Severe pain on left side of stomach. Tried tylenol, warm compress, vicodin, no relief. Muscle strain?
Patient: My husband has had severe pain on his left side stomach area that wraps around his back.  We have tried tylenol, warmcompresses and even vicodin and he is getting no relief.  We saw an urgent care doc this am and he said it was muscle strain.  I think that would have been relieved with the vicodin.  Should I insist he go to the emergency room? Doctor: Hello, If I were your treating doctor for this case of severe pain on the left side which is referring to the back , the possibilities may be, 1 Any urinary tract system stone which may present such sharp pain radiating to back. For  this purpose you need to get ultrasound abdomen and kidney area. 2 May be acute pancreatitis as it may cause upper left abdominal painworsen when bending over or sitting . Pancreatic enzyme like serum amylase & lipase should be measured to rule out pancreatic cause. 3 May be due to acute gastritis or hyper acidity , if food ate 2-4 hours before this pain as greasy, spicy food .So consider this point also and get an  upper endoscopy for confirmation. Consult a physician and take treatment. Good luck. Dr. HET