constant pain under the ribs (on the right side ..in the back)

Posted , 236 users are following.

I am experiencing this pain under my ribs, on the right side and more towards my back than in the front..for about three months now and I have to take Ibuprofen almost every day

This pain is just annoying as its not as bad to prevent me from moving or do stuff, but it is very upsetting to have to endure it every day.

I am 29 years old (woman).

I went to the doctor first in February when he tested my blood. The result came back normal (he said he tested for infections). After that I went again and he gave me an X-ray in my abdominal area..well that one came back normal too.

Now, last week (30th of May) he said he would send me through the post a form or something like that.. to go with it and have an ultrasound. I waited now a week and I cant wait to receive it already as I want to see if they will see something at the Echo scan.

I would have wanted the ultrasound taken first if you ask me..as I suspect it might be something like a kidney stone..or something like that..?

I only have this pain in my back, somewhere under my ribs (and on the right side), only when I stand.

I feel better when sitting down or lying. I am thankful for that at least..I suppose it could be worse ..so I get some break from this.

The doctor as I see him is clueless and he said that if we don't find anything after all these tests..he might just blame it on a muscle that was pulled or something..

I mean..this is ridiculous as basically it would be just a guess..even leaving it like that..

what if in time it affects me more with some other consequences?

I am very concerned already and tired with this pain.

Please I would like to know your opinions about this.

I must add that I have no other symptoms..no swellings or other problems. Just this pain every day and is constant and annoying and I just want to know what it is already to treat it and get over with my life.

32 likes, 305 replies

305 Replies

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  • Posted

    Don't give up and keep chasing I had similar symptoms for several years. Does it hurt more if eating  or are getting a pain that goes round your diaphragm. It could just be a pulled muscle but you need a scan 
    • Posted

      Thank you Karen,

      I wouldnt want to give up..but hopefully I will discover what it is in an ultrasound.I am still waiting though to receive the appointment from the dr through the post sad(

      I must say I freaked out when I read that you had these symptoms for several years! OMG..I wouldnt want that..

      So it just went by itself in your case? what was it? Do you know..?

      My pain its stronger sometimes when i switch positions..Like for example if I am sitting down and suddently I am standing then it hurts..but even this it only happens sometimes..it is so unpredictable sometimes. And no, it doesnt hurt after I eat..its just hurts when I stand even if my stomach is empty and not eaten yet..only when I take paracetamol or ibuprofen it dissapears for a few hours.

      Thank you for your reply though! I appreciate it.

      So bottom line, you havent found out why you had the pain..?

    • Posted

      hello, im only 15 I haven't gotton checked on in almost a year (is that bad?) But any ways i am having the same problumes also. My back hurts and the right under part of my rib aches. When ever i stand my back hurts. and i pop my back every day but my back is getting to the point where i feel like it needs to be poped and it just wont pop. it hurts really bad. i have my little 12 year old sister step on my back and it feels really good. but what i usally just sit in a chair and twist my back but now every time i do thta it burns. what do i do?!
    • Posted

      Hey im 16 and im having same problem as yours its about 2 to 3 mmonths. I only get relief if i get support while sitting or some times when my sister stands on my back .
    • Posted

      I haven't been checked for over a year. problems. Whenever,

      What I usually do is.

  • Posted

    I also want to mention that the pain is always in the same place (under my ribs..in the bach-on the right side..)
    • Posted

      Geox Have you had your scan yet . It is possible you have gallstones or hiatus hernia  but the scan should show this
    • Posted

      I will have my scan on Saturday..finally. I cant wait to see what this is and hopefully get a treatment that can sort this out soon.

      A weird thing happened recently though..I just fell a few days ago..maybe because I was clumsy ..as I just fell flat on my face..for no reason while walking and not having any type of obstacles in front of me...It was very embarrassing- I was fine when two people that were just passing by helped me up. So..I just have some bad bruises now on my right hip and my right elbow..as I fel on my right side..

      However, that same night my pain from my back right side, wasnt there anymore, but it had moved in the front..on my right side-in my pelvis area. I had to take paracetamol to be able to sleep. But  after that night it hurts slighlty less in my back (on the right side)..as it went back there, only not as strong as before the fall.

      Now..the newest thing is that last night I think I barely slept one hour..as I had weird numbness and a bit of tingling in my big toes from both feet..

      What could that be now?

      OMg, it will now take another few months before I find what is happening with the toes..When I press on the surface of my toes..I feel them numb just a bit-like a dentist anesthetic.. I am scared by what I read on the internet about these things..

      I might need to phone the doctor for another appointment regarding something else.

      And I might need to choose a new section to write about this here on the forum..as I am curious about this too sad

      I am falling apart apparently.........

    • Posted

      I hath recently begun experiencing similar symptoms as well. I had an horrid stomach ache two weeks ago (as if me intestines were rolling over upon themselves) and an growing lower back ache. They went away for an day then I randomly fell at home last week (May 24th) and was unable to move due to pain in in me lower back and right hip. It took me hours to reach me tele and phone me boss whom rushed me to the hospital. They performed an x-ray and found nothing, so the doctors simply diagnosed me with an contusion upon me lower spine and an pinched nerve causing me hip pain and prescribed me with an narcotic pain reliever and an anti-inflammatory(similar to ibuprofen), 14 days of bed rest upon an circular back pillow and an excuse from work to heal. Upon the fifth day,(May 29th and me 25th Breithlá) me back and hip pain had all but went away. I awoke very early that next morn with unbearable pain that seemed as if it were coming from me ovaries and worst being upon the right side. It be as if all if the previous pain from me back and hip diverted to the front pelvic area. At first I simply thought I stained me muscles whence I was still numb from the pain medications. Over the course of this week, the symptoms hath been building. I hath pain in me front pelvic area spreading from hip to hip, along with trouble passing both liquids and more so solids due to shooting pain in the ovarian areas whence I try (not constipation), an unbearable bloating that gives that constant feeling as if ye ate too much to the point of painful stretched feeling, and an constant stitch in me right side under me ribs. The pressure be causing slight back pain as well. It hurts to sit, lay down, stand up, and it hath become impossible to take deep breaths .It hurts to eat and drink, it hath become difficult to walk, and lift the simplest of things. I be experiencing weakness and fatigue and yet I be unable to sleep. Coughing be the worst. (I cough much every day due to being an idiotic asthmatic cigarette smoker.) This eve, me right shoulder blade also hath begun to ache as if it needs popped yet I hath never intentionally popped any of me joints. I know not what to do as I be terrified of returning to the doctor to hath then run their terribly extensive tests and then finding nothing abnormal and make up some simple diagnosis. I cannot afford to keep missing work. Hath any one else experienced these symptoms? Please help?
    • Posted

      I'm very sorry you're experiencing such pain. I have the same pain on the right side towards the back. Sometimes it gets so uncomfortable it wakes me up. I'm not sure what this is. I wonder if it is kidneystone. 

      In any case, with regards to your toes, I believe you fall had a major role to play in it. Sometimes when we fall or move in a wrong way our spine shifts resulting in pinched nerves. I strongly suggest to see a chiropractor for it. A regular doctor would not fix this problem. I have come to learn a lot about human body since my car accident in 2003. I rolled my car 5 times and lost the natural curve in my neck because of it. Several month down the road I started having massive headaches which no doctor could tell me the cause of. I finally made a visit to a chiropractor and he discovered that my accident had cause a major shift in each of my neck vertebrae. My heaches stopped with the first adjustment, but I had to go to the chiropractor 3 times a week for a year to get my muscles back in shape again. Now I only go back to the chiropractor once every few months IF I need an adjustment.

      I really hope you feel better soon. Take care. 

    • Posted

      No, not yet. The funny thing is that I have not had much pain for the past 2 days. It comes and goes as it pleases. 
  • Posted

    Geox what did your scan reveal

     

    • Posted

      Everything seems normal with all the tests I took: blood tests, abdominal x-ray and the echon scan. All normal.

      It left me wondering. Not that I dont want to see that everything is normal with my health..but what was that pain then? So after my result from the echo, the pain went away in a few days as well so I didnt thought is necessary to see the Dr again.

      If it will reappear, I will make an appointment.

      I want to add that the pain reappeared two time in a these last two months that have passed since the echo, and in those particular days I have put in more effort at work (I work in retail at the moment, but not for long as I am looking for an office job).

      Maybe it was like my Dr said in the beggining: a muscle was pulled while exercising, as maybe I havent properly warmed up; who knows?

      But that would explain the pain.

      However, I want to start slowly building my strength for running, as I have to lead a hea;thy lifestyle..so hopefully I wont have a problem with that as well.

      Before the pain I was floor exercising at home..so maybe..I didnt warmed up properly..

      So that is all, really...

      I will keep you guys updated if anything out of the ordenary happens again, which I hope it wont.

      I wish you all good health and all the best.

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