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Pain in Upper Left Hand side of Stomach
I am 8 months pregnant and for the last 2 months have had this pain on the upper left hand side of my stomach which is getting worse as time goes on. If feels like something is being ripped off on the inside if I'm on my feet for too long or bend over or sit down wrong. I talked to my doctor about it and he sais it's just the muscles stretching but I didn't have this with my first child. Is this something I should be getting looked at in more depth or is it just muscles.
Thank you.
LittleG82
Thank you.
LittleG82
i have had the same feeling i believe. i am 29 weeks preggers and i thought i had heartburn, but that happens after you eat right? i have this pain also on my left side right under my breastbone. it kinda tingles and get numb when i carry a gallon of milk for a few minutes, bend over for a few seconds or even laying on my left side!? i dunno what it is. my dr said its heartburn and told me to eat less and more times. but when i went to buy milk that one day... i havent eating for 4 hrs it cant be heartburn. confused.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
Congratulations in advance! If my patient had similar symptoms, there are a few things I would think of in the order of most common/likely to least common/unlikely:
Musculoskeletal pain like your doctor said--sometimes muscles can actually "tear apart" from the growing baby pressing outward--this is most common in the middle of the abdomen and can form something called a diastasis which is similar to a hernia.
Pain gets better after delivery, but the gap between the muscles can remain (under the skin). Tylenol, mild heat, massage can help in the mean time.
Constipation--in the left upper abdomen is the splenic flexure which is a really sharp turn in the colon, and can be a very painful spot for anyone who is a little "plugged up"
This is especially true during pregnancy because the baby presses inward on the colon the same way he presses on the outer abdominal wall. TONS of fluids and maybe even a laxative like lactulose can help to relieve constipation pain, which will also get better after delivery.
Slipped or bulging disc with "radicular" pain--means that the pain travels to a different area from the actual disc. This would more commonly be in your back than your stomach. I would treat it the same as muscle pain. If it didn't go away or got worse, I would consider an MRI of the spine
Very unlikely would be a lung problem like infection or blood clot. This would be very unlikely to go on as long as you have had your symptoms, and would usually have some other related symptoms like cough, fever, shortness of breath (more than just the usual pregnancy stuff). If my patient developed any of these symptoms I would have to consider a CT scan--but hate to do those because of the radiation--unless absolutely necessary.
Well, hope this has helped--whatever happens, you're almost there! Hang in there!
Dr B
Congratulations in advance! If my patient had similar symptoms, there are a few things I would think of in the order of most common/likely to least common/unlikely:
Musculoskeletal pain like your doctor said--sometimes muscles can actually "tear apart" from the growing baby pressing outward--this is most common in the middle of the abdomen and can form something called a diastasis which is similar to a hernia.
Pain gets better after delivery, but the gap between the muscles can remain (under the skin). Tylenol, mild heat, massage can help in the mean time.
Constipation--in the left upper abdomen is the splenic flexure which is a really sharp turn in the colon, and can be a very painful spot for anyone who is a little "plugged up"
This is especially true during pregnancy because the baby presses inward on the colon the same way he presses on the outer abdominal wall. TONS of fluids and maybe even a laxative like lactulose can help to relieve constipation pain, which will also get better after delivery.
Slipped or bulging disc with "radicular" pain--means that the pain travels to a different area from the actual disc. This would more commonly be in your back than your stomach. I would treat it the same as muscle pain. If it didn't go away or got worse, I would consider an MRI of the spine
Very unlikely would be a lung problem like infection or blood clot. This would be very unlikely to go on as long as you have had your symptoms, and would usually have some other related symptoms like cough, fever, shortness of breath (more than just the usual pregnancy stuff). If my patient developed any of these symptoms I would have to consider a CT scan--but hate to do those because of the radiation--unless absolutely necessary.
Well, hope this has helped--whatever happens, you're almost there! Hang in there!
Dr B
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