Severe abdominal and back pain

[1AnotherOne]

A few weeks ago when I lay down in bed I had terrible upper back and abdominal pain, sort of a cramping wave feeling and felt really hot and panicky. It passed after 15 minutes.

this morning at 6am I work up with the same. I took buscopan and paracetamol and again it passed within 15 mins. I tried to go back to sleep and woke up again soon after with the pain increased tenfold. I have never known a pain like it. It felt like a vice was clamped around my back and upper abdomen. I was sweating profusely and panting through the pain. I crouched on the floor and didn’t know what to do with myself. After about 25 minutes again it passed and touch wood has not been back.

any ideas what it may be? I will be speaking with my doctor tomorrow to see about a scan and blood test but just curious if anyone else has had this. I thought maybe gallstone or pancreatitis.

Kidney stones?

Gall stones maybe . Visit to the GP is in order.

Was it back and upper abdomen, very slightly right of centre? Then it's gallstones

Was it back and lower abdomen near the groin area? Then it's kidney stones.

Right hand side lower down near groin then it could be your appendix.

Either way see your doc

Definitely sounds like gallstones. They won't go away so best get it checked out with GP to see if gallbladder removal is required.

Upper abdomen and round my back, like a belt almost getting tighter and tighter. It wasn’t a particular side of the abdomen.

i will be speaking with them tomorrow thank you

Could be as simple as constipation.

Gallstones
Sorry I had this and it's awful.

Mine did go away when I lost 3 stone and stopped alcohol and started running!

Funnily enough, it was around Xmas after eating and drinking loads that it came on for me.

Then I was on the waiting list for 9 months but by the time I got the appointment I was ok?!!

I suffer with acute pancreatitis a couple of times a month, and this is how I describe the pain- like a belt. However, pancreatitis doesn't disappear that fast - from what I've heard gallstone attacks are extremely similar but shorter lived and pass, much like how you have described.

Please speak to your GP and arrange for a possible scan of the gallbladder.

It sounds like heart attack symptoms too- sorry not trying to scare you, but get yourself to a GP and if this happens again get someone to take you to a&e/call an ambulance

To contradict what a pp wrote - gallstone attacks usually last for hours. My first one was at least 12 hours.

I hope you get to the bottom of it OP, it sounds awful for you.

I had exactly the same and it was gallstones. Stopped as soon as it began. Felt like an elastic band round me. Causing huge pain. Triggered by high fat content or spicy food.

I'm assuming you're referring to me so just to clarify in comparison, acute pancreatitis can last weeks. It starts with an active pain (my active pain is usually around 12-16 hours), then you are left swollen internally and still in pain, just not as intense, for a long time depending on how you recover. Gallstone attacks don't tend to linger for this long, but 12 hours is BRUTAL.

Most likely gallstones or similar but as a pp said, these are also symptoms of a heart attack. Anyway, you definitely need to see a doctor asap

Not an HCP and I hate to say this but women's heart issues, which are often overlooked in comparison to men's symptoms, can manifest as a pain around the bra band so good you are going to GP tomorrow op. You can also experience digestive symptoms with it. Hope you are ok whatever it is.

Op without trying to panic you I've have literally got home today after having a Stent fitted after a heart attack, 2 of the symptoms I had were upper abdominal and shoulder pain , if it is your heart the longer it is undetected the more damage is being done to the muscle please get some advise asap x

Thank you. Luckily I have private healthcare and work in a hospital so I have the referral being processed this afternoon and a consultation Thursday.

surgeon suspects it is likely gallstones although I did wonder pancreas. I have been taking Mounjaro and it is a complication of taking it. I am at my goal weight so haven’t taken for a month but did have a heavy-ish Christmas!

Yes sounds very similar to my gallstone attacks. I ended up having them removed (privately, would recommend as you have cover!) and have been great since!

Pancreatitis is a precaution for mounjaro, my consultant has told me I'm not allowed it because of this. Pancreatitis is longer lived usually lasting for upwards of a week, but I have had a couple of occurrences whereby the pain has been short lived and disappeared in about 10-15 mins with no after pain. I don't have a gallbladder, either, so definitely my pancreas. (I had a whipples procedure 8 years ago to remove pancreatic cancer) x

Hi all thought I’d check back in.

saw the surgeon who examined and said pancreas is highly likely normal thank goodness but was very tender over the gallbladder.

have a scan tomorrow. Blood results came back today with elevated platelets so a sign of inflammation within the body.

Ohh fellow Whipples patient too here. I had mine as a teen. And pancreatitus 3 times after. Hope you are doing well xx

Hi, I know this is an old thread but wondered if u could update how you got on please? Was it pancreatitis? Hope you're doing better now anyway

Hi! I ended up having my gallbladder out in February I had a lot of small stones.

my surgeon said I was ‘on the verge’ of pancreatitis as he thinks the most severe pain I had was a stone bobbing back and forth by the pancreatic duct but it came away.

i feel so much better after having it out, just the sheer relief of the anxiety of the pain potentially happening again is enough.