GirlinDistress
09-16-2004, 03:45 PM
Hello Everyone,
I was hoping to get some feedback on some contradicting symptoms I'm experiencing.
Some history;
I'm a 19yr old female.
I was diagnosed with IBS roughly 2 years ago.
I usually have weekly 'attacks' which consist of diarrea, abdominal pain, gas, indigestion, lower back pain, ect.. (can last a day- a week).
Also, for the last 2 or 3 years I have experienced pain in my lower left side of my back. The pain would come and go and usually NOT accompanied by other symptoms.
On NYE 2004 I wasn't feeling too well (felt like a possible flu coming on) hours after having ONE alcoholic beverage I got very dizzy, vomited, and almost blacked out. The next day I didn't have much of an appetite, I had chills, back pain, and a general feeling of ill. The following day I returned to work and told someone about my symptoms... they told me it sounded like a kidney infection and that I should get it checked out ASAP.
I left immediately for the St. Vincents ER (in Manhattan). After waiting roughly 4 hours I was finally able to see a doc, who checked me out (asked if I had shooting pain down my leg, at the time I didn't) after reviewing my answers said he was almost positive it was a kidney infection but wouldn't know for sure until hearing the results of my urine test. When he called the lab upstairs they said they had incidently spilled my urine. Now I had a choice, wait another 3/4 hours in agony while they sent for another test, or accept the doc's diagnosis, the Cipro, and go home and sleep.
After spending all night alone, surrounded by trauma victims I just wanted to go home and sleep...I chose option 2.
I spent the next 10 days taking cipro and feeling pretty awful (couldnt figure out if it was from the meds or the condition)
The ER had given me a follow up appt. with a gyno who tested my urine and said that if I did have an infection, then it had cleared up. Just in case I had a pelvic exam and pap smear which came back normal.
But the pain in my back would continue on and off...
Now its been 8 months, and I get the pain quite often and heres what I just cant figure out;
The pain is on the left side, and is quite low and around my spine (if you've seen someone with 2 dimples in their back, my pain is right behind the left dimple)
It feels like it travels from my back to my side and down the front of my upper thigh...
Occasionally I feel a tingling sensation in that part of my back (from what I've read, that indicates something wrong with the nerves, perhaps sciatica?)
On the other hand, I've read that if you experinece pain to one side just below the ribs, it could mean kidney disfunction.
Now to add to all the confusion, I've recently started to experince twangs of pain in my left arm.
And to further throw me off, I believe I currently have a viral infection (fatigue, scratchy throat, morning nose stuffiness, NO fever, occasional light head and dizzyness, and swollen limph nodes in my neck)
I've also heard that back pain in combination with a light head or dizziness means kidney issues, but could the light head and dizziness just be the result of freaking out?!
Oh how I wish I could go back to that night in the ER and ask that doctor "So what does it it mean if I DO have shooting pain down my leg?" Seems like it could have completely changed my diagnosis if I had said yes (and now the answer IS yes!)
Now the pain in my back is really bad and I'm freaking out...
Can anyone pleeeeaaase point me in the right direction, if its really my kidney then I'm prepared to spend another night in the ER, and if its not...then I suppose I could wait until Mon to see a doc.
Thanks a ton for reading this really long post, and any help is greatly appreciated.
I was hoping to get some feedback on some contradicting symptoms I'm experiencing.
Some history;
I'm a 19yr old female.
I was diagnosed with IBS roughly 2 years ago.
I usually have weekly 'attacks' which consist of diarrea, abdominal pain, gas, indigestion, lower back pain, ect.. (can last a day- a week).
Also, for the last 2 or 3 years I have experienced pain in my lower left side of my back. The pain would come and go and usually NOT accompanied by other symptoms.
On NYE 2004 I wasn't feeling too well (felt like a possible flu coming on) hours after having ONE alcoholic beverage I got very dizzy, vomited, and almost blacked out. The next day I didn't have much of an appetite, I had chills, back pain, and a general feeling of ill. The following day I returned to work and told someone about my symptoms... they told me it sounded like a kidney infection and that I should get it checked out ASAP.
I left immediately for the St. Vincents ER (in Manhattan). After waiting roughly 4 hours I was finally able to see a doc, who checked me out (asked if I had shooting pain down my leg, at the time I didn't) after reviewing my answers said he was almost positive it was a kidney infection but wouldn't know for sure until hearing the results of my urine test. When he called the lab upstairs they said they had incidently spilled my urine. Now I had a choice, wait another 3/4 hours in agony while they sent for another test, or accept the doc's diagnosis, the Cipro, and go home and sleep.
After spending all night alone, surrounded by trauma victims I just wanted to go home and sleep...I chose option 2.
I spent the next 10 days taking cipro and feeling pretty awful (couldnt figure out if it was from the meds or the condition)
The ER had given me a follow up appt. with a gyno who tested my urine and said that if I did have an infection, then it had cleared up. Just in case I had a pelvic exam and pap smear which came back normal.
But the pain in my back would continue on and off...
Now its been 8 months, and I get the pain quite often and heres what I just cant figure out;
The pain is on the left side, and is quite low and around my spine (if you've seen someone with 2 dimples in their back, my pain is right behind the left dimple)
It feels like it travels from my back to my side and down the front of my upper thigh...
Occasionally I feel a tingling sensation in that part of my back (from what I've read, that indicates something wrong with the nerves, perhaps sciatica?)
On the other hand, I've read that if you experinece pain to one side just below the ribs, it could mean kidney disfunction.
Now to add to all the confusion, I've recently started to experince twangs of pain in my left arm.
And to further throw me off, I believe I currently have a viral infection (fatigue, scratchy throat, morning nose stuffiness, NO fever, occasional light head and dizzyness, and swollen limph nodes in my neck)
I've also heard that back pain in combination with a light head or dizziness means kidney issues, but could the light head and dizziness just be the result of freaking out?!
Oh how I wish I could go back to that night in the ER and ask that doctor "So what does it it mean if I DO have shooting pain down my leg?" Seems like it could have completely changed my diagnosis if I had said yes (and now the answer IS yes!)
Now the pain in my back is really bad and I'm freaking out...
Can anyone pleeeeaaase point me in the right direction, if its really my kidney then I'm prepared to spend another night in the ER, and if its not...then I suppose I could wait until Mon to see a doc.
Thanks a ton for reading this really long post, and any help is greatly appreciated.