Lower back, flank and abdominal pain (right side only)

Posted by kileyash13 @kileyash13, Jun 22, 2025

38, female, no pre-existing conditions. 16 months post-partum.
Experiencing almost constant dull, achey pain mostly in the lower back, flank and abdominal. Sometimes the pain radiates into the glute and thigh and as high as the bottom of the rib cage. Right side only.
Have had blood work completed (3), urinalysis, ultrasound, transvaginal ultrasound, CT without contrast, CT with contrast (both unremarkable).
Pain started in January and fluctuates daily in varying degrees but is almost constantly there.
No other symptoms.
Currently on wait for an MRI (year waiting list) and referral to see a GI specialist (also a long wait).
Have kept track and there appears to be no correlation between foods, activities etc. and the pain.
Has anyone experienced this before? Ideas?
Thank you.

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kileyash13 | @kileyash13 | Jul 6, 2025

In reply to @jenatsky "When I was a young man I started having pains similar to your but no positive..." + (show)

Oh! If you don’t mind me asking, what was the cause of your pain and what kind of surgery did you have?

jenatsky | @jenatsky | Jul 7, 2025

It was my appendix after all.

bunstuffer | @bunstuffer | Jul 7, 2025

Has some resemblance to what I've had for decades and no one can successfully treat. My pain is on the left side. Starts just below the waist and goes down the buttock and into the outside of the thigh. pressure on the area makes it feel like it's bruised. After 8 doctors I am getting progressively worse. I just got my letter from Mayo rejecting my application for an appointment. I guess I will just buy a wheelchair and live with the pain.

vkzimmer50 | @vkzimmer50 | Jul 27, 2025

I am so sorry for your pain. I have a chronic pain issue similar to what you described on my right side. After 3 years and six surgeries due to quad tendon and patellar tendon ruptures, my core strength is shot. For two years I have had lower back pain on and off that is leaving me bent over when I stand up straight, or have to bend over. The pain is only relieved by sitting down. I have had to extend the time of using my walker post op 1/14/2025, and wear a straight leg brace in full extension when weight bearing. I have physical therapy after each surgery and have just had the PT lower back pain evaluation. Waiting on insurance approval. A few weeks ago the chronic pain spread down my outside right leg and pain shoots over my ankle and top of my foot. I am on Gabapentin now and that is helping. I have an MRI next week, thank goodness, but I am worried about being able to lay flat on my back for very long. I'm going to listen to music or a meditation throughout. I've also had two lumbar spine sets of x-rays, because the pain was so bad one day I was in the ER for 10 hours. I always am prescribed a Doppler for ruling out blood clots. Anyway, that's why I had a 2nd set of X-rays.

I wish you rapid relief for your chronic pain. It sounds like both of us have very complex and mitigating factors that may or may not be a part of our diagnosis.

abasar | @abasar | Dec 20, 2025

did you get any diagnosis. I am trying to find a dr that can identify what it is.

kileyash13 | @kileyash13 | Dec 21, 2025

In reply to @abasar "did you get any diagnosis. I am trying to find a dr that can identify what..." + (show)

@abasar hello! I have done quite a bit since my initial post and happy to report I have found a bit of relief… but not total.
I saw a GI, had a colonoscopy- clear.
I completed some pelvic floor sessions - wasn’t the issue.
I have been working with a physiotherapist who is doing some stretching work and nerve gliding exercises - not fully sure if this is the answer.

The only thing that has given me some relief came from a massage therapist who actually did not do any “massage” on me.
The massage therapist focus on a lot of pelvic floor muscles, psoas and ilioinguinal nerve work. A few other crazy nerve names I can’t remember.
Note: this was overlapped with my physio sessions as well. Hard to say what helping.

What are your symptoms/issues?
Hope your find relief!

ndough | @ndough | Dec 28, 2025

Your symptoms sound exactly like what I went through for several years. I saw so many different specialists and each one gave me a different diagnosis. Finally (and purely by accident) I had a CAT scan done for something entirely different, but an aneurysm showed up in my abdominal artery. It wasn’t huge, but when I went to see a vascular surgeon, they scheduled surgery immediately because it turned out to have massive blockage around it. I had AAA bypass surgery, but I feel so much better. And those symptoms are all gone.

ndough | @ndough | Dec 28, 2025

In reply to @ndough "Your symptoms sound exactly like what I went through for several years. I saw so many..." + (show)

@ndough I need to add to the above…No history of heart problems, either mine or in my family. No high cholesterol, blood pressure normal to slightly low, exercise a lot. I weigh about 115lbs. Absolutely no reason for me to have any cardiovascular issues. This was a big surprise to my doctor as well. Also, during the surgery for this I suffered a heart attack!