# severe backpain on only one side of lower back?



## BlessedOne

I am 33 weeks and today my lower right side of my back has felt like it was in knotts. I mean like earlier it was so bad I was almost in tears and tempted to call a dr. It was a stabbing pain that radiated from the right side of my spine (probably from lower bra line down to my upper buttox) around my side to my lower abdomen (under my belly just above upper part of pubic bone....only right side). It felt worse laying down but didnt go away when sitting upright and walking was painful. All of this was making me have occasional nausea and faint feeling. I didn't feel like I was running a fever, but occasionally would have a hot flash.....but outside of that I would be having chills. I finally found a remotely comfy way to lay and tried to go to sleep. After a while, I finally fell asleep. When I woke up, I felt better but did not want to risk moving. I eventually chose to give it a try........and within a couple of minutes the pain came back.....just not quite as bad. I layed back down again and fell asleep again. When I woke up again....it was dejevu.....felt fine....then tried to move and pain again. So know I have just been laying still on my side. Thankfully pain has left again.

Any ideas of what is going on??

perhaps pinched nerve?
pulled muscle?

last night my back felt like it needed to be popped..but did not hurt. so i was stretching around trying trying to pop it.


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## iixivboots

I had this a few weeks ago and I found a lot of good information about pregnancy and sciatic nerve pain, sounds like that's it!

This is embarrassing, but mine also went away when I wasn't so constipated anymore.


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## BlessedOne

I havent been constipated actually closer to diareaha.

I will check into this thanks


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## amberskyfire

Couldn't be a kidney infection, could it? I've had one before and it sounded just like this. It was awful! Try taking your temperature and if it's elevated at all, maybe head to the emergency room.


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## BlessedOne

I dont think it is a kidney infection....but then again I dont really know what one feels like. I have had plenty of lower UTIs throughout my life but recently.

I dont think I have had a fever....just hot flashes...but I might take my temp to make sure.

I have been tempted to go to er to have it checked out.....but I have really been hoping it will fix itself.

Yesterday I spent most of the day in bed laying on my side. Today has been much better, but still have only been able to be out of bed for maybe 10 min at a time.


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## LilyTiger

I agree with *boots* that it sounds like sciatica, which could be caused by SI joint malfunction or even a slipped disc. I had a slipped disc that bulged out to the right and the pain sounded very similar to yours. In any case, the pain won't go away by itself. SI joint disfunction is relatively common during pregnancy, but you need to learn a set of exercises to control it. A slipped disc is serious and needs immediate medical attention to determine the level of slippage and whether you might have ruptured the disc. Finally, the possibility of a kidney infection is very serious. In all of the above cases, you should really go to the ER or, if the pain is substantially better, to the doctor on Monday at the very latest.


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## BlessedOne

thank u all for your advice...i really appreciate it.
from the research i have done it has seemed logical about the sciatic nerve. Plus i have noticed baby is sitting a lot lower than just days before. also if laying a certain way, i have felt a mild pain when baby hits a certain spot on my side/back.
i dont know much about slipped disks but the pain doesnt seem right on the spine......more like the muscles to the right of spine around my side and lower ab.
i am going to do some more research but if it doesnt get better in the next few days i may make a drs appt. i know i dont want to deal with this for weeks. thankfully it has been much better today.....pretty much no pain while laying a certain way...just havent been able to be up standing or sitting for much more than 10 mins at a time.


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## LilyTiger

You probably don't have a slipped disc, but for the ones that bulge to the side, you don't feel it on the spine. It actually feels like pain in your pelvis or somewhere non-spine related. That's part of the reason it took me almost four years to get diagnosed... I kept trying to diagnose it off the internet, which is not a good idea. You may have SI joint disfunction, which is a lot more common for pregnant ladies. You can try a few different twisting positions to realign the joint, but again those are not safe until you know what's actually going on.


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## BlessedOne

So here is the story.....
at about 4:30pm yesterday the pain spiked back up again. I finally sent my dh to the store to get me a heating pad. It somewhat helped but I was still in great pain. After a little while, I finally gave in and asked my husband to take me to the ER. So I went to the ER at 6 something. Of course there was a line and it took forever to be serviced. Thankfully while waiting the pain eased a bit but was still very noticeable. They finally got me to where I could go to the labor and delivery (after lots of questions as to why I was choosing to homebirth). I for some reason felt like a know nothing....don't know if it was the pain or just being bombarded with questions. I couldn't really find my confidence anywhere. But I guess it could have been worse.
So I went up to l &d and they wanted a urine sample to check for infection. Then they took me to an exam room and hooked me up to monitors......or course after a general check(for the second time) of weight(131), bp(normal), temp(normal). After a long time, the nurse wanted to do internal exam. She checked my cervix and did a group b strep test.
My cervix was closed...which is good. Urine came back infection free (after an hr waiting for results).....so no bladder or kidney infection. They did say I was dehydrated, but not enough to require an IV.

I started feeling better while waiting for the results. The nurse came in to check on me and I told her that I was feeling better in the past twenty minutes and she said....well that is strange that is when I noticed contrax starting. They wanted to check to see if I was leaking and make sure I wasn't in pre term labor. So they swabbed me to see if I had been leaking. She then said that test would take about an hr to process. She then explained if I was in labor, they would have to send me to a hospital an hr away to deliver because they didn't have a NICU. She then asked me if that was fine. I told her I wasn't going to make any decision until I knew the results. She said the dr would come in to see me.....but he never did.
I told her I had to go pee, so she unplugged me and let me walk to the bathroom. By the time I got back to the bed, I was in severe pain again. After enduring for a while, I told my dh to go get the nurse. And after waiting forever, they finally told me the results that I had not been leaking. And that I could be released. At this point I was still in pain. She said that the baby is probably laying on my ureter and that me being dehydrated probably caused the contrax. She assumed they were just braxton hicks....but I don't think so. I don't think it was even contrax but back spasms. After a while they got my discharge papers and official "do nothing papers"...........so I am on bed rest for 2 weeks.

Basically they said just drink lots of water, take tylenol if needed and apply heat if it helps.....and lots of rest.

So basically they didn't help one bit or tell me anything I did not already know. So basically I just got an expensive plastic cup.......that they did not even offer to fill up before I left........and I even showed the nurse it was empty.......but I guess by that point I was no longer her problem. They didn't even offer me a wheel chair to get down to main floor and to the car....even though I was not comfortable. So needless to say I wasn't pleased with the experience. The nurse was nice but the whole process took 4 hrs and I felt forgotten about even though there was just me and one mother and baby (heard that straight from nurses mouth). I wanted an ultrasound (main reason to go to ER) but it had to be dr ordered.....and of course he never came although the nurse made it sound like protocol that he had to see me..so don't know what was up with that.

I didn't sleep well last night......felt very sore....but thankfully not in much real pain. I just couldn't get comfy and had to pee several times throughout the night.
Today has been pretty good, been resting mostly..slept....and trying to drink lots of water. Still haven't been able to be up for long amounts of time. Hope this passes soon...want to get back to normal.


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## sweetpea_119

Did they use the ultrasound to rule out gall stones? When I had severe problems with them, the pain matched pretty closely to what you're describing. Before having these pains, did you ingest any largish quantities of fats/oils in your food?

I was misdiagnosed for *months* before someone actually just put an ultrasound on me & immediately saw the stones there. They kept telling me that somehow it was just a UTI & that I should drink a lot of cranberry juice. It wasn't until I was writhing on the floor in pain that they finally thought something else might be wrong...

Good luck with whatever they find! I hope it goes away quickly so you can continue to gestate more peacefully.


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## BlessedOne

They did not do an ultrasound.....so they really didn't have a visual way of telling but they did say that it didn't seem like I had kidney stones....they didn't say anything about gall stones.
As stated previously....they were not really THAT helpful.

The interesting thing is that they never even questioned my self diagnosed due date. For all they knew I could have been 37 week pg! I appreciate them trusting me but seriously if I was a nurse and someone came in with the type of symptoms that obviously looked like labor pain, then the first thing I would do is check to make sure the due date is correct....but instead they just freaked that is might be pre-term labor....
Now I will say that I know I am not 37 weeks but it is just the point of it all.....to me if you are going to a hospital to find answers...then they should do everything within power (and patient approval) to find the answers....not just send you home in pain and tell you to "come back if the symptoms persist"......and say "we can't do anything for you but treat the symptoms"..........but the whole 4 hrs I was there they didn't treat a single symptom. They never offered me anything for the pain or to make me comfy. They pretty much just brought me a cup of water and did those few tests and had me wait in a little room for hrs on end.

I am interested to see the bill of all their "work".

Sorry to be so negative about the experience...but unfortunately it is experiences like this that make me dislike the hospital more and more.

essh should have just checked these sites out prior to going to the hospital....probably would have been more helpful

http://www.babycenter.com/0_low-back-pain-during-pregnancy_9402.bc

http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/pregnancy-and-back-pain/back-pain-pregnancy


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## tantylynn

I had kidney stones when I was 27 weeks and the pain you are describing does sound very similar, although no matter what I did (stretching, changing positions) the pain did not stop. Both times I decided to go to the ER after the pain got so bad I was vomiting and having hot flashes. The first time the pain ceased while I was waiting for the results of my tests and same as you, I was sent home the next morning and told to come back if the pain did. They did tell me they suspected kidney stones though, and did an ultrasound to check on baby's health (they also looked for the stones but this is not an effective way of seeing them, just the only option while pregnant). A week later I was back again and this time the pain was even more extreme and lasted 15 hours. I was given morphine and the next morning had a surgery to put in a ureteric stent. It's not been the most comfortable pregnancy since then but the pain has not come back. Bub is due tomorrow and then I'm booked in about 2.5 weeks to have the stent removal surgery. I know it's frustrating to be sent home with no real solutions but I suggest doing as they say and go back if the symptoms return. Listen to your body, trust what you're feeling and make yourself heard if you end up back at the hospital.

I hope you find answers and/or the pain just stays away!! Keep us updated!


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## BlessedOne

thanks so much for your kind words =)

I have been dealing with this since Thursday morning. Thankfully I have found times of relief. I have spent most of my time in bed. Heat and laying on my right side seems to help.
I have also taken acetaminophin when needed...but thankfully that has been less the past two days. Last night I slept a little better than previous nights. I did not wake up (and be kept up) by pain until about 5 am......I kind of just tossed and turned (took acetaminophin) until my alarm went off at 6:30. I then tried to be ambitious and do my normal morning routine of waking the kids for school and making their lunches. By 6:45 I was back in bed with moderate pain. Thankfully I was able to get them woke and lunches made in that time and then dictate to them to finish getting around for school. So it worked....but unless I feel better when I get up tomorrow, then I am giving that task to dh.

After much rest this morning I decided to get ambitious again. I had read up on some websites and got some insight. So I was able to be up much longer than normal. I did a little cleaning and had really started to think I had beat this thing....because I had made it past 15 minutes up without pain or major discomfort. But at maybe 30 minutes or so I was starting to feel it......so now I am back in bed on the heating pad. But I do think I am improving. I haven't been in chronic pain for over 24 hrs and not a whole lot of moderate pain (mainly only after trying to be ambitious). The only thing that has jumped in here and on its own so to speak (without me doing something to cause it) in the past twenty four hrs is the mild nagging pain or ache. The mild pain is very similar to menstrual cramp in the back and the moderate pain is tolerable and tends to leave quickly once I lay on the heating pad. The ache just feels like common soreness from over strained muscles.
But all in all, I think I am improving. =)


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## iixivboots

Blessed, do you have a regular doc, OB, or midwife? I would think any of those people would order an ultrasound. I can't imagine them not doing one at the hospital! I agree you have a right to be frustrated. It sounds like you're really uncomfortable and "doing nothing" and resting for two weeks, hmmm...

I think an U/S would give you peace of mind, if you are comfortable with one. I hope you get some answers and relief soon!


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## BlessedOne

I do not have a regular dr but I do have an ultrasound scheduled for the 20th of next month and have had one scheduled for a while. But I was wanting one by the dr so he could access the issue...but the dr never came to see me. Thanks for your encouragement. Today I have been able to be up longer periods of time...so things are definitely improving.


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## A&A

Sounds like your gallbladder.


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## BlessedOne

Thanks for your input.

After having dealt with this for days, I am somewhat ruling out that the baby is sitting against a nerve or my ureter. I don't believe it is a kidney, bladder or gall bladder issue....as the symptoms haven't lined up exactly. I am leaning more towards it being back injury/strain/spasms...........although still haven't been able to understand why in the extreme pain did I feel nausea and have hot flashes and chills. I don't believe I was ever running a high temp though. They checked it twice at the hospital and it was normal both times.

Night before last night I slept ok until about 5 am again...then I woke up uncomfortable and in mild pain. So I took an acetaminophin and tried to catch some zzz before my alarm went off at 6:30. Basically the last three nights have been pretty much the same for the most part....it was great as improvement from what I had been dealing with prior...but now it has just been flat out annoying. The main problem is that with taking med at 5 am to try to get some sleep before my alarm go off......then once I get up and get my kids around for school I had been begging for my heating pad, bed and relief after getting them around. But I couldn't take more meds because it hadn't been long enough since last time. But I will say that for the most part for the past two and a half days in the early morning is the only time I have resorted to meds.....so things are definitely better than they were days ago
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By the end of yesterday, I was doing the best I have been in days. I was able to be up for at least 45 min at a time and even sit on the couch decently comfy.

Last night was the first night I didn't have to wake up to take meds. So I am definitely improving!


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