Weird Backache = Pancreatic Cancer Fears

[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. 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?

[jojo2316]

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

[Natka]

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.

[jojo2316]

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….

[NoraB]

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.

Sounds muscular to me..

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

[ankietyjoe]

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

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.

[Natka]

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.

[NoraB]

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.

Do yourself a favour and get rid of those scales.

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

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)

I would truly be terrified if I got jaundiced.

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..

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.

Hopefully this fear goes soon

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

[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

[Natka]

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.