Flank Pain with GAD?

[josh0745]

Doc just diagnosed me with GAD. Still waiting on my blood work and urine, but I have had tests ran before and nothing medical comes up including a ultrasound of my kidneys and bladder. My flanks hurt everyday now for about a month except when I'm exercising or laying on my back. Am I the only one with the symptom? Is it linked to anxiety?

Thanks

[Enduronman]

It may be a problem with your lower back, spine, causing the pain to appear there as those muscles will contract to compensate for damage in a disc.
Did the doctor give you any medications to get the GAD under control?
I have pain everywhere generally but it isn't anxiety related, its caused by something else.
Wishing you the best Josh!

E-Man :)

[josh0745]

E-man,

I was put on I think Prozac? It was some antidepressant but I only took it for a week as the side effects were worse than my current GAD... Now my lab results are back and they are registering a low testosterone level but everything else normal. The doctor said he wants to run tests on my pituitary gland next, so we will see. He also chalked up the pain in my back as muscular, but it almost seems like it gets worse on the days my anxiety is bad.

Thanks for the response E-man

Josh

[LazyAce]

Josh,

I went through something very similar a few years ago, where I had right flank pain that waxed and waned for over a year. I even went to the ER twice. Ultrasounds, blood tests, CT scans showed nothing. So, I chalked it up to my long standing battle with GAD. But, in the back of mind, something still wasn't right. Unfortunately, there is a fine line with obsessing about personal health matters, and actually having something wrong. Moreover, history suggests (at least in my case) that googling about health related symptoms is not friendly to those of us that struggle with GAD and the like. But in this case, my researching actually became beneficial in that I learned of an imaging test called a HIDA scan, which looks at the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, etc.

I asked my GI doc to conduct the test and she said it wasn't necessary. Fortunately, I know a very skilled general surgeon who disagreed with her. He set it up and voila, I was diagnosed with biliary dyskinesia. Essentially, my gall bladder was only functioning at 14% of what is normal. I never had any gall stones. My flank ached because my gall bladder wasn't working. I subsequently had it removed and no more problems.

While I want to be careful so as to not suggest that you, too, have some kind of ailment, I think it's important to be your own advocate of your health. With GAD, this is a slippery slope, because many of us are hyper focused on our bodies. The mind can and does affect our physiology. Thus, I would recommend that you obtain whatever level of medical reassurance it takes to satisfy your sensibilities about your health. Be careful not to expose yourself to unnecessary procedures, but go with your gut. If the pain persists for more than a month, or you notice it gets worse with certain activities or food, definitely seek medical advice. If your not satisfied with one opinion, get a second or third. Part of resolving this situation is putting your mind at ease...and having an answer.

More than likely it's nothing serious. Best of luck, and know that you're definitely not alone. Keep us posted on the outcome.

[josh0745]

Thanks LazyAce for sharing,

I am definitely going to bring it up again with my doc when I get my test results back for the other issue. It could be just because I'm at a high stress level right now and my GAD is flaring up, presenting itself in a new and interesting way. I will keep an eye on it and note any situations when it is better/worse because it does fluctuate which is leading me to think it is related.

Josh