Mononucleosis, Abdominal Pain, and Chocolate

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For the past 5 months or so ive hard sharp pains in the solar plexus area. Occassionally this pain has traveled to my lower back. This pain always shows up while im asleep keeping me awake from 30 mins to an hour or two which consists of me trying to find a comfortable podition to lie in. Ive recently just gone away to college a month and a half ago and the pains have gone from once a month to once a week or once every two weeks.

5 months agoi was very physically active and did have slight back ains only when doing pushups.

Around 4 years ago i was hospitalized and diagnosed with mono. There was inflammation around my liver, my gallbladder, spleen and kidneys. I couldnt eat and had to work my way up from an all liquid diet. After getting released i was forbidden from doing exercise for at least 3 months and did not fully heal til at least 3 months after that.

The doctors said it would take 1 to 2 years for my body to fully recuperate and that i would carry the virus.

As of now my appetite is fine, the only thing bothering me being an itchy throat ive had for the past 4 months or so.
Ive been monitoring my diet and have seen that sometimes i may have worked out or eaten chocolate before sleeping.
My stomach has not reacted well with me eating chocolate since the mono sometimes causing stomach aches after eating it in the day.

And if its not too much to ask what could be causing this constant itchy throat?

My throat feels dry or itchy and it gets hard to try to cough. I try to always keep water near me to stop it. I end up coughing a couple of times. Hard enough that i end up tearing every time.
Gender: Female
How tall are you (feet and inches)?: 5'4
What is your weight in pounds?: 130
How old are you?: 20
How long has this been going on?: More than a month
Check all symptoms you are currently experiencing: Abdominal PainAbdominal Pain
Describe associated symptoms not listed above: Lower back pain
What have you done so far to remedy this condition? Watched my diet
I had thought that it was only when i ate chocolate before going to bed last two or three times but thats not the case this time. Ive also seen it may occur after working out.These are just guesses on my part.
Check all conditions present in your immediate family... :
Asthma / Lung Problems
Please list any medication allergies that you have : : None
Please list any medications you are currently taking (and dosage if known) :: None
When was your last menstrual cycle?: 3 weeks ago
Are you currently using or do you have a history of tobacco use?: No
Are you currently using or do you have a history of illegal drug use?: No
Please describe your alcohol consumption :: Never
Causes for pain
Any suggestion for treatment?

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Wow, these questions are very hard to answer without testing. My first thoughts are that you need a good pelvic exam by a qualified physician and that the most likely cause of your abdominal pain is going to be Gynecological. My money would be on ovarian cysts. These occur and reoccur.

Here is a helpful link for you.

This has, almost certainly, nothing to do with your recent bout with mononucleosis.

Getting to the bottom of female abdominal and lower back pain is complicated. I am simply giving you my best guesses. You definitely need a pelvic exam, and, based on that and other data, you might need an ultrasound or even a CT scan. An ultrasound would be optimal for finding ovarian cysts, a CT for most other problems in the abdomen. This does NOT sound like something bad lurking... It just doesn't sound that way.

You can certainly take Ibuprofen for this as long as you are not allergic. Tylenol would be my second choice until you get this properly diagnosed.

You may need to lay off chocolate for a bit if that seems to be a trigger. I would also suggest to you that your itchy throat may be due to allergies. It is the right season for them. Taking Loratadine over the counter might be a reasonable thing for you to try, but again, no substitute for having a doctor take a peek.

I hope this helps.

Atypical Abdominal Pain and a Concern for Cancer

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About 2 weeks ago I thought my stomach was bothering me - Maybe I ate too much I wondered.  But later I had the same feeling on an empty stomach. I thought maybe I'm just very hungry.  Over the course of the next week I kept getting this feeling independently of food intake.  It would come and go regularly, and has now been occurring off and on for 2 weeks now (by off and on I mean I seem to notice it more at night when things are not so hectic, and I will feel it for maybe 30 min out of every hour all evening long).  It soon became clear that this had nothing to do with my stomach or any part of my GI tract at all . I say this because the feeling was clearly not associated with my eating, my bowel movements are ok, no vomiting, no gas, and the feeling, aside from eminating from my belly doesnt feel like any stomach/GI feeling I have had before.   In fact I'd say it is on the border of discomfort and pain. And although my belly doesnt feel warm, I'd describe the pain as "warm" or "hot" - like you might say "it feels like being stabbed with a hot poker" even though you know the area of the pain is not hot - it just a way of describing an odd feeling.  2 nights in the last 2 weeks it has made falling asleep difficult.  It has now been two weeks and it feels like it is getting worse.  In fact tonight is the worst I expect sleeping difficulty - which is why I am writing.  I feel pretty crappy right now.  After 1 week it started being accompanied by a very mild headache and yesterday I started getting the feeling behind your eyes that is usually a sign of getting sick.  Recently I feel "kind of nauseus" sometimes, but I certainly dont feel "sick" in any way that I ever have before (No fever, sorethroat, "achy", run down, runny or stuffed up nose, etc).  So I am a bit concerned.  Any ideas on what it could be? What tests should get? I always fear cancer, as there is a family history and I am not in twenties any more.  Should I screen for that?

Gender: Male
How tall are you (feet and inches)?: 6'2"
What is your weight in pounds?: 205
How old are you?: 48
How long has this been going on?: A week or two
Check all symptoms you are currently experiencing:
Abdominal Pain
Nausea
Psychiatric

Describe associated symptoms not listed above: Hmm. The psychiatric option above got me thinking.  I dont know if this qualifies, but I guess I have been under a lot of stress over the last year and a half.  I wonder if that could be playing a part? Ulcer?

What have you done so far to remedy this condition? Please include tests and relevant studies here.: Nothing
Please list any chronic medical problems and also list any prior surgery (lacerations don't count!): None
Check all conditions present in your immediate family... : Asthma / Lung Problems/Cancer
Please list any medication allergies that you have : : None
Please list any medications you are currently taking (and dosage if known) :: None
When was your last menstrual cycle?: I'm a man, baby!
Are you currently using or do you have a history of tobacco use?: No
Are you currently using or do you have a history of illegal drug use?: No
Please describe your alcohol consumption :: Rarely

HOW QUICKLY DO YOU NEED THIS TO BE ANSWERED?: Within the next few days

So that we can serve you best, please try to tell us your top three things you wish to be addressed in our response.
1. How much of concern of cancer should I have?
2. Should I make an appt to see my doctor or wait it out a bit longer?
3. What tests would you recommend so that if I do see my doctor I can suggest them.

Appendicitis?

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Ask your medical question here. : MD STAT is an educational service. We do not prescribe medication. We do not enter into a doctor-patient relationship with you. We explain, educate, clarify, and suggest possible solutions to your medical questions. Thank you for your interest.

I had my appendix out a month ago. The surgeon said it may not have been appendicitis, that the CT looked like it bu that when he got the appendix he wasn't sure. In follow up the surgeon said the pathologist wasn't sure either. I have since had an episode or two of pain that is similar to the initial. What should I do? What could this be?
Gender: Male
How tall are you (feet and inches)?: 5' 6''
What is your weight in pounds?: 165
How old are you?: 28
How long has this been going on?: More than a month
Check all symptoms you are currently experiencing: Diarrhea
Describe associated symptoms not listed above: none
What have you done so far to remedy this condition? Please include tests and relevant studies here.
: only what is above. I do not have a primary care physician but I do have insurance.
Please list any chronic medical problems and also list any prior surgery (lacerations don't count!): None except for appendix surgery.
Check all conditions present in your immediate family... : None of these
Please list any medication allergies that you have : : none
Please list any medications you are currently taking (and dosage if known) :: multivitamin
When was your last menstrual cycle?: Now
Are you currently using or do you have a history of tobacco use?: No
Are you currently using or do you have a history of illegal drug use?: No
Please describe your alcohol consumption :: Rarely

HOW QUICKLY DO YOU NEED THIS TO BE ANSWERED?: Within the next few days
So that we can serve you best, please try to tell us your top three things you wish to be addressed in our response.

If this wasn't my appendix what might it be?
Did I need the surgery?
What do I do now?

Focal Abdominal Pain in a Post- Menopausal Woman

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50 female, menopause and all it's glory.  Had lots of issues over the years.  I've had belly tenderness and pain for 3 weeks now.  Right side below the rib cage and it moves around my back.  I feel like there's a football in there taking up space.  On occasion, a very sharp/knifelike pain in my back on the right.  Over the years I've had off an on issues with my belly on the right.  They tell me it 'must be IBS' and when you can't 'go' or you are passing/puking blood, then is the time to call the doc.  Well, my 'gut instinct' is telling me this isn't a good thing happening.  Should I wait until one of the 3 options happens?  I know that describing belly pain is a nightmare since it could be something totally not 'belly' related.

Gender: Female
How tall are you (feet and inches)?: 5'4"
What is your weight in pounds?: 153
How old are you?: 50

How long has this been going on?: A week or two
Check all symptoms you are currently experiencing:
Abdominal Pain
Diarrhea


Describe associated symptoms not listed above: Belly is tender to the touch just below my right rib cage.  From the belly button on a diagnoal about 2" up. Constant 'discomfort and pressure' which escalates to sharp shooting pain that circles around my right side to my back.  When I breathe in deep, it feels like there is a football stuffed in my belly on the right.  I have a buging disc at C3-4, C5 is crumbling/pinching nerves and there is pressure on my spinal cord at C4-5.  I have been seeing a pain management specialist for 6 years now.  Injections as needed into the C3-4-5 area.

What have you done so far to remedy this condition? Please include tests and relevant studies here.

Increased water and fiber, lower caffeine and alcohol.  Haven't complained to my GP yet.  Trying to walk more.

Please list any chronic medical problems and also list any prior surgery (lacerations don't count!):

I have a 5.5 cm hiatal hernia/reflux/Barrett's esophagus  ongoing for 15 years.  I've had a salpingo oopherectomy/hysterectomy thanks to stage IV endometriosis, gallbaldder removed, tonsils are gone and they took the appendix with the removal of the first offspring.  DCIS diagnosis 9/11 (no big deal).  
Check all conditions present in your immediate family... :
Asthma / Lung Problems
Cancer
Diabetes

Please list any medication allergies that you have : :   Recent bad reaction to sulpha drug for UTI.  Turned beet red and felt as if I was on fire.  Stopped the drug immediately.  Old fashioned penecillin doubles me over with intestinal pain/cramping/diharrhea.

Please list any medications you are currently taking (and dosage if known) ::

Nambumetone  ??mg  2Xday), gambapentin (100 mg 2Xday), albuterol(as needed/not to exceed 2 inhalations 3Xday), advair 100/50  2Xday), citrical-D, vit C, magnesium, skelaxin(as needed ??mg).

When was your last menstrual cycle?: I no longer have a menstrual cycle
Are you currently using or do you have a history of tobacco use?: Yes
Are you currently using or do you have a history of illegal drug use?: No
Please describe your alcohol consumption :: Weekly


I don't want to be labelled a cry baby/whiner/hypocondriac which is what happens as soon as you walk in and you don't obviously have a knife sticking out of your body.  On the other hand, I'm really close to being in a miserable state and realize this is not an ER issue.  If you can at least tell me the best language to use with an MD to describe my pain that would help.  I'll be seeing my oncologist on Friday and he's bound to go poking on my guts.
May we send you a satisfaction survey after your question is answered? It takes a minut to fill out.: Yes

Chest Pain? Abdominal Pain? What Gives?

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On Saturday I was carrying in some groceries, when I noticed a strange pain at the bottom of and/or slightly behind my ribcage on the right side. – immediately to the right of my sternum.  I wondered if I had pulled some nameless muscle, although it did not feel like a muscle pull (having been an athlete I am very familiar with muscle pulls), but I thought it may have been some deep "core" muscle that gives a different sensation when pulled. But over the next 24 hrs as I tried to locate the offending muscle group it became clearer to me that it was not muscular because it seemed "tender" to the touch - a feeling half way between a runners "stitch" and a soreness due to inflammation.  It kind of felt like maybe some gas trapped in an odd place.

On Sunday eve the pain was about the same, maybe a tiny bit greater, I was getting a wee bit concerned because I figured a stitch was out of the question, and I was seriously doubting a sore muscle pull.  At some point my 5 yr old hit me right in the old solar plexus – not really, but he hit me right on the money spot below my ribs, it was a fairly typical 5 yr old playful punch- not much force.  The pain was so sharp that I yelled so loud that it sent my son screaming for mommy, and it even surprised me.  This is no muscle pull.  About 3 hrs later I started experiencing a very sharp pain when trying to breath deeply.  Also only on my right side but about 2 inches below my nipple (too high for any gastro-intestinal pain I am assuming) that was, once again similar to a side stitch -  the kind that hurts to breath deeply,  but about 2 -3x more intense and after a few hours it is still here. 
The pain is way to intense to “fight through the pain”, if I try to complete a breath, the pain is so sharp that my body reacts reflexively and forces me to stop.  I don’t mean a reflex like when your knee is tapped, I mean it is as if tried to keep your hand on a stove as it slowly got hot, at some point you will take your hand away no matter how much you try to will yourself not to – your body just takes over.

When I push straight into my stomach (liver? kidneys? gall bladder? Isles of Langerhans? gut? Whatever is located at the bottom of the rib cage) just below the rib, the pain starts about 1 inch to the right of my sternum and ends about 5 inches to the right of the sternum.. As I push it feels as if something is bloated, and if as I push into my body I angle my fingers up underneath the rib cage that seems to be the locus of the pain, maybe about an inch or 2 up from that lowest rib.

Also if I try to arch my back (not while inhaling) I feel both the sharp pain near my nipple and the “tender” achy bloated-y pain near the bottom of my ribs.

Could this be an old debate-team injury manifesting itself 30 years later?  Or is this merely mean I have to talk to my wife about her “cooking”?  Seriously though, I would like know if this is the beginning of appendicitis or pleurisy that me be a symptom of some underlying and serious condition, or if this is something I can ride out for a few days.

Thanks and Happy New Year

Update on the breathing pain.  I awoke this morning and found that lying on my back or left side gave me pain breathing with shallower breaths, and it just hurt to be in those positions.  When standing or sitting, only pain with deep breaths.  At 3pm I took a deep breath without the stabbing pain.  It is now 345 and still no more stabbing pains. But when I breath deeply I can feel a very mild pain where the sharp pain was, and I can feel a small to medium increase in the "tenderness" pain at the bottom of my ribs. It is wonderful to be able to breath, yawn, cough, sneeze without stabbing pain. BTW, any movement that is even slightly jarring Running dancing, twisting quickly) brings on a small to medium increase in the pain at the bottom of my rib cage.

Oh I was googling stuff last night and I realized in may be relevant that I have been having headaches quasi-regularly for about the last 3 weeks.  I rarely get headaches and almost never take pain killers but I have taken pain killers 3 times in the last 3 or so weeks.

Thanks again
Gender: Male
How tall are you (feet and inches)?: 6' 1
What is your weight in pounds?: 215
How old are you?: 50

How long has this been going on?: A few days
Check all symptoms you are currently experiencing:
Abdominal Pain
Difficulty Breathing
Chest Pain

Please list any medication allergies that you have : : None
When was your last menstrual cycle?: I'm a man, baby!

HOW QUICKLY DO YOU NEED THIS TO BE ANSWERED?: Within the next few days
Given that the sharp pains have subsided what should I do?
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Sir,
You need to proceed directly to the ER. You have two if not three potential life threats. The comments below are very good, but basically I am very concerned about the possibility of this being a blood clot in your lungs. It could be pain from your heart... it could be a collapsed lung.... it could be a lot of things. But, as long as the pain is as you describe all guessing is pointless. You could be in grave danger tonight. You need to go to the ER now. Now. Stop guessing about this pain and go get it looked at.