Unbearable pain in high abdomen and back.

[geisha]

Hi, yesterday evening came back home after eating out ( chicken and veg in well known pub) within 60 minutes I was having terrible pain in my upper abdomen( stomach?) and pain radiating through to my back.i took some anti spasmodique tablets which didn't help. 2 hours later the pain was absolutely unbearable, so I called a taxi which took me to Pattaya Memorial. There the doctor gave me a shot for pain, and said I had probably food poisoning. I had no nausea or vomiting. My blood pressure was 125 and I was shivering , belching, and trembling. ( I did go to the toilet normally before going to the hospital twice which is rare for me evenings) The back pain was very bad too. I lay there for a few hours , and at 3 am they told me to pick up my medicines and go home. I did feel much better. Today I looked up the treatment which is Norfloxacin 400 which is a antibiotique that I really do not like the sound of !!! I took one this morning before checking. Otherwise there's an antispasmodic, + Mirax for nausea and vomiting ( I don't ) and an electrolyte powder for beverage. I m not sure I have food poisoning as no nausea diarrhoea and vomiting and where does the back pain come in ? What should I do ? Wait a while ? I feel lots better. Should I go to a better hospital to have a CBC ( complete blood count) and urine tests in case it's pancreas problems or gall stones ?? Thank you very much.

[sunnyjim5]

A CBC/urine tests will not of themselves provide a diagnosis relating to gall stones or a pancreatic problem.

If you are concerned you should consult with a GI specialist.

[Sheryl]

Gastric pain can refer to the back. So can pain from all sorts of other abdominal causes.

Should it recur or continue then definitely more investigations are warranted, but if not then it probably was, in fact, food poisoning.

You don't need the Mirax nor the electrolyte powder since you have no diarrhea or vomiting, and I would also skip the antispasmodic as it will either do nothing or mask symptoms. But having started the norfloxacin, should continue for full course which is usually 3 days. Do not be unduly alarmed by what you read on the internet, these side effects are uncommon. To stop prematurely risks not only recurrence but drug resistance.

You don't mention how the chicken and veggies was cooked, if fried with a lot of oil that makes gallbladder more likely. If that is what it was, you will have future episodes and usually following a meal with fried or fatty foods. At which point -- if that happens - an ultrasound would be indicated.

[lostinisaan]

First, you should stop drinking any alcohol. I had something similar about 20 years ago and also went to the Memorial.

If it's getting better and the pain slows down, I'd think it was a food poisoning and you'll be okay soon.

Please get back to me if it's getting worse and I'll send a mail to my niece, a good doctor.

[bobmac10]

Yes, sounds similar to what I just had, see my post after yours.

It's going slowly, I didn't take any medicine apart from strong panadol.

[geisha]

Sheryl, thanks so much. The chicken dish was chicken parmigiana , which was obviously with cooked cheese !!! Don't usually eat things like this. The veg were plain. I always thought you'd get diarrhoea and vomiting with food poisoning , had that years before!!!!!! It was the back pain that made me question too, it was so bad.

[lostinisaan]

Sheryl, thanks so much. The chicken dish was chicken parmigiana , which was obviously with cooked cheese !!! Don't usually eat things like this. The veg were plain. I always thought you'd get diarrhoea and vomiting with food poisoning , had that years before!!!!!! It was the back pain that made me question too, it was so bad.

Some veggies have human fertilizer on them. Well, and uncooked it's easy to do the math.

[geisha]

Me again will blood tests etc not help to diagnose if it's not food poisoning ? I'll wait till Monday anyway , unless it gets worse.If, I'm a worrier and alone here, is Pattaya International a good option for tests, I see Bangkok Pattaya seems very expensive. Or would it be the same result at Memorial ? Thanks.

[MrTee]

Sounds similar to an episode I had with Kidney Stones. Not easy to say exactly where the pain was but across abdomen and in my back - hurt like crazy. Fever and high BP..
It came in waves over a few days.
I eventually collapsed and was taken to hospital..


Make sure you drink lots and lots of good water.
I hope you feel better soon.

[Sheryl]

Me again will blood tests etc not help to diagnose if it's not food poisoning ? I'll wait till Monday anyway , unless it gets worse.If, I'm a worrier and alone here, is Pattaya International a good option for tests, I see Bangkok Pattaya seems very expensive. Or would it be the same result at Memorial ? Thanks.

No, blood tests will not help at this point unless there is some other underlying disease process and as you are feeling better there is no reason at this point to investigate for such.

Lab test results at any of the major hospitals are equally reliable. What is more important is the skill of the doctor interpreting them. No reason to go to a more expensive place, in fact no reason to do anything now if the pain has resolved. If it recurs then should return to the hospital and insist on ultrasound to rule out gall stones, kidney stones etc. and serum amylase to rule out pancreatitis. But this is only if it recurs. There is a good chance it was exactly what they said and that it is over.

[MaeJoMTB]

Same initial treatment for gallstones as food poisoning.

Norfloxacin 400 would have got it, although I prefer Cipro 500.

Edited February 19, 2016 by MaeJoMTB

[cumgranosalum]

Did you consider the possibility of trapped wind. Can be VERY painful and mistaken for heart attacks and backache?