Really starting to worry. :(

[PinkCrayon]

So for the past 5 years I’ve been getting pains around my right shoulder blade area after I eat anything or it can come on when walking. Went to see my GP who put it down to a rotator cuff injury, which I was sceptical about but because it didn’t cause me much hassle, I left it.

Fast forward to 9 weeks ago and I started getting right upper quadrant pain under my ribs at the front that radiates to my back that side too; as well as pain in my right shoulder blade which now is really painful. During this time I’ve also been getting severe acid reflux symptoms that almost make me feel like my throat is inflamed and tight.

I spoke to my GP and he ordered an endoscopy which came back normal apart from a 3cm hiatus hernia.

I also had blood work done which is normal and an abdominal ultrasound (Gallbladder, Right Kidney, Liver, Pancreas, Stomach) which was normal. As well as a CT scan on this area which again is normal.

For the past 2 weeks everytime I’ve done a bowel movement, my stool is bright yellow and it makes me feel faint when I get off the toilet, and 2 days ago I started bleeding when passing a bowel movement too.

I now feel like I’m getting worse and it’s having a massive negative impact on my quality of life.

I’ve noticed that my pain is definitely worse on an evening which is leaving me having to take codeine to help with the pain and I feel like I’ve constantly got a hot water bottle on my side too.

I’ve also lost 18.4kg in weight in the past 2 months because I’m barely eating because of the pain it leaves me in.

I’m worried sick but I don’t seem to be getting anywhere with my doctor or my local hospital (been there 4 times in the past 3 months)

Has anyone else had these symptoms with clear test results and gotten to the bottom of it. All of this is making me so depressed right now.

I’m a 33 year old female that doesn’t drink alcohol at all apart from special occasions e.g. at weddings, parties etc.. my last alcoholic drink was January 1st 2020 for New Years Eve.

[AyrshireK]

Have you been tested for coeliac disease? Have a read up on the symptoms for that and see if anything strikes a bell there. You might also need a colonoscopy to check what is going on 'at that end'. Irritable Bowel can cause similar issues, Gall Bladder issues too.

Have you tried keeping a food diary to see if there is any 'trigger' food type - if it is coeliac disease then anything with gluten is going to kick off symptoms - working with someone with the condition I know that this can almost be an instantaneous reaction.

nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-d...

Having yellow stools and especially with blood is not normal so something is obviously going on, don't be fobbed off, even though you've had all sorts of tests returning as normal they've obviously not yet identified what the problem is but there obviously is something.

Make sure you go back to doctors, blood in stool MUST NOT be ignored.

Katie

[jbrking]

Apart from liver issues, I also have a condition called bile acid malabsorption. That causes pain in back shoulder etc (def not rotary cuff as I’ve had that too) yes just shoot me now. I was misdiagnosed for years to the point I was going to the toilet multiple times and being sick. Anyway I pushed for a referral and I had a sehcat scan which diagnosed it and now have proper bile binder medication. Look at bad-uk.org website and if it sounds familiar to you then educate your doctor. A lot of GPs don’t know enough and mine ended up apologising to me as I told them for years I had an issue but they said it was IBS and what I was eating. So I kept a food diary too and now know certain things makes mine worse. The malabsorption has meant I was severely deficient in lots of vitamins too so now have B12, D, iron, folic, potassium and I can’t maintain a level of good cholesterol so 4 mega strength omega tablets. All the above are prescribed to me. Don’t leave it too long as mine got worse overtime and I didn’t know the lack of vitamins were causing me other issues. Just thought it was old age (tho I’m only 52)

[PoorlyLiver]

Sorry you are going through this. The scan and blood results are quite reassuring despite your symptoms. You could try NHS111 and get an assessment if GP is not helping, or ask for a second opinion from another GP at your practice? I hope you get some help very soon.

[Justlooking3041]

I had similar pain issues last year. All tests were good, but they ordered a hida. My gallbladder was failing. It wasn’t gallstones so it didn’t show on any other test. I would highly recommend asking for a hida scan.

[PinkCrayon in reply to Justlooking3041]

Hi

Did you have a feeling of fullness under your right ribs and around the side going in to your back?

What was the pain like? Mines like a dull ache most of the time unless it flares up and then it’s more like a sharp pain that almost contracts.

[Justlooking3041 in reply to PinkCrayon]

I didn’t have the fullness. But a constant dull, tender to the touch pain. Certain foods caused it to do a sharp stabbing pain and eventually all food did. Also had/have reflux from it. Pain wrapped around the right side to my back and occasionally shoulder blade pain. It’s actually why I joined here originally was because I believed it to be liver related.

I still have some issues, but overall it has been better since gallbladder removal.

[PinkCrayon in reply to Justlooking3041]

I originally thought it was my gallbladder too and maybe that’s why my stool is yellow. The bleeding has stopped now, thankfully (I do have internal hemorrhoids) so I’m thinking that’s what has caused the bleeding. I’ve been using suppository medication for it and it seems to have done the trick.

Due to my weight loss my GP wants me to get a colonoscopy done as a precaution. I won’t lie, the thought of it being something sinister like Cancer fills me with terror.

I’m just trying to keep myself as calm as I can right now.

My pain is tender to touch on the right side of my ribs.. it’s awful.

With your acid reflux, was yours almost always there?

Did you ever wake up with a sore throat?

Did you also experience yellow bowel movements?

I really want a HIDA scan done but they seem very difficult to get in the UK for some reason.

[PinkCrayon]

Just to fill you all in. I was tested for H.Pylori during the endoscopy and it was negative and I’ve been tested for coeliac disease around 3 years ago. Sorry for not mentioning that before.

[ceande]

Do you still have your gall bladder? Do you intermittent fast?

[PinkCrayon in reply to ceande]

Yes, I still have my gallbladder. Is intermittent fasting good for gallbladder problems?

[ceande in reply to PinkCrayon]

I don’t know really, but I do have a similar problem. Planeish stool sometimes and liver / gall bladder area pain.

I’ve had multiple theories what the cause might be, and I could be wrong for sure, but I’m currently thinking it’s actually a gall bladder issue for me, currently.

I think for me, intermittent fasting was partially of fully the issue.

I used to eat basically one meal a day to lose weight, and I think eventually that caused me to have slow bile travel (sludge potentially) in my bile, which was causing it get somewhat blocked up and hurt sometimes.

I’ve spread out my eating more now and it’s helped me a lot.

I also eat more eggs (with yolk), as well as I drink a kale shake every day now.

Those things have really helped me.

No more pain or weird looking pale poop that floats.

Who knows though. I also have a slightly fatty liver, so I could be barking up the wrong tree. It’s been working for me though.

[PinkCrayon in reply to ceande]

How was fatty liver diagnosed for you please?

[ceande in reply to PinkCrayon]

Ultrasound