intermittent upper left abdominal 'pain'.

[KeeKee]

For about 4 weeks now I have been getting a tiny pain in the Exact same spot and I am worried sick now. It isn't there all the time but it is everyday. It lasts a split second and is in the middle of my upper left abdominal if that makes sense. I am so scared. I keep thinking of Bowel Cancer or stomach ulcer, I am just scared to death.
About 6 weeks ago I went to the docs for something else and he felt my stomach and said he couldnt feel anything, if there were lumps would he have felt it?

The fact that this pain (which is very mild but a pain nonetheless) is always in the same spot makes me feel dreadful as I know generalised pain would more likely be less serious. It also has nothing to do with food as it occurs sometimes when I first awake and other times on an evening and so on.

Any ideas what it could be? Would cancer usually be constant? I'm so scared I've made an appointment and I'm there next Friday but I feel like such a hypochondriac I am there almost on a monthly basis. I quit SSRIs 29 weeks ago and I've read they can cause stomach issues temporarily and I have experienced diarrhea and the likes but it seems to have settled now. In just so scared can't stop worrying.

[KeeKee]

Any thoughts?

[debs71]

Upper left abdominal? It sounds very much to me like it could be mild GERD/acid reflux or possibly IBS (IBS pains can reach up that far) Acid reflux does not always present as the typical 'related to eating' or burning in the throat thing. It is often (and has been for me) a niggling pain in the same spot, and also can often happen (as you describe) upon waking. This is due to laying flat all night, where reflux is most likely to occur.

This is far more likely than anything sinister, given your anxiety history.

You also mention you have had diarhoea, which again points more towards possible IBS.

I have had your exact pain, both with GERD and IBS.

You doubtless suspect yourself that your anxiety is fueling your worries about anything sinister. It is much more realistic that your pain is related to your high stress than anything else, and both IBS and GERD are driven by stress.

Discuss this with your doctor. It also doesn't sound like a coincidence that you stopped meds 7 months ago, and your anxiety is high. How controlled was your anxiety when on them? My anxiety came back with a vengeance after 2 years off of them, and I had to restart them.

Discuss all of this with your doctor, but please try not to worry.x

[KeeKee]

Hi Thank you so much for replying. I have had a bit heartburn a few months ago for a short while so um really hoping it is just Gerd or something but it is honestly always this one place, never anywhere else.

My meds were for depression and never helped in regards to my anxiety, I also did CBT and the only thing that helped was time. It is no longer debilitating like it once was, but this pain has been there for some time now and although not constant I do get it a few times a day at least. It is very mild and would not stop me from doing anything but it worries me as with me having diarrhea now and again I am scared in case they are linked and therefore the scary C word

I mainly came off my meds due to unexplained weight gain (by which I mean no change in diet or lifestyle) and have been told antidepressants can cause weight gain or loss and apathy. These are both unacceptable considering I am a mother who no longer gets enjoyment out of her own child and also the main issue in my depression is body image and I will never touch another antidepressant again (long term of course, in the future I would consider short term treatment).
I have had other pains than the doctor said we're anxiety (most noticeable a pain in my left arm), but this feels different. My health anxiety is very good these days but this pain has now been going on for long enough for me to suspect something is amiss. I will just try to keep my head on until my next appointment.
I have been arguing with my partner quite a bit lately and that tends to set me off (although this pain came before we started arguing) so I think that's why I'm so upset lately.

Thank you so much for your reply I really appreciate it.

[wins829]

I have those pain all the time. Like is noy hurt more like burning feeling.

[KeeKee]

I can't describe mine really, it's definitely not burning in the same way as heart burn is, but it's certainly not agony or anything. I wish I could describe it more, I'm sure the doctor will ask what type of pain it is too......
I did Google it a lot last night and the upper left abdominal seems to be the area with less sinister causes, so I'm hoping it is just anxiety or even acid as I'm guessing it is my actual stomach due to the area it's at. Whilst I'd hate to have an ulcer and it doesn't really feel ulcery I'd rather that than something really serious.

[debs71]

Hi again Hun,

It is so similar to my pain, what you describe. I had gastritis last year (I think caused by the numerous supplements I had started after being diagnosed with polycystic ovaries) and a load of acid build up, and I had the same niggling pain I get from acid reflux but ten times worse, which is why I really think that your pain sounds like acid to me.

It is just too coincidental that you are anxious and stressed from your relationship probs, and now you have this ongoing pain. Whenever I am stressed, back comes my GERD and back comes my IBS....nightmare.

I can very much relate to your feeling re. the meds. It is uncanny, as I too stopped taking Cipralex in 2011 due to weight gain, and I too was watching what I ate and exercising, and had never gained weight before that. My self-esteem was at zero, so being stable anxiety and depression wise, I weaned off of them. Sadly, I eventually had to restart them as my anxiety came back horrendously, and I have sort of resigned myself to being on them now. I still have weight issues and try my best to do all I can about that, but it is hard, I know.

[wins829]

Try not to google it.it not gonna help. Is your pain always there or cone anf go.

[KeeKee]

Hi Wins, it comes and goes. I will stop googling, it's just hard as occasionally it does make me feel better (but sometimes it makes me feel 100x worse :-)

Hi Debs, hopefully it is that then. Last year I had vomiting for about 4 days every 5 weeks, I was ill and adamant something was wrong, then since March this year I haven't had it at all! So maybe it was stomach related. I even had quite a bit heartburn a few months ago too but it settled down. My diarrhea settled down too and my 'habits' have become more like they used to be. So hopefully this will too calm down soon enough. I'm sorry you had to reinstate your medication, especially as I know how painful the weight gain is, partly because you self esteem drops and also because others don't believe you aren't eating more, but you have to do what feels right for you. Fortunately my anxiety isn't severe enough for me to go on meds and my depression was never much better on them anyway (although I was definitely less teary, that was the main benefit, I still had ups and downs). People think I am vain, if only they knew how I feel when I look in the mirror, before meds I was trying to gain asmall I was one of those people who just couldn't put weight on oh how I would love to be that way again! This feels like a complete slap in the face.
Thank you so much for the reassurance.

[KeeKee]

Ok, well I haven't been on for a while as I try not to come on due to worrying when reading others' worries (sorry). But this pain is still here grrr! It stopped altogether for about a fortnight earlier this month so I thought it was gone forever, but now its back......again.
I was only at the doctors last week for something else so don't want to go again so soon, but I just don't know what this could be. Admittedly I am really stressed and anxious again but this just seems unusual. The pain is always in the same place. I'm starting to worry to the point I can't even focus on my family, the TV etc.