Upper right abdominal pain is usually due to gallbladder diseases.
When the tests for gallbladder disease come negative and the pain is still present, the condition is known as a gallbladder inflammation without gallbladder stones. Gallbladder or abdominal site where this organ is located is tender to touch when there is a gallbladder disease going on.
Cramping pain could be a sign of a incomplete bowel obstruction (causing changed frequency and consistency of stool)
Also, this could be a IBS (cramps relieved after passing gas or stool).
Knowing the additional symptoms like changed bowel movements, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, and their timing, is helpful in distinguishing between these conditions.

If you are really concern, you may ask for referral for colonoscopy.

Best wishes!
Marija

I did fail to mention in my previous post that I do not suffer from any bowel changes. No diarrhea or constipation, or change in frequency. Everything in that department is normal. That's why the GI isn't thinking its IBS. The pain isn't relieved with the passing of gas...usually I have to sleep it off, but sometimes that doesn't work.

Aside from all of the negative tests, the symptoms seem to point to gallbladder. The surgeon said he would take it out if the GI doc wanted to, however he is afraid that if that is wrong then I'll still be left with pain. Good point.

Thanks again for the reply.
Kathy

I have the same problem Kathy. The pain happens usually when I eat too much, also started 2 years ago, the first time I ever experienced it, the pains came so painful with fever. I would spend whole entire nights crying all night and trying to go in different positions throughout the house to alleviate my pain. They almost feel like child labor pains, and I do feel exactly where you said too, like underneath the upper ribs. Sometimes I would only feel better after vomiting or passing a larger stool. And only falling asleep would be my only escape to the pain, but sometimes I would have to take painkillers, other wise I could not fall asleep with all that pain. I have missed many days of work because of the next day aching it leaves on that area of my body and the state of weakness it leaves me in the next day. It also feels like the same pain I experience when I work out my back muscles too much at the gym. I really have not seeked medical help, because I see that it normally only happens when I eat too much, so this has helped me successfully lose a lot of weight, as I have learned now to cut back on all my meals. So I almost felt like my stomach shrunk, and it hurts now when it is stretched to fit an appetite of my past eating habits. The only think now, is that I am experiencing it when I don't eat either, and then it's like my esophagus gets filled with gas, because it's empty for not eating. I've truely had digestive/colic problems as a child, so this has probably been an escalation of that and a lot of weight gain & weight loss throughout my life. Any advice would be appreciated.