Advice please re liver

Hi

I was dx grade 2 in nov 10 and had mx, chemo, recon and rads. I’ve been on Tam for a few months now.

Last week on Saturday and yesterday and today I’m experiencing a stitch-like pain on my right rib area (not my recon side) and I’m worried that it’s liver mets.

I had all if the scans when dx and they were all clear. I’ve looked up the symptoms and I don’t have any of the others and I’m trying to reassure myself that if it’s pain due to my liver swelling I would surely have other things and if it wasn’t there then it wouldn’t have grown that quick especially as I had such a good response to my chemo. Normally I would be straight at thd docs but (and you might think I’m silly now) we’re going on THE family holiday promised to the kids whilst I was mid treatment and I’m not wanting to open any ‘cans of worms’ til after that. Do you understand that??

I’m rather hoping that someone will come along and reassure me.
Xx

Do you get indegestion? it could be due to gallstones etc or anything, there are many organs in that area, so don’t panic. Maybe just phone nhs direct if you are in bad pain or out of hours, or make an appointment with your GP to stop you worrying.
I’m sure its nothing…
I used to panic, I thought I had a brain tumour once but it turned out I had slept on my glasses and had squished them and thats what was giving me headaches lol

Have a lovely trip

Clare xxx

Hi Lom,

I’m no medical expert and I would get this checked out if it continues, but it does sound very much like the gallstones i had long before and unconnected to BC. Tricky to know whether or not to get it checked out because it would obviously be such a relief and help you to enjoy the hols much more if you could just discount it being connected…

Sharp right-sided pain, a couple of ribs below breast, comes and goes but can be very intense? An ultrasound would show whether you have them - mine were very obvious and though it eventually meant a day surgery key hole op, I have suffered no ill effects from not having a gallbladder. Like your appendix, its a bit redundant…

I know it is to be expected that everything we have, we think it something to do with bc but it may well not be and just be chance that it has flared up now.

Whether now or after hols, I would get it checked out, it really wasn’t nice…

Have a lovely holiday xx

Hi Lom

Don’t know if this helps but I have liver mets and no symptoms. Occasionally get a dull ache in my liver but pretty sure it’s a side effect of chemo or tamoxifen as scans show things are stable at the moment. It’s more likely to be a gall-bladder / indigestion type pain I think.

Just thinking though, if you’re off on a big holiday, I’d definitely get it checked by the GP 'cos you don’t want to be suffering when you’re away.

Laurie x

Just read this share.breastcancercare.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=91&t=35649&p=645975#p645975, look at Loupylou’s post when you scroll down, hope this helps xx

Christine

Hi,

I suffered with that pain for a couple of years -so scared it meant liver disease. Finally I couldnt stand it any longer. CT showed inflamed gall bladder with stones. I had surgery to remove the gall bladder and they found 27 stones in it! And this was years before my BC dx. I think its much more likely to be that.

kaj
xxxx

I’ve got similar pain - had it pre-diagnosis and was convinced it was bone or liver secondaries, but all scans were clear. Mine comes and goes when I’m run down or stressed and I think might be low level IBS. If you google right rib pain, IBS there’s a fair few people who seem to have it. Either that or something called Costochondritis, which is basically inflammation. Very hard not to worry isn’t it?!

Thanks to you all for your advice.

I had looked up the pain and thought it sounded like IBS. I haven’t had it since Saturday so guessing it can’t be that serious, possibly wind! Oh dear, sooo paranoid, every creak or twinge is now Sinister.

X