Muscle vs kidney discomfort/pain

[Hockeygirl55]

Hi guys!

I’m freaking out today :( well, the past few days actually. I’ve had lower back (mostly on the right side) discomfort and it usually feels better when I’m laying/sitting down. My main question is.. how do you know if it’s muscular/anxiety or actual kidney issues?
I don’t have any kidney symptoms like frequent urination or anything. I’m praying I just slept wrong last night.

Please, any reassuring words would be great :/

I’m just coming off of my anxiety med (again) and I don’t know if this has something to do with it, too, but I just want it to stop and I want to get some reassurance so I can hopefully stop focusing so much on it. I’ve been so anxious and stressed over it for almost the last 2 weeks and my IBS has been acting up due to that.

[Hockeygirl55]

Also, I’ve been beating my back a little bit and it doesn’t hurt when I do that. I feel it a little more in my side when I take a deep breath.

[Hockeygirl55]

Anyone?? :( I’m so scared. It’s mainly my right lower back, on and off, but mostly on. Please someone :((

[PanickyGuy]

Also, I’ve been beating my back a little bit and it doesn’t hurt when I do that. I feel it a little more in my side when I take a deep breath.

Whoa! Don't do that. Sounds like you're trying to make the discomfort worse or something. And anxiety and IBS is a culprit of many discomforts like that, especially related to constipation. If you've not noticed any other changes in your urination, color, frequency of going, or not able to go, then you're probably jumping the gun on that. Instead I would focus on my anxiety and watch what I eat, if it was me.

[Hockeygirl55]

Thanks for replying, PanickyGuy.
Yeah, that sounded weird, didn’t it? Oops haha. I had a kidney infection years ago, had no signs of it and went to the hospital after a panic attack (I didn’t know what a panic attack was back then), thinking I’m dying, and they found it then. I just remember they were beating on my lower back asking if I had felt any pain and I didn’t, so that’s why I did it. Lol!

I haven’t noticed any changes at all in my urination or the process. I’ve been peeing a bit more because I’m drinking TONS of water trying to flush anything out that may be in my system.

I’m praying I wake up tomorrow morning feeling normal. I hate this. My anxiety is so awful right now. Makes me want to get back on my med but I’m trying to be stronger than that.

[Hockeygirl55]

Whoa! Don't do that. Sounds like you're trying to make the discomfort worse or something. And anxiety and IBS is a culprit of many discomforts like that, especially related to constipation. If you've not noticed any other changes in your urination, color, frequency of going, or not able to go, then you're probably jumping the gun on that. Instead I would focus on my anxiety and watch what I eat, if it was me.

Like right now, I don’t have any back pain now. I’m sure it’ll come back though :( praying it is just IBS and being anxious/tense.

[Hockeygirl55]

If it’s kidney pain, wouldn’t it be 24/7 and not give me any breaks like right now? :(

[ankietyjoe]

Stop focusing on it. Lower back pain is the single biggest medical complaint on the planet. You are catastrophising over nothing. Stop over analysing symptoms, just let them be.

This is the same as assuming a headache is a brain tumour or chest pain is a heart attack.

[PanickyGuy]

If it’s kidney pain, wouldn’t it be 24/7 and not give me any breaks like right now? :(

Really, AnkietyJoe is right, Hockeygirl55. It really sounds like you are too fixated on this. I've been down this road myself many times, being oversensitive to all kinds of mild aches and pains, until I stopped focusing on it. So try and focus on some kind of activity or hobby to get your mind off of this. :)