Anyone else have these symptoms?

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I have been having stomach problems for several years now. My symptoms are:
Moderate to severe pain in my upper left abdomen (pain sometimes lessens if I lay down). Frequent nausea. Strong and constant garlic like taste coming up from my throat, causing my breath to smell very badly (started a few months ago, just recently stopped). no appetite, bowel movements go back and forth from diarrhea to constipation. Has anyone else had these symptoms? Does anyone know what this might be? Thanks for your help.

[zarra]

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Have you ever had your liver evaluated? If your liver enzymes are elavated, it would definatly cause fatigue, nasuea, sometimes pain, and some of the GI symptoms. This is a disgusting question but, are your stools really pale in color - almost like a clay/sand color?? If so, that could be another indicator that your liver might be off. Another question, do you ever suffer from uncontrolled itching? Like you want to tear your skin off?? If so, I would run not walk to your docs office and have them draw a Chem 22 to check your ALT/AST/GGTP/Alk Phos/ etc... I have Crohns disease from my trachea to the rectum and it the crohns has done a number on my liver... probably need a new one in the next 8-10 years... so I sorta know what I am talking about!

I hope this is helpful (by the way, all the symptoms that I spoke of up above are all in my inventory) and although the medical literature says that the liver is incapable of producing pain - it's a bunch of hogwash. I will walk into my docs office and point to the exact spot and sure enough my enzymes will be skyhigh (most should be 50 or under and I have hit the 900's before.

Good luck, take care

zarra

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I had a blood test done last week and the doc called me yesterday and told me that my liver enzymes were high but not enough to worry about. My stools have been either a light grey or green. I do have itching all over too. I have another appointment with my doctor, next month (feb 15), should I make it sooner or will it be ok to wait until then?

[zarra]

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I think waiting for the next round of blood tests is okay. My doc always tells me that the low numbers (meaning under 5000) is an indicator that something is sloooooowly happening and that it could be nothing at all. If the doc is saying your numbers are high but not high enough to get all excited about then I think you are ok. BUT I would call him and tell him about the itching - because there are meds they can put you on that will stop or at least ease the itching... the ones they have had me on are Zyrtec (an allergy med) and/or Atarax (generic name Hydroxyz HCl) both have saved my sanity more than once.

I am glad to know that you have had a liver panel drawn and I would really wait until the next appointment to have your labs drawn again.. Also, I think it would be to your advantage if your doc did an exam of your abdomen to make sure your liver isn't palpably enlarged.

It sucks that you are having these troubles, but it is nice to know that my diagnostic sense is still working!

Hope all that helps - definatly call and make them give you something for the itching. Both the meds I listed are prescription only - the atarax is much much cheaper (I had more success with this one).

Take care, be well, and God bless!

zarra

[ReeAnn]

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Another possibility is that the pancreas is acting up. Recently I was diagnosed with late stage, idiopathic, chronic pancreatitis and I have most times diarrhea, sometimes constipation, but never any happy medium. My stools too tend to be gray or green or very dark, like there is blood from somewhere.

How I found out about the pancreatitis is because I had an "oil slick" with the diarrhea. Looked very similiar the way fat will come to the top of cooling chicken broth. I too have a lot of pain on the left side. Sometimes it goes across my back and I can feel it on the right side as well.

You may want to ask your doctor is this is a possibility.

Hope your feeling better.

ReeAnn