Horrible pain - right side of midsection

Hey guys,
Went out on a social the other night, had a few drinks, but didn't really get drunk. Maybe 15 units... so was tipsy for a bit, but had a subway on the way home and plenty of water when I got in... So I wouldnt get a hangover or anything.

Woke up the next morning about 7.30am feeling a pain in my right hand side... And to be honest, having had some alcohol the night before (and a rather large, salty meal) my first thought was my liver was tender, which has happened after anight out a couple of times before... but only when I really have consumed a ridiculous amount of alcohol - this wasnt one of those times.

As close as possible, the segment nearest to the side of the body in the diagram

of the liver, is where I felt this rather localised pain.

It was a pulsating, but constant aching/throbbing in that area... It only stopped after 3 paracetamol and 2 glasses of water (obviously with waiting time of 30 mins for it to take effect). When I woke up, it wasnt throbbing, but still was sore in that region. Though by afternoon it was painless, and ive not felt the pain since.

Any ideas what could be going on here?

I've considered the possibility of gallsones, but really know nothing in detail about health. Just like some suggestions of what might be wrong!

Thanks.

Reply 1

RobbieC

OP

15

Bump. Hoping someone capable of a response reads this!

Reply 2

Unregistered

maybe your liver/stomach couldn't take what you ate/drunk. If you get it again go to your doctor. If not, I wouldn't worry about it.

Reply 3

lasttoiletroll

maybe go to the docs anyway, tell them what you've experienced and they'll prob sort out some blood tests to check liver function

Reply 4

Sianey

Maybe appendicitis. I had on off pain when I had it, and it wasn't just in the place where my appendix. I don't know if you mean the right hand side when someones looking at your tummy, ie your left, or your right?

Reply 5

Misogynist

18

Appendicitus. Go to the doctors right now. An appendix rupture is lethal.

Reply 6

scaredashell

1

Appendix is lower than midsection though....my first thought would have been appendicitus though if it had been slightly lower. Go to your GP tomorrow and if the pain gets anyworse or gets excruciating go down to A and E or out of hours sugery tonight.
My brother had appendicitus a few weeks ago and he was sent to hospital immediatly and was in excruciating pain.

Reply 7

Misogynist

18

It begins anywhere from the middle of the abdomen to the mid-right (due to appendicitus)

Reply 8

RetiredAccount89

18

Sigh.

Ok, 3 questions to help here.
1) Did you have a really good poo. Beer *hits perhaps?
2) Have you been eating today? Or feel hungry?
3) Did it hurt less lying flat on your back, on your side, curled in a ball, leaning forward, or moving about? [if in pain most people adopt a position or another]

if its gone with paracetemol alone its doubtful its aught serious. Some people are such drama queens (not refering to yourself)

Reply 9

Misogynist

18

Jamie

Sigh.

Ok, 3 questions to help here.
1) Did you have a really good poo. Beer *hits perhaps?
2) Have you been eating today? Or feel hungry?
3) Did it hurt less lying flat on your back, on your side, curled in a ball, leaning forward, or moving about? [if in pain most people adopt a position or another]

if its gone with paracetemol alone its doubtful its aught serious. Some people are such drama queens (not refering to yourself)

It's not about being a drama queen. If anyone has an abdomen pain in that region a doctor usually operates to remove the appendix because it's not worth taking the risk.

Reply 10

RetiredAccount89

18

Why

It's not about being a drama queen. If anyone has an abdomen pain in that region a doctor usually operates to remove the appendix because it's not worth taking the risk.

No, they don't.

Reply 11

Misogynist

18

Jamie

No, they don't.

Yes they do. My dad told me this who's been a surgeon for the past 25 years.

Reply 12

The_Bear

13

You werent shot or anything?

Reply 13

yellowdots

2

I've had this before, and its hard to explain. It goes away after a day or so though, and i've been told it's "nothing", so i've done nothing about it. Didn't get it again after that, so hoping it's all ok now... :s-smilie:

Reply 14

lasttoiletroll

err they'd do blood tests first to check if it could be the liver instead of just taking your appendix out

Reply 15

Anonymous #1

Why

Yes they do. My dad told me this who's been a surgeon for the past 25 years.

No they don't, They avoid operations these days because of the risks, especially things like tonsilitis, appendicitis etc...and I've had appendicitis, and didn't end up having it taken out after a week in hospital.

Reply 16

Llama86

I've had appendicitis and it started higher and more central than expected pain - I brushed it off as muscle strain, I left it overnight and by morning it was so much worse than before. It was about 36 hours after the first pain they took my appendix out and it had started to perforate by then, I'd get it checked out to be safe if it's as painful as that.

Apparently kidney stones have a similar initial pain because I was tested for those also.

Reply 17

Leisure17

8

Why

It's not about being a drama queen. If anyone has an abdomen pain in that region a doctor usually operates to remove the appendix because it's not worth taking the risk.

No not neccessarily. You can often see an inflammed appendix very nicely in a sonography. If you don't see anything, that does not mean it is 100% certain there is nothing wrong, but you often wait for a couple of hrs to see if the pain changes, signs of infection develop (Leucozytes rising) etc. Mind you the appendix is a chamaelion and very tricky to diagnose at times. An ovarial cyst (in women obviously) can cause very similar pains. Often you really only find the cause once you have opened the patient.
A ruptured appendix always has a phase of pain and then a sudden relief. That is the point where the surgeon speeds up, because with the rupture the pain subsides. In the long run of course there will be more pain (if one has not been operated on) as a peritonitis develops.

To the OP: Your pains might have something to do with your drinking and your liver's metabolism or gallstones. Paracetamol is not ideal if you think your condition has something to do with your liver being strained, since it is metabolised in the liver, thus putting even more stress on it. Gallstones can easily be found in a sonography your GP should be able to do. He can also do bloodtests to see how your liver is working.

Reply 18

RetiredAccount89

18

Leisure17

No not neccessarily. You can often see an inflammed appendix very nicely in a sonography. If you don't see anything, that does not mean it is 100% certain there is nothing wrong, but you often wait for a couple of hrs to see if the pain changes, signs of infection develop (Leucozytes rising) etc. Mind you the appendix is a chamaelion and very tricky to diagnose at times. An ovarial cyst (in women obviously) can cause very similar pains. Often you really only find the cause once you have opened the patient.
A ruptured appendix always has a phase of pain and then a sudden relief. That is the point where the surgeon speeds up, because with the rupture the pain subsides. In the long run of course there will be more pain (if one has not been operated on) as a peritonitis develops.

To the OP: Your pains might have something to do with your drinking and your liver's metabolism or gallstones. Paracetamol is not ideal if you think your condition has something to do with your liver being strained, since it is metabolised in the liver, thus putting even more stress on it. Gallstones can easily be found in a sonography your GP should be able to do. He can also do bloodtests to see how your liver is working.

Spot on of course in a rather german way.
(we say ultrasound rather than sonography).

Back to 'why'
i'm not sure whether dad was wrong or you misunderstood. Because as i typed that mesage i was sat on the colorectal surgical ward of a semi-decent hospital. I know colorectal surgery. I know appendicitis. Anything higher than the gall baldder i'm pretty average (well above average :p:

), but I'm damned good below.
You don't just whip ut the appendix at the slightest pain, because at a young age most pain is either just gastroenteritis, unspecific pain or something else. An appendicectomy isn't the easy operation grays anatomy makes it out to be. it is longer and harder than a 5 minute filler. and it has risks. you never take an appendix out on whim. And you never take one out if the patient looks well, has normal bloods and is hungry. no no no.
I had a mum screaming at me only this week because i denied little jonny an appendectomy [with senior approval of course!] . sure enough he had a really big poo after an enema, and his 'appendictis' disappeared.

So basically gem was half right - we do do tests before taking the appendix out. We'll book you in damned quick if they are positive, but if they aren't we'll sit on it as long as possible. Its the FBC and CRP tests we look at. if you have high white counts, high CRP and look 'ill' then we are more likely to operate.

You look well and have normal observations but with pain in your right side, we'll say go home.
simple.

And for that reason I'll day:-
a) your dad is a rubbish surgeon
b) your dad isn't a surgeon
c) your dad is a surgeon but never said that statement to you
d) you should listen more to what dad is saying.

a,b,c or d...

Reply 19

RobbieC

OP

15

Thanks for the decent replies...

To help. This has happened like once a month for past three months now. Two previous occasions were after STUPIDLY taking about 6-8 ibuprofen tablets, and so I think I might have caused my liver some strain there... Recently, as I say after moderate alcohol consumption.

The pain went after just walking around on it, with the paracetamol and changing position helped SLIGHTLY.

Think it was least painful, but still bad in a foetal position on my knees with head buried in pillow... But really wasnt a great difference.

Its up WAY too high to be appendix, im fairly sure.

I am still interested to know the most likely cause of this, though.

Horrible pain - right side of midsection

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