Pain please help!

[bigitalian]

I have been having pain in the left side of abdomin for years. It started out not so bad it would only hurt after I drank alcohol the night before heavily. This was over 5 years ago I used to drink heavily by the way. I went to a gastrologist some 5 years ago when this first started. I got a endoscopy and a colonoscopy and nothing was found. The doctor put me on amitriptyline 25 miligrams. Well 2 years later I have a baby girl. I still drank a bit after she was born, smoked cigarettes as well. I quit smoking almost 1 year ago and I haven't drank for longer. I may have a beer or glass of wine hear and there, but for the most part I now do not drink at all cause I get effected greatly from just a small amount anymore. I recently started to try to slow down on my amitriptyline to try to get off of it cause I figured if I wasn't drinking and wasn't smoking mabye the pain will have went away. I was wrong it is still there and it is worse now all the time and I have a spongy feeling in my foot and left leg. I feel so uncomfortable it makes me feel so irritated. I started taking the amitriptyline again cause this feeling is so uncomfortable. Does anybody have anything like this or any feedback will help.

[patient915]

Amitriptyline shouldn't be stopped all of a sudden and I'm surprised your doctor advised you to do this.  Yes, blood work will be able to tell most of the time if the problem is your liver or not.  An upper endoscopy looks at your esophagus, stomach, and the first part of your small intestine.  A colonoscopy (also known as a lower endoscopy) looks at your large intestine and the last part of your small intestine.  The middle of your small intestine can't be seen using scopes and it can only be seen in some other way (like a CT scan).

[bigitalian]

I am going to the doc on monday. I am going to ask for full blood work. will blood work tell if there is a problem withe the liver. Though I read if it is a liver problem there would be pain in the upper right abdomen more where the liver is located. I just hope they can find out what's going on. I didn't know they checked all that out in the endoscopy. I thought it was just large intestine. Just recently also my phsyciatrist had me stop the amitriptyline all together so I did and the pain in side and center of chest started coming back so I took half for about a week and still the pains where there. now I am back on 25 mg which is what I was originally taking. This phsyc doctor messed me up good. Now the pain is not as bad as a week ago I have only been back up to 25 mg for like three days now. I'm thinking mabye there are some effects to suddenly stopping it and now going back on it might take a week to build back up in my system. I don't know how these SSRI drugs work. Especially when I am taking it for pain.  

[patient915]

The reason I think it could be a problem with your liver is because your symptoms are related to drinking alcohol and also because you haven't had any tests looking at your liver (endoscopy/colonoscopy looks at esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine).

[bigitalian]

Why would it be a problem with my liver?

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

how long ago was your colonoscopy maybe you need a repeat to see how everything is now .

[patient915]

I would recommend that you get a CT scan done.  It could be a problem with your liver.

[bigitalian]

I told the doctor about all the spongy feeling in mythe foot and leg years ago. When he perscribed the medication the pain went away after that i didn't think much about it. Here i am six years later with the pain coming back even when i take the medication. When it first started i gad a endoscopy and a colonoscopy and both came up fine. He said there was a little inflamation and to gat more fiber in my diet. So i did and now the pain is coming back. I go to the bathroom regularly. What test should i have done is the question? I am going to see another gastrologist soon. Its like its getting worse very slowly. Has anybody heard of this?

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

sounds like you need test done

[patient915]

Welcome to the gastroenterology community!  Did you ever have any other testing done?  Have you seen a doctor about the feeling in your foot and leg?