pains in left

Hello. For numerous years I've had these ramdom pains that I've always shrugged off as I do not have them frequently ...however I'm starting to worry a little more about them. Sometimes after I eat, or while eating, I get a pain/cramp in my left side about two inches up from the bottom of my rib cage to about two inches down. It's sharp pain and feels almost like a swelling. It's a very sharp pain and hurts worse when I beathe in or out. It hurts to move and bend over. Sometimes I'll begin to sweat, sometimes not.Basically if I'm really still and take some antacid this goes away within a few minutes. I had this happen the other night and noticed for the first time that even a few days later there's a little bit of a soreness in my left side. I got scared because I looked up the symptoms online and it said if you have pains in the left side and night sweats (which i frequently have) you should see a doctor immediatly. Like I said, I've always just written this off as a gas / food allergy sort of thing and never sought medical attention for it. Any thoughts on what this could be? I've had these "outbursts" for years.

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
Since you find relief by taking antacids, acid peptic disease is a possibility. You can take prilosec for relief. An upper GI endoscopy may be done for confirmation.
The other possibility is a musculoskelatal problem and tylenol could provide relief.