I’ve had left flank pain for a few years...it won’t go away (colonoscopy, cyst)
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I've had a left flank pain for a few years now. When it first started I only felt it from time to time. I now feel it on a monthy basis. At first I was going to ignore it but I eventually went to my doctor about it because to me it’s not normal. It feels like a flare up that’s only in my hip area it comes in waves at times or it’ll just come out of no where. Sometimes it’ll hurt so bad that I’ll have to hold onto my hip. I’ve also been woken up out of my sleep a few times because of it. Before all of this started I played sports when I was in college like soccer, basketball and I even ran track when I was younger. When I was in college I supposably had a muscle strain in my rib/back area. There would be times when it felt like something was pushing up against my ribs. It kind of felt like sand paper rubbing up in that area or a tag poking me. Now that all of that is gone I now experience the hip pain that has not gone away. I’ve had a x-ray in which it came back clear, I had a ct scan that came back clear, I’ve had blood work for stds in which I don’t have any of those. I’ve had a urinalysis which didn’t show any infections. I had an ultrasound including pelvic. They checked for kidney stones and cyst in which I don’t have. I personally feel like it’s something and it’s not normal if I stop in the middle of what I am doing to grab my hip or wake up out of my sleep because of the pain it’s not normal. I need help because I’m out of answers and I’m starting to feel like the doctors aren’t going to take me seriously. Has anyone else experienced this?
=Quality of the pain-- burning , stabbing, dull, etc?
=Duration of the pain-- seconds, minutes, hours, days? Is it steady or does it come & go-- how long "on," how long "off?"
=How often does pain occur-- daily, weekly, monthly?
=Location of the pain?-- rib area, from ribs to pelvic brim, over hip joint, front, back, side, which side? Localized or does it move?
=Effect of movement?
=Your age?
= History of surgery & scars?
=Any urinary or bowel problems? Any "acid"/indigestion problems?
=Family history of kidney or biliary stones?
=Ever had shingles? Ever had chicken pox?
=What work or hobbies do you do?
=Do you sleep on your side? Mattress comfortable?
Simple x-ray is useless. CT/MRI negative tells us it isn't a mass, muscle tear, bone injury. No stones seen simply means no stones were seen-- doesn't mean they weren't there and were passed.
With the little bit of info you gave & me filling in the blanks with my imagination, I'd bet you have one leg a little shorter than the other (1/2 in or so), or some old injury that causes a limp and the intermittent pain has to do with muscle fatigue & spasm after an active day on your feet, or maybe sleep/mattress problems.
The quality of pain is dull and it comes in waves at times sometimes it's more intense and is painful but bearable. It feels more like a flare-up once I feel it, it can last for a day only for a few seconds and than it goes away. Sometimes I'll go a few weeks without feeling it and then I randomly feel it for a few days throughout the day. When I first started having the pain I would feel it from time to time like 3-6 months now I feel it only a monthly basis but not everyday. The pain is felt around the left side of my hip like the size of my hand around that area. The pain has always been in that area I have experienced other issues like around my rib area but I don't know if it is connected to my hip pain. I've never had surgery or any injuries when I was experiencing this pain I did strain the left side of my back at least that's what they told me. That sensation felt like something pushing up against my ribs, sandpaper feeling (or like a tag from a shirt poking up against me) with back pain. I've experienced this on my left side only. I do have acid reflux. I don't have any urinary or kidney problems that I know of. I've never had shingles or chickenpox. When I started feeling this pain I was playing sports like basketball and soccer so when I had a back strain at the time it wasn't too far off. I was having the left flank pain but I rarely felt it that was like 2-3 years ago. As of right now, I have a desk job but I am walking around maybe every hour. When I do sleep I sleep on my right side, back or stomach. I don't have any mattress problems.
I didn't know what was considered the Flank.
The flank or latus is the side of the body between the rib cage andthe iliac bone of thehip
\(below the rib cage and above the ilium). It is sometimes called the lumbar region.
Then, if this helps others:
..flank pain most commonly results from one of three causes:
urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney stones, and musculoskeletal problems like a muscle strain or pinched nerve.
I was told I didn't have any stones but during that time I wasn't actively having the pain when I got a ct scan but I felt it a few days after that. I would just think the doctors would be able to find out by now.
I was told I didn't have any stones but during that time I wasn't actively having the pain when I got a ct scan but I felt it a few days after that. I would just think the doctors would be able to find out by now.
About 3 1/2 years ago I experienced symptoms similar to what you are having. Left flank, nausea at times when symptoms flared, intense pain, very sore back, and low grade fever at times. These symptoms were fleeting, in that I'd be fine for a day or three, and then I would be pain for a few days for most of each day. I thought kidney stone stuck on its journey. Finally over New Year's I had had enough, went to ER, got a ct-scan, and ultrasound. Nothing was found. Everyone was baffled, no stone was visible, so went home. Symptoms continued but not as often, and then a month went by pain free. I had been scheduled for a colonoscopy already, so had that and all was good except the Dr. determined that I have diverticulosis, which may or may not have been the problem. I made a few diet adjustments and knock on wood, those symptoms have not returned.
Good luck to you!
About 3 1/2 years ago I experienced symptoms similar to what you are having. Left flank, nausea at times when symptoms flared, intense pain, very sore back, and low grade fever at times.
Good luck to you!
I didn't have a pain in the location you do, but this reminds me of a pain I had years ago. I developed a pain in what I called my sacroiliac (the flat part of lower back, on one side, right above buttocks). It went away, so fine. But it repeatedly came back over a two year period. I was in my early 40s and had excellent health all my life. I didn't mention it to my dr during annual exams for 2 years, but finally went to an orthopedist, sure I had strained something while digging in the yard.
An x-ray revealed I had osteoarthritis. So it was inflammation that would flare up, then subside, always to return, he said. So I went to a rheumatologist. He confirmed and said it would be that way until I did something about the inflammation. So he prescribed strong arthritis medicine for me to take certain amount every day for 10 days. I had to take it the whole 10 days to knock out the inflammation, even if the pain went away. He tried the gentler medicine first, but my body didn't respond. So I had to take naproxyn (it can damage stomach lining, so have to be careful). The pain/inflammation went away and stayed away for years.
The pain/inflammation came back a few years ago, with physical activities related to moving & such. So I have to take an inflammation OTC drug on occasion. I have never done the 10-day thing again, but probably should. As it is, I try not to take medicine for anything unless absolutely necessary.
The pain in my sacroiliac didn't cause me nausea or fever. But the flareups you seem to have reminds me of inflammation. It could be inflammation associated with something else. Taking Aleve (naproxyn) for one day won't knock out inflammation, if that's part of your issue. Not all pain killers are anti-inflammatory, either.
How old are you? Are you very physical, like have a manual labor job? Or lift heavy things around the house? Or play a rough sport? Things that might have injured your "flank"? (I'm still confused about what the flank is, whether it's in the back or the side.)
I didn't know what was considered the Flank.
The flank or latus is the side of the body between the rib cage andthe iliac bone of thehip
(below the rib cage and above the ilium). It is sometimes called the lumbar region.
Then, if this helps others:
..flank pain most commonly results from one of three causes:
urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney stones, and musculoskeletal problems like a muscle strain or pinched nerve.
The "flank" seems to be in the general area of t he area I call my sacroiliac, only slightly higher maybe. In pics I saw, person is grabbing an area I'd call a man's waist area, in the back. And also the side of the waist area.
My sacroiliac issue stemmed from a long session of being in a bent over position, digging in hard clay. The arthritis didn't cause the pain. It just weakened my joints, making them susceptible to injuries and strains. Once injured, the area would become inflamed, and didn't totally go away on its own. I ignored it for 2 years until it got so bad I couldn't ignore it any longer.
When I decided to see a dr. about it: I was in line at Christmas time at Penney's. The line was long, and the wait time was long. I could barely stand after a while, the pain was so intense. I looked around & saw little old ladies having no problem standing in line. That's when I knew something was really wrong.
I hope the OP gets to the bottom of this. There IS something wrong. Maybe it is something simple that the drs are overlooking. As in my case, even if you'd injured something in that area, it should have healed. Could be like in my case: I didn't totally heal because of the inflammation and the arthritis.
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