "floats" throughout the day - sometimes better, sometimes worse.  Nothing I eat or don't eat seesm to effect it.

This may be TMI (sorry!) but I feel like if I could "poop it all out" I would feel better.  Yet, my bowels are moving ok.  I just feel so darned sick and in so much darn discomfort.  

I am wondering if it's parasites?  I'm wondering everything at this point.  I am going to call my regular dr and have her run every bloodtest she can just to see if anything shows up at all.  I do not want another cat scan, having just had one in October and having had so many in the last 8 years. 

Thank you for letting me go on here. I need help and I'm reaching out.  I'm open to all ideas and suggestions. Kathleenta

Posted 1/15/2013 5:55 PM (GMT 0)
Kathleenta, I'm so sorry for you. I have no advice to give, I just wanted to reach out and say how sorry I am that you are living with such debilitating pain. I'm embarassed because I just posted about my chronic UTI discomfort and now I feel stupid after reading how much pain you are in.
I hope you find some relief soon. I really do.
Posted 1/15/2013 6:03 PM (GMT 0)
We have all got the right to whinge and whine!!!!!!!!

There will always be somebody here who is feeling worse than we are but that doesn't diminish your problems Shabbychic.

Hope you both feel better soon!
Posted 1/15/2013 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
Man, we are all feeling crappy this week. Perhaps this is a cursed week and next week will be good for all of us. I have also been experiencing the back pain like I have a kidney infection but I just got checked and I don't....

My urine has been relatively dark for as much water as I've been drinking. I wonder with my raised WBC if my body has started targeting these ******s and is killing them by itself, making me, my whole body and my kidneys miserable.
Posted 1/15/2013 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
It's funny that you use the term "distract" from the pain, as that is that exact phrase I use. I use a pain spray and say that it doesn't take the pain away, it just distracts me from it. It cools. I also use my heating pad, same thing. Also that you feel like you could poop it out! I feel like that at times too, but I have no problems in that area as well. I sometimes use ice on my stomach as it feels like it is on fire.
Mine also is in my back and my shoulder blades. I often feel like I am going to panic because I can't stand not only the pain, but how uncomfortable it is, like I am constricted.
I am very sorry you are going through this. I really do know how you feel. I am thinking of you.
Posted 1/16/2013 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Again, thank you all. Shabbychic- please do not feel the need to apologize. I feel for you. Pain is pain and whenever any of us has pain, it's our pain and it's hard! I do hope you'll get better soon too.

Hopeful Maxine-we sound like cosmic twins. I am ever so sorry you have having this pain too. I know that feeling of panic due to the pain. When it's at its worse, I feel like I'm trapped in my own body and I have no control over anything it's doing and I can't make it stop. I have to instantly stop and bring myself to a thought of "just for this minute, don't go ahead, etc." It is so hard when being in the present means pain.

So far, my pain -stomach and back are now less than earlier - who knows why? I will just accept this gift with gratitude.I still feel sore and very "tender" in my stomach and back but at least I can sit for a bit and not have to keep getting up due to pain. I have eaten very little today and I don't know if that made it better or not. I am getting ready to eat kale and eggs- one of my favorite things and I know it will be good to get something nutritious in me. The only thing I've taken today are probiotics and digestive enzymes when I ate 1/2 cup of coconut yogurt earlier today. I'd like to think these helped - but I've been taking them all along, so again - who knows.

I have asked my regular dr to run every conceivable blood test she can and see if anything comes up odd. I am so fortunate that my insurance will pay for these kinds of blood tests. Not for Lyme, etc but it will pay for the more "traditional ones". Hopefully, she can get that scheduled this week.

My heart goes out to you all for what you are dealing with and I can't thank you enough for taking the time and kindness to respond to my posts. To better days (and nights), kathleent
Posted 1/16/2013 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Kathleenta,
Please let me know when you get your blood results back. I am interested in your results. I will also let you know when I get me CT results back. They are going to compare mine from over a year ago and see if there are any changes. If nothing shows up, I will be back to see what next to check. I can't believe that there is this much pain without it showing up somewhere. I hope you continue to have some relief, even if it's just enough to let you do something to keep your mind off of it. That's whatl I've been grateful for, those times when you realize you have had five minutes with it off your mind.
I am thinking of you.
Posted 1/16/2013 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
Kathleen, Sorry that you are having such severe pain. I have had severe upper back pain that spreads to my shoulder blades and radiating rib cage pain since childhood. The Drs. never could figure out that cause and now I wonder if I've had a dormant Lyme infection (and co-infections since childhood).

Does it feel like the pain kind-of spreads to your rib cages and then creates nausea?

My LLMD said that rib-cage pain is a sign of Bartonella. Also, GI upset and pain is often Bartonella. Bart hits the GI System hard. Have you been evaluated for Lyme co-infections?
Posted 1/16/2013 2:49 AM (GMT 0)
Chin up, there is hope. I think it is your liver. My first symptoms were horrible right sided and epigastric abdominal pain. It would also radiate to my back. It would reach a 10 on the pain scale and I would just cry and cry and I would ice my stomach almost all day. I had all the tests: CT scan, MRI of my abdomen, HIDA scan, ultrasound, upper endoscopy, barium swallow study, stool testing for parasites, giardia, e. coli, etc, etc, etc., all the necessary bloodwork (several times) and they could find NOTHING. They took out my galbladder, and my symptoms were no better. By this point I had lost 30 lbs in 2 months and was continuing to lose. I was getting alarmingly thin. I felt that I was going to die, literally, just slowly waste away.

BUT...thank the Lord when I began Lyme treatment my abdominal pain improved significantly after a month. I have been on treatment now for 3 months and get it mildly here and there, but nothing like it used to be. The Lyme bacteria was causing the horrible pain and my liver could not detox it fast enough, everything was backing up. I am not a doctor but I recommend milk thistle, dandelion root, traditional medicinals makes an 'everyday detox' tea that's good, lemon water. I also take charcoal powder (Byron White formula Detox 2 before bed). My abdominal pain is SOOOO much better now. I am by no means symptoms free. But there is help for you if you have abdominal pain associated with LD.

In the meantime, talk to your doctor about ativan, klonopin or something for the anxiety. I promise you it will help your stomach pain. I used to be in so much pain, Vicodin did absolutely nothing. But taking an Ativan really helped me, calmed me down, and helped the pain for some reason. I was very opposed to taking ANYTHING at first, especially benzodiazepines bc they can be addicting and habit forming. But they literally saved my life. Sometimes you just need a break.
Posted 1/16/2013 3:10 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Hopeful Maxine, will do. Please keep me posted too. I'm thinking of you.

Thanks butterflyAK- I have wondered about the liver ... not sure if/when I'm detoxing -so confused by all of this. I don't take anything (yet) specific for Lyme and/or co-infections. I had ART done on me and the LLMD said I had co-infections but didn't explain anything about that. Said I also had Lyme and again, explained almost nothing. Put me on some supplements and prescriptions for parasites. My experience with LLMD was not great - mainly due ongoing (lack of) communication, so I am in the process of researching to find another LLMD. Then I hopefully will be given more information, explanation and help with whatever I've got -we now call it "Lyme Soup" at our house. Who knows?!

I would like to start some milk thistle but have no clue how much, what kind, etc.

I am SO happy to hear your stomach got better with treatment. I am holding onto that.


Mystery Illness - yes that is how the onset of my nausea feels/starts sometimes.

Grateful to be doing somewhat better today and tonight. Still using hot water bottle and am on my way to take my espom salt/peroxide bath. It can't hurt.

Thank you again, kathleent
Posted 1/17/2013 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Kathleenta,
I am having a really bad day today with all my abdomen, chest and back pain. A lot of pressure on my chest. It sometimes even hurts my breast. I was wondering if your pain in your chest feels like a lot of pressure in there, like it's hard to breathe, although it isn't really, hard to explain. Just wondering!
Posted 1/17/2013 2:27 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Maxine, I am so very sorry you're having such a bad day. I feel for you. Perhaps this will give you some hope that things can change ...I am much better today. I still have pain in my stomach and back but there is NO comparison to the previous days and weeks this has hung on. Now, why has it "shifted"? I have absolutely no clue. I am so grateful that it has and I hope yours will do the same soon.

In the course of the past 8+ years, I have had times when I felt like my chest had a lot of pressure and I left like I was out of breath but in reality, was not. I went through a huge lung scan, breath test, endurance/stress test for my lungs, etc.... and everything was fine. It was maddening. I felt like I needed to stop and catch my breath -it was so scary - but in reality my lungs were doing fine. So weird! And it sure didn't feel fine. I also questioned if it was my heart ... and had those tests run too - all fine. Eventually, that symptom went away although on rare occasions (why? who knows!) it comes back.

Since then I've read that a symptom of Lyme is "air hunger" - when I read that I was like "that's how I would describe it". I would imagine that might have been what was happening to me -and maybe to you?

I know how scary and frustrating this can be, Maxine. There are days I just break down and cry and wonder if I can go on ... and I truly believe I have less symptoms than the "average person" with Lyme from what I've read, including on this forum.

You can always email me if that is helpful. I am so sorry. I hope you feel better very soon.

Thanks to all for your support. I am so grateful to be doing better and hope it will maintain. kathleent
Posted 1/17/2013 6:24 AM (GMT 0)
I am so glad you are having a better day! Thank goodness for the breaks we get. I hope your relief continues. Oh happy day!
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