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What Causes Pain In Back Radiating Through Ribs?
Question: Dear doctor,
I am a 35 year old male who had a bizarre illness a few months ago that still worries me. It lasted 3 days from lunch time Monday to lunchtime Thursday I am 6ft and 12.4 stone
Monday, at lunchtime I started to get a pain in my back that occasionally spread around the front of my ribs, but mostly was at the back. A dull ache. I got a temperature of 37.7 but I didn’t get the chills, I just felt hot and took it with an ear thermometer. I could move about ok, but if I took a deep breath, it really, really hurt!
Tuesday, woke up with not much pain, had a temperature of 37,4 ish, occasional dull pain that seemed to start in my lower back and move up to just behind my ribs at the back
Wednesday, similar to Tuesday
Thursday, no temperature really, but the pain was worse, especially when I breathed deeply. If I had have sneezed I think I would have been in agony. As I drove for my lunch, my back really really hurt, I decided to go to the doctors, but stopped at a garage to use the toilet. I urinated and the pain just vanished! Just like that, like turning off a light. I had no further symptoms.
Friends have said ‘probably just a virus’ but it was so strange, I have never had anything like it before. Does it sound like any viruses you know?
I am a 35 year old male who had a bizarre illness a few months ago that still worries me. It lasted 3 days from lunch time Monday to lunchtime Thursday I am 6ft and 12.4 stone
Monday, at lunchtime I started to get a pain in my back that occasionally spread around the front of my ribs, but mostly was at the back. A dull ache. I got a temperature of 37.7 but I didn’t get the chills, I just felt hot and took it with an ear thermometer. I could move about ok, but if I took a deep breath, it really, really hurt!
Tuesday, woke up with not much pain, had a temperature of 37,4 ish, occasional dull pain that seemed to start in my lower back and move up to just behind my ribs at the back
Wednesday, similar to Tuesday
Thursday, no temperature really, but the pain was worse, especially when I breathed deeply. If I had have sneezed I think I would have been in agony. As I drove for my lunch, my back really really hurt, I decided to go to the doctors, but stopped at a garage to use the toilet. I urinated and the pain just vanished! Just like that, like turning off a light. I had no further symptoms.
Friends have said ‘probably just a virus’ but it was so strange, I have never had anything like it before. Does it sound like any viruses you know?
Brief Answer:
It doesn't. perhaps kidney stones
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
your symptoms are strange, because they don't fit in any common condition. The normal temperature for the ear is around 37.5 so you probably had no fever. A back pain that may be relieved just like that, could be attributed to kidney stones. When the stone obstructs the urinary tract, the pain can be intense and may be accompanied by nausea and perhaps vomiting and depending on the site of obstruction urinary symptoms like urgency or frequency or burning or all of them.
When the stone moves and the obstruction is relieved, the pain and the rest of the symptoms disappear.
Pain that follows the respiratory movements can be caused by pleuritis (inflammation of the lining of the lungs), pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), pneumonia, pulmonary embolism etc but the pain won't go away after going to the toilet!
Useful tests that may reveal signs of obstruction of the urinary tract include the ultrasound scan of the urinary tract and the urinalysis. The ultrasound scan may reveal the stone itself and perhaps signs of obstruction (particularly when the pain is present). The urinalysis may reveal indirect findings like blood in the urine (microscopic or macroscopic).
An X-ray for the kidneys may be useful to detect stones but some of them can be (radiologically) invisible.
I hope I've helped!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
It doesn't. perhaps kidney stones
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
your symptoms are strange, because they don't fit in any common condition. The normal temperature for the ear is around 37.5 so you probably had no fever. A back pain that may be relieved just like that, could be attributed to kidney stones. When the stone obstructs the urinary tract, the pain can be intense and may be accompanied by nausea and perhaps vomiting and depending on the site of obstruction urinary symptoms like urgency or frequency or burning or all of them.
When the stone moves and the obstruction is relieved, the pain and the rest of the symptoms disappear.
Pain that follows the respiratory movements can be caused by pleuritis (inflammation of the lining of the lungs), pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), pneumonia, pulmonary embolism etc but the pain won't go away after going to the toilet!
Useful tests that may reveal signs of obstruction of the urinary tract include the ultrasound scan of the urinary tract and the urinalysis. The ultrasound scan may reveal the stone itself and perhaps signs of obstruction (particularly when the pain is present). The urinalysis may reveal indirect findings like blood in the urine (microscopic or macroscopic).
An X-ray for the kidneys may be useful to detect stones but some of them can be (radiologically) invisible.
I hope I've helped!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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