Brief Answer:
Information

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

Without being able to examine you I can't say exactly what is going on but I can give you some information about the most common problems that cause pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen.

The most common cause of this is stomach irritation and sometimes gastroesophageal reflux. This type of pain can cause anything from burning to aching in that area. If it is a new symptom, I recommend trying over the counter Zantac (ranitidine) which is an acid reducer in the H2 blocker family. It has been around a long time and is safer in general than other over the counter acid reducers that are in the proton pump inhibitor family (Nexium, Prilosec, etc). Zantac 150 mg twice a day may help.

Avoid NSAIDs, aspirin, highly acidic foods, tobacco, mint (it increases risk of reflux) and alcohol for now. Eat smaller amounts at a time as less gastric distention causes less acid production.

Another problem that can affect this area is that the large intestine can distend with gas, at the "splenic flexure" (left side of the colon) and this can cause pain too. It will usually pass, but for some people, simethicone helps. This breaks up gas int he digestive tract into smaller amounts.

The pancreas is in the left upper abdomen and can cause pain here too, but this is much less common, and I wouldn't start suspecting this as the cause without other symptoms.

Does this information answer your question? Please let me know if I can provide more information.

---

Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this.

Detailed Answer:
I am really sorry about your mom.

Pain going into the left side of the back can sometimes be from pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis). But I am not gathering that that is specifically the type of pain in the back you are talking about.

When the pancreas stops making enough insulin, it usually doesn't cause pain.

And gastritis itself usually doesn't cause pain.

For the tiredness and sluggishness, it might be a good idea to have blood tests for thyroid function (TSH, T4) and a complete blood count (to check for anemia). But it could be from having lost your mom. That can whack you in physical ways, in addition to emotionally. I lost my mom a few years ago and it took a long time to feel ok again.

---

Brief Answer:
Thoughts

Detailed Answer:
First I want to fix a mistake I made in the last post: I wrote "And gastritis itself usually doesn't cause pain." Of course it causes pain! I meant to write

And gastritis itself usually doesn't cause tiredness and sluggishness.

And about mom, no, nothing replaces Mom. But we gradually heal and learn to go on. Congratulations on your engagement though. It does help to be surrounded by people who love us.

---