Discomfort right side ? Liver

[DL45]

I saw my GP tues, have bloods booked next Monday.
My biggest concerns are my liver, particularly the discomfort I feel all around the right moving around during the day. When he examined my belly, he said he couldn't feel my liver was enlarged but I am fat (altho I have lost 1 stone in 2 weeks with the stress) so maybe he couldn't feel it.

But if I lean forward, for example on the loo, I can feel a pressure in my right side abdomen. Does that suggest Inver is enlarged after all?

I have consigned myself to it being bad news
I have done too much damage over the years, am putting all affairs in order, but my anxiety is through the roof, and I really don't know where anxiety ends and poor health begins.

Can anybody please help.....I think I am about to combust!😪😢 thank you x

[Worried_91]

Hi!

I'm having exactly the same thing and it's driving me crazy! I'm convinced I either have a problem with my liver or pancreas which is worrying me.
Its not pain as such but more discomfort and fullness feeling, is that how you'd describe it? I'm having nausea too but not sure whether that's the anxiety around it?
Do you suffer with ibs at all?

[DL45]

Hi Worried_91

thank you for your reply.....I would agree it is generally discomfort, fullness, even a stiff feeling, but I have had horrid pain with it in my upper back, a gnawing, stabbing pain. Like you, it is hard, when there are so many vague symptoms, to know whether it is heightened anxiety or a real physical problem. Yes, I was diagnosed with IBS several years ago.....I have some issues now and then but also go for long periods of time when my bowels are more regular than clockwork!
Are you having any investigations for your feeling - or at least been to your GP?

I also described to him this AWFUL sense of fullness, belching, throat discomfort which was quite new to me, he asked for a h pylori test and I've just come in to find a message on the phone that a GP wishes to speak to me tomorrow. So of course, my anxiety is now through the roof.......if the results are negative why on earth can't the GP ask the receptionist to leave that message - particularly knowing I have real bad anxiety. If it is positive I am not worried, I understand the treatment, but now I am worrying it may be negative but he wants further investigations. My mind is on overdrive!!

Hope you have a good day today

[Worried_91]

Sounds very similar although haven't experienced any upper back pain, it all seems to be around and below my right ribs.
My digestion is all off too, but not sure whether this is due to the severe anxiety I'm getting with it? The gnawing pain you're describing sounds like it could be something like h.pylori or maybe acid reflux?
That's good you're getting the blood tests and they're investigating it. I haven't contacted the doctors, been hoping it would pass but it hasn't so I may get onto them.

[DL45]

Sounds very similar although haven't experienced any upper back pain, it all seems to be around and below my right ribs.
My digestion is all off too, but not sure whether this is due to the severe anxiety I'm getting with it? The gnawing pain you're describing sounds like it could be something like h.pylori or maybe acid reflux?
That's good you're getting the blood tests and they're investigating it. I haven't contacted the doctors, been hoping it would pass but it hasn't so I may get onto them.

Hi Worried_91
Have you made that call yet to your GP? No point putting it off unless of course you are feeling much better.

Yes, HP was positive so have started on triple therapy for that, but my other symptoms in the right side still remain!

Let me know how you are getting on!

[Worried_91]

Hey DL45

Yeah, heard back from drs and they've suspected constipation which it could be as the sensation has moved from one side to the other? I'll see over the next couple of days how it goes.

Glad you've been given the meds to clear. I'm sure once you've finished the course your symptoms will go, but if not I'm sure they can investigate further.

[willll]

Since it seems that your only symptom is pain, it’s likely not your liver. It’s a very important organ that filters the blood, secretes hormones, aides in digestion, etc.

If there was a serious issue with it, you’d likely have more worrisome symptoms.

It’s likely something much less sinister. A few things it could be:
1. Gallstones - this could potentially explain the gnawing pain and fullness in your upper right abdomen. Gallstones don’t always cause excruciating and debilitating pain; only if they block the bile duct. I’m not sure if you’ve had a HIDA scan or not, but this is probably another test your doctor is going to want to run.
2. Acid Reflux - I have dealt with this since I was a child and have discovered that it can pretty much cause pain anywhere in the upper abdomen, chest and back.
3. Hepatic flexure syndrome - basically, this is when gas gets trapped in the hepatic flexure of the large intestine, which is located near the liver on the right side. It’s very common in people with IBS, but rarely talked about. I experience this pretty often, sometimes on the right but more often on the left (splenic flexure syndrome), and have many times convinced myself that my spleen was enlarged!

Try to distract yourself. I know it’s challenging, but the more you focus on the symptom, the worse it’s going to get.

Sending positive thoughts


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[DL45]

Since it seems that your only symptom is pain, it’s likely not your liver. It’s a very important organ that filters the blood, secretes hormones, aides in digestion, etc.

If there was a serious issue with it, you’d likely have more worrisome symptoms.

It’s likely something much less sinister. A few things it could be:
1. Gallstones - this could potentially explain the gnawing pain and fullness in your upper right abdomen. Gallstones don’t always cause excruciating and debilitating pain; only if they block the bile duct. I’m not sure if you’ve had a HIDA scan or not, but this is probably another test your doctor is going to want to run.
2. Acid Reflux - I have dealt with this since I was a child and have discovered that it can pretty much cause pain anywhere in the upper abdomen, chest and back.
3. Hepatic flexure syndrome - basically, this is when gas gets trapped in the hepatic flexure of the large intestine, which is located near the liver on the right side. It’s very common in people with IBS, but rarely talked about. I experience this pretty often, sometimes on the right but more often on the left (splenic flexure syndrome), and have many times convinced myself that my spleen was enlarged!

Try to distract yourself. I know it’s challenging, but the more you focus on the symptom, the worse it’s going to get.

Sending positive thoughts


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thank you willll for your response.

This is pretty worrisome lol......I am not jaundiced, stools are fine etc. I am tired lots of the time, and I keep overheating - just chest, head and neck, very often first thing in the morning, no sweats, just an overheat, I think possibly I have rosacea but never chatted to GP about it.

All my previous scans have excluded Gallstones or sludge.....I have had this on and off for years, but this is by far the worst, the only relief is when I lie down. I am currently on omeprazole (GP diagnosed reflux - those symptoms where what kicked it all off - weird pressure central chest and throat, belching etc) and also h pylori which I have started the triple treatment.

Interestingly 4 yrs ago my GP investigated some really severe symptoms of around 5-6wks of awful diarrhoea and LUQ pain, he did CT and that was all clear and he talked to me about splenic flexure, as I do have IBS - but not severely. So I will look at hepatic flexure syndrome - thank you for that!!

I do need to distract myself a bit more, I just find it so difficult because of the tiredness and also the pain, like I said other than lying flat it is awful lol!!

Thank you for your kind post!

[hope4tomorrow]

Hi there. I have had right side discomfort for about two years chronically and spells of it for much longer than that. I can't really tolerate a bra for long periods because it presses on my rib cage. I have been taking 20 mg omeprazole, but doctors have given me 40 mg in the past. I also have the lump in the throat feeling, burping and burning mouth. So, it sounds like reflux, but the PPI doesn't really help too much. An EGD that I had in 2012 showed minor inflammation , but the GI doctor wanted me to take buspar or amitriplyine in addition to the omeprazole and I didn't want to do that. I do have stressors (my son is severely autistic and has epilepsy), so I think they feel all is down to anxiety. Over the years, when the symptoms seemed worse, I had ultrasounds, chest/rib x-rays, laryngoscopy and a barium swallow, but these didn't show anything.


I sometimes wonder if the omeprazole is causing the right side issues as it does constipate me. Or it could be some sort of costochrondritis. I know it is very aggravating, but I just deal with it most of the time. So, you're not alone.

[Cusper]

Hi DL45,

I just wanted to reach out to you because I have been following your post on this the last week or so because I have been struggling with the same issue. I gained a ton of weight during the pandemic and was drinking too much as well. I finally sorted out the drinking 4 months ago but still ate junk until I began getting that pain right under my right rib into my back. I was also experiencing some worrying symptoms like really itchy hands and feet which I thought was liver or diabetes or both. So I cut out all sugar. But I was in panic mode and ended up losing 18 pounds in a month and a half from no sugar and anxiety.
However after cutting out the sugar my itchy hands and feet disappeared after about a month but the rib pain continued. At that point I was convinced it was the end for me. I had been so bad during COVID, eating garbage and drinking wine, not exercising. Then comes googling. Google told me that was also it for me and I had a number of terminal diseases which I won't mention. I thought possibly that it could be gallstones only I wasn't having attacks that were excruciating pain. Anyhow I went and got blood tests. No one called me and so I knew they were ok. So today I got an ultrasound and it came back clear of anything. The doctor said if the pain gets worse they will get a scope but suggested that it could be related to the spine being misaligned. This is not surprising to me because years ago I had similar symptoms on my left side and had to see a chiropractor. So for the time being I am contented with that. I was sure my liver was dead after all the junk even though I didn't have the other symptoms related to that. Anyhow I just wanted to reach out to you because your thread really helped me. I am a long time health anxiety/OCD sufferer. So it looks like I am getting a therapist. I don't want to get all worked up like this, it's ridiculous. And google is a *******. No more. Please keep us updated.