-
Possible inguinal hernia???
I’m a 36 year old female who started having lower abdominal pain 2 months ago in both my right and left inguinal region. I would classify the pain as dull and pulling and radiating at times. The pain on the right side went away although I do still have a point of slight tenderness on my right side. The left side pain has remained.
The pain is better in the mornings or when I have been lying down. The pain comes back after prolonged sitting or bending. In general, both sides of my groin feel heavy and I have a feeling of pressure and discomfort in my lower abdominal region all the time even when the pain has gone away.
I also have numbness in my outer upper thigh that ends at the kneecap. It doesn’t effect the muscle. Sometimes I get shooting pains in my thigh that feel like pins under my skin.
After ruling out cysts or masses through a pelvic ultrasound, my gynecologist referred me to a general surgeon to evaluate me for a possible hidden inguinal hernia. The general surgeon said that I probably did not have a hernia because he could not feel a bulge. I asked about a possible hidden hernia, but he dismissed it saying he knew what a hernia felt like. He ordered a CT which came back with no acute findings. The surgeon said it was probably a pulled muscle.
I also notice I’ve developed some fat pockets on my right and left side above the areas of pain. They are about 3 inches long and 1.5 inches high. Would it be possible to have a fat containing hernia that leaks fat into the inguinal area?
Here are a couple of images from my CT scan. I’m not sure where to go from here. If you think I might have a hernia, are there any specialists in the Jacksonville, Florida area that you would recommend? Any other things besides hernias that may cause this type pain?
Update: Not sure what I am doing wrong with the photos, but they look really small and blurry.
-
5 Replies
-
Ziggy,
Thanks for the heads-up on the pictures. We fixed the problem.
-
Agree with Chaunce.
Your symptoms are highly suggestive of inguinal hernia. However, the outer thigh symptoms are not.
Some other casues uses of your symptoms may include sacroiliitis or lumbar disc disease.
CT scan images are not adequate. Need to see the whole imaging. Ultrasound and MRI may be preferred.
Agree with Dr Yunis referral. Also, Jerrold Young. And consider Alex Ayzengart.
-
Hi Ziggy, you might want to try uploading your imaging pictures again, they are so small that they would be hard to read.
Anyway, I’m just a fellow patient so while I can relate to your issue I am not a doctor. With that said, since your case sounds familiar to many of us, a few things worth trying that I have learned over time:
– Request a dynamic ultrasound with valsava on the aggravated groin, these are cheap and easy, less likely to be hassled by insurance (compared to MRI anyway) and can often reveal a hernia that is less than palpable. While many surgeons can feel most hernias, not all hernias are easy to feel. You could also attempt to get a dynamic MRI with valsava or dynamic CT with valsava, but these typically require specialists to read and interpret.
– Try to figure out specific activities that aggravate or alleviate the pain, create a pain diary to detail as much as you can. When did the pain start, what activity were you doing when you first felt the pain? Has the pain changed over time? Does advil help, does tylenol help, does ice help, does heat help, does nothing help? Do certain foods make it worse? Does a bowel movement make it worse or better? Etc, this can be helpful for a doctor to sort through various potential causes of pain.
As for Florida hernia doctors, Dr Jonathan Yunis in Sarasota Florida has been helpful to several members of this forum. I know that’s a ways away from where you are located, but he is considered a hernia expert and might be a valuable resource to consult with. If you are interested, his website is: https://www.centerforherniarepair.com/meet-dr-jonathan-yunis/
I’m sure the doctors on this forum have some other good Florida recommendations as well.
Good luck, keep is updated on your case and progress.
-
Mela414 – Thank you so much for this information. Glad you finally got a diagnosis. The general surgeon I met with kept saying that the pain I was describing did not make any sense. I’ve been to 4 different doctors and feel like I have not made any real progress and have no real leads at this point. I’m glad I found this forum. Whether it’s a hernia or not, at least I am not alone in the struggle to get a diagnosis. I’ve lived 36 years without this type of pain….something is going on in there. Thanks again!
-
Hi Ziggy,
I had a similar situation and it turned out to be a fatty femoral hernia. It wasn’t picked up on my first MRI. I wound up going to NYC to a hernia specialist as I suspected something was wrong. He sent me for a new MRI at his hospital. This MRI was different. It was done with a valsalva maneuver. The technician told me to bear down and hold my breath. He took the image when I was pushing down.
The doctor I went to called me to tell me I had an incarcerated femoral hernia. Because of insurance I did not let him so my surgery. When I went to a reputable in network doctor for a consult he looked at the MRI and said he wasn’t convinced I had a hernia. Then he did the exam and had me cough and turn my head in different directions. He looked at the MRI again and said he could feel it. At that point it had started to finally show in my pelvic area but for months it was not visible from the outside.Prior to figuring out it was a hernia i was being treated for pelvic floor muscle spasms with physical therapy which made it worse and eventually trigger point injections right into the area which also made it worse. One saturday the pain was horrific so I put an emergency call into my gyn. I bascially told him something was really wrong and i insisted on an MRI. It tooks months to get a diagnosis and many doctor visits to different specialists. I did this on my own. One doctor was even upset that I was in to see him. Like it was a waste of his time. He was an orthopedic surgeon and said I clearly did not have any hip tears or hip problems so “why was I there”.
Don’t give up. You could have a fatty hernia that is causing you pain. Maybe you can get a referral to a Florida doctor from this site.Best of luck to you.
Log in to reply.