My 17 year old has been suffering from chronic stomach pains for a week. Tests say it is not her appendix or cyst on ovary or kidney infection but white blood count is elevated. Any idea what it could be? She is type 1 diabetic.

Perhaps your teen is suffering from a ruptured esophagus? How is there eating going?

My teen age nephew went into the hospital last week with similar pain and was diagnosed with pancreatitus and gall stones. He is scheduled for gall bladder surgery this week.

@YARNLADY @myteenisisck I would think that they would have specifically ultrasound the gall bladder and look for stones. Mine showed up like small little gravel bits and even though they were small, they were visible. It does sound rather gall-bladder related because of the location of the pain, but abdomen pain is difficult. I think I would go back to the hospital and jump up and down a bit and ask for another ultrasound for a second opinion, especially considering her diabetes.

see @YARNLADY
Bile duct obstruction/pancreatitis

Liver, gallbladder and pancreas are on that side. If the pain stays pretty localized it should be one of those.

Gases sometimes fill the abdomen and will cause localized pain but will shift around to different areas given movement and time.

Side to back pain sounds like kidney stone. Does the pain come and go?

Any other gastrointestinal symptom? Nausea, bloating, lack of appetite?

Did they ultrasound the gallbladder? If the gallbladder itself is infected and inflamed, she’ll have pain under her right ribs. If the bile duct is obstructed or if she’s passing gallstones, there might be a sharp, knife-twisting-like pain between her shoulder blades that will come and go, but can hurt enough to make you feel like you’re dying. Elevated WBC sounds like there’s an infection somewhere.

I hope you figure out what’s wrong with her soon.
This wouldn’t be the cause, but if she has some infection, she should be keeping close track of ketones. (Fellow type 1 here). Best of luck to you both.

I wonder if the stomach itself where the pain is originating from or the area around the stomach that is the problem? In any event the pain may be due to stomach nerve damage over time by high glucose levels in the blood.

@gondwanalon that’s kinda what I was thinking. Gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying) can be caused by diabetes and can cause abdominal pain.