What can cause sharp URQ pain, dull right
shoulder pain, and nausea, and not show up
on any of the "classic gall bladder
tests", like an ultrasound or HIDA scan?
An ER doc suggested that I may have a
problem with a slipping rib, which may
make sense because I've always been a
little sensitive about pressure on my
lower right rib cage (ever since I can
remember).
Should I be demanding more tests on the
possible gall bladder diagnosis? What
tests should be done? I requested an ERCP
and was told no because my liver enzymes
were normal, but is it possible for
something to still appear during an ERCP
with normal liver enzymes? Or should I
start asking that they try this alternate
slipping rib theory by doing CT scans or
MRIs on my rib cage?
I'm frustrated and tired of being in pain
and experiencing nausea. I was a very
active person before the pain started and
I had been training to run a marathon. I
ate a healthy diet. Now, all I can do is
sit or lie down (and still be in
pain).
YOU WROTE:
Current medical treatment: 4 CBCs, 3
metabolics, 1 BUN hepatic pancreatic blood
tests multiple urinalyses (last one found
a small UTI, for which they prescribed an
antibiotic) 2 ultrasounds, upper and
lower, which came back as normal. 1 HIDA
scan, ejection rate 67.8% 1 EGD, found
small traces of acid reflux, but the doc
stressed that it was nowhere near enough
to be causing the pain that I describe.
I'm currently on phenagran, lortab 7.5,
and protonix (for the supposed acid
reflux)
An ERCP (endoscopic retrograde
cholangio-pancretaicography) is used to
explore the pancreatic and bile ducts.
ERCPs are usually used when doctors assume
for that a tumor or stone is present in
the bile tract. You can request an ERCP
but I doubt that it the diagnostic test
will reveal anything because your
laboratory results do not indicate that
there stasis is present in the bile flow.
Pain in the upper right ribcage can
originate from the shoulder joint,
muscles, ribs, lung covering (pleura) or
from the nerves themselves. You can
request a CT-scan or an MRI of the chest
and spine and shoulder to identify the
cause for your pain.
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