What can my left side pain be?

[vegasfem]

I'm an incarcerated 58 yr old white male and long-time vegetarian. For several months now, I've had periodic low-grade but constant pain in my left side around just under my rib cage area. I don't know of any organ there, but I'm drinking about 2 liters of water daily because drinking a high volume of water seems to be the only thing that helps me lessen the pain. My diet is bad here because they first allowed me a lot of soy, beans, cabbage, eggs, and rice on a completely vegan diet with no dairy. Then they took away my vegan diet and are trying to make me eat a meat diet. I can't do that so, I'm having a poor diet of a plateful of whatever vegetable (mostly potatoes, some beans, cabbage, salad, etc) is on the menu for that day and water. I'm losing weight too, but I don't notice the pain increasing with any particular food. It is just there, but I do know it is not kidney stones or diverticulis. What can it be?

[CurfewX]

It sounds like gastritis is the most likely culprit, particularly given your poor diet, and the fact that drinking water helps alleviate the symptoms: https://www.healthline.com/health/pain-under-left-rib

It could also be a problem with your spleen, but I feel like you would be in a LOT of pain if your spleen ruptured.  None of the other possibilities seem to fit your symptoms.  Is there any way for you to see a doctor?

[vegasfem]

Thank you for the info and suggestions. Why is it that drinking a lot of water would help dimish the symptoms? And, no, unfortunately, short of finding me collapsed, they won't allow me to see the doctor.

[CurfewX]

Basically, it's the same reason that drinking a lot of water helps when you have a urinary tract infection.  If you've got bacteria that are causing the pain, the water "dilutes" the amount of bacteria and flushes it through.  It's a temporary fix, because the bacteria begin to grow again quickly, re-igniting the pain.

That's truly terrible that you can't get proper medical care.