23 replies to this topic

[RollerDoo]

Ok so since I have been in the chair Ive had this pain in my lower left side(opposite the appendix). I told my dr. about it back in 1992 and he told me I was full of crap(literally). So I took some stool softener as well as a laxative. Neither of these things helped. Although I think I think I lost about 10 pounds. I have had this pain for 16 years!!!. The main reason I'm bringing it up is because it comes and goes. But for the last 3 or 4 days it has been killing me. I cant get comfortable in bed, cant sit up without it flaring. I have yet to figure out what causes it or what makes it worse. I have found that folding in half(legs against chest) makes it not hurt as much. Also laying flat out on the floor stretching my belly helps. Pain medications don't work. Nothing else really does either. Im a T10 para and actually the pain is just below the feeling line on my belly. Its like it comes from the kiddney area comes around right on top of the hip bone and stops very low on the left side of the belly. Does anyone else have something like this?

Edited by RollerDoo, 30 March 2008 - 08:34 AM.

[longhaul]

Hi roller. I had pains like that I'm T 6-7 . I had my gal bladder removed because of stones a year ago and the pain is gone, go figure. Hope you find some relief ...........Later

[RollerDoo]

Wrong side. My other half had her gal bladder out too. My pain is much lower and on the other side.

[Trinity]

Do you have any other symptoms? Like bloating diarrhoea or constipation? I only ask because diverticulitus could be the cause. Anyway, it should probably be investigated further.
Trinity x

[Kwag_Myers]

Yeah, I'd say after 16 years it's time to get a new doctor.

BTW, what kind of pain is it? You know, sharp, dull, cramp-like, etc.

[longhaul]

RollerDoo, on Mar 30 2008, 10:41 AM, said:

Wrong side. My other half had her gal bladder out too. My pain is much lower and on the other side.

Below the rib cage?

[RollerDoo]

its way below the rib cage, down by the hip bone. Kind of starts between the ribs and hip in the back, wraps around and ends in the lower left quadrent.

I would say the pain is very sharp.

I would never leave my doctor. He has taken very good care of me. I'm sure if I pushed the matter he would take further action but I hate nagging about things when I know that other people are much worse off than me. I mean yeah it hurts but it don't hurt so bad I need narcotics to deal with it.

Just for reference, my doctor is Owen Z. Perlman from Michigan PM&R. If you Google his name I'm sure you would understand why I wont leave. Plus I'm one of those that once I find a doctor I can trust its really hard for me to leave. Even though he is about 2 hours away from me.

[kewlcatkez]

trinity, on Mar 30 2008, 07:01 PM, said:

Do you have any other symptoms? Like bloating diarrhoea or constipation? I only ask because diverticulitus could be the cause. Anyway, it should probably be investigated further.
Trinity x

Hi,

I agree with the diverticulitis, to a point....That or Gastritis or an Ulcer - although usually the pain is higher with these, it is not unusual to have the type of pain you describe, although its a 'gnawing' pain..(we all feel pain differently tho..)

The description you gave in the original post states that the pain is left sided, back and side pain. I am wondering if it is a Renal (kidney or urinary) stone? This could be causing a low level Urinary Tract Infection which reoccurs. Also, I know it may not sound like the answer to such nagging and persistent pain, but Occam's Razor and (paraphrased) "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best" may point to the Constipation being the cause. One thing I do know is that I have nursed many people with Constipation etc who they and their drs had thought that they were having a Heart Attack...


I hope that you get to the bottom of it and are free from the symptoms soon ( sorry about the pun!)


Take care,

K

[longhaul]

Do you get gas? sometimes I get a gas bubble stuck some where in the maze of my guts and it hurts like hell but after it moves on it stops hurting. Maybe it has something to do with gas and posture. Ouch

[RollerDoo]

I do have gas but I have stopped drinking pop. Only a cup of coffee in the am and from there on out cranberry juice. Just buying that stuff will break the bank!!! GOOD LORD!

Every doctor I have seen has said I have the best posture out of all patients they have seen...could have something to do with having 14 inch rods.

[longhaul]

RollerDoo, on Mar 31 2008, 11:39 PM, said:

I do have gas but I have stopped drinking pop. Only a cup of coffee in the am and from there on out cranberry juice. Just buying that stuff will break the bank!!! GOOD LORD!

Every doctor I have seen has said I have the best posture out of all patients they have seen...could have something to do with having 14 inch rods.

Maybe something like "Bean-O" which is enzymes or some pro-biotic s could help if it's gas. When I get it if I lift up on my rt. elbow and my left arm I can massage my stomach with my rt. hand and get a burp or get things movings through the gut. Do you drive ?

Edited by longhaul, 01 April 2008 - 07:29 AM.

[Apparelyzed]

If the discomfort is on the lower left front of the abdomen, below the rib cage, then I put this down to gas, as it sounds as though the discomfort is coming from the lower descending bowel. I get this quite often, and it can get quite uncomfortable.

If you are getting the pain in the lower back as well, then if it was me who was experiencing the discomfort, I would get checked for kidney stones. All you need to do is get your doctor to refer you for a Kidney, Urinary and Bladder (KUB) scan. They will take an X-ray to check for stones in the bladder, check for constipation, and give your kidneys an ultrasound.

In the UK, this is a standard procedure in spinal units, and is a quick and non-invasive diagnostic proceedure.

The pain could also be refered pain from something completely different, so it would be worth getting checked out properly.

Regards

Simon

[kewlcatkez]

Apparelyzed, on Apr 1 2008, 10:22 AM, said:

If the discomfort is on the lower left front of the abdomen, below the rib cage, then I put this down to gas, as it sounds as though the discomfort is coming from the lower descending bowel. I get this quite often, and it can get quite uncomfortable.

If you are getting the pain in the lower back as well, then if it was me who was experiencing the discomfort, I would get checked for kidney stones. All you need to do is get your doctor to refer you for a Kidney, Urinary and Bladder (KUB) scan. They will take an X-ray to check for stones in the bladder, check for constipation, and give your kidneys an ultrasound.

In the UK, this is a standard procedure in spinal units, and is a quick and non-invasive diagnostic proceedure.

The pain could also be refered pain from something completely different, so it would be worth getting checked out properly.

Regards

Simon

great minds think alike! (although I didn't go into the procedure- trying to be concise, a 1st for me!). Did you have renal stones, Simon?

Also worth pointing out that Medications such as Topirimate (used for nerve pain, anti convulsant like Gabapentin) can cause an increased risk of Stones. Drinking plenty of water is recommended. Individuals with Urinary or Kidney stones often have recurrent Urinary Tract infections, but not all.

Kidney stones are caused by Urinary tract infections, kidney disorders such as cystic kidney diseases, and certain metabolic disorders such as hyperparathyroidism, gout; excess intake of vitamin D; urinary tract infections; and blockage of the urinary tract and certain diuretics are linked to stone formation. Of course in a SCI person or other who uses catheters to void, this is more prevalent. Indwelling is more of a risk than ISC.

Just to add to what Simon wrote, with re to treatment It depends to some extent how much of a problem a stone is causing and where it is. Drs often use Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) which is a scanner outside of the body which sends 'waves' which breaks down the big stones into little pieces which can be expelled (This is obviously more of a problem if using a catheter as they will need to be able to clear the 'eyes' on the catheter). If the dr doesn't wish to rely on the body to expel the pieces, etc, or is not wishing the person to have haematuria ( blood in urine) - as the extracorporeal shock will lead to that. he/she may wish to pursue percutaneous nephrolithotomy. This is where a small incision is made and an instrument is passed into the area and the stone is broken down ( of big) and the pieces retrieved.

Stones which are lower in the process ( ie corrected* Urethers for eg) can be removed via Key hole, whereby ureteroscopy is used. Fibre optics and a cage like instrument are used to scoop up any fragments of stone etc.

It still may be Chronic Constipation or another cause, likle Apparelyzed/Simon said, its worth checking out again..


Take care,

K

Edited by kewlcatkez, 01 April 2008 - 01:45 PM.

[Apparelyzed]

I thought a Ureteroscopy was used to check the ureters rather than the bladder for stones.

Stones in the bladder have usually been removed by a procedure called a Cystoscopy.

A Cystoscopy is again a regular procedure done at spinal units, and is recommended every few years to check for bladder problems, especially in those with long term indwelling catheters.

Regards

Simon

[kewlcatkez]

Apparelyzed, on Apr 1 2008, 02:12 PM, said:

I thought a Ureteroscopy was used to check the ureters rather than the bladder for stones.

Stones in the bladder have usually been removed by a procedure called a Cystoscopy.

A Cystoscopy is again a regular procedure done at spinal units, and is recommended every few years to check for bladder problems, especially in those with long term indwelling catheters.

Regards

Simon

You are quite correct with the above, but I am bewildered as to what I wrote which caused confusion??

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy are performed if the 'stone' ( calculi) is higher up in the Kidney, and as I wrote previously:

"Stones which are lower in the process ( ie correction (see below), Urethers) can be removed via Key hole, whereby ureteroscopy is used"

By "lower in the process" I meant lower down than the Kidneys, so yes the Ureters. I didn't mention the cystoscopy as you had already done so. I was referring to Kidney as well as bladder stones.

Hope this explains it more,

Take care,

K

ahh I see why now, sorry, typo, I should have written Urethers not bladder....

apologies.. I have corrected the other post above, too. sorry again,

K

Edited by kewlcatkez, 01 April 2008 - 01:54 PM.

[Apparelyzed]

Urethers ?

Do you mean Urethra ?

Simon

[kewlcatkez]

Apparelyzed, on Apr 1 2008, 03:15 PM, said:

Urethers ?

Do you mean Urethra ?

Simon

HI Simon

I mean the Ureters (which are the ducts that carry urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder) as opposed to the Urethra (which is the tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body).

sorry for the extra "h" in Ureters, which I think you are really referring to lol

Hence the Ureteroscopy is concerned with thee Ureters and the cystoscopy is the procedure you described above (to do with the bladder and urethra).

HTH

K

Edited by kewlcatkez, 01 April 2008 - 02:24 PM.

[Mike (c4-5) & Lorena]

RollerDoo, on Mar 30 2008, 03:32 AM, said:

Ok so since I have been in the chair Ive had this pain in my lower left side(opposite the appendix). I told my dr. about it back in 1992 and he told me I was full of crap(literally). So I took some stool softener as well as a laxative. Neither of these things helped. Although I think I think I lost about 10 pounds. I have had this pain for 16 years!!!. The main reason I'm bringing it up is because it comes and goes. But for the last 3 or 4 days it has been killing me. I cant get comfortable in bed, cant sit up without it flaring. I have yet to figure out what causes it or what makes it worse. I have found that folding in half(legs against chest) makes it not hurt as much. Also laying flat out on the floor stretching my belly helps. Pain medications don't work. Nothing else really does either. Im a T10 para and actually the pain is just below the feeling line on my belly. Its like it comes from the kiddney area comes around right on top of the hip bone and stops very low on the left side of the belly. Does anyone else have something like this?

This might sound silly, but it may be gas.

I say this because sometimes the small intestine gets a kink and gases form. The digestive material still gets by but the gas just sits there trapped like a ballon. It took a friend an operation and a Dr to figure out the issue. e had pains for 8 plus years.

Just a crazy thought.

[Notwheels]

If you have had any type of surgery in the abdomen it could be adhesions, which are scar tissue that form after surgery. Adhesions can cause all manner of problems including pain. The downside is that doctors can't remove them surgically because removing adhesions causes more adhesions. You have to have something like a complete intestinal blockage for them to operate.

Notwheels

[Mike (c4-5) & Lorena]

I would say you have an infection in your small or large intestin. This causeses an eritation and thus gas build up.

Just a non-Dr thought

[Ralph Smith]

Hey

I hear lots of people mentioning gas maybe the problem. I had real pains in my stomach for a while and it only was corrected when I realized that it was chicken that I was eating at the time causing my problem. Maybe you need to try a diet change to see if that would help. It is probably the easiest and with all of the growth hormones given to animals that we are eating these days. I only eat fish now and feel a 100% better, except when we go on a vacation to a third world country where they probably can not afford to feed the animals there all of the garbage we give ours. Good luck, Ralph.

[gsp23]

Ok time for an over simplified answer. How is your posture? I get this pain from sitting in my hunting chair sometimes like when I am turkey hunting (12+ hrs in a blind for multiple days) and my hunting chair has adjustable tension uphostry so my posture isnt as good. I lean a bit to the side for periods of time instead of being upright and I get this same pain.

[Barb K.]

RollerDoo, on Mar 30 2008, 09:32 AM, said:

Ok so since I have been in the chair Ive had this pain in my lower left side(opposite the appendix). I told my dr. about it back in 1992 and he told me I was full of crap(literally). So I took some stool softener as well as a laxative. Neither of these things helped. Although I think I think I lost about 10 pounds. I have had this pain for 16 years!!!. The main reason I'm bringing it up is because it comes and goes. But for the last 3 or 4 days it has been killing me. I cant get comfortable in bed, cant sit up without it flaring. I have yet to figure out what causes it or what makes it worse. I have found that folding in half(legs against chest) makes it not hurt as much. Also laying flat out on the floor stretching my belly helps. Pain medications don't work. Nothing else really does either. Im a T10 para and actually the pain is just below the feeling line on my belly. Its like it comes from the kiddney area comes around right on top of the hip bone and stops very low on the left side of the belly. Does anyone else have something like this?

[Scribbler]

There' a lot of good Doctors in here... Certainly better than my GP who wouldn't know a broken leg if you took it to him in 3 bits...

Try and keep a written record of when the pain occurs and what affects it. Get the pain checked out properly as it be could caused by dozens of reason's. I had severe pain for years and was fobbed off so many times until I saw the right Consultant who diagnosed nerve pain. He prescribed Gabapentin, and the pain stopped. Well it didn't actually stop, its just my one remaining brain cell didn't get the message anymore.

Mike