upper left abdominal pain Posted: 04-09-08 21:53pm
I have had intermittent sharp sudden pain
under my left rib for about 10 years,
'when it started 10 years ago it would
come out of no where and leave quickly.
Now it comes and takes days to go away.
When it comes- loud noise aggravates it,
light touch and movement. I have to sit
totally upright with my abdominal muscles
flexed to bear the pain. I have hot
flashes start to get quite anxious and
scared. I am now on amitriptyline which
lessens the length of these flare-ups. I
have been told I h ave
neuropathic pain of unknown origin because
all my tests so far have been normal. MRI
of thoracic and lumbar spine, abdominal
x-ray, abd. CT scan without contrast, CT
spine and blood work. I want to know what
this is as it is robbing me of a full and
happy life. Any ideas anyone about what
is wrong with me. It is made worse with
stress and physical activity but has also
awaken me like a thief in the night.
When all diagnostic procedures' results
are negative the only possibility left is
neuropathic pain. Anxiety and stress can
make the condition worse or even provoke
it.
Have you ever tried some other treatments,
beside medicines, like psycho therapy,
acupuncture etc.?
|
meea
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 04-14-08 11:17am
I am not satisfied with the answer that if
all my tests are normal so far that it is
neuropathic so go for psycho-therapy. I
think that more specific abdominal testing
should be done. An abdominal ct scan
without contrast medium cannot be that
specific can it??? I want to know why I
am having this intermittent pain, I need
an answer!! What would a psychotherapist
do for me??
Further medical investigations Posted: 04-15-08 04:03am
OK, I know that some people find very
difficult to accept that they are nor
really ill and their problem could be
psychiatric but... If you want further
medical investigations you can start with
some more invasive procedures than the
previous one. You can do gastroscopy and
colonoscopy in order to investigate your
digestive system. Flexible tube with a
camera on the top should be inserted
trough your moth or anal opening.
Can you afford that?
|
meea
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 04-18-08 20:23pm
cost is not an issue since I live in
Canada and it is covered by the
government. I have just been referred to
a gastroenterologist and I may ask for a
colonoscopy. Getting back to psychiatric
issues.....so you are telling me that
neuropathic pain is known as being
psychiatric in nature??? That a physical
reason for the pain may not exist and that
it could actually be related to ????? Can
you please explain this to me???
Neuropatia is defined as a disorder of the
peripheral nerves (motor, sensitive and
autonomic). According to your symptoms
(pain and hot flashes) it could be
sensitive neuropathy. The most common
causes for neuropathy are: commpression of
the nerve; chronic alcohol abuse;
diabetes; lack of Vitamin B12, B1,B6 or
folic acid and hypothyroidism. Less common
causes for neuropathies are: autoimmune
disorders; cancers; infections (herpes
zoster, Laim disease, HIV...); toxins
(heavy metals, color solvents...); some
medicines; neurological disorders
(multiple sclerosis,
poliradiculoneuritis...); renal failure
and some genetic disorders. In 25% of
cases the reason is unknown (idiopathic
neuropathy).
I believe that during all these 10 years
your doctors made all the necessary
investigations and excluded all the
possibilities (mentioned above) that might
cause neuropathy. Performing
electro-myo-neuro-graphy (EMNG) is the
first step that will show if some nerve(s)
is(are) damaged or not.
I supposed that your neuropathy can have
psychiatric issues because it had unknown
reason and because you said that it can be
provoked by stress and that you felt
anxiety and fear.
|
meea
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 4
Posted: 05-11-08 21:25pm
Can people recover from emotionally
induced symptoms with psychotherapy in
your opinion?? How is an EMNG done??
If some symptoms are due to psychiatric
issues like depression, anxiety, emotional
crisis, stress etc. psychotherapy is one
of the major therapeutic tools. Medicines
like antidepressants and anxiolitic drugs
can be also used together with
psychotherapy.
EMNG is consist of 2 tests:
electro-myo-graphy (EMG) and
electro-neuro-graphy (ENG).
EMG is performed using an electromyography
unit consisting of electrodes and a
computer-based recording unit. Electrodes
are used to detect electrical activity
generated by stimulating the muscles.
Muscles are stimulated by signals from
nerve cells called motor neurons. This
stimulation causes electrical activity in
the muscle, which in turn causes
contraction. This electrical activity is
detected by the EMG electrode and recorded
by the electromyography unit computer.
During an EMG test, the electrode is
applied or inserted into the muscle to be
tested. Surface, needle, and fine-wire
electrodes may be used, depending on the
type of stimulation required. Needle
electrodes may cause some discomfort,
similar to that of an injection.
Recordings are made while the muscle is at
rest, and then during the contraction. The
person performing the test may move the
limb being tested, and direct the patient
to move it with various levels of force.
The electrode may be
repositioned for further recording. Other
muscles may be tested as well. A typical
session lasts from 30–60 minutes.
Electro-neuro-graphy (ENG), also caled
nerve conduction velocity (NCV-test), is
often performed at the same time with the
same equipment. In this test, stimulating
and recording electrodes are used, and
small electrical shocks are applied to
measure the ability of the nerve to
conduct electrical signals. This test may
cause mild tingling and discomfort similar
to a mild shock from static electricity.
ENG test requires that the nerve being
tested is relatively close to the skin
surface, although needle electrodes can be
used to test deep nerves. Two sets of
electrodes are used to perform the test,
stimulating and recording. Normally, the
stimulating electrodes are metal or felt
pads placed on the surface of the skin,
about 0.6 to 1.1 inches (1.5 to 3 cm)
apart. Correct placement requires a strong
understanding of neurological anatomy and
varies from nerve to nerve. Conduction
cream can be applied to maximize the
effectiveness of the connection. Usually,
the cathode (typically the black-colored
electrode) is placed down the nerve from
the anode (typically the red-colored
electrode) in the direction of conduction.
Recording electrodes are placed according
to the type of response that is being
sought. If muscular reaction is the goal,
the active recording electrode is placed
over the belly (thickest area) of the
muscle being tested, while the second
recording electrode, called a reference
electrode, is place on a tendon. If a
nerve is being tested, the active
electrode is placed directly over the
nerve. The reference electrode is placed
distally (pointing away from the
electrode).
The test will run from about 20 minutes to
about two hours, depending on the number
of nerves being tested
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Schizophreniahealth
This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
ave
neuropathic pain of unknown origin because
all my tests so far have been normal. MRI
of thoracic and lumbar spine, abdominal
x-ray, abd. CT scan without contrast, CT
spine and blood work. I want to know what
this is as it is robbing me of a full and
happy life. Any ideas anyone about what
is wrong with me. It is made worse with
stress and physical activity but has also
awaken me like a thief in the night. 
