left side pain

Would love to have your opinion.  I have been dealing with left side pain for a year now.  The pain comes and goes and is located under my left rib and sometimes moves around to the back of my rib cage.  It is not excrutiating pain just is there a lot throughout the day.  I had an upper GI done and was told I have moderate gastoritis.  I am currently on protonix.  Ever since three months ago I noticed I was feeling like I had this basketball under my ribs.  Very uncomfortable.  It seems to be getting worse.  I am still having pain on the left side.  I had a hida scan done last week and they called to say the gallbladder isn't functioning properly.  21%.  I had a colonoscopy done 3 years ago and had polips and am sceduled for another next week.  Sometimes my ribs hurt really bad because of this feeling of being so so bloated.  Could my gallbladder be causing this pain on my left side and this terrible unconfortableness?  

[Kevin Pho, MD]

I agree with the upper GI series and Protonix.  

Typically gallbladder pain causes right-sided pain, and it would be atypical for the left-sided pain to be cased by the gallbladder.  

The pancreas or spleen should be evaluated.  A CT scan can be done to exclude problems here.  Further evaluation of the upper digestive tract can be done with an upper endoscopy.  

These options should be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patients education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com

[whateverchristine]

Did you ever find out anything? These are the same pains that I have. I had my gallbladder out in March 2006. Did all of the same tests. Nothing.....

[OPDave]

Wow, I have the same exact symptoms. I've had CT's, colonoscopy, X-rays  and lots of labs. Nobody seems to know whats going on. I too take protonix after the endoscopy showed mild gastritis.

My pain occurs from just under the rib cage on the left to just under and to the left of the umbilicus. I too often feel bloated or like theres a softball or grapefruit under there. It's not a terrible pain, just a mild to moderate discomfort that is persistent. It waxes and wanes and will even dissapear for a few days before coming back for weeks. Could this be an issue with the lymph system or enlarging lyph nodes putting pressure on the nerves? My bowel habits have changed but my GI doc is at a loss. BTW, I'm a 34 yo white male without any significant medical history.

Whats going on!?

[sunneybunny]

my daughter has been having pain on her left abdomen. It goes all the way around to the back. We've done x-rays for kidney stones, they've tested her for all kinds of infection but haven't found the cause yet. now they think it may be muscular but i'm not so sure. She complains constantly about the pain. any suggestions?

[WINGE]

I TOO HAVE MILD TO MODERATE PAIN ON MY LEFT SIDE WHICH STARTED A MONTH AGO. I AM GOING IN TODAY TO SEE MY DOCTOR. IT WAKES ME UP DURING THE NIGHT. I HAD A CT SCAN FOR KIDNEY STONES BUT ALL WAS WELL.  THE PAIN HAS NOW RADIATED AROUND THE RIBS TO MY BACK. I FEEL NAUSEATED AND WEAK. WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAYS IF HE KNOWS AT ALL WHAT IT IS.

[bella0608]

Unbelievable results.   I am now pain FREE!!!!  
The Drs were saying it was very unlikely that the gallbladder would cause left side pain.  I had an ultrasound of my gallbladder and CT scan nothing showed.  They decided to do a hidascan of the gallbladder to see if it was functioning.  It was only 23% working so he said it should come out not thinking that would take care of the problem.  BUT IT DID!!  Recomend having a hidascan of gallbladder.
good luck to all of you

[justgotpaid]

I have had same left side pains as yall describe for 2 years.  2 ct scans, liver/spleen scan, ultrasound, countless cbc's and lft's, metabolics, pancreatic enzymes, sed rate, HIV, hepatitis, CMV,  upper GI, 2 endoscopies, 1 colonoscopy, etc.  You name it, I had it done sometimes twice nothing found but mildly enlarged slpeen, 14 cm, which i believe is from EBV that I had at 12 years old when my spleen was massivly enlarged.  I believe it never returned all the way to normal which is 10-12 cm.  All tests normal otherwise.  Anyway I have not had HIDA scan so I will attempt to do this as I have had 3 attacks that felt like Gal-stones that hurt on my right abdomen and chest.  So mabie that will show something.  I have much fatigue and depression from dealing with this and was even suicidal for a while.  To this day I spend hours on the web searching possible reasons for my pain as no doctor can tell me what is going on.  I just know something is wrong with me.  

[Missyk1975]

Add another to the list of people trying to figure out why they're having pain (sometimes VERY painful!) on their left side under the ribcage.  I'm 32 y/o white female.  Hypertensive and known gallstones but have never had an "attack"...we found them doing kidney ultrasounds to try to determine reason for the hypertension w/o family history.  The pain in my left side gets so bad that I can't even *touch* my ribs.  Other than the gallstones, has anyone found a reason (or a solution)?  I've been dealing with this for over two years now and I'd LOVE to get rid of the pain!

[justgotpaid]

There is a condition called CFAP, or chronic functional abdominal pain.  Some sort of nerve disorder, no damage or danger to your health other than the pain and stress that go with it.  Low dose antidepressants and counciling are the perscribed treatment.  Find a phsyc doctor and try, it helped me some.

[justgotpaid]

Here is an article on idiopathic splenomegaly, http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/137/1/64, it states that a majority of idiopathic(unknown origin) splenomegaly can be attributed to lymphoma. I have had an enlarged spleen for over 2 years now with no known cause. After 2 ct scans, ultrasounds, many blood tests, liver/spleen scan, hiv, hepatitis, cmv, and other tests, I have absolutely 0 answers from the doctors. So now I am going to push for a diagnostic slpenectomy. Sound crazy to ask for an organ to be removed, but I am so exausted and depressed from not know why it is enlarged and hurting. I am fatigued all the time, My left side hurts all the time, if i drink alcohol my sleen hurts for 2 weeks, and all the doc's tell me is it is in my head as all my bloodwork is normal. Well this medical study shows that all patients showed normal bloodwork and mostly normal bmb's and 7 of the 18 people in the study had lymphoma with no enlarged nodes. I almost cried when i saw this study as I think mabie I can finally find out why I have suffered all this time. So I just wanted to post this for anyone else that may be having problems with idiopathic splenomegaly.

[yoka]

26 year old, I had a lap on 11/22. I have pain in the right side and my back. I also have pain in my right side of my pelvic area/ would all this be the surgery. Please so one reply

[sandysand]

I had a pain so bad I thought I was having a heart attach except it was under my ribs. Thought maybe pulled rib. Then I started drinking a ton of water and I have had no problems what so ever. Amazing. If that is all that it took. wow! Try it is cheap. Let me know what happens.

[March1313]

A related discussion, Left Side Pain was started.