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Slight pull under right rib cage for a week

Posted , 8 users are following.

lindsey_80643
lindsey_80643

I saw my dr this morning and she said she COULD do a cat scan to look, but felt like it sounded like trapped gas more than anything because it comes and goes and isn’t related to food.  She pushed around on my belly and liver felt nice and small as it should be and felt nothing of concern, maybe a slight hiatal hernia that I get due to stress.  

It started about a week ago at 4 in the morning and just felt like trapped gas at that point.  Ate a peppermint and passed gas a few times and it slowly subsided-maybe 10 minutes later because I fell asleep.  Woke with no more pain, but within a few hours of being awake (and toast with butter and cinnamon along with coffee no cream), the twinge was back.  I would call it a 2-3 on the pain scale.  I can completely ignore it and function without it bothering me.  It comes and goes and it doesn’t matter if I eat before or not.  I have been avoiding fat all week just thinking if it WAS gallbladder this would help it move on.  But it still comes and goes.  I’ll feel it more when I take a deep breath in,  but again, more like a noticeable pull rather than pain.

I tend to freak out and think the worst, so that’s why even though it’s so slight I went to see my dr.  I’m imagining it being gallbladder and killing me with only the slight warning and not much pain.  

We have no insurance so a ct scan will be super expensive and I am hesitant to do it because my dr says she really doesn’t anticipate it because I’m 39, 115 lbs, eat salads and turkey sandwiches and baked or grilled chicken and roasted veggies for dinner...not a diet that would cause issues.  She thinks my anxiety is getting the best of me and digestive enzymes is what she recommends for now unless it gets worse or no better.  My neck and upper back has been tight due to poor sleeping posture, but not related to the lower under right rib pain-neck only hurts when I turn my head a certain way where the rib twinge is more when I breath in deep.  

I know there will be the random odd case that was mild pain and ended up needing surgery...but typically all I hear are attacks that are very painful and last a day after eating a fatty meal and then subside until they give in to surgery.  

Just hoping for some input.  Do I push for the scan or just ride this out for a while since it’s not severe pain?  

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Gillian_68
    Gillian_68 lindsey_80643

    Posted

    Hi

    Are you in America Lindsey? I’m waiting to see a gastroenterologist regarding my pain, I have the upper right quadrant pain, I get pain in that area the minute I eat, it sort of feels like the bile is struggling to get through. I’m in Scotland, so a scan would be free here, but our National Health Service is in a mess, it will probably be too expensive for them to give me one. If I were you you, I would get one, it’s amazing what these scans can reveal and it would put your mind at ease. 

  • Guest
    Guest lindsey_80643

    Posted

    Hi Lindsey sorry to hear you are having possible gallbladder pains.

    In my opinion without a ultrasound it would be very hard to determine if you have gallstones or a gallbladder dieasse. I had my Gallbladder removed last week.

    I had six years of if's and buts till I got the ultrasound done and they confirmed gallstones they found afew in there and I large one.

    I wouldn't stress to much as this is very common, it's seems like you are getting mild pains a gallbladder attack which I had around 5 times is an extreme pain and usual you will end up in Hospital A&E. For now cut out fatty foods, fried foods alcohol fizzy drinks and see how you get on and don't eat before you go to bed.

    I'm not a doctor I'm giving you my life experience with gallstones.

    The pain normally starts below your right lower rip then slowly move to the centre it can last for 1 to 5 hours it's a horrible pain that will make a man cry.

    Hope this helps

    • lindsey_80643
      lindsey_80643 Guest

      Posted

      I had an ultrasound and a ct scan done about 18 months ago for a different issue and they saw no stones there.   But i know, that means nothing now.  The dr said a ct scan would be better and if that showed nothing, then a HIDA scan would be her next option.  But again...I really hate to spend the money if that’s not at all what’s going on.  I don’t feel sick after I eat, I don’t get increased pains after I eat.  It just this slight pull.  Almost feels like muscular because it’s more related to a pulling feeling.  

      I have not ever had pain strong enough to even consider taking anything for it.  It just feels almost like a fullness or a small stretched bubble.  I don’t feel it at all until I take a deep breath in.  

      A ct scan will be close to $2000, and then the scan is an additional $400.  So it’s not a small cost for us.  I just don’t want to be neglecting it either.  

      It just doesn’t sound at all typical to gall bladder aside from the location.  

  • Guest
    Guest lindsey_80643

    Posted

    Hi Lindsey that's great that you don't have gallstones. Are you sure it's not some sort of muscler issues you have, maybe just a muscle spasm try not to stress yourself out to much about it. Why don't you leave it awhile and see how you get on.

    THIS is just my opinion.

    • Guest
      Guest

      Posted

      Where abouts in the world are you that's a lot of money to spend in a scan.

    • lindsey_80643
      lindsey_80643 Guest

      Posted

      I’m in the US.  I have no insurance so I have to pay out of pocket.  Sometimes there are great discounts...but it’s still very costly.  

      It definitely could be muscular related because I hold my gut tightly when I’m stressed...and I have definitely been stressed A LOT.  So it’s definitely a possibility that what I’m feeling is an overused abdominal muscle that I haven’t been able to relax completely.  Kind of like when you do sit ups and your abs hurt...mine are the upper area and I develop an actual knot in my stomach because things tighten so much.  It takes time for me to breathe deep and relax for several days before I can unlock that knot.  So the rib cage feeling could definitely be part of that too.  

      Again, if pain got worse, I’d definitely do the scan.  It just isn’t double me over type of pain that so many describe.

  • adrian04420
    adrian04420 lindsey_80643

    Posted

    Well I had my gallbladder removed on Sunday after months of numbing pains in my shoulder and neck which stretches into my head and causes migraines.

    As I write this, I’m in hospital again after being constantly sick with the runs, my chest hurts and they think I have an infection. I also have a hiatus hernia which causes me trouble always. Get everything seen to whilst you can, that’s my advice. When it goes wrong it will be when you least expect it or can afford it x

  • Guest
    Guest lindsey_80643

    Posted

    All my symptoms started with severe pulling right side right below rib cage, I got a severe Charlie horse one day working out which gave me pulling all the time, couldn’t even bend down with it cramping up. I went through several tests, mri to see if I tore my abdominal wall and was all normal. Had ct, scopes and any test you could think of which one just pick up a dialated common duct which could not further due to ins denial. My scope revealed ulcer, gastritis and I was treated with poi for months, the problem continued and food started to become a huge problem as I was getting severe stomach bloating, gas and burping 24/7. I begged my gi to further this and I got hida scan which revealed 5% functioning gallbladder.it was removed right away and I’m 3 wks post op and that pulling is finally starting to go away. I hope this helped you
    • Guest
      Guest

      Posted

      Oh and forgot to mention that my ct and mri showed normal gallbladder, hida scan is the test needed.
  • dana1071
    dana1071 lindsey_80643

    Posted

    lindsey, idk if you ever got any answers or not. I just googled something stuck under my right rib and this blog came up. I've been dealing with it for 3 years now and have even had my gallbladder removed and no relief whatsoever. My GI doctor seems to think that it's sphincter of Oddie dysfunction. from what I've read it's rare and very hard to diagnose. in order to diagnose it the procedure they have to do is just about as invasive as the surgery to fix it. anyway I hope this helps look it up and see if it matches your symptoms

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