Weird mix of stomach and upper back symptoms pls help

[UncertainWife]

I'm having a thing I had four years ago, back then no dr could diagnose me.

It's stomach cramps, gurgling, burping, nausea. Lack of appetite, forcing myself to eat v small amounts. Sometimes feel I want to pee but then there's no pee.

When I walk around I get a very tight pressure feeling under right breast. Last night I had pain on lower right abdomen. Sometimes it's the bottom of my abdomen churning.

Along with this I have upper back pain, sensations up the right side of my neck, and when I sit down and/or move my right arm I get an achey feeling up into the back of my head and a feeling of pressure in my ears.

I have been having upper back/traps/neck issues for a while so sometimes I think it's just that I've got a stomach issue that has also made my upper back issues flare at the same time.

BUT it feels so utterly connected - the way the feelings in my stomach so obviously respond to the movement of my right arm is just so WEIRD! It's like someone has wired me up wrong and when I walk around doing stuff and using that right arm I get all this stomach tightening feeling.

I've never heard anyone complain of anything like this. I am off work with it, finding it hard to be out of bed and do normal life. Last time I had it I was off work for three months. Am feeling quite desperate to solve the mystery.

Have you been investigated for gallstones?

No. Would that cause the ear fullness though, and all the weird feelings up the back of my neck?

And would sensations in my stomach be changed by using my right arm?

What investigations have you had done so far, anything been ruled out?

I think It would be a good place to start. Some of the symptoms fit and a scan would either confirm or rule out.

I haven't yet been to drs this time around. I know I need to, but I'm worried about them thinking I'm nuts (they did last time though I've changed drs now).

I currently need hip replacement and have one bulging disc pressing on nerves and one herniated disc in lumbar spine.

Back in 2020 I had blood tests done and a full spine and brain scan, nothing much was found. Cervical spine showed a very minor nerve thing. The stomach issues went away and I was sent for physio for upper back nerve irritation.

I have the same symptoms (minus the arm thing) and they haven't been able to diagnose me either. I've had scans and a gastroscopy and everything is allegedly normal. My suspicion is GERD and costochondritis. Taking famotidine has stopped the stomach pains and gurgling at least.

Having said the stomach issues went away - they've been around in a very mild, manageable form since then. Eg feel horrible some mornings, very burpy, then have diarrhoea and feel better.

Appetite has been getting smaller lately generally, but I haven't been completely off my food til more recently.

Could you pay for a private CT scan? I'd be looking at the pancreas and gallbladder, OP. Your pain areas match up with those organs. And it's good to just rule out the most serious causes and work backwards. Also, because it's been going on for 4 years, it's unlikely to be sinister. But you could have a chronic pancreatitis or gallbladder issues. I don't know your age but certainly, in menopause, everything gets more sluggish and painful. Our digestive systems go on strike!

The other thing I'd do is get a pelvic ultrasound (not CT), just to check your ovaries (problems in this area can cause pretty significant digestive issues/symptoms which can deter us from thinking it's a reproductive organ issue, ignoring our reproductive system entirely while focusing on IBS and things like that).

Do you take any medications that might be irritating your stomach/giving you GERD?

@floormops thanks for mentioning gallbladder that could be a possibility to look into

@HazelLion sorry you're experiencing similar

@SerenityNowInsanityLater thanks for your post.

Having seen a PPs mention of gallbladder I just remembered that at a pelvic ultrasound in Dec 2021, they found a 2mm gallbladder polyp and said I ought to get it checked regularly, I totally forgot about this!

Would CT scan be better than ultrasound and if so, why?

Having said all the above I'm still weirded out by the upper spine elements.

I was just feeling a bit better walking around my bedroom slowly but then sat down and everything felt worse again.

Because there's a spine element to this and it all flares up together, I'm worried that the stomach issues are caused by one of my spinal issues (google says it's possible), or cervical instability (which a physio once said I had, though I don't have the more serious symptoms of this when I google it).

I've had the spine issues ages and can't imagine them being fixed, ever!

@SerenityNowInsanityLater forgot to say, no medications

UncertainWife

Hi again! I think, given that it’s been 3 years, your GP should refer you for another ultrasound (to monitor the polyp) and also CT to check the organ itself (plus pancreas and bile duct). Gallbladder polyps rarely turn cancerous, which is really reassuring. But it could be getting bigger (or even smaller- you never know 🤞) or you may have developed more. It’s just good timing to have it looked into and check your overall health of those organs (CT is better for this part).
Your symptoms and history warrant a good check up. Get some bloods done as well; liver function, fasting glucose, full blood count, etc. Definitely get that glucose checked. Any changes like pre diabetes can indicate pancreatic issues.

Thanks @SerenityNowInsanityLater