Need some sensible advice - stomach pains

[Honeyskye]

Hi, I've got a couple of threads on here about this. I've been getting right-sided upper stomach pain for a couple of months. The pains centres around juat under my rib and into my chest and wraps around my back sometimes. It also feels at times like it comes from mu esophagus. I've had similar pains before and Dr thought gallstones but no gallstones found. I've also been having reflux and have been on lansoprazole.

A month ago blood tests showed a raised inflammation marker and the Dr scared me and sent me for an abdominal ultrasound and also a gastroscopy. Both of those came back clear. I've got to repeat my CRP blood test in a few weeks.

What's bothering me is, the pain is persisting. Sometimes it's barely noticible and some days it really bothers me and has me really anxious. I will say that this started after a stressful few months but I don't see how it can be stress related when it's in a specific area. The situation which caused the initial stress is still ongoing so I'm always mostly in a constant vortex of anxiety.

I discussed my ultrasound results with my Dr who told me what organs had been looked at and that all had been reported normal. My gastroscopy was all clear apart from some tiny polyps in my stomach which I was told were nothing to worry about.

I thought once I'd got clear tests and I calmed down a bit the pains would go but they haven't and that's what's worrying me. My anxious mind is telling me it's because the tests have missed something terrible. I also heard a woman on the table opposite me in a restaurant the other day talking about someone she knew getting misdiagnosed and it's playing on my mind. I just need a sensible voice. Would those tests have showed if something was going on?

[Catkins]

Periodically when I've been stressed/anxious I get really bad stomach pains, same place as you describe. I feel like I have a hedgehog in my stomach. I know it's not my gallbladder as I had that out about 14 years ago.

What I tend to do is double up on my dose of lansoprazole and eat very plain food for a while. Then once the pain settles I can start going back to normal. Stress/anxiety really effects my whole digestive system and for me this is all part of it. Try talking to your doctor about your lansoprazole dose and adjust what you are eating/drinking, reduce caffeine, no fizzy drinks, lots of plain water and food, nothing spicy.


I have a lot of acid problems so I can switch my dose between 15mg of lansoprazole and 30mg when needed. Last year I had a period when I was on 60mg as I had a really bad patch of silent reflux (it's not silent - it made cough). See what your doctor said.

[Honeyskye]

Just bumping this thread up to see if anyone else can offer any advice?

[Hypo84]

Would, "Relax" help? I mean, you are very fortunate that you actually had ultrasound and gastroscopy performed and it came back clear. So whatever is causing your pain is not anything sinister. Since it is upper right side pain, either ultrasound or gastroscopy would pick that up.

My advice is to accept the pain and live with it as I doubt it is unbearable. I am not sure why are you repeating inflammation markers (CRP I believe) in a couple of weeks. They should go down in 7-10 days or at least show decline. They were probably raised due to some virus.

[whoisthis]

All i can write is that i recognize your pain just under the right ribcage. it is something i have on and off and lately more on then off. I also have abdominal cramps and a lot of noise and when i eat my bowels are going into overdrive. either with sound or move my stool out very fast , often still in solid form by the way. these periods can last weeks, then slowly settle and then start all over again.

I wish i could help.
The polyps.. those are called fundic gland polyps, at least i think that is what they saw during the gastroscopy.. those type of polyps are benign and often seen in people using ppi's