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Hello, I Am More Than A Little Anxious About Some
Question: Hello, I am more than a little anxious about some pains I have started having about 4-5 months ago. It all started with my middle left side of my back (T11-T12 area) having very weird feeling muscle spasms in a 6 inch area (only left side) - sometimes spasms, or even numbness sensation and sometimes just mild achy. Then my left upper abdomen started very mildly bothering me, I thought it was my ribs but chiropractor visits didn't seem to help. Then the pain seems more under my ribs cage. That's when my health anxiety kicked in and I started to panic it was my pancreas, like pancreatic cancer! But I'm 39, no alcohol, no drugs, regularly exercise, good body weight. Normal stools, I actually had a preventative colonoscopy a few months ago, completely normal.....But my worries brought me to the ER a few weeks ago because I was convinced I had pancreatic cancer. Well after a ton of blood work nothing was elevated, normal lipids, normal pancreatic enzymes.... perfect blood work. I insisted on a CT scan... which was done with out constrast....all normal. But I still feel like a crazy person thinking they missed something on the CT scan. That was 3 weeks ago, Now the mild pain is worse, especially on my left abdominal area. When I push there is no pain....it's like a deep pain. It feels better when I stand up straight, worse when I sit and better when I lay down. Seems worse on an empty stomach too. After I eat I do feel bloated, but no acidic burping or anything. Back sensations always accompany the left abdominal pain....they definitely are related somehow ...... I just saw a GI doctor last week, he feels it may be an ulcer or gastritis. I'm just so scared it still may be pancreatic cancer. I am such a worry wort. Just wanting a second opinion.
My GI recommend getting an endoscopy too. Which I have scheduled in a couple weeks.
My GI recommend getting an endoscopy too. Which I have scheduled in a couple weeks.
I already had one Dr on here answer a few concerns but he was not a GI specialist, so I wanted to resubmit my question to a GI doctor. Thanks!
Brief Answer:
Please go through detailed answer my dear patient.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for asking query on this forum my dear patient,
I am Dr Kumar a Gastroenterologist and would be taking your call.
Firstly it's very unlikely for a CT scan to miss pancreatic cancer.
Secondly what is cancer?Uncontrolled growth of cells.As the number of cells starts to multiply rapidly the first and the foremost thing that would happen is that the enzymes secreted by pancreas would shoot up in blood.
Thirdly if you are still skeptical and want a perfect calm of your mind that it's not pancreas and money is not an issue go for PET scan.99.9% sensitive and can never miss such diagnosis even if it's 0.1 mm in size.Though this test is not at all required yet I can understand very well that your mind is not at peace and so to calm your mind you can go for this test.Once the report is normal chapter closed.
Lastly your gastroenterologist is planning a good thing to do endoscopy as pain worsens empty stomach there are chances that you have ulcers in gut.When gut is empty the acid secreted directly irritates the mucosa of gut hence causing pain.
The pain at the back can be because of disc herniation in which a nerve is pinched in between to vertebra causing pain with radiation.MRI thoraco cervical spine screening should be done to rule out pinched nerve.
Usually the pain related to gastric ulcers is on right side but as your pain is on left side the organ located there is large intestine and you are suffering from bloating also.Possibility is that food is not digested properly hence get fermented releasing large amount of toxic gases which compresses intestine causes inflammation and pain.For bloating take activated charcoal tablets as well as cap omperazole 40 mg once daily and see if pain responds to it.
Try to take natural supplement lactium to control your anxiety.Anxiety stimulates nervous system and increases problem.
Hope I was helpful and to the point.
feel free to follow up.
Thank you.
Please go through detailed answer my dear patient.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for asking query on this forum my dear patient,
I am Dr Kumar a Gastroenterologist and would be taking your call.
Firstly it's very unlikely for a CT scan to miss pancreatic cancer.
Secondly what is cancer?Uncontrolled growth of cells.As the number of cells starts to multiply rapidly the first and the foremost thing that would happen is that the enzymes secreted by pancreas would shoot up in blood.
Thirdly if you are still skeptical and want a perfect calm of your mind that it's not pancreas and money is not an issue go for PET scan.99.9% sensitive and can never miss such diagnosis even if it's 0.1 mm in size.Though this test is not at all required yet I can understand very well that your mind is not at peace and so to calm your mind you can go for this test.Once the report is normal chapter closed.
Lastly your gastroenterologist is planning a good thing to do endoscopy as pain worsens empty stomach there are chances that you have ulcers in gut.When gut is empty the acid secreted directly irritates the mucosa of gut hence causing pain.
The pain at the back can be because of disc herniation in which a nerve is pinched in between to vertebra causing pain with radiation.MRI thoraco cervical spine screening should be done to rule out pinched nerve.
Usually the pain related to gastric ulcers is on right side but as your pain is on left side the organ located there is large intestine and you are suffering from bloating also.Possibility is that food is not digested properly hence get fermented releasing large amount of toxic gases which compresses intestine causes inflammation and pain.For bloating take activated charcoal tablets as well as cap omperazole 40 mg once daily and see if pain responds to it.
Try to take natural supplement lactium to control your anxiety.Anxiety stimulates nervous system and increases problem.
Hope I was helpful and to the point.
feel free to follow up.
Thank you.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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