Convinced I have kidney cancer

[Nittyknobhead]

I'm looking for a bit of hope from anyone who's had similar 🙏

Had on and off lower back ache for 2 maybe 3 weeks on left side near top of bumcheek. Started really mild then got really bad about 1.5 weeks in where i felt quite stiff and sore in the morning, then eased off again.

It feels like it's been moving around to middle of back, bum, top of back, so initially I put it down to shit posture as I couldn't think of anything I've done. And I do sit weird but I always have.

It also seemed to pull a bit if I bent down so again put it down to muscular or trapped nerve maybe.

Now for the past 5 days it's settled more towards my side but still lower down, sort of where kidney would be but a bit lower. Not really painful, or achey, but enough to make me 😩 not constant either. Its like a pinching/warm sort of feeling. Now doesn't hurt when I bend over.

Weeing fine, no visible blood, not cloudy unless I've not drunk much. I feel ok apart from when I start spiralling then I feel shit, lethargic, so I convince myself that's the fatigue with the cancer, them I feel even shitter. I'll google (obvs), see something reassuring, carry on googling, then find a story from someone who had my symptoms and it was C, so I go back to shitting myself.

I've been avoiding going to gp in case they do suggest the worst, but feel I do need to acknowledge there's maybe something seriously wrong and bite the bullet. But I'm so very scared.

Does anyone have any stories of hope just to help me get out of this horrible place I'm in just until I do face it and see GP?

Thankyou

https://www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/health-information/low-back-pain/physiotherapy-and-exercises

Very simple stretches to try alongside your pain meds. You may be able to identify one or two of these that really help. Or not. But maybe worth a try.

Kidney cancer doesn’t usually cause pain. It doesn’t usually cause any symptoms at all until it is very advanced. Your kidneys are also under your ribs, nowhere near your bum (a PP mentioned going in at the waistband to get a kidney biopsy - we actually angle the needle upwards, your kidneys are higher than the point the needle goes in at).

See your GP, but it won’t be kidney cancer.

I definitely think it sounds like your piriformis, speaking from experience. Google piriformis stretches and give them a gentle go.

Jesus Mamia, I hope you're doing OK?

I am a bit worried about being fobbed off. I just feel like something isn't 'right' iyswim? But I know that might be because I'm spiralling. I've had back aches before but nothing that's made me google, but they've always gone after a few days.

I don't generally have health anxiety tbh, I do if I get something that might be connected to my womb/ovaries as I have history of issues that have all been referred under 2ww. Oh and if I get an itchy spot I go a bit off the rails because of my past skin cancer (that was all fine, very slow growing, can't even remember the name of it now it was about 25 years ago).

And hope you're doing OK too Pieoma

It's the "always have" catching up on you. See a physio.

I'm all good now, a few weeks dialysis and they kicked back in and are working well again thankfully. I know I was very lucky. I sound flippant but it was truly awful at the time and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else or their families. Was perfectly healthy, caught Covid and then boom, Covid caused kidney failure in me. Thankfully, aside from Long Covid, I've no lasting effects from it aside from a few meds which I can live with taking!

I had kidney cancer in my 30s. I had no pain at all, no blood in urine. It was found when looking at something else.
I think it's highly unlikely you have kidney cancer. However with kidney cancer (like nearly all cancers) you need to get it early. I'm here today, nearly ten years later, because I was lucky enough to find it early. If I'd left it, I'd be dead by now.

I am doing fine now, had half of my right kidney removed, which was a painful surgery to recover from, but feel thankful every day that I kept pushing for further investigation.

Kidney cancer is a cancer, that if caught early, the treatment is removal of kidney, and usually this will be the end of it, there will most often be no spread or reoccurrence. If it is not caught early enough their is no cure, only ‘management’.

I am monitored yearly to check for reoccurrence, and have my 3year check this Tuesday, keeping my fingers crossed for the all clear!

I don't think it's cancer. Your anxiety about it will be making everything seem worse. Honestly, bet it's something harmless.

The pain doesn't sound like it's in your kidneys, they're much higher up. I think you're feeling anxious and will feel much better once you've seen your gp. Have you had kidney problems before - you had skin cancer which kidney meds can cause? Please just give the gp a call, you need relief from this anxiety x

Hey everyone just thought I'd update, don't know why tbh.

Niggley ache has still been here, I felt like it had gone at a few points but it would come back, varying levels of ache, but never painful iyswim.

I booked an osteopath as convinced myself it was posture but they cancelled, so I just left it.

Last 2 days the niggle has got a bit more localised now to where my kidney would be. Almost feels like period pain in my back. Today for about 30 mins a time I felt like I was getting jabbed and it WAS a pain this time, quite sharp too, but it eases off after a while.

Spoke to a pal at work who said it sounds like when she had a small kidney stone? Hers took weeks to come out apparently 😱 always thought pain from kidney stones was always excruciating but she said her doc said that's not always the case. She didn't have any blood in her wee either which I've never heard of. I am starting to think/hope i've maybe got a small kidney stone?

Am going to bite the bullet and see my GP. I'm still a bit worried its more serious than a stone so please if anyone does reply I'm asking please no horror stories about how it can't be a stone. I don't need any professional help either for health anxiety, i am anxious but only because its been going on for weeks 😔

Lower back pain is way more common than kidney cancer!

Just seen update. If it is a stone it will make itself known or pass. If you can’t relax you must go to your gp.

Yea my pal said she was told the same! Small stones usually fine until they get jammed somewhere and make their presence known 😬

Am going to see if I can get in the docs tomorrow 🤞 I haven't relaxed really in getting on for 6-7 weeks now 😩

I had a niggly pain in my side, along with a temperature that antibiotics weren't helping. I was examined by three HCPs (including 2 GPs) who all said it couldn't be my kidney because the pain was in the wrong place.

Turns out my kidney was the size of a rugby ball and full of pus. I nearly died.

Hope you get some answers soon, OP. Take care x

Would you be able to find some sort of sports/physio massage place who can have a look? Not one of the relaxing/hot stones places. They may be able to help.

Omg how can it have been that size surely there's not enough room in there?! 😩

Thank you. I have started to think that if it was C, if it was big enough it was causing pain surely I'd have other symptoms too (again anyone please please no "not necessarily......" replies to that, i honestly don't need that right now ive sort of calmed a bit and I am going to the gp 🙏").

To think all my stress over this was kicked off by a very harmless "exercises for lower back ache on left side" google search 😩

I’ve had very similar symptoms for the past 2 years and have been seeing an NHS physio for about 18 months of that. They eventually arranged for me to have an x-ray and I’ve finally been diagnosed with arthritis of the sacroiliac joints (where spine meets pelvis)

I reckon it's a kidney stone. Fingers crossed for you. X

You beat me to it. I had MRI L2 to L5 not great. I've been seeing a physio seven weeks of exercises and 5 visits I'm finally coping much better. I've a bit of arthritis too

Hello. Saw the gp today. She thinks I have an upper UTI that's been rumbling on and it's getting a bit hairy now and said I must start the antibiotics today so just waiting for the pharmacy to ring.

She was quite reassuring, ive only ever had cystitis with the burning etc. but she said its not uncommon that the only symptom you have is loin pain for weeks then within a day that gets worse then comes fever, vomiting etc. So see how I get on with antibiotics and go back in a week if no better.

Fingers crossed!! I'll be so happy if the antibiotics shift it, I've been so miserable with this 😔

That's good news 🤞

I think your GP will recommend a new chair!
Go and see GP, it's probably nothing.
And if it is something you deal with it.
As those of us with cancer do.

Like a previous poster, I’ve had kidney issues and they are higher than where you’re stating. However, if it is kidney related, sounds daft but are you drinking enough water? Not drinking enough can cause kidney pain.