Sore right abdomen, help!

It has not been checked. I've looked at the symptoms and I only deal with indigestion really. I've always kind of dealt with excessive burping, which my doc says is from excess gas.

Should I ask him to check the gallbladder? Is that detected on blood tests?

The doctor can check your gallbladder by an ultrasound or HIDA scan. The gallbladder is on the right and since you have right sided pain, it may be worthwhile ruling out.  Appendicitis doesn't have to be acute, it can be grumbling as well.  

Lots of burping could be caused by h pylori, gastritis and acid reflux.  You could also ask to be tested for these conditions as well.  H pylori can be tested for by a stool sample.

Thanks for the info. I'll ask my doc about it!

Also what do you mean by appendicitis can be grumbling? Like stomach grumbling?

A grumbling appendix is appendicitis that comes and goes over a period of weeks rather than acute appendicitis which comes on suddenly and sometimes severely.  The word grumbling refers to the fact that the sore stomach comes and goes.  It does not refer to a noisy, grumbling stomach.

Thanks so much, I'll be sure to bring all of this up. I really appreciate it

Good luck.

Thank you! Happy holidays .

Merry Christmas!

Thanks pippa! Hope your Christmas will be great!

I wasn't able to see my doctor on Monday, he's unfortunately out on vacation. I had some other doctor tell me my symptoms are in my head so now I'm stuck in the mud. Guess I'll just wait for my doctor.

I was talking to my cousins about my issue and they told me it may be trapped gas in the abdomen. They said they had similar abdominal symptoms as myself, especially the short stabbing. I was wondering if you know anything about this? If not, thank you anyways

I hope your Christmas will be great for you too and you will feel better.

Stomach pain can be trapped gas and eases once you release the wind.  However, gas can also be a symptom of IBS.

No doctor in this modern age should be telling you that your symptoms are in your head; that is unprofessional.

Yes, it was rather frustrating. She just kept brushing me off.

I've also noticed that when I wake up, my abdomen usually isn't sore. I believe it's usually after I eat. I am also going to try gas x because my cousins said that worked well for them. Here's hoping!

Also thanks for the IBS suggestion you've been of great help.

Thanks!

When my IBS started, I always woke with pain in the morning and it disturbed my sleep.  However, I rarely get this now.  It only gets bad when stressed.

Hm, maybe I'll try to de-stress. I've been a little bit stressed lately and I'm sort of a hypochondriac. I've been sleeping fine lately though, although I woke up this morning and felt like I needed to use the bathroom. When I used it, there wasn't much stool really.

How long did your bouts of IBS last when you had it more frequently?

Sometimes a few days to a week.

I see. I'm glad you rarely get it now!

How did your pain feel and where was it located?

I had four different types of pain: deep grinding, dull, stabbing and sore to touch.  The pain was all over my stomach and moved rapidly from one part of my abdomen to another.  Sometimes it was even in my back.

Oh wow. I noticed that if my lower right abdomen isn't sore then my lower right side/back will be.

Shifting pain that comes and goes is common with IBS.

Ugh, thanks so much pippa.

Did your IBS ever go to the pelvic area? When my abdomen isn't sore, I feel like it goes down there. But not the entire area, just the top.

No, my pain always stays in the stomach area.

Ahhh I see. My stomach is a bit better today, and I had rather large stools this morning. So I'm not sure if that could be related to IBS.

My doctor, who is still on vacation, (bless his soul!) gave me a call today about my blood and stool test results. Said everything is normal. I asked about the gallbladder, and he said that's detected by blood tests also. He then said something about an ultrasound and the phone went out . But I guess I should be glad everything was okay on the tests!

That is great service for a doctor to call on his holiday and so unusual!  Great to hear that your tests were normal. Perhaps you could pursue the ultrasound option when your doctor comes back if you are still worried.

Yes, I think I will pursue that if I still have soreness. But hopefully it goes away.

Again, thank you for all your info and input pippa!

I forgot to add that bowel movements can vary in size, shape and consistency from time to time.  However, if there has been a sudden and permanent change in bowel habits, this may indicate IBS.

My pleasure!

Ah I see. I will monitor this too.

Did your doctor tell you all this information on IBS? There doesn't seem to be that much info on the web about it

My doctor printed off this information on IBS from this site.  However, there are specific IBS sites and NHS pages that describe the condition.

Ahhhh ok I'll look info up on those sites too.

Do you remember your IBS being a little worse after eating? I've been ok for the most part today but I noticed after eating, my abdomen felt a little more sore.

Eating doesn't cause me any pain; stress is my trigger.  However, everyone is different. If all your tests come back negative, IBS can be disgnosed.

Ahhhh ok. I think from what you've told me, IBS is probably and hopefully it.

Again, thank you so much. Without you I would probably still be freaking out as to what my problem is. I hope you have the merriest of Christmases!

Oh yes, one more question -- when your pain went away, was it little by little? Or it just disappeared?

Same to you!

Sometimes the pain just goes away as quickly as it came for weeks or months at a time.  Other times the pain is constantly there as a dull ache or very noticeable and occasionally severe.

Hello pippa! Happy new year.

I haven't been able to see my doctor because of insurance problems, but for the most part my pain is gone.

I've got some questions if you don't mind helping me further from your experience!

1. The pain comes and goes. But sometimes I'll get a stabbing pain in my abdomen area and then my side and back will feel sore for a while and it will go away - does this sound consistent to IBS?

2. I also noticed I feel light headed after eating too much. Not fully dizzy though! I've been celebrating my parents birthdays the past couple days and may have over done it with the food - so I was wondering if you know if that's a possible symptom of IBS too.

Thank you so much!

Happy New Year to you too!

The pains you are having are typical of IBS.  I recently got rid of a flare up but last night I got trapped in my loo in the early hours of the morning when the door handle fell off and I had to repeatedly bang on the door very loudly to waken my dad so he could let me out.  Lots of scary what ifs ran through my mind and this led to stomach pain and more Buscopan!

I haven't heard of light headedness with Irritable Bowel before but if you are getting it after having a big meal, try eating smaller portions but more often.

Ahhh! I'm glad you got out though ! I believe I may be having a flare up at the moment, my stomach feels warm/sore and I'm a bit gassy.

As for the light headedness I figured it out, I have a sinus infection.

Glad you found out you had a sinus infection!  At least that's one less worry.  

Arggggh, figured out my insurance stuff and went to the doc today but my doc is out sick until next week. The doctor I met wasn't very receptive to my problems.. I plan to ask for an ultrasound then.

Another (I'm sorry) question - for the most part my stomach has been ok, but my lower right side/back area has been slightly sore, so I was wondering if you know from your doctor or elsewhere, does IBS have to start in your stomach or can it just start and stay in the locations I said? This is driving me crazy.

IBS pain moves around to different areas of your stomach. It doesn't settle in one particular area for very long.  When you have IBS, the pain will be mainly in your stomach.  Sometimes it moves to your back because part of your bowel wraps around your lower back.