Appendix pain?

I have suddenly began having weird gastro symptoms. about Friday or Saturday I noticed some aching in my right lower abdomen. Then it progressed to shooting pains near my belly button. Now the pain just comes and goes. Mainly after I eat, but also when I am riding in the car bumping around, and sometimes when I cough. Could this be appendix pain? It's weird because everywhere I've researched says that appendicitis is severe pain. Which is what I thought too, but I'm wondering if it's possible to have appendicitis without the severe pain. My ND is ordering an abdominal ultrasound sometime this week, but she said they're not always accurate. Over the past day or so I've gotten so nauseous. It's pretty much constant. But especially after I eat. I've also been having a lot of burning in my stomach like an ulcer, but that may be totally unrelated to the other issue. Over the past day or so the pain has also gotten more constant. It's still not bad pain. But enough to concern me. Any thoughts or experiences with appendix issues? Thanks in advance.

That’s interesting, @skinny_joe. I didn’t know that was a thing. These symptoms have felt acute, but I’ve had the faint aching pains down there in the past too. I wonder if this time it’s just getting too inflamed for my body to handle. I trust my ND. She will refer me out if she doesn’t think she has the ability to help me. Thanks so much for your input.

That’s what my doctor said. To keep watching for fever. I just feel really terrible this week. I feel extra weak and worn out. And all the nausea. I know that my gallbladder is failing and that hurts a lot this week, but I still have pain lower in the abdomen.

If you have ovaries, then could it be an ovarian cyst?

I was thinking gallbladder and gallstones when you mentioned the belly button (biliary tract) and nausea after eating, but I hear you that you don't think that would cause pain much farther down. I have had swollen lymph nodes in that area before.

With the appendix, when you press on McBurney's point, does it hurt much more when you let go? I have read that's a sign of appendicitis. It seems odd that your doctor wants you to wait and see if you develop a fever, as though nothing serious can be happening as long as there's no fever.

The upper stuff sounds very gallbladder to me - hurts after eating, hurts near navel, nausea. I do get nausea from ovarian cysts sometimes, too, and car rides make them hurt worse. They're so obnoxious! An ultrasound sounds like a great, fast, non-invasive way to see what's going on with various organs. Not with 100% certainty, but it's likely to find anything egregious. I have joked many times about needing to train as an ultrasound tech and buy my own machine so that I can investigate all my random mysterious abdominal antics! It can be so hard to tell what is going on.

1000 daisies, the ultrasound didn’t show any inflammation, but I didn’t trust the person who did it. She said, “I’m going to attempt to locate your appendix.” It was a bad experience all around. I won’t be going with that hospital anymore. My doc thinks it’s entirely possible that there is inflammation there, but it’s not life-threatening. We’re just using anti-inflammatory gut supplements.

My appendix didn't show up on the ultrasound I had done nor did they say anything about inflammation. I don't think its that good of test for appendicitis its non invasive though and cheap. Then again my CT scan with contrast was not much better but did show lots of inflammation. If your really concerned about appendicitis I would strongly encourage you to see a MD. A ND probably has never layed hands on someone with appendicitis. Most PCP's at some point work some time in the ER where appendicitis usually happens.

Skinnyjoe, I’m going to take a wait and see approach. It’s not bad pain. Just aching right now. And not consistently. But I agree. Ultrasounds and useless. And my doc took it at face value.

Skinny_joe, thanks. I’m wondering to what extent the concussion will contribute to overall total inflammation in my body. We shall see. This is round 2.0 with concussion. I was still recovering from one when I got this one Saturday.

Garzie, I wonder if a lymph node swelling in that area could be linked to the spleen pain I am having at the same time. Would it make sense to link those two?

That’s an interesting thought that I am going to have to research more. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.