Hi, I am new here. I have been having pain under my left ribs for two years and it has recently got worse. My mother died very recently from pancreatic ca and I am heartbroken, but I do not believe it can simply be due to stress.

I am very concerned about me developing some sort of digestive system ca. (My grandmother died of liver ca and so did my great grandmother). The doctor has asked for a scan and my blood results showed positive for h pylori, which my mother also had a few years ago. Can someone tell me if there is a link between h pylori and pancreatic ca? I have read there is. The pain I have radiates to the back and it feels as if there is something there. It also feels like a burning sensation sometimes and on the skin above the ribs it feels numb and at times 'crampy'. I don't drink, neither did my mum or grandmother. I would like to know of anyone in my situation.

I had this same pain under left rib cage some times radiates to the novel and left back side for one and a half years.

What I tell you, might not be correct, but at least you can check it with your doctor and practice and see it for yourself. No cost involved and miraculous result.

I had been thru all the tests name them blood work, X-ray, colonoscopy, endoscopy, ultra sound and all. Couple of pain medications and multi vitamins.

Finally I have got the solution from Indian Ayurveda. Simple solution.
I had boiled the mint leaf (called in India as podheena leaf) in a glass of water for five minutes and filter the leaves out and drink the warm water in the morning and repeat the same process in the night before go to bed. It helped a lot and I am not getting this pain any more.

Try to avoid potatoes and wheat if you can.

If you need any info on this PL feel free to PM me

Good luck.

I've literally gotten no answers on this one, and i've got the same
"pain under the left rib cage" you all do. Though many of our symptoms vary a bit from here to there, we al agree on the pain being there. It hurts to lay on my ribs, though it feels as if there is a little more to it than just on my ribs. What I mean is, I feel like there is more to it than muscle and bone pain, although after the tests i've listed below, you might disagree.

I've done everything, everything to diagnose this. I've had: Abdominal CT scan, Colonoscopy, Urine tests (multiple, so many the names escape me), blood tests (same deal), Chest and Stomach X rays, upper GI series, Bone Scan of ribs...and i'm sure i'm leaving something out. It's simple:something IS wrong, but it's nothing modern medicine is picking up.

Now, i'm only 26 years old. I'm in really good shape, run everyday for about 5 miles. I eat really well, nothing fried for years, until last night incidentally. I drink on weekends socially, usually a couple of beers on a Friday evening, sometimes smoke with alcohol, but neither should present itself as a definitive reason for the ailment. Day to day I feel different mentally, sometimes I want to collapse, sometimes I just don't care. What I can tell you all to do is get the tests if you've got the insurance. They've made me feel better in that I know I'm not cancerous, however, sometimes it frustrates me there was no answer at all after all this money spent. However, i'm going to live, however frustrating that can be when you have to live in pain. It's been 6 months since this began, and i'm still here, doing well enough. The best to all of you, take it easy...

this has been happening to me lately; like last night, it was a sharper pain than usual its really starting to scare me cause i don't know whats going on. the worse part is it normally happens with loud and painful stomach growling,but the growling doesn't seem like its actually coming from my stomach. it does it all the time in school, its sooo embarrassing. what can i do to make it stop. i never had anything like this when i was younger, i just want my old life back!

I have just begun to have this discomfort, under my left rib cage. It started a couple of days ago after I had eaten almonds.
I ate about 20 almonds again last night, and awoke this morning to the same symptoms. I am wondering if anyone else has had this happen.
Of course I am not going to eat almonds again. But I wonder if that is a coinsodence.

Like everyone else, I am glad to not be the only one on this, and I have many of the same sypmtoms. Mine started two years ago, it started as a stabbing pain that brought me to tears, I went to the doctors, and again they didnt know what was wrong. They took bloodwork, x-rays, and an ultrasound, all came back fine. Meds didnt help, theyve given me many kinds of anti-inflammatory pills, then on to steroids. The stabbing pain reduced to an aching discomfort after a few months, it bothers me to sit, bend over, drive, or lay down. It is on the left side, constant ache, discomfort, popping, and the left side sticks out further than my ribs on the right side. Has anyone had any luck with this?

This is the only page I've found on-line that even remotely comes close to describing what I've been experiencing! I am 27 years old. VERY healthy and strong, never smoked, drank or done drugs of any kind.
Every morning for the past few weeks I've been waking up with aching and sporadic shooting pain deep under my left rib-cage, going all the way up to my collar bone. When I roll to my left side it gets worse. If I turn on my right side the pain usually abates slightly. Once I get up the pain usually goes away but for the past 3 days it's been more constant with quick shooting pains that seem to coincide with my heart beat.
Has anyone experienced this or heard of anything like it???

Hi guys,

I'm new here. I just started a new job and my insurance doesn't kickin till January. I have always suffered with stomach problems and have learned what I can eat and not eat. However, recently I notived a pain on the left side that feels like I have to pop my bone. In addition, the acid reflux is intense and my stomach before I eat and especially after feels like someone is grabbing and twisting. I plan to research everything I have read today. The help is greatly appreciated.

Hey,

I am 43 years old andI have been having left rib pain with a feeling of a knot(sort of like a pressure point) for three years now. It first began when the doctors thought I had gallstones. Did the ultrasound, hyda scan, etc. Test show that I had no stones but a sluggish gall bladder. Still had pain, went back to the doctor and was diagnosed with costochondritis. inflammation of the rib cartilage. Doctor told me to take anti-inflammatory medication. I did, but the pain was still there. Also, messed up my stomach. I know I do a lot of lifting. I am the person everyone depends on to get things done for them and very seldom do I tell them "no". I have noticed that when I am under a lot of stress that the symptoms are worsened. I guess stress has something to do with it. Anyway, still living with the pain, don't have time to rest and get over it. The worst part of it is trying to get a restful nights sleep....can't lay on my left side because of the knot and the tenderness on that side. Any one have any pain relief suggestions?

I'm only 19 and for the past week I've felt a small ache in the upper left part of my abdomen every now and then. It's not painful, it's just noticeable. I also have been having kind of yellowish/clayish stools and some constipation. I'm lactose intolerant and a few people in my family have had diabetes (it's been over a year since I was tested for it.)

Anyone know what this could be? Going to the doctor on Monday.

im getting pains under my left rib, near to my heart, i sometimes feel a bit dizzy and my left arm goes a little numb and my fingers start to tingle slightly. This only started 2 month ago when i was using my computer early into the morning when i began feeling dizzy then my arm started to tighten at this stage panic set in, i ended up in hospital were i had test done on me. i was told that there was nothing wrong with me and was sent home. Since then ive had the same symptoms again...what could this be?

Some people's symptoms sound like gluten intolerance (it can even cause lactose intolerance... look into Celiac Disease). Others sound like active trigger points. Check this out.

Oh... I'd like to add that I've also been getting pains in my upper left abdomen (right beneath my ribs). My ribs there are tender when I touch them, too. The thing that's been happening to me that I haven't really noticed anyone else mentioning is spasms in that area. I've been having occasional spasms/twitching for a few weeks (or maybe months?), but there have been a few times lately where I've experienced a sharp pain, sort of like a pinching or stabbing feeling. Anyone else?

Just an FYI, my MIL just had surgery Christmas Eve due to unexplained pain just as has been discussed in this forum. Turned out that the gastric bypass surgery procedure had left her with a hole in her mesentery that her small intestines would periodically become twisted through. By the time they operated, a large portion of her intestines had become so entrenched in this hole in her mesentery that she couldn't stand upright, and the complications from the chronic disorder had left her with countless other complications that had her doctors testing her for everything from
autoimmune disorders like Chron's Disease (sp?) to cancer, etc. Hopefully the hole in her mesentery that is now repaired was the only complication, but only time will tell. Good luck everyone, and please introduce this situation to your doctors. Her doctors did not operate due to any CT findings related to her mesentery, they were just lucky to find it while exploring her abdomen. Apparently she had fluid behind her gallbladder, which turned out to be a benign cyst that did not need to be removed, but resulted in her need for the surgery. Good luck all, don't give up until you find complete resolution.

The majority of these pains are from Splenic Felxure Spasm - a type of irritable bowel symptom. Can be caused by a variety of conditions - probably viral - can last for months - novovirus is a particular culprit. Usually the same thing that has causes IBS elsewhere in the abdomen - can be food intolerance; viral; pulling a muscle etc... However, it is Very Painful -worrying - but not harmful. In the middle of the night or when you're down it always seems much serious. Stress adds to the condition and can sometimes trigger it if you are susceptible to IBS.


However - could be something else -eg gastric ulcer; problems with the spleen (please note that the spleen can become inflamed following a viral infection which in turn can cause the spasm - pain - then depression etc ect...) so - if you are really worried see your doctor and if all the tests are clear THEN YOU ARE OK - OK! YOU ARE OK!

I have the same type of pain all the time.My doctor says that it called be gas but when I went to another doctor,he said that it could be multiple causes.

My pain is very much simliar to everyone else's. But for some reason, i think that i'm the only one who at the age of 20 has come down with colon or pancreatic cancer. I had left side pain about 2 yrs ago, got a CT scan, and it showed nothing. Had the pain on and off since then, until recently (past 1-2 months), the pain has been more consistent.

It never hurts when i'm not moving, however, i can also do sit ups and push ups without causing the pain. It infrequently occurs at random times even when i'm not moving, however, usually occurs during the oddest of movements, like reaching up to scratch my head, or grabbing a glass of water. The past few days, it has been a very sharp stabbing pain under my ribcage on the left side, sometimes extending to my side. Sometimes i think i may be having slight rectal pain, but i can't tell if i'm just paranoid. I don't even mind the pain, it's the fear of what it is that is so bad!

I have a follow up with a GI surgeon today, last time i saw him he had no clue and ordered urinalysis and chest x-ray to check for pleurisy (that's something you all should research as well). The main thing is, as is with most of you i'd say, is i hope to God i don't have cancer or something, because i only have a year of college left.

I know its been awhile since you posted this...
I think you need to look into porphyria if you haven't a diagnosis yet.
It is a genetic metabolic disease. (btw there are other genetic metabolic diseases you may want to rule out also)

Go seek a liver specialist or a blood specialist (hematologist).
Here is some of the websites on porphyria

http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_p or/index.html
http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_p or/types/index.html
http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/pat_sto ries/index.html
http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_p or/drugs/index.html
http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_p or/diet/index.html
& more links there also

It is important to be very careful about the drugs you take if you have this disease (or other other liver problems also)...
There are a group os porphyra safe & unsafe drug lists to use in making decisions about taking a drug or not... http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_p or/drugs/drugs02.html


Some porphyria drug databases to look into...

http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_p or/drugs/search.lasso

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medicine/medical_ biochem/research/porphyria/drug_page.htm

http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/porphyria

http://www.porphyria-europe.com /

http://www.napos.no/

http://www.porphyrie.net/

http://www.uq.edu.au/porphyria

Its a scary disease but a lot of things you can still do to live a decent life...

Here are some support groups for yahoo, check them out even if you don't have an official diagnosis yet... many people go years without getting diagnosed (par for the course) as it is a ZEBRA (rare disease).
Go there and meet many others who have your symptoms who can tell you what thisngs they have done to get tested and cope.

http://health.dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Hea lth___Wellness/Support/Diseases_and_Condit ions/Porphyria

The atkins diet has triggered porphyria attacks in many folks who have latent porphyria disease (genetic disease that needs an enviromental trigger to manifestitself). Avoid Atkins and other low carb high pro diets...
they are dangerous diets imo and based on personal experience of having porphyria from the diet. Also a trigger has been for some folks weight loss surgery. *many porphyria patients have a latent disease... some never have prophyria attacks or symptoms all their lives because they had avoided triggers like certain medications, some infections, rapid weight loss/fasting (fasting can be very bad even for some porphyria patients). AVOID FASTING unless the dr tells you to for some test.

Some sort of genetic disease like porphyria, wilsons, hemochromcytosis (which can go along with porphyria) can explain your families liver problems. Do get these checked on and ruled out. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/495216

This is a good website that explains a variety of liver diseases and conditions... includes pictures...
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/322/72 81/290

I wish you well. And hope you already have your answers... but if not do check these pages out.

These links may perhaps help others here also with severe abdominal pain and other upper GI complaints who are looking for a diagnosis and having much difficulty getting a diagnosis. I wish I had found them sooner myself.

Hi,
I'm new here. I have pain and tenderness that started on my left side at the bottom of my rib cage 4 days ago. It hurts to walk, move my arms, laugh, cough, bend, lift, etc. I woke up with this pain one day and thought I'd sprained a rib muscle so i took it easy. It got better for a day and now it seems worse, and has moved and morphed a bit. I feel like there are ribs poking eachother in there. Has anyone had any spleen issues that would have to do with this?
I doubt its gallbladder b/c its not on my right side, and my stools have not changed.
Thanks