Upper Rigth Quadrant Pain Question

[amberstrika]

Hello all,

Today around the time that my 24 hour protein check was almost complete I started having some sharp pains on my right side. Nothing strong enough to make me bend over in pain. The location that hurts off and on in directly under my right breast towards my side. It feels like it's my ribs that are hurting. The part of my ribs just under my breast. Right quadrant pain ia a worry, but I'm wondering if this counts. It's a sharp-ish pain that generally only lasts for a few seconds. And most of the time when I switch positions it goes away completely. I have been EXTREMELY gassy today, so I'm wondering if that could be a culprit. My 24 hour came back with a protein count of 210, so it's high, but not at the limits yet. My BP is fine, and I had a full panel of labs checking liver and such on Friday at about 3 am in the morning. They came back fine. I'm really hoping that my pain isn't even in the right spot, but now I'm all concerned that things could have gone south at the tail end of my hospital stay. Would a liver test be fine at 3am, only to start having problems a little over 24 hours later? But most of all, is my ribcage, directly under my right breast even the location of URQ pain? Or is it normally closer to the top of the uterus? I have been having terrible heartburn, but that's nothing new. I've been suffering from it for about 4 months.

Thanks!!!!!

[kat82]

I'm no expert and don't want to provide false reassurance, but do you know where the baby's feet are? The fact that it goes away when you move around makes me think maybe you're being kicked in the ribs. I'm 35 weeks too and that certainly happens to me sometimes. The location does sound like where I've heard URQ pain is, but I'd think it would be constant if it had to do with your liver.

[tree]

URQ pain can be caused by many different things in pregnancy, but it is somewhat difficult to rule out HELLP without bloodwork. Everyone seems to experience the URQ pain of HELLP differently. Mine did not go away when I changed positions or dealt with my heartburn. It was intermittent until things got really bad. Do you have any other symptoms that are causing you to suspect HELLP?
It is possible for women to go from "fine" to HELLP in 24 hours. I was sick for a few days (if not weeks) before things got bad, and I am not sure which is more common. How are you feeling? Have any new symptoms (headache, nausea, etc.) developed along with the pain? It might be a good idea to give your doctor a call if you are worried about it. They can always tell you to come in for repeat labs or not to worry about it. It could easily be a foot or terrible heartburn. I hope it is something simple like that.

[amberstrika]

I'm thinking it's probably just from being in an odd position during sleep, perhaps. The reason I fear HELLP is because I had it with my first pregnancy. With my second, I narrowly avoided it and just had Preeclampsia. So now, of course, I'm just sitting here waiting for the worst to happen. I'm not sure if it could be my baby's feet.. She is already basically head down waaaaaay down in my pelvis. My doctors are all amazed that she is able to hold her position without sliding out. Checking her head during my last ultrasound they had to put the wand about 1 inch above my vagina (sorry TMI). So I doubt it could be her feet. i could be wrong though. It's good to hear you both think it's unlikely to be URQ pain. I am just unsure as to what that would even feel like.

[angieb]

My OB thought my URQ pain was her feet in my ribs but it wasn't. At the time they didn't have very much reason to suspect HELLP- I was 22 wks and had normal bp and no trace protein on the diptest.(she actually suggested prenatal yoga.)

My pain was better the more I moved around- during the week when I was working, not so bad, over the weekend when I tried to take it easy-awful! Sometimes heartburn meds helped it though I know now in hindsight it was definitely not heartburn. For me the pain radiated through my back/rib cage/shoulder blade. I had it off and on for a couple weeks (and got checked out by my ob) before I ended up in the hospital because of it. Upon being admitted, my levels only showed "slightly elevated" liver enzymes, everything else looked totally normal, 6 hours later they redid the bloodwork and my enzymes more than doubled, with my platelets dropping by 100k in that time-although for me the pain did not really get worse even as my labs did.

I think you are probably ok to wait and see tomorrow in the absence of any other symptoms. If anything else starts seeming off at all, go in. If it's not better tomorrow or goes and comes back, I would call and tell them about it and request bloodwork for the peace of mind. My case was so weird, I don't know that if they had done bloodwork any earlier with the pain, if it even would have been abnormal,. given that I had it off and on for 2 weeks at least and at first my levels were barely off.

[sam10]

I have not had any URQ pain at all even when my labs started to deteriorate, so I don't have any experience with this symptom. But from what I have read it can present differently. Here is a link with comments from those who experienced it: http://www.preeclampsia.org/forum/viewt ... f=85&t=492

To err on the side of caution, I would let your doctors know, so they can check your labs and evaluate the pain you are experiencing.