Weird Backache = Pancreatic Cancer Fears

For about 3 - 4 weeks I have had a dull ache in my mid back area towards the left flank. It is localised and not severe in pain, just a low level dull ache. I don't even notice it most of the time but it's always there and I can always feel it if I move in a certain away. Didn't bother me too much at first but it is stubbornly hanging around and I am noticing it more. The position if worrisome is I think it's near the pancreas area. Any hey presto when I start worrying about that some of the other symptoms of pancreatic cancer start coming my way in recent days including foul-smelling stools (really bad smell), lots of burping and feeling of nausea. These could be down to stress as I am really worried about it now. I woke up at 3am last night and couldn't back to sleep and just googled constantly about symptoms. I am 44, male and while it is less common for people my age it is not unheard of. Positives are, as mentioned my age, most people get it when they are a bit older and the fact that I have had similar health anxiety fears in the past about things like ALS that didn't turn out to be sinister. One other worrisome symptom is my weight loss. About two yers I was running regularly and my weight was around 88kg. I then broke my foot and stopped running for a while and didn't go about weighing myself. However it turns out I am now 81.5kg which is a big reduction and I am not sure how I lost so much. It's worth noting though that I was this weight three months ago too during a workplace physical and it hasn't dropped since then so maybe I just lost a bit over time (stressful house move, stress leave from work and changed job, wife considering separation).

I had been on citalopram for a few years after my ALS scare but I stopped taking it. However, I started again today as I am so worried about pancreatic cancer. I want to go to my GP to get new bloodwork done and would like a CT scan of the area but I think I will be waiting weeks and possibly months. Just really down and worried at the moment as the dull ache in that area is a constant reminder of a cancer that can kill people very quickly. I am finding it hard ot handle the situation and I have just started a new job and don't want this to affect all that. Any advice as to what I should do?

All i can say is I empathise. Als and pancreatic cancer are my go-to worries as well. I dont think flank pain sounds like the right area, apart from anything else. Also the fact that moving in a certain way worsens it makes me think it’s muscular. X

Thanks for your reply. I am still a bit worried and will see my GP on Wednesday. Nagging back ache is still there when I move in a certain way but hardly notice it most of the time. But last few days I feel itching and have not had much appetite. It's funny how these symptoms only came on though after I read up on possible cancers associated with pain in the back area. Then what really triggered me was the death of Gianluca Vialli from pancreatic cancer. My rational mind tells me it is health anxiety once again catastrophising. But another part of me says that I have a consistent backache, funny digestive systems (lots of gurgling and gas and stools are smelling a bit foul) and that I have lost a good chunk of weight (just over a stone) in the last year or so without doing too much.

GP will probably do bloods and I think I will request a CT scan of abdominal area. In recent blood tests I had gamma liver function a bit high (but it came down from 100+ to 76) and kidney eGFR a bit low (80) but all other bloods seemed OK. I also did have an ultrasound about 18 months ago on abdomen and nothing was found. I am still not in the clear though as itching (it's fairly mild but annoying), weight loss and lack of appetite are concerning me. However the itching and lack of appetite is only in the last few days since I stressed over this. As a 44 year old I am not a prime category for kidney, liver or pancreatic cancer but it is not unheard of either. I have a 7 and 5 year old kid and would hate to have them watch me get a really terrible disease. Trying to stay positive but as usual it's hard not to fear the worst. With my previous many health anxiety fears it never turned out to be anything sinister and I am hoping this is the same but wish I could manage my stress and reaction to symptoms better. I wish I could be more rational and realize the odds of something sinister are still quite long and it could be any number of less serious things but until I know, I fear.

Oh the itching! Yes! That always happens to me when i worry about pancreatic cancer. I really think you are fine. It sounds very like a muscle problem to me. Let us know what your gp says….

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Originally Posted by Natka

For about 3 - 4 weeks I have had a dull ache in my mid back area towards the left flank. It is localised and not severe in pain, just a low level dull ache. I don't even notice it most of the time but it's always there and I can always feel it if I move in a certain away.

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Sounds muscular to me..

Have you been doing anything differently recently? New chair, new bed, exercise, lifting things etc?

BAckache is the single most common complaint Doctors hear about, and you're linking it with an extremely rare form of cancer because YOU are sitting up in the middle of the night googling symptoms.

Also, a 7kg weight loss in TWO YEARS is nothing to worry about :yesyes:

I can lose that in a week if I'm stressed.


Stop googling, that is the issue you have. You're in your 40s, you will never again experience a period in your life when your back doesn't hurt. Welcome to the human condition.

Thanks for comments, I appreciate it. I am a bit cross with myself for needing reassurance but that's where I am at. I woke up three for four times last night so there's no doubt my mind is anxious/worried as I usually am a good sleeper. I wasn't woken up with pain but the ache is still there and still on my mind. I got a big shock this morning when I weighed myself and I was below 80kg, especially because I ate well yesterday and appetite seems to be coming back a bit. However weighed myself a bit later and I am back to normal. Itching seems to have subsided a bit too so maybe a lot of this is my mind. I was really examining my eyes today, they have been red and veiny for a while but I was a bit concerned about possible yellow on the near side of one of them but I think that's my imagination and just the natural edge of the eye. I would truly be terrified if I got jaundiced. I have a GP appointment today at 3pm, I will tell her about back ache, loose stools and she will probably get bloods done, maybe send for an ultrasound or CT scan. Hopefully this fear goes soon.

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Originally Posted by Natka

I got a big shock this morning when I weighed myself and I was below 80kg, especially because I ate well yesterday and appetite seems to be coming back a bit. However weighed myself a bit later and I am back to normal.

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Do yourself a favour and get rid of those scales.

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Itching seems to have subsided a bit too so maybe a lot of this is my mind.

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Itching can be psychosomatic (Shall I mention headlice?) Or, it can be a symptom of anxiety. Or, it can be a medication side-effect. (Cancer is highly unlikely)

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I would truly be terrified if I got jaundiced.

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You'd also know if you were jaundiced. You wouldn't have to strain your eyes in the mirror. (People would be telling you that you have yellow eyes).

From 2014..

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Originally Posted by Natka

Have struggled with health anxiety for quite a while. I'm 36 and have had fears of heart issues, aneurysms, cancers, motor neuron disease and my current preoccupation is early onset dementia. My word retrieval skills seem to be deteriorating a little as I sometimes grasp for the appropriate word to use mid-sentence.

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Originally Posted by Natka

Hopefully this fear goes soon

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Unless you effectively address your health anxiety, you will keep hopping from one imagined disease to another, Natka.

Yes, I realise I am trapped in a cycle that is firmly rooted in the fear of death but I am getting older so maybe health anxiety will get worse. Anyway, back from the GP. Not sure what to make of it. I told her about the back ache, loose stools and weight loss. She examined my back and said I had a massive back spasm, also she noted that the focus area of the nagging ache was where I had a large sebacous cyst removed many years ago. Her theory is that I am feeling pain from the spasm there because some protective layers were removed during that surgery. I told her my concern about organs and she said there is nothing really in that area!! That one surprised me as kidneys, pancreas, liver etc. I thought could all cause symptoms in that area. She told me stool issues were probably down to mild gastric bug and asked if I had had takeaways recently (I had one week and a half ago). Not sure about all this, no bloods taken, not even blood pressure taken. I would have felt like an idiot asking for a CT scan after she virtually ruled that out. So I have a prescription for antibiotics, probiotics, painkillers and ant-inflammatories. The pain in the back isn't even that bad, it's just a nagging persistent ache. One part of me would be delighted with all of this but another part is saying that maybe she just thought my chances of anything serious were small and that if things get worse he will just come back in a few weeks anyway and we'll run more tests then. I would have preferred bloods and scan to rule out what I fear but she wasn't going anywhere near that direction. I am a new patient of this GP as I moved house recently so will just have to hope that she's competent and thorough and not rolling the dice that it's probably nothing sinister

So I went through the course of antibiotics and now taking probiotics but my backache is still there in the left mid-back area. Not severe but I am more aware of it. I also starting getting random pains in other parts of back that come and go quickly. My loose stools are still there even after the course on antibiotics. Itching comes and goes, notice myself burping a bit more at times and my stomach is gurgling a lot. I am not satisified with my GP just saying it is a back spasm. I have never had a back ache for this long that hasn't eased or gone way. I am quite worried and stressed. I just emailed her asking to be referred for an x-ray of back and ct scan of abdominal region, hopefully she agrees.

About 1 in 5 people who take antibiotics develop antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
I've had 'random' back pain on and off for a few weeks now, the amount of people who get random aches and pains may surprise you, if you haven't heard about it its because its usually nothing, and so common!

If you're not satisfied with your GP's response then I highly doubt any of our responses will satisfy you either...
have you spoken to your GP about your health anxiety?

I am still stressed about this as my back ache in left mid area remains (nagging ache, don't feel it most of the time) and I now sometimes get random pains in other parts of back that come and go. I am trying to contact GP to arrange a private CT scan so I can check if anything serious is causing this but they don't answer the phone and she says she won't do it over email. I will try again tomorrow. Itching has subsided which is a positive. Stools don't smell bad anymore and haven't changed colour but remain on the small, soft side. Weight loss is still a slight concern, I am not losing more weight but I am not putting it back on either, I am about a stone below where I should be. The only other thing is about 2 years ago after a few liver function tests revealed elevated high gamma gt my previous gp ordered an ultrasound to check liver and it was clear, I am not sure if that scan could see pancreas though and I had no back symptoms at that time. I did have another blood test four months ago and the gamma gt levels had come down but were still a little bit elevated (76) so I am a little concerned that could be linked to something. All in all I am just trying to distract myself a bit, appetite isn't great but not bad either. I am worried that this chronic health anxiety issue also is causing me to overload on oxidative stress which can cause issues too. I am kind of torn, if I go through with more bloods and CT scans they will cost me money and also there will be at least a few more weeks of extreme stress as I await the results and possible further testing. I will have caved in to my fears and went through the desperate search for reassurance and certainty again. On the other hand I don't think i am mentally strong enough or equipped enough to just write these symptoms off, to live with them and hope for the best that they are nothing. I feel I will constantly ruminate on them, and in the best case scenario exacerbate anxiety causing possible other symptoms. I don't know how you guys resolve this stuff. Either way it will be difficult :(

Finally got through to my GP earlier today. My goals were to get a blood test sorted, to get a referral for a CT scan of abdomen region and organs therein and to get an increase in citalopram dosage from 10mg to 20mg. She will do bloods next Thursday and has increased Citalopram. However she has referred me for a colonoscopy even though I flat out said my anxiety is caused by nagging mid left back ache and a scan would help ease my anxiety if clear. Because of my gurgling stomach and mild diarrhae (soft stools last couple of weeks) she is scheduling colonoscopy first and said she would see after that. I had to go public on colonoscopy as it is expensive so that may take months. I don't mind having one as I have some very mild abdominal issues (possibly anxiety) and sometimes see blood on toilet paper (but have seen this on and off for years and previously it was caused by fissures). Anyway, I hope she is right and that my fears about pancreas/liver are not her main concern. I also hope there is no issue with colon but at my age, 44, I think it is no bad thing to get my first colonoscopy and hope there is no issue there. Finally I hope the increase in citalopram dosage will help me in fretting and ruminating less on this kind of stuff. I feel like a complete self-obsessed failure at times, going around obsessing about my symptoms in a worrisome mood. My son is 6 today and this is what I am doing - I am f**ked up!

Not in a great place at the moment. Back ache in my left mid back area persists, it's probably nearly 3 months now which is very concerning. The ache isn't severe but occasionally seems to flare up and throb for a few minutes. I spoke to an online doctor today and explained the symptoms and she is concerned by length of time that ache is persisting. I also mentioned loose stools and weight loss to her. In fairness my stools have not changed colour and have always been a bit loose. I did lose 7 or 8 kg in the last year and a half but in the last four months I have stayed roughly the same weight. Still waiting on my blood test results from my GP, they did liver but don't think they checked pancreatic enzymes. They haven't got back to me so I'm hoping that means there is nothing alarming there. Anyway I asked the online GP to refer me for a scan and she will send me a referral letter. I am hoping it is for a CT scan rather than ultrasound as CT is more accurate in catching anything bad. I was concerned by her saying she doesn't think it is muscular, she mentioned gastritis or gallstones but also she said she wanted to check for liver or pancreas issues. I feel as though it will be a hellish time until I get the results of the scan.

How did you get on? I notice it's almost a year since your last update. I hope everything has turned out well for you!

I found this thread as I have been dealing with something similar only on my right side. A strange, twisting/squeezing pain that comes and goes very quickly when I move or twist my back in a certain direction. It has been going on for 2 years now and I had ultrasounds of my kidney's and abdomen with no findings to explain it. It is right around the 11th rib on my right side/flank. Sometimes I only notice it once or twice a day (rarely not at all) but other days it's more persistent. Very frustrating and I empathize with you.