What non invasive tests might diagnose my problem?

How long have you noticed it?
Is it an actual knot you can feel?
Any trauma or falls?

Some people can get fat trapped between ribs, thats all I can think of off the bat. Or pulled muscle from coughing if you were sick?
Maybe the doc will check in here soon. Good luck.

An x ray or MRI non invasive.

You could be having gall bladder issues. A gall stone is more of a sharp intense pain.

Not a knot I can feel from the outside. It’s more like almost a blocked feeling, but I am able to eat (I eat too much food, I really need to go on a diet) and I am not vomiting or anything like that.

Very doubtful gall bladder. it is not painful enough. Gall bladder is typically excruciating and on the right side.

Does the pain shift or vary with movement or exertion? Are you more comfortable in certain positions?

No change. I can exercise, dance, sit, stand, etc. It’s not 100% constant, sometimes I don’t feel it. When I do it is for hours. It is almost daily I think, maybe daily. I think I need to really watch when it occurs, keep a diary.

They can do an abdominal ultrasound that might be able to diagnose some issues in the area. I have no idea if your constellation of symptoms would indicate that test. I’m not a doctor, and I didn’t even stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night either…

I would keep a log, what you eat and what time, when you experience the pain, pain level from 1–10, what activity immediately preceded the pain. Possibly even bowel movements, if that’s been an issue. Any medications, or over-the-counter (laxatives), etc.

I’ve actually had an abdominal ultrasound once before. At the time, two years ago, I knew I was wasting my money, and I was right, but this time it might actually be worth doing. Last time it was something completely different, different spot, and my pain was emergency level. I won’t bore you with the whole story.

My gut feeling is I need something like an MRI, but I concede I don’t feel sure like I usually do, and I still don’t understand what exactly MRI’s and CT’s can pick up. I know a CT can be used in lieu of colonoscopies, so I thought maybe for what I’m feeling, but to be honest I don’t want the radiation, so I prefer an MRI if it works. Ultrasound would be cheaper if that actually could find something.

I had a chest X-ray 8 months go during some of the symptoms. Another story.

Ultrasound is cheap, minimally invasive, and has no radiation. Certainly worth discussing with your provider, especially if you have concerns about radiation.

If I ever get cancer in my abdomen I will be blaming radiation. They scanned me when I felt it was unnecessary and for my accident I asked for a report and it said I had the equivalent of 20 years background radiation plus or minus 50% in that one minute scan. That’s pretty upsetting to me. I find all too often medical professionals think nothing of radiating people.

A friend of mine recently did a scan where they see your cardiac blood flow. It’s instead of angiogram I guess. He had no symptoms, it was more a look see like doing a mammogram just because your 50, not because you have symptoms. I’m interested in doing it, but hesitant because of the other scans I’ve had.