Mid to Low Back Pain

Hi All,

Have any of you experienced kidney issues? For the last week or so I have had pretty severe mid to lower back pain that moves into my side. The pain is mostly on my left side, but at times I also have it in about the same position on the right. At my last appt with my rhuemy I mentioned to him that I was having trouble urinating, sometimes I will have the feeling I need to go to the bathroom, then I can't go. He thought it was just irratiable bladder.

There are many little things that after reading about kidney infections and failure on the Mayo site that have me very concerned, that's why I'd like advice from anyone who many have experience kidney issues. In the morning I wake up and my hair will be totally wet, my pajamas damp, I always thought it was odd, but never really gave much thought to it. I have been itching quite a bit, again thought it was just medicine or dry skin (still could be, who knows). Then with the last couple of weeks I have experienced something I have never experienced in my life, anxiety of sorts when I try to settle down and go to sleep. It is just horrible and has really had me scared to say the least. When I close my eyes I get this overwhelming feeling that something bad is going to happen if I go to sleep. I am just totally spent, but cannot make myself go to sleep for fear something bad will happen, I have never had this in my life. I have lost 14 lbs, again I just thought it was something that went along with the meds and lupus, I no appetite at all. I am having to force myself to eat. Since I started the Imuran my headaches had actually gone away, then yesterday I told my husband, that's odd I feel like I'm getting a headache, but it doesn't feel like my typically migraines. Today, the headache is full blown. I am just totally baffled because, I seriously told my husband yesterday that I needed to go to Walgreens and get one of the kits that checks for blood in the stool because I wasn't sure, but I suspected I am passing blood. I have a history of intestinal bleeding, so I have done this before and don't like to rush to the doctor for it until I am absolutely sure.

After reading the info on Mayo I am really, really concerned, that is putting it lightly. Here's the link, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-failure/DS00682 . After all the issues I had with my GP back in August I have decided to go back to my old GP who had left our clinic, but is now back (thank goodness). I called her office just now, but can't get in until next Friday (I asked them to put me on the cancellation list as well).

If any of you have any thoughts or advice I would greatly appreciate your input.

Thanks,

Melissa

Hi Melissa,

I have had the pain you speak of mostly on the left side but haven't had it for a few years now (just once in a while). I also had alot of itching (2x now) and it stopped on its own. I too thought maybe it was dry skin/meds and left it at that. I have depression and anxiety. I initially had the feeling that something was not right and could not close my eyes at night to sleep. I just kept watching my bedroom door and listened for every sound. That eventually stopped. Now (for the past year or more) I have this "horrible" feeling inside. I can't even accurately describe it. I told my neuro it is like a "creepy" feeling inside and I just feel awful. Not pain - it's like I want to jump out of my skin. I will also mention this to my rheumy when I see him in December.

I read the symptoms on the Mayo site and can relate to them too at one time or another in my life. I also have the muscle twitches (severe a few years ago) and now it is mostly when I start to fall asleep and my whole body jumps. This sometimes happens several times in one night. After reading the symptoms they do sound alot like other diseases including lupus. Because you have a history of intestinal bleeding maybe you should go ahead and do the stool test. If it is something serious, you will need to see your doctor asap.

Please try not to panic cause I think that will make you even more anxious. I'm sorry you have to wait until next Friday to see your doc. Out of the symptoms listed on the site, how many do you have?

Hi Chris,

It's just to wierd, isn't it? I went to the Mayo site because I hate the way I have been feeling and I think the pain in my back has to do to my kidneys because I can tell it is not muscular or skeletal, so I went to do a search on kidney infections and that is what I found.

I have the back the:
*back and side pain
*itching
*anxiety
*muscle twinges and muscle pain
*headaches (come and go)
*loss of appetite
*sleeping issues
*It started with the inability to urinate, now I have an increase in urination.

It is very weird!! I felt the same thing that it was neither muscular or skeletal. I have always had increased urination my whole life. When I was a teenager, I did have the xrays with the contrast and a couple of office procedures. I didn't have the pain then just the urinary frequency. Nothing was found. I have had a number of different tests for various things since then and nothing ever showed up. I'm assuming everything is ok. When I looked at the symptoms, I have most of them except for the headaches and loss of appetite. But with lupus, it seems like I can look at any list of symptoms and relate to it in some way now.

I hope all goes well with your doctor appointment next week. It's hard to wait that long when you're in pain. Let me know how you make out.

Hi Melissa! I am very sorry to know that you are facing pain. Please go to a specialist who can recognise the disease by tests and cure you. It may be due to many reasons sympathy words