constint stabbing pain in lower left side of ribcage, especially when breathing

[en707]

I am 33, male,6'5",235lbs and  in decent shape. Last night I started to feel a constint sharp, stabbing pain at the bottom of the left side of my rib cage. The pain got worse as I tried to sleep, and got so bad I wasnt able to sleep at all. Pain was worse in some positions then others but constint. Pain gets worse as I breath in and prevents me from taking a full breath. Coughing is extreamly painfull. Pain seems worse when I am sitting or lying down. I also found by applying pressure to the area of the ribs where the pain is coming from, the pain decreases but still not enough to take deep breaths. I have broken almost all my ribs throughout the years, but have not been injured or had trauma to that area for a couple years. Can you please help I cant afford to go to the hospital. Thank you very much!

[lilrock1007]

i+recently+went+through+gthe+same+thing+and+the+doc+told+me+its+was+bc+my+ribs,+the+surrounding+muscle+and+tissues+were+bruised...it+takes+about+2-3+weeks+to+fully+heal

[travrebs]

have you researched kidney stones?

[tka1982]

Stange that I saw this post just as I joined medhelp. I had this intolerable pain just as you described a few years back and it progressed to the point of not being able to inhale at all and I had to call an ambulance.

I'm not sure if the ER doc was right but, he said it was referred pain from an ovarian cyst I had. So, since you're a man, I guess it's possible that it's a referred pain from something else. It also sounds like it could be Pleurisy.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pleurisy/DS00244/DSECTION=symptoms

[bluedog46]

If you have a fever it could be your appendix or kidney infection...I am a pro at having kidney problems..kidney stones...if its your kidneys flush them out with cranberry juice. . or homemade limon aide..that is what my kidney doc told me too do.  good luck