Fatter on one side [Archive]

lyndau63

13-12-20, 16:22

Hi again. I have been going through a bad time lately but thought I was coming out on the other side. Now however I have noticed that one side of my tummy is bigger than the other. I am overweight so wondering if I am just fatter on that side. I had an MRI scan in August so keep telling myself that nothing so big can have grown since then but am still panicking. Is it my liver, which I know is fatty, or a tumour!!!???

glassgirlw

13-12-20, 16:33

I’m overweight too and my belly fat is more noticeable on the right side. I think it’s pretty common to be asymmetrical.

BrokenGirl

13-12-20, 17:07

I've panicked over things like that too. We're not symmetrical, nobody is.
I'm only very slightly overweight and have always noticed my tummy is fatter on the right side.
You had a recent scan as well. If there was something seriously wrong with your liver or you had a tumor so big that you could see it from looking at your tummy then you'd have other obvious symptoms.

lyndau63

13-12-20, 17:45

Thank you both for your quick replies. That has really helped.

Sunshinegirl82

15-12-20, 09:00

Hi my husband had this issue and it was quiet noticeable that one side was bigger than other as always I thought it was some thing sinister he was more realistic and thought potentially might be a hernia from a previous appendix surgery went for an ultrasound and turned out to be nothing no hernia and nothing was just the anatomy of his body. Even now I’ve had what everyone thought was a bakers cyst but ultrasound shows nothing which I’m finding quiet hard to fathom but I think our bodies are weird and can be uneven. Hope this helps

lyndau63

16-12-20, 15:12

Thank you,, it does. Thank you for taking the time to reply.

lyndau63

17-12-20, 22:31

Sorry, it's me again. Long before I noticed the tummy thing I had been having a persistent stomach ache in upper abdomen. It is not there all the time but seems to come on after eating, especially in the evening. The pain goes round to my back on the left side so of course I am thinking pancreas. I went to my doctor who ordered a blood test for pancreas which came back normal. I felt good then but as soon as the pain returned I carried on panicking. I keep thinking the blood test was not sufficient to rule out pancreas. I have type 2 diabetes which makes me think it is even more likely.
Then I thought the aching round my middle was like when I had really bad diverticulitis, although of course that started with lower pain which I haven't had. So I used my emergency antibiotics which I always have by me. The symptoms cleared up and I was so relieved. Now, however, only one day after stopping antibiotics, they have returned and I am so disappointed. I would have thought the antibiotics would still be in my system so am now wondering if the pain going away for a week was just a coincidence. I just can't stop thinking pancreas. Has anyone else had upper abdomen pain that goes round left back? I keep trying to tell myself it is indigestion which is what my husband thinks. It does ease to a degree after taking Gaviscon. On the other hand, if the antibiotics really did help it must be an infection of some kind and do I need a longer course?
This all had to happen just before Christmas, as if it isn't a bad enough year anyway and a disappointing Christmas.

carriewriting

18-12-20, 11:29

I have a large tummy and it's a lot bigger on one side. If you had a scan in August, I doubt anything would develop that fast. Your anxiety will amplify any tummy issue by 100 or more. Christmas is always a huge trigger time for my health anxiety. I can't remember a year in the past 10 where I wasn't worrying about something all through the holidays. Of course none of those worries ever came to anything. This year I'm choosing not to let health anxiety get me down. I'm practicing acceptance and putting my worries on hold. I hope you feel better soon x

lyndau63

18-12-20, 13:42

Thank you. The comment about tummy being asymmetrical is helpful. I am always extra anxious at Christmas too. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas.

lyndau63

19-12-20, 21:07

I added my fears to my last thread entitled 'fatter on one side' but have had no response to the pancreas issue and I am desperate. I don't want to type it all out again so please could you read the original post. Since posting I have spoken to another GP who assures me blood test is reliable but I just need to know what is causing this so I don't keep thinking pancreas. She did not seem to think it is serious but it is every day after eating. I just don't understand. It must be more than indigestion.

glassgirlw

19-12-20, 21:24

I read back through that thread and you have quite a few posts on there offering reassurance. Plus your blood work came back ok. I don’t know if there’s much more I can offer, other than trying to maybe schedule a telehealth visit with your GP to address your additional concerns.

have you tried any antacids to see if that helps? High levels of anxiety can cause all kinds of digestion problems.

lyndau63

19-12-20, 22:54

nomorepanic

19-12-20, 23:02

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

glassgirlw

19-12-20, 23:39

I am sorry, I should have said that I am grateful for those replies and I hope you saw that I did thank those people. However they were addressing the lopsided tummy issue, not the pain which has been going on longer.
Yes antacids do help and I am trying to remember that the blood test was normal. Thank you for responding.

I totally understand how hard it is to trust the GP’s diagnosis when you just keep having more and more symptoms. If you think it would make you feel better to have a tele visit to address the new symptoms you could try that - but since antacids seem to help it, to me that kind of rules out most serious things. You may just be having a heightened anxiety issue right now that’s causing some additional digestive upset. I hope you feel better soon! :bighug1: