Dealing with chronic pain for 4 years

For about four years now, I've been dealing with this intense pain on my right side near my kidney—sometimes it even radiates toward the front.
I've gone through the whole ringer: blood work, urine tests, cytology, two ultrasounds, and even a renal dynamic scintigraphy (though they wouldn't do it in both positions because they didn't want to expose me to radiation twice unless they were absolutely certain about a floating kidney).
They've already ruled out kidney stones or crystals since nothing showed up in the tests.
The pain usually flares up when I'm pushing myself too hard—I work as a waitress, so if things get busy at the restaurant, it hits me—but sometimes it just happens even when I'm resting.
I've tried various painkillers, but honestly, nothing seems to touch it. Knavon, Voltaren, Spasmex, Zaldiar... I can't even remember all the others I've tried, but none of them have helped clear the pain.
My doctor won't give me a referral for the two-position scintigraphy because my medical records somehow got lost after I handed them over to another physician to review. Now, I'm left with nothing.
Just for context, I'm quite tall—about 5'10"—and weigh around 121 pounds. I'm pretty thin. Is it possible that I might have a floating kidney?
Does anyone else out there deal with similar symptoms?...

Last year, I pushed myself way too hard during some heavy manual labor, and I dealt with almost identical pains. It started somewhere in my lower left abdomen and, over a few days, migrated toward my left kidney, where it lingered for a few months before mysteriously vanishing.
I figured I had it all coming after that brutal Saturday when I spent the entire day doing grueling physical work—by the end of it, my arms and legs were practically seizing up from cramps. I must have just torn some muscles... 🤷

I know, but it’s been four years now...
It isn't like I'm in pain every single day..
Sometimes it hits me for a month straight, then things go quiet for two weeks..
But today? Today I couldn't even get myself out of bed..
Someone please help me!!!

Back when I was just a young girl, I suffered through these excruciating pains centered around my right kidney that seemed to radiate through my entire torso and all over my body.
I ended up being hospitalized twice, undergoing every conceivable renal test they could throw at me, yet they found absolutely nothing.
It wasn't until years later that the realization finally hit me: during that first hospital visit, I had actually been experiencing my very first heavy period, and every subsequent cycle followed that same pattern. Only then did I understand that everything I had endured was actually the result of endometriosis, a condition that wasn't officially diagnosed until it had reached an advanced stage several years down the line.

Now, I am certainly not suggesting that you definitely have endometriosis, but I do want to point out that pain in the kidney area isn't always about the kidneys themselves. In my case, it wasn't, and despite spending countless days in hospitals, not a single doctor ever made the connection. Why? Because I was young, and because the pain would flare up up to two weeks before my period started, so nobody bothered to link the two. It is far easier for them to look for the obvious culprit rather than digging deeper.

You should really have your ovaries and other internal organs checked out. Please let me know how it goes; I am genuinely interested in what you find.

I’ve been dealing with something pretty similar for about two years now, and honestly, it’s been a total merry-go-round with doctors just passing me from one specialist to the next. About a week ago, I was over in Washington, D.C. getting a colonoscopy done at CVS Health, and since everything came back totally clear, they started suspecting endometriosis and are sending me off for a pelvic MRI.

Maybe try bringing that up with your doctor.

Just a heads-up though, endometriosis usually doesn't show up on an ultrasound, and sometimes you can't even see it on an MRI. The only way to be absolutely sure is through a laparoscopy.😢

Thanks everyone..
I think I'll give that a shot..
I'll let you know how it goes.

Well, I suppose I shall wish you the best of luck with all that! 👍

Seriously guys, you might want to stay away from Coca-Cola and Pepsi

restlessangler said:I know, but it’s been four years...
It’s not like I’m in agony every single day..
Sometimes it hits me for a month straight, then it disappears for two weeks..
But today, I just couldn't even get out of bed..
Someone please help me!!!

So, honestly, there could be a million different things going on here. But let's try to narrow it down by focusing on where the pain is actually located. If we're looking at the kidneys—maybe stones, though I'd put my money on an immune response—here is why I think that: first off, the sensation seems to ebb and flow. You're probably pushing yourself way too hard at night, working until you're absolutely exhausted, and maybe your diet isn't quite where it needs to be yet...
What I'd really want to know is if you've noticed any swelling, frequent mosquito bites (even if it's not quite mosquito season), joint stiffness, or anything else unusual that you might have brushed off initially (like pain just above the ankle, headaches, stomach issues, or running a fever..).

Stay strong 👋