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Discomfort/pain on left side only - does anyone else experience this?

Posted , 8 users are following.

rozanna63423
rozanna63423

Hello smile I'm new to this and really hoping someone out there can shed some light on my symptoms. I'm not sure whether my symptoms are IBS related or something else entirely and my GP isn't especially helpful. These forums seem to be so knowledgeable so I thought it was worth a try.

I've experienced the following discomfort for the past few years with varying degrees of severity but it's always there. I've had blood tests (although a while ago so perhaps this needs revisiting) that didn't flag anything apart from slightly low iron and an endoscopy that didn't show anything either. 

The discomfort is in my left side only and sits in line with/under my left ribcage. The area it covers is quite broad but it's only my left side and it's not a concentrated pain. I can feel it on my left on the front, side and on the back - almost like it wraps around that side. There is often a stabbing pain similar to the stitch pain you can get when you go for a run but it's not something that would stop me moving, it's a duller pain than that. The constant feeling is more of a tenderness that is really uncomfortable and often feels full up and like theres stuff sloshing around inside - the same as the feeling you get when you drink too much water in one go.

I often feel the discomfort more if I'm full up and can often feel very nauseous but I'm never sick, but it doesn't tend to be a particular food that sets it off. If i lay on my back and tap on my left side, it can sound very hollow. If I drink big gulps of water, it's like I can feel it go down my left side and often if I'm hungry my left side gurgles more than the rest of my stomach. It is also always worse if I lay on my right side - this feels like my left side is sloshing around all over the place.

This flares up regularly and even when it's not flared up I can still very much feel tenderness in the are of sensitivity. When I feel it flare up, I can often feel it more if I take a big breath in too. Sitting with a hot water bottle sometimes helps, especially when I feel like my stomach needs to do what I can only describe as a big gurgle.

Often if I eat a very big meal, or eat out I sometimes get very bloated and gassy which can be fairly painful. this exaggerates the discomfort on my left and can also be helped by passing wind or having heat on it such as a hot water bottle.

If i push down on my left side front it is very tender and sore. I can also feel tenderness on my back if I poke around at the bottom of my ribcage.

I don't get diarrhoea, although my bowel movements aren't always the same. sometimes quite soft and other times I can go a few days without going to the toilet. 

The thing that makes me question whether it's bowel related or not is that sometimes when I urinate I feel a wave of pain over my left side where the discomfort is.

I also suffer from lower back pain but I don't know if this is related or a separate issue.

I am so fed up of feeling this way, it's making me so anxious and did the awful thing of googling my symptoms which put the fear of god into me as there's just so much out there and you always pick up on the worst case. 

I hope someone out there can shed some light, or has shared similar problems.

Thank you for reading smile

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • kari101
    kari101 rozanna63423

    Posted

    I'm not sure about most of those symptoms, but the tenderness and pain wrapping around your body under the ribcage could be a back issue, I've had a similar sounding pain that a chiropractor fixed, it can be surprising how far referred pain from your back can go.

    That could be part of the problem, might be worth looking into.

  • winterbaby62
    winterbaby62 rozanna63423

    Posted

    Hi

    I agree with kari101, this could be referred pain from your back. If you are urinating properly and do not have any inward pain on passing urine I would discount any urinary infection. Does the discomfort turn to pain, sometimes sharp and prolonged? If so, it could be referred pain from your kidneys. In any event I would suggest you see your GP.

    Kind regards

  • RVF
    RVF rozanna63423

    Posted

    Hi

    Bowel issues can extend to areas you descri be...i have trapped wind alot whivh can be VERY painful. Tenderness can be around the rib cage, lower back and abdomen. Deep breathing warm drinks hot pad and massaging help.   Getting stressed will make pain worse.

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 rozanna63423

    Posted

    Your symptoms could be IBS which can cause problems with urination and also back pain because part of your bowel wraps round your lower back. I have a bad back which my IBS aggravates.  IBS pain is often felt on the left but it can move all over your stomach.  Dull, stabbing, deep grinding and sore to touch pain are all typical of IBS.  I have had all four types of pain with IBS and I have had the wrap around pain as well.  Change of bowel habit and nausea are part of it too along with bloating and gas.

    Ask your doctor for a urine test  to rule out infection first of all.  I thought my stomach pain and nausea was a UTI but I tested negative.  I then had stool tests for h pylori, fecal calprotectin, an ultrasound and a celiac test which were also clear. 

    I would avoid chiropractors; they can make things worse.  I saw a chiropractor and the stress and pain of it eventually led to my IBS.

  • mnisbett
    mnisbett rozanna63423

    Posted

    Rozanna I thought I was reading my own post. I’ve had this condition for more than 25 years. For me it turned out to be divertula disease. My descending and sigmoid colon have a lot of tics that get inflamed and cause pain on the left side. It gets really bad when you develop diverticulitis, which is when the inflammation turns into an infection. I’ve always had that dull ache on the left that changes depending on food, stress, drink, alcohol, etc. I was also initially told it was IBS 20 years ago, but my first diverticulitis attack confirmed my diagnosis for DD. I’m currently waiting for surgery in 3 weeks to resect my colon and take out my gallbladder. 

    Check out the diverticula forum for more info

    good luck and take care

  • leahmiller81_81
    leahmiller81_81 rozanna63423

    Posted

    I dont know if this is an old discussion...but your symptoms sound just like wht my mom went through, after all the testing, bogus diagnosis, she figured out it was her gallbladder, she doesnt hv insurance, so she had to suffer with the pain either until it was life threatening or she learned what aggravated it....which was ALL animal products, which is not just meat as u know, its milk, cheese, eggs, all dairy products, basically she became a vegetarian and healed her own gallbladder frm being diseased!!!! Hope this helps, it was very hard to give up all the food she loved, but she did to not hv tht pain anymore!! Plus, she lost a hundred pounds and looked the best she ever had !!! Try it, right dwn your symptoms based on wht you eat, guranteed you get tht pain when you eat something bad for you!!! All natural diet is why we are all sick and ill and hv all thede stomach and intestine problems!!! Good luck i know its difficult
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