Pain Under Left Side of Rib Cage (Page 11)

For those of you experiencing this pain it would be worth investigating the spleen. It is largely disgarded in western medicine other than knowing that immunity drops if you have it removed. However, it is a very large part of traditional chinese medicine, being regarded as very essential for uptake energy from food, moving fluids and for immunity and autoimmune diseases eg allergies etc.
I do not have those specific pains, however, supporting the spleen mainly with Astragalus has been great for alleviating my allergies. The location you specify is about the location of the spleen.

Wow! I was diagnosed with IBS at the age of 17. IT eventually subsided-probably around age 25. I was also at the same time diagnosed with anxiety disorder/panic attacks. I would have bowel problems as soon as the panic waves hit me. Now I'm 32 and for about 2 years I have been getting the left side pain right up under my ribs. Seems worse lately. A few weeks ago it was making a VERY loud gurgling noise for hours. I felt gassy and that spot was where the sound seemed to have originated. I feel uncomfortable sitting or lying in certain positions. This pain started during my divorce 2 yrs ago and seems to worsen during stressful times. My ex left me for my brothers girlfriend(Jerry Springer, anyone?) and I was left with no money and no health insurance. I have cruddy insurance right now so I don't want to go to the doctor for the fear of needing something surgical. It would financially kill me. Anyway, it sometimes affects my back in the same area, too. I wonder if it is the SFS everyone talks about on here. Knowing would be great! I guess I'll have to see a doc about it sooner or later.

Hello,

I was surfing the net aka" "googling" and found something that might be helpful to some of you regarding this problem. My son was especially active last week and is now complaining of a pain similar to what I am reading in your posting.

On the "Elsevier.com" website I came across an article describing :The twelfth rib syndrome . The way it can be confirmed is if the doctor can manipulate the affected rib and its costal cartilage and reproduce the pain you are describing. After reading all the various post on this site makes me very curious. The person who wrote about adding calcium and magnesium makes me suspect this syndrome even more as stress, alcohol, exercise all puts a higher demand for calcium on the body and anything involving the bones would work hand in hand with the need for calcium. One little fact that seems to be missed by a lot of people, your body needs a constant supply of calcium ( along with magnesium**). If the body does not have the calcium it needs, it will rob it from your bones and if you drink or are stressed out, or eat a lot of spicy foods, or are pregnant, etc. your need for calcium increases considerably.
***Magnesium..very important!! Always include magnesium when you are taking calcium. If you take 500 mg of calcium, please take 250 mg of magnesium or you will be having a problem with Kidney stones. I have been there, and done that and I do not recommend them to anyone! Whatever dose of calcium you take, the magnesium dose needs to be half of that amount.
I hope this helps. Thanks for sharing!

I have had the same pain as described here for about 3 years and found that Pepcid Complete works great! I also take calcium and magnesium which helps also.

i stumbled on this site today, in search of others who might be experiencing the same thing. i started out having pain on the right side (originally thought it was back pain) it was on my side, just on the back ribs and would sometimes permeate to the front. then...it moved to the left side. lately, i've had the same thing - all on the left side, front ribs, back ribs, and a stinging and shooting pain on the left back side. (feels like it starts in the ribs and shoots down) . Today and yesterday I felt nausea...
i recently had some blood work done, everything came back fine. the discomfort comes and goes - but its making me crazy. i cry a lot -
i am going back to my doc on tues....but its so hard to explain to the doc because the pain moves around. although - it has been primarily on the left side for the last few weeks. i have no clue what this is....and i get anxiety over it all...
anyway, just wanted to jump in on the forum...just looking for support and answers.

I have been having sharp pains below my rib cage on the left side and I have felt like vomiting for the past 3 days. I'm wondering if this could be serious? I've read everyone's posts on here and I seem to be going through the same thing all of you are going through. I have several stomach problems in the past that I have tried to ignore because I hate going to the doctor. My dad had stomach problems and went to the doctor and found out he was eat up with cancer. I'm afraid of what I might find out. Can someone please give me some advice on what may be going on? Maybe something that will ease my mind a little bit. Thanks

Hi everyone!

I too am suffering similar symptoms. I have frequent pain in my ribcage, on both sides, but more often (and more intense) on the left. I have a spot under my left ribcage that is very tender to touch. I also feel pain in my chest and up through my shoulders and sometimes even down my arms. I also have pain under my left breast almost in the armpit. Like everyone else, the pain is more often present than not, but at varying levels. I was diagnosed with GERD when I was 19, I'm 33 now. For years I didn't have problems, but since last October it seems to just keep coming back. I have had my gall bladder removed, so I know it's not that. I'm feeling distraught since I've been to see my doctor several times, and she doesn't really seem to think it's a big issue. In October she suspected Costochondritis, and prescribed some anti inflammatories. This did absolutely nothing for the pain. So, I went back and she then said that it was fibromyalgia. I can understand that some of my pain in my shoulders and arms could possibly be this. I went a few more months and then went back and then she said that fibro wouldn't cause the pain in my stomach/chest/ribs.....HELLO!?!?! Sometimes I think they just pick something to tell you just to get you out of the office. I'm going to the doctor today, and luckily mine is on vacation. I'm going to explain things to this new doctor. I think I need to be referred to a gastro specialist. Has anyone else notice that their pain seems to worsen at certain times of day? I've noticed that when I'm in a "tolerable phase" that it gets worse in the evenings after the sun goes down.
Also, can anyone give me their opinion as far as anxiety? I can be somewhat of a hypochondriac when it comes to pain like this, I worry that I'm having a heart attack, which makes me have a panic attack. I am very overweight, although I have had multiple tests confirming that my heart is fine. My husband wants me to get some kind of medication for when I get anxious like this when this "mystery illness" acts up.
Like others have said, I'm so happy that I found you all. It really does help to know that I'm not alone.

I came across this on Google and was suprised to have so many people have had a similar problem. I was treated for stomach ulcers in high school, I have a grandfather who had colon cancer twice, and my mother has colitis. So I have been very alert when I start getting any pains in my stomach area - and have been doing so much reading about it the last few years.

I have had great success with changing my diet. I started reading about food combinations and it has helped me tremendously. A great book that explains this (and you don't have to eat all raw, there is meat and dairy in it for those that want it) "The Raw Food Detox Diet" by Natalia Rose. I have been trying to eat at Level Three in this book the best I can the past year and a half and it has been great. I also try to get to the gym 2 times a week, which helps too.

I also notice as association with stress, and that is something I am working on. Turning everything off and having some quiet moments helps. Slowing down my schedule and letting some things go has helped a lot too.

When I start getting the pain again - I can always seem to trace it back to this food combining, which is very interesting to me. It's about eating them in right combinations for proper digestion and exit. It really works!

I wish you all the best - and that you find something to feel better. Just thought I'd share what helped me!

Gosh i'm glad I found this Site. But it's amazing to me just how many people have so many of the same problems. I was diagnosed with an Ulcer a few years ago and took Nexium for it. It got better and I had to quit the nexium due to insurance change and $$ . A few months ago I started getting those bad pains right below my ribs on my left side toward the center of my stomach. I was told it was Acid reflux and put me back on Nexium. It worked great but then I ran out and couldn't get a refill for 3 weeks. during that time I started getting Bad heartburn agian and stomach aches again. I started taking the nexium agian 1 1/2 weeks ago and Now i'm having aches that Radiate from the right below my left ribs down my side into my back The only way I can explain it is an Ache that feels a Lot like a Stitch in my side. It doesn't hurt so much as Ache and drive me nuts lol. Any ideas?

I too have the irritation under my left rib cage and I'm glad that i'm not the only one, I was going to go to the emergency room tomorrow, but my wife suggested that I go online to research 1st. In the past my "old" doctor told me to take pepsid AC, but i never did because the medicine is unrelated to the symptoms that I had. He was a bone head. But i will continue to research and see if anyone finds a solution.

thank goodness for you guys - same type of pain, same location - went through all the tests one year ago - nothing appeared and doc sent me away - nicely enough but told me to relax. I switched jobs (less stress) but increasing stress now after 9 month on high profile job. numerous and similar gastric issues as most of you - bloating, gas, constipation, etc. last two days immense pain under rib on left side is here with a vengeance. did the calcium/magnesium mix help anyone else. oh! through all of this, I am gaining weight no matter what I do.

Hello everyone! I'm very new to this - but it seems I have a lot in commong with everyone. For almost a year now I have been experiencing soreness in back left rib cage (just under "bra" line. Also feeling very uncomfortable under front rib area - like someone else said the feeling of a "knot" or "fist". Also some pain down left side - for which I have been taking aloe vera juice, which seems to help. Had abdominal ultrasound which came back clear apart from some small polyps in my gall bladder which I am assured bears no relation to my discomfort as they are firstly miniscule and secondly on the wrong side! Also had chest x ray which is also clear. I've been driving hubby mad as I keep telling him how I feel!!!!!!!! It's good to know that I am not alone and from all that I read on this site and what my doc tells me, there is nothing to worry about. Still when you are a worrier - easier said than done!. This site has eased my mind no end. God bless you all!

I've had pain in my side, under my ribs, for about 3 months now. It sounds very similar to all of yours, and i'm practically in tears finding out other people are dealing with this. I don't have any bowel passing issues, like many of you, and simply feel pain that radiates from under my rib cage on the left side, and has a certain tenderness in my left side. I've been tested, man have I...and apparently i'm fine. I just got in from a week long road trip and i feel like I was kicked in the stomach, sharper pain from the region that was originally irritated.

I'm getting married in a year, and have been really depressed about this. I can't help thinking this is my demise, and I'll never be there for my wife. After being tested extensively (CBC, Lipase, Lipid Panel, Leuk? in blood tests, X rays of my entire upper half, an abdominal CT scan, multiple urine tests, and a colonoscopy) i'm feeling moderate relief, but it's very depressing to constantly feel pain. I run everyday, and have since way before this began, so i'm sure my exercise habits and eating (I eat really well, I am very concerned about my health) weren't causing this. I smoke when I drink, but I do neither very often, perhaps one drink and a smoke a week.

Anyway, i'm just looking for some support, and am glad this mystery ailment is afflicting tons of us, and we're all still here.

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 also have pain in my ribs, left side, which originates in my back.

This is how this all started with me:
I was sick in May with a bad cold, then went right into the flu, then right into a pinched nerve in my shoulder/back/neck and 5 days later this severe kidney infection with my WBCs at 17.2. I still have this intense pain in my left rib (9th - 11th ribs) area (constantly there & progressively gets worse during the day. Breathing does not make it worse. Doc thought spleen or cracked rib but everything has come back clear. It hurts when she pushes on it. Bending doesn't aggrevate it, although twisting to the left hurts. I can't lay on my left side, laying on my back bothers it, and laying on my stomach hurts my front bottom ribs – although I can't sleep on my stomach anyway. I am on hydrocodone (Norco) for the pain that spreads up my left shoulder & under my arm up under my breast. Even on the pain meds its at a 4 or 5 & can get up to a 7 oro 8 without the meds. I don't go without them though, it hurts too much. And I had 2 babies without pain meds or an epidural! Sometimes it feels like the stitch you get in your side from exercising, without the hard time breathing part. I do my yoga daily (twice daily if I can help it) & try to keep everything stretched in case it's a muscle issue. I am at a health weight.. I have been taking 800 ibuprofen 3 x's daily & it doesn't feel like something is coming out my back anymore, like it did in the beginning. I don't have that swelling feeling & can lean back in a chair carefully now, although last night in bed has me concerned. I was about ready for a trip to the ER. I usually feel better in the morning, but the pain never goes away. It is ALWAYS there, just worse as the day goes on. Besides the pain I have lost 28 pounds in the last 10 weeks. That is what the doc is concerned about. I lost 3 more pounds since I saw her 2 weeks ago. I am now the thinnest I have been since high school (no complaints by me if there is nothing seriously wrong). I have struggled with my weight for years & years, but now it is just falling off. I have tried to gain weight over the last few weeks to put my families worries to rest (my brother who is 36 was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer), but still ended up losing a few more pounds. I have had tons of tests.... and since nothing showed up on the CT scan & all the other tests, then I am not worried. If it is cancer they would have found it by now. She's worried about the intestines & palops & things, but I don't think there is any problems there. I am sure I don't have cancer, so I kinda think we should just find out why I don't feel the urge to pee, why sometimes it burns when I pee & why I have this rib pain. I also have been swelling horrible, (although it hasn't been too bad the last couple days since it's been chilly). Although I have lost all this weight, my rings won't fit because my fingers swell, not just late in the day, but when I wake up too. I still do get those pelvic cramps, but I attribute that to the ovarian cysts... Even my stylist said my hair is falling out! The doctor said it was from stress, which with my brother sick I certainly am under a lot of stress, so it very well could be. Besides water in my ear (LEFT side!! Ovarian cyst is on the left side too, I swear the left side is falling apart) & extreme fatigue, they haven't found much besides periodic blood in urine, protein in urine a time or two, calcium crystals in urine, a little higher pH in urine, and some cysts on my ovaries which I was told are no big deal.

I can't believe that no one can figure out our problem. They thought kidney stones, then spleen or cracked rib, but nothing. She told me it is definitely NOT the kidney because it is tender when you push on it & she said it would not be tender if it was the kidney, that's why she thought maybe the spleen but it came back normal on the CT. I can't believe that they wouldn't think that cysts on the spleen would cause pain – I am sure it does! Crazy!

BTW, I have been having tachychardia, too. My resting heart rate has been around 100. Blood pressure has been really good though. But since I had sinus tachycardia when I was pregnant, they attribute it to that & don't think there is much concern in the heart department.

The CT scan came back clear except for mild prominence of the uterus, phlebolitrhs project over the pelvis & bilateral ovarian cysts.
Cytology - negative.
CBC & thyroid & everything else lab related came back in or near normal ranges...
Ultrasound (pelvic) found ovarian cysts, one 2.5 CM.
IVP - normal
Bone scan - normal
Rib/Chest X-ray - normal

Doc wants an MRI. I am not sure what an MRI would show that a CT scan & Ultrasound & IVP haven't already cleared. Why spend the money?

She also did a pap (haven't had one in many years...) & pelvic & breast exam. Waiting for the results but she said everything looks okay, no bleeding. She wants me to do this hema screen test on my poo - yuck! Not sure I even want to bother with it, but I am anyway. I just think maybe we are digging a little too far. She was talking scopes next if the MRI is clear. I don't think there is anything wrong with my digestive system, though.

I don't drink coffee or alcohol or tea or soft drinks. I am pretty much drinking water all the time. I started drinking even more water when this first happened & they thought I had stones. But no stones, but I still drink all water. I don't have the best diet, but I do eat yogurt (activa) daily & I do eat salads & things. I probably eat a bit too much carbs, but my stomach really doesn't get upset. I have noticed a slight increase periodically in burping, but no diarhea or heartburn or anything like that. No blood in stools. Same very firm poo like always.

Anyone have any suggestions? I dont think it is kidney problems, doesn't feel like muscle pain to me (I could be wrong, though), and I don't think it's a gi issue... Gotta be something, though! Should I not do these tests? It has cost me so much already & if there was cancer or something seriously wrong they would have found it by now, don't you think? I would love any suggestions...

I found a solution!

I have had this pain under my left rib cage as well. We thought it was an ulcer and I had taken antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors for ulcer. The pain persisted. I had always thought my pain was different than an ulcer because when I push under my left ribcage I feel a something move. It feels like it pops into my body and pops back out when I let go. It almost seems like I can hear a clicking noise inside myself though it’s only the clicking feeling.

I have read of similar experiences here and other places online and found it to most likely be gas due to splenic flexure syndrome. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splenic_flexu re Besides the moving air bubble I feel, it aggravates the symptoms when I am working at the computer for hours sitting in poor posture.

So armed with this knowledge, and being the genius I am, I set out to find a solution. I decide gas rises and rests in this splenic flexure - the best solution I could think of was to stand on my head to allow the gas to escape down the proper avenues. So ther I was, feet up, flipped against the wall for a minute. When I turned over and stood up I expelled a tremendous amount of gas. I felt no more pain there and when I pushed on that spot no more bubble feeling or pain. I have only tried this once tonight, so it’s not tried and true yet. But I’d like to know if this works for anyone else. I’d like to get the problem permanently fixed as well. However if this solution works, I’ll pay the price of looking a little silly in public standing on my head for a minute…

PM me and i'll tell you how to send me a donation for my Ingenious discovery!!
Cheers,

So mine's kind of a long story.

Back in late January of 2007, I went with my family to go skiing and after a buffet meal at our hotel, we went back to our room and maybe two hours later, the pains started.

It was so bad I can't recall exactly what kind of a pain it was, but I remember that it was centered in my chest region under my breastbone and it was a combination of sharp pain, pressure, and generalized UGH that seemed to move around in that general area. I started getting chills and developed a high fever and I grew violently nauseous which led to violent vomiting which happened every 15 minutes for the first hour or so and then died down to every half an hour and then every hour until a day and a half had passed.

Being out of town, I didn't see a doctor even though I should have, but I called my physician who said it sure seemed like 'stomach flu' or a case of food poisoning or some viral infection.

When we got back home, I still felt awful though I wasn't vomiting anymore and I checked in with my doctor. My stomach area in general was extremely tender to the touch and my doctor said that regardless of whatever it was I caught earlier, I now had gastritis and probably from taking NSAIDs during the course of that 'stomach flu' to combat the high fever.

He prescribed Nexium and I took it and whether or not it helped, I honestly have no idea, but in about a week or so, the lingering pains went away and everything seemed to be fine. I'll make a note here that despite the violence of the 'stomach flu' incident, I had no issues with my bowels at all.

Fast forward to March and one day for no apparent reason, I find myself experiencing sharp pains under the general area of my breastbone.

I've had heartburn before, but that wasn't a heartburn pain. I treated it like heartburn anyways, though, with yogurt and calcium and magnesium and Zantac and of course, it didn't go away or get better. I went to see the doctor again and he said it was the gastritis flaring back up again and gave me Nexium. Took Nexium for two weeks without any resolutions and so I stopped taking it. Thought it might be an ulcer and so I changed my diet and added some aloe juice to my diet to help coat the lining and that didn't help either.

This strange sharp pain wasn't worse at any particular time - regardless if it was before, after, or during a meal, it hurt, and regardless if I were active or not, it hurt. Bland foods or spicy foods, either way, it hurt.

And then after several weeks of this, it suddenly disappeared. Not slowly died down. Just... upped and left.

Fast forward about a few more weeks.

I get hit with this same pain AGAIN.

This time, I have an appointment with a GI specialist and he can't figure out what's wrong and recommends an upper endoscopy. He had a few possibilities in mind - more gastritis, issues with my pancreas, issues with my liver, issues with my spleen (I have Hemoglobin H Disease, a type of thalassemia which is a type of genetic-caused chronic anemia, so I already have issues with my spleen), or issues with my gallbladder (my thalassemia makes me more prone to the possibility of developing gallstones or acquiring sludge in my gallbladder).

I get an ultrasound done which shows nothing remarkable except for my enlarged spleen - something I already knew about a long time ago.

A few days before the appointment for the endoscopy, I get sick with migraine-like headaches and a fever which leads to enlarged lymph glands and a sore throat and so I was unable to get the endoscopy done.

It is also at this time that this particular bout of stomach pain goes away like it did the last time. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Now, it is mid September, and ever since, my GI system and my stomach area in general has been feeling unwell. I am now getting chronic gnawing/aching pains in my stomach region that seems to favor the left side and every so often, I will pass stools that are oily and foul.

Up until this last January, I have NEVER had these sorts of weird GI/whatever problems at all. My GI tract has been, for the most part, extremely healthy, regular, and in general good shape. Now, it's like it's struggling and getting irritated and annoyed at just about everything.

... And we STILL don't know what the hell this problem is.

I am making an appointment with my hematologist to see if he can shed more light on the situation - if this is a liver, spleen, or gallbladder issue related to my thalassemia, then he'd be more able to figure it out - and I still need to get the upper endoscopy done even though I am fairly certain it will yield nothing.

I'm frustrated, stressed, and looking forward to an end to these problems or at least a solid answer.

If I get any further with figuring out these problems, I'll let you know!

I tried the standing on my head. Well, I actually did some inversions during my yoga today & yesterday. Doesn't work. Bummer. Same CONSTANT pain. Ugh.

Also, my pain is on my left side, originating in my back, spreading up my back left shoulder & going under my left armpit & under my breast. My pain is NOT something that is in the center of my chest... Kind of rules out the inflammation of the ribs...

well this is how it all started for me its going on about 8 or 9 months i don't even know any more i get this sharp pain right under the bottom left side of my rib cage and that shoots up and cause discomfort and chest pains i have gone to cardio and they tell me my heart is fine and now its like i don't know what it is, i try to see if i can feel something abnormal but nothing . i mentioned this to my doc and they did a BCB all came back fine but my wbc was slightly low. so panic freak that i am i went on ask.com and it mentions tumors and things like that in ref: to this pain so im freaking out does any one know what can be causing this? they tell me i came back positive for Hpilory something like that and that, that may be the cause for my pain and discomfort had any one ever felt this had this diagnosis?

If you are testing positive for h pilory that is the bacteria that causes an ulcer. Sounds like you have an ulcer.

Sounds like that might be what I have, too. I am going for an EGD & colonoscopy. I meet the surgeon Tuesday. I have gastrointestinal bleeding (they found blood in my stool using the fecal occult blood test) so they have to figure out where. Sounds like what I have, too. Please go to the doctor to get fixed up.