Uncomfortable feeling Under Left Lower Ribs and varying bowel movements
Posted , 173 users are following.
To try cut a long story as short as I can I have basically had an uncomfortable feeling under my lower left ribs and some irregular bowel movements for the last 3 months that don't seem to show any signs of disappearing. Just wondered if anyone has experienced anything similar?
With regards to the feeling in the ribs at no point has it been massively painful to the point where I have needed to take any pain killers or anything like that. It just feels more uncomfortable than anything else rather than painful as if there is something under my ribs that should be there. The lower left ribs feel bruised to touch but again not that painful.
I play football and go to the gym and have been able to continue both without any trouble or issues.
With regards to my bowels they have just been a bit all over the place since it started really. At first I kind of felt constipated and was having bowel movements but size and quantity wise there wasn't as much coming out as normal or as expected and had a feeling of not fully emptying.
In the last month that has changed slightly in that I have had a couple of what I would call regular sized and quantity movements but they seem to happen every 3 or 4 days and in between the movements are the fairly small quantities mentioned and usually very irregular shapes and sizes although the feeling of not emptying seems to have gone or reduced.
I have been to see my GP 3 or four times since this started. First couple of times they had a feel around and couldn't feel anything untoward and suggested it was just a bit of constipation so suggest some over the counter laxitives and then when that didnt work prescribed some Laxido sachets which again didnt do anything really.
I have now had a blood test and an chest xray that I am awaiting the results of and have an ultrasound booked in but that isn't for another 3 weeks.
In the meantime I just really suffering a bit mentally not knowing what this is and obviously worrying this could be something serious. Just keep searching and searching online and must have diagnosed myself with about 25 different things which I know is silly but can't help it. I am someone that never usually gets ill so this is very out of the ordinary for me.
I am only 32 and lead a pretty active lifestyle, eat well, don't smoke and don't drink too much, weight and BMI is all in the decent range - all things which my GP keeps telling me means that it being something serious is unlikely but at the same time it doesn't show any sign of easing up.
Not had any diarrhea at all in the 3 months although stools have been pretty soft the whole time even when not much is coming out. Not had any blood in my stools that I have been able to notice.
Its just so frustrating as for 3 months whilst I have been able to go to work etc I just feel like I am constantly at about 70%. I feel ok physically but not great and mentally I just feel shot to pieces.
Obviously I need to wait for my results and take from there but just seems such a drawn out affair to try and convince GP that something just doesn't feel right and just wondered if anyone had suffered anything similar to this?
8 likes, 434 replies
jacqueline806 someboy
Posted
Hope you find your diagnosis soon!
someboy jacqueline806
Posted
Pain in side seems to have gone with my having stopped eating breakfast cereal which is interesting but jus so frustrating as I still just feel like I am constantly running at about 60%. Just have no energy, always feel tired and can't concentrate on anything.
Good luck with your treatment.
margarete1954 someboy
Posted
hi I have ostio arthritis in my joints worse in knees and hands. paid full hips Ibs.my ankles keep giving way I'm getting dreadful pain under my herl and foot with pins and needles I can't stand.the pain goes up thru my calf .I got diagnosed with dyspepsia last fed that on mend.my knees are bad had them cleaned 3 times.I have standout ingredients called white matter in brain. familia hypercolestriamia .little blood clots going off in head stardom end going hard I've other venues Ernest you require etc I'm told a other Eppleby etc it. but as into hereditary it's worse and can lead to Ms. I want to no could the pins and nd endless and nondescript the snakes giving way be to do with it
john37643 someboy
Posted
thanks
someboy john37643
Posted
Unfortunately I haven't totally got to the bottom of things yet although have made a slight bit of progress.
One of the doctors I saw suggested trying cutting some things out of my diet and since stopping eating my daily bowl of Weetabix or Shredded Wheat the pain/feeling under my ribs has pretty much disappeared.
Unfortunately still suffering with a few of the other symptoms in terms of bowel movements and tiredness etc so have another doctors appointment this week actually.
Hope that helps.
ayanna24700 someboy
Posted
I'll let you know how it goes.
ayanna24700
Posted
So I went to see my doctor yesterday and it turns out I have kidney stones in both my kidneys but more of them in my left one.
debbie75601 ayanna24700
Posted
ayanna24700 debbie75601
Posted
I was prescribed a course of antibiotics by my doctor because I was also experiencing some pain and discomfort in my umbilical area...I really thought it was a hernia but the ultrasound determined it wasn't. I was prescribed the antibiotics just in case there was some sort of infection there.
Its been about two weeks since my visit. I've completed the course of antibiotics and the pain in my umbilical area has subsided. The pain in my left side is still there, but I am occasionally taking painkillers to help manage it. I really do hope the Rowatinex works. I will keep you updated in the future
debbie75601 ayanna24700
Posted
Oks someboy
Posted
Hey someboy, I've been having the same symptoms for 5 months. Have you been diagnosed? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
someboy Oks
Posted
With regards to getting diagnosed the answer is not really. In terms of the feeling under my left ribs that seems to have gone away with me stopping eating breakfast cereal on the advice of my doctor to try cutting some things out of my diet so that could be something to look at.
Still not really got to the bottom of the tiredness and stuff though really. Last visit to the doctor ended with the doctor speculating that I may be suffering from some form of moderate depression.
She suggested maybe taking some antidepressants but I am reluctant to do that so I am currently kind of struggling on with the tiredness etc.
tcam someboy
Posted
Hey someboy, thanks for your posts - I can really relate to all of the above. My major symptoms appear to be the pain (I get a dull ache) left-side just below and under ribcage, constipation (not D), bloating, fatigue, concentration. Ive had a colonscopy which revealed poor elimination, even after the bowel prep (!). So a motility problem. Not sure what symptoms it causes but cant imagine its good for you! Im also borderline fructose intolerant, and my symptom def improve when I eliminate that - for me it means Im not bloated, and not wakened by an ache in my left side under ribs at night (? Gas) (except for tonight! See *).
I think fructose worsens motility for me/causes constipation so its less obvious then your typical "IBS attack", and has gone under the radar untreated because symptoms are more tolerable. I have found that supplementing w fibre def helps me but its early days. I still have to go back to gastro to followup on the colonoscopy. I also questioned depression, and that still might be true, but I dont think its a cause of my problems.
I think you would do well to really find out whether you have some intol. E.g. to wheat or lactose given the effect of weetbix for you (Im assuming you have milk with them).
** Im posting this because Ive been awake from 2am with a dull ache/pain that feels tender to touch on the left side, stomach area, but just below ribcage, radiating left. I cant sleep when it happens at night
( This used to happen alot but stopped when I eliminated frustose. So Im wondering "why now...". Maybe it was the brocoli and silverbeet, or maybe Ive been backed up - I had a colonoscopy 6 days ago and didnt have a decent BM for 5 days! This morning Ive had 2x solid (decent) BMs, which is unheard of for me. Usually Ill get a "good one" every 3-4 days like you said in your first post. The BMs this morning were def assisted by fibre that I took at 3am, and then the later one coffee. So fibre def helps me. Interestingly, since the last BM my pain has shifted to my left side, above hip, at ribcage, heading toward the back) (This is another area where Ill typically get pain). Im still tender in the abdomen area. I wish this pain would go away!
Sorry about all the info, I hope it helps others, its also a bit of a record for me too.
Goodluck!
roy3400 tcam
Posted
roy3400 tcam
Posted
this exactly what i feel.. it has been a year for me now. lower left rib cage heading towards the back and still kinda tender in my abdomen area. i hope this feeling will be gone. any updates so far?
shelley85069 tcam
Posted
Have you found any answers or how are you doing now? I know this post is old but am
having same issues!