In a big rut over abdominal and back pain that’s getting worse

[Aussie11]

I have been pretty good over last couple of years re the health anxiety but it is back with a vengeance again currently. 5 weeks ago I had a 2 day vomiting thing and then after that was left with burning around stomach area and constant nausea. I went to doctor and got referred for colonoscopy (only cause I was due for one) and gastroscopy. In the meantime I then went into downward spiral of worry that it is something awful. The pain is then very much in the left under my ribs and into my back. Lots of burping and burning tummy, but the dull ache is the worst - and this has of course made me paranoid about pancreas. I know this has happened before so I have tried to comfort myself that it turned out to be nothing before, but in normal health anxious fashion I'm thinking but this is different this time, it has gone on longer and seems to be getting worse rather than better. Usually when I have a test I then feel better and relieved and then the pain seems to go away, but this hasn't happened this time. The results were fine on the 2 scopes, it only showed mild gastritis which my dr didn't think would cause my pain, and possibility of coeliacs but nothing definite (and unlikely to explain the left upper pain). I had ultrasound and this showed all normal but this hasn't stopped the pain or my worries. My normal GP said it's just stress and she is refusing any further tests, just suggesting that I need to go on anti anxiety medication. She made things worse by saying if it was your pancreas then there's nothing else she could do for me anyway! Who says that to someone they know has health anxiety!

Anyway, I'm going to new GP for second opinion tomorrow and to request MRI. I will be telling her I have health anxiety and that I need this test for reassurance and then I want to go back to see her to deal with my health anxiety, either through referral to psychologist and/or anti anxiety meds, but also something for the pain which is not all in my head!

Sorry for the vent, just needed to get it out as I'm terrified about this!

[swajj]

You have to trust your doctor. You have had 2 very definitive tests. Why put yourself through more tests? Do you honestly think that an MRI is going to make your fear of pancreatic cancer disappear?

[paranoid-viking]

I have been pretty good over last couple of years re the health anxiety but it is back with a vengeance again currently. 5 weeks ago I had a 2 day vomiting thing and then after that was left with burning around stomach area and constant nausea. I went to doctor and got referred for colonoscopy (only cause I was due for one) and gastroscopy. In the meantime I then went into downward spiral of worry that it is something awful. The pain is then very much in the left under my ribs and into my back. Lots of burping and burning tummy, but the dull ache is the worst - and this has of course made me paranoid about pancreas. I know this has happened before so I have tried to comfort myself that it turned out to be nothing before, but in normal health anxious fashion I'm thinking but this is different this time, it has gone on longer and seems to be getting worse rather than better. Usually when I have a test I then feel better and relieved and then the pain seems to go away, but this hasn't happened this time. The results were fine on the 2 scopes, it only showed mild gastritis which my dr didn't think would cause my pain, and possibility of coeliacs but nothing definite (and unlikely to explain the left upper pain). I had ultrasound and this showed all normal but this hasn't stopped the pain or my worries. My normal GP said it's just stress and she is refusing any further tests, just suggesting that I need to go on anti anxiety medication. She made things worse by saying if it was your pancreas then there's nothing else she could do for me anyway! Who says that to someone they know has health anxiety!

Anyway, I'm going to new GP for second opinion tomorrow and to request MRI. I will be telling her I have health anxiety and that I need this test for reassurance and then I want to go back to see her to deal with my health anxiety, either through referral to psychologist and/or anti anxiety meds, but also something for the pain which is not all in my head!

Sorry for the vent, just needed to get it out as I'm terrified about this!

Hi. I see that there are quite a few of us in the pancreas fear segment. Your experiences sounds similar to mine except for the vomiting of course. Do you have medicine for stomach acid like nexium? Before I got nexium, 10 years ago; I ocasionall had heartburn so bad that I puked up food or drink or whatever.
It sounds like it could be mild gastritis; that is probably what I have too. I am going to endoscopy in February.
Your GP could have put it more nicely I would say than saying the way she said things; but I dont think I would recommend doctor shopping to get a second opinion. More likely than not it would just be repating what has allready be done. Besides, if you are worrying about cancer than I am not sure if you will feel better by going through CT or MRI scanning.
If they said that your pancreas was fine on an ultrasound you should believe them. Why would you know better than them? OK; I should not talk cause I am going through the same irrational thinking like "what if they are wrong and I have read all the hooror stories from the Daily Mail about misdiagnosis". Misdiagnosis happens, but it is not common. Remember that.
I have had a fear of something about the pancreas for some months now but you know what. After eating a lot of probiotics and taking pills against stomach gass I have improved considerably, which makes me think that it might just be IBS after all, combined with a mild gastritis. So I try hard not to freak out.

---------- Post added at 13:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:22 ----------

You have to trust your doctor. You have had 2 very definitive tests. Why put yourself through more tests? Do you honestly think that an MRI is going to make your fear of pancreatic cancer disappear?

True. Docs will normally not recommend cancer tests for patients just because they have health anxiety. Well, not docs in the public health sector.

[Aussie11]

Thanks for the replies. I did go to different doctor for second opinion, and she did give me referral for scan but she was really reassuring and suggested I speak with my gastroenterologist for follow up and see what he thinks before having the scan. She also said ct scan was better for that region than MRI, so referral is for CT which has made me think twice about having it (radiation risk given how many I've had in past). So I'm not making snap decision on it and feel much calmer since seeing her. I also told her that I need to address the anxiety and we said we would deal with that when I go back to her after seeing gastro.

[paranoid-viking]

Thanks for the replies. I did go to different doctor for second opinion, and she did give me referral for scan but she was really reassuring and suggested I speak with my gastroenterologist for follow up and see what he thinks before having the scan. She also said ct scan was better for that region than MRI, so referral is for CT which has made me think twice about having it (radiation risk given how many I've had in past). So I'm not making snap decision on it and feel much calmer since seeing her. I also told her that I need to address the anxiety and we said we would deal with that when I go back to her after seeing gastro.

Yes, you should definitely not expose yourself to radiation if it is not absolutely nescesarry and and if you do not have alarming symptoms, which it does not sound that you have. It is never 100% curtain that anyone does not have cancer of course; even having no symptoms is also a symptom of cancer(in the early stages)but yo dont see perfectly healthy people flocking to take CT scanning just because of that. And it does not sound to me that you have pancreatic cancer either; there are som many abdominal disorders that are way more common than pan can despite the scaremongering you get from tabloid media and awareness crusraders.

[Aussie11]

I looked back on my old posts and it seems I have a recurring pancreatic cancer fear that rears it's ugly head every couple of years. So here I am again with very similar 'symptoms' to the past episodes, and I've been trying to rationalise with myself that the symptoms are extremely similar to before and on those occasions nothing ever turned out to be wrong (other than IBS playing up and a bit of gastritis). But of course I have the niggling health anxiety telling me that this time it is different. It started off the back of a few vomiting episodes (same as previously) and started as a burning around the stomach area. Then the burping started and the back pain and the under left rib pain (same as previously). The differences are the back pain is worse, sharper feelings than before as is the under left rib pain. It could very likely be IBS causing trapped wind up under rib and up in my back (and of course it could also be just coincidence and I just have a bad back at the same time - probably made worse hunching over the computer and being anxious!). I caved in to the worries and to GP yesterday and she has referred me for upper abdominal ultrasound ("just to rule out there's not a big lump in there that shouldn't be" were her words - not great for anxiety!!). So I'm having that tomorrow. I've also been referred to a gastroenterologist as well, but that's more because I need to have one in my current state as I've moved since last colonoscopy screening (as I have them every 3 years due to family history of colon cancer and polyps). I think this time the worries came on after a mum at my son's kindy just found out she has breast cancer and she is only 38, a year younger than me. I know pancreatic cancer is extremely unlikely in someone of my age, but like many people on here it's just one of those horrible cancers that we seem to get fixated on probably because it's one of the scariest! I'm staying on this site rather than googling which is an improvement this time, but wish I could have waited out and seen if things just improved on their own rather than putting myself through scans and results!

[jojo2316]

I’m sorry about your friend- but chances are she will be fine. As for you having pancreatic cancer - or “panic cancer” as someone accidentally (and brilliantly l) called it on here - the chances are so vanishingly small. As you know. On top of which you have reason for heightened anxiety (your friend) and a history of these symptoms. Just be kind to yourself until this blip passes.

[Aussie11]

In a bad panic again about this and need some perspective/calming down. I had the ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and all was fine. I felt better for a week, although the back pain was still there, and then I had a horrible vomiting attack thing last Friday night after dinner. Worst pain under my ribs I've ever experienced, couldn't even breathe properly, were like spasms that lasted 10 mins then I'd vomit and would all start again. Since then the left sided ache under ribs, intense dull ache in left upper back and soreness along different bits of spine and shoulders has then worsened again. Even wakes me up some nights.

I've got gastroenterologist appointment next Tuesday but have to calm myself down until then, as still fearing pancreatic cancer or something awful. I can't convince myself that the back pain and gastric pain aren't linked and signs of cancer. I don't feel that reassured about clear ultrasound as the radiographer was junior and said she had to get her 'tutor' to check it over at one point. I did have blood tests including lipase for pancreas 2 days ago and haven't heard any issues as yet, so I'm hoping that's reassuring.

I do have terrible trapped wind pains, so it could be that I guess, if wind can really cause that much pain and realistically be in there for 2 weeks straight. I'm almost hoping they say I have coeliacs or something just to have a reason (treatable one) for these pains. This has been a recurring issue every couple of years for quite a while. Can't shake the horrible feeling and fear about not seeing my son grow up. Such a stupid cycle I keep finding myself in, and every time I believe that this time the symptoms are different, so this time it must be actually something horrible!

[Aussie11]

Hi, my fears about pancreatic cancer are back at their absolute worst at the moment. I’ve had a vomiting episode once each month for the last 4 months, but could generally put it down to a food intolerance or particularly oily or rich food. However for the past month or more I’ve also been getting worsening upper left to middle abdominal fullness/pain and back and rib pain on the left side and in mid and upper back. The feeling is there constantly and doesn’t come and go. I’ve been going to physio each week for the past 6 weeks but hasn’t helped at all.

I had an ultrasound a few weeks ago which was fine apparently and I’ve had 2 lots of blood tests which have also been fine. I saw Gastroenterologist this week who has booked an endoscopy for next Friday to check for any issues, coeliacs and other intolerances. The issue is that I don’t feel like it’s my stomach causing this feeling. I’ve tried but can’t convince myself that it isn’t pancreatic cancer, because of the fact that i feel the back and abdominal issues are related.

I try to convince myself it’s just really bad trapped wind, but now that I’m getting pins and needles/numbness feeling in left upper back, I feel like it’s some sort of compression happening. The doctors (and this should be reassuring and only not seen that way due to the evils of googling) haven’t even mentioned that pancreas is in the realm of what they are considering. I’ve even tried to make myself feel better by thinking well it could be a lymphoma or some other lump in my abdomen, just because at this point anything is better than thinking it’s pancreas. How mad is that?!

I’ve not lost any weight and (despite constant checking of eyes) I don’t have signs of jaundice. I have had low grade temp for the past week, but I haven’t had any nausea. Just wish this rib and back pain would go away!

[Elen]

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.

Elen