Hello everyone!
I'm a new member, and came here to try to find some answers to some issues I've been facing.
I've had some abdominal pain on my left side, just below my rib cage, for about a week, and I'm wondering what it might be. I also have recurring pain in my back, centralized in the middle of the small of my back.
The abdominal pain seems to radiate from my lower left side (more toward my belly button rather than the side, about even with my nipple), and comes and goes, with sharp pains once in a while. If I press on the area, there isn't any tenderness. If I try to sleep on my right side, it hurts, but if I lie on my back or left side, the pain goes away. I've had alternating constipation and loose stools the past couple of days, but have not taken any medication for the loose stools. I can hear frequent gugrling and bubbling from that side of my lower abdomen, and I feel bloated. Every once in a while it feels like the pressure builds up, then there's kind of an internal "pop" and the pressure eases. I have been burping and passing gas quite a bit as well.
The pain is kind of a throbbing in the background, not going away, just always there. I haven't experienced any fever, sweats, or dizziness, so I'm not really sure what it might be. I took a Zantac this morning before breakfast, and it seems to have lessened the pain a little bit, but not a whole lot.
The back pain is also just always there. I've tried cracking my back, but that portion of my back won't crack and hasn't for years. I've been able to crack my neck and my upper back, but it doesn't help much.
I'm a 37-year-old male, 5'9", 195 pounds. Non-smoker, I don't drink much (had a beer about three weeks ago), generally a healthy eater (been trying to reduce my cholesterol) eating low fat foods and lots of vegetables, 85% lean ground beef, fiber cereal. Fairly good blood pressure according to my doctor. I'm not taking any prescription medication, but I have been taking ibeuprophen and acetominophyn to deal with the back pain. I'm tied to a desk most of the week, and should exercise more than I do.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have!