Upper Right Quadrant Pain

[skyjumper]

I'm a 36 year old male who eats well, exercises regularly, and lives a reasonably healthy lifestyle.  Four month ago I started having pangs of pain in my right upper quadrant, just under my ribcage.  I couldn't indentify any obvious pattern (e.g. pain after eating a fatty meal), but I did notice I felt it often at night.  Concerned, I saw my primary care physician who suggested it might be a gall bladder problem.  I had a blood test done for liver function, it came back normal.  Next he referred me for an ultrasound.  The ultrasound found nothing unusual so my physician prescribed Nexium and said I was likely flirting with an ulcer or some persistant gastritis.  

Three months passed and I continued to have periodic pain, slowly becoming more persistant.  I checked in with my physician again and he set me up for an upper GI endoscopy.  Fortunately, that came back negative as well. I'm certainly happy that nothing was found, but am left with worsening (almost ever-present now) symptoms and no answers. The pain is typically under the lower right side of my ribcage, but sometimes radiates higher in my chest.  If I curl my fingers under my ribs it is usually quite tender, all the way down the length of my liver.

Two weeks ago my stools had an orange hue to them (I assume this is what is refered to as "clay colored"?).  This lasted for about ten days, but my stool color seems to have returned to normal.

My question is what conditions could be causing this pain if it didn't show up on an ultrasound or an upper GI endoscopy?  Since the ultrasound was performed very early on when I just started feeling the symptoms, is it possible that it could have missed something serious(i.e. small tumor that has since grown)?  I don't think my primary physician intends to do any more tests, so am wondering if I should insist on any others or whether I should see a specialist?  I'm trying not to be neurotic about it, but am growing increasingly concerned.  Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.  Thank you.

[mrsrimshot]

I started coughing up yellow bile when I got pregnant back in October 2005. I cough it up every single morning. This has continued even after giving birth. I've have test run (GI Tract x-ray and Hydrascan) and everything seems clear and clean. I had my gall bladder taken out 5 months ago (although this doesn't seem to be an indication of the problem). Does anyone have a similar experience? What is causing this? How can I stop it? What other tests need to be run? Please help!

[lav]

I have to stick my two cents worth in. I have had alien pain prblem under my right lower rib cage for at least 8 or nine years. I first went to gastro doc. Had rib cage pain, stomach pain and dyspepsia at that time. He did blood test, endoscope, colonoscopy, and ultrasound of all organs in stomach. Everything looked good. Gave me pills for dyspepsia. Returned several times over next couple of years with same type of problems. He said I had something going on, but it wasn't gastro. Went to a Neurosurgeon a couple of years later for an MRI on my T spine. He said everything was normal. But, I have no doubt in my mind, after looking for answers everwhere that I have a problem in the T spine between the 6 and 10 vertebre. I have a set of exercises for mid thoacic dysfunction I do and they help. I originally hurt it by swinging a softball bat. I didn't have back pain in the begining. It affected the intercostal nerves which wrap around the rib cage. I still feel it and live with it every day. I still have rib cage pain, and pain fron the area in my back [right side of spine just under my shoulder blades]. It is not debilitating and at least in my mind I know what it is. I have other problems with herniated discs in lower back that I am tending to. I'm sure it is not the answer for most, but if it is the answer for 1 person, I hope it helps. I have been through so many tests and doctor visits over the years, and no one has ever diagnosed my problem. It used to drive me nuts, thinking of all the possible things that could be wrong. Now, I accept the dull ache around my rib cage and go on with life. My dyspepsia has gone away years ago. That was the toughest part. That came with the original trauma. Now I have a dull ache that wraps around my right lower rib cage, and dull pains in back and front of mid body. Hope this helps somebody.

[Cookiejojo]

He guys I really hope you all find out exactly what is wrong because I have been having alot of this pain now for 9 Months  My pain consist of my upper back right between the two shoulder blades,it is mostly on my right side of the upper part of my shoulder blade. I have alot of headaches, pains in my arms, tenderness in the feet, right up the back of my head, sometimes nunbness in the fingers,  experiencing alot of pain, feels like there is something in under my right rib cage.
when I have pain I am not sick. When the pain goes I feel stomache sick like I want to throw up, but I don't. It wears off for a little bit, returns again. Sometimes it feels like it goes to sleep. I get really sick at times it feels like I am about to faint, I also have discoloration on my face. Between the two eyes on my forehead is white , down around my nose goes white and also around my chin. I have nowhere else to turn to.
I am getting depressed and anxiety is setting in. I have been going to the doctors, just like everyone else having all these test done, nothing is wrong they are saying. Had a Hysterectomy, Gallbladder removal. I really haven't got a whole lot left to remove. I have been going to the Ciropractor, thought it was helping until it returned again. Honestly nobody knows what you are going through, they all look at you as if you are going made or something, or they say it is just your mind. I hate it when people say that. You know your own body when something is wrong. We are not stupid!!!!! Hopefully there is someone out there that can help all of us.
Good wealth, health and happiness!!!

[pspguy]

After eating some breadsticks and pasta from the Olive Garden, I had sharp pains all around my abdomen.  The next three days I felt a sharp pain that came and went under my right ribcage.  I had an ultrasound of the gallbladder, which indicated there was some "inflammation" and "sludge" that was interfering with normal function.  Further testing included a gallbladder scan (not sure what the name was, it was a 1 1/2 hr procedure with contrast solution) and a CT scan of the abdomen.  Both came up negative.  

This whole time, I was advised to follow a low fat, bland diet.  I continued on this diet and the pain lessened considerably.  When the final test came back negative, my specialist suggested going back to a normal diet.  This was ok for about a week, but as soon as I had a greasy meal again (crazy bread from Little Caesar's), the exact same pain was back for another three days.

Today, I had a colonoscopy and a gastroenteroscopy as well as a blood test for the liver function.  The colon was fine, but my stomach is showing some inflammation.  A biopsy sample was sent to a lab to test for bacterial infection as well as cancer (there were some polyps, but they appear benign).  

At any rate, the pain is definitely where my gallbladder and liver are located, so I am not sure if these latest tests will be of any real help.  It

[thirstydragon]

If you have pain under your right ribs and all tests come back normal then you are not alone!

I am putting together a support group. If you want to call me I will take your name and number and your conditions. I will let you know if someone else with the same symptoms finds any answers. You can email me at ***@**** or call me, Ricky, at 601-657-4587. We can get through this if we work together.

[thirstydragon]

Pain under right ribs, constant dull ache, sometimes severe. I am 33 yrs old, was 330 lbs when this began November of 2005. I was having hip and lower back aches. I had been constipated and I gave myself an enema. I woke up a couple hours later and passed out on the bathroom floor, woke up and had diarreah like never before. Haven't been the same since.
  All tests have been normal, tried the naturopath route and did the liver flush, no help. Had my gallbladder out about three months ago, I knew when I woke up from surgery that the pain was still gonna be there. I lost 70 lbs over the first few months of this and have been at about 260 lbs since then. Sometimes I start to feel better but never completely. I just bought a house and have been doing a lot of yardwork and it helps keep my mind off of the pain but it never completely goes away. I had a hard time with the weedeater the other day and all of that pulling the starter cord has seemed to make this condition much worse. I have the bloated organ feeling and also pain in my right side of neck.
  What could it be that we all have in common that may be a factor? I spent a lot of time on the road before this, ate a lot of fast food, spent time on sailboats in south Florida, lot of stress on my job (only stress now comes from this pain!). I think my digestive system is working too slow now. I have to eat very small portions. If I eat too much over a couple of days it really sets my back and I have to struggle through this pain. Being physically active seems to help although it is hard to do when I am hurting. It is a scary, lonely feeling when noone understands your pain and tests show nothing. We have to come together and share our underlying factors which may contribute to this condition. We should start our own group and try to work this out together. My email is ***@**** email me and we can keep each other in the know with new info. Good luck and God bless to us all.