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Uncomfortable feeling Under Left Lower Ribs and varying bowel movements

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someboy
someboy

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

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  • Thebubbleinside
    Thebubbleinside someboy

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    First let me start by thanking you all. This thread has been the most help I’ve gotten, especially mentally!

    I have that “bubble” feeling about two or three inches below left breast. The rib is not tender to touch but the uncomfortable feeling is always there. I’ve had it for a few weeks on and off but it’s been about five days since it came to stay. 

    My BM are very soft and I go to the bathroom mainly when I wake up and that’s it. I sometimes go during the day but that’s rare. Lately I’ve been having some trouble passing gas and I seem to burp quite a lot lately due to regurgitation.

    For me this all started from eating too much spicy food and the symptoms actually started as a burning feeling in my upper mid-abdomen that would wake me up in the middle of the night and developed as acid reflux and this bubble feeling under my left rib. 

    I went for a physical this week and the dr felt around my stomach area and didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. When she pressed around my left rib it didn’t hurt at all but when she pressed in the middle of my abdomen it did hurt. 

    She diagnosed me with gastritis and sent me for urine, blood, and breath tests (to rule out an H. pylori infection). They all came clear, except that turns out I have a vitamin D deficiency. My levels are 7 and normal levels range from 30-100... she just gave me the results yesterday so today I’ll be on the hunt for vitamin d supplements as well as something that will help me with acid reflux, indigestion, etc. 

    I’ll be drinking tasteless aloe Vera juice upon waking up and before going to sleep, as well as a licorice before every meal. Another thing I’ll try is drinking a spoonful of baking soda in luke warm water if my stomach is bothering me too much, and eating a red apple after dinner. I’ll also be cutting all gluten from my diet as I saw that has worked for some of you (yes I did read every single comment on this thread).

    I am really hoping that this isn’t anything serious. The internet can be a great tool but also a bad one, as I’ve already self diagnosed myself with the worst possible diseases.

    I’m in a constant fight with my own mind, I’m a healthy 27 year old female that does yoga four to five times a week and walk three miles five times a week... I keep telling myself it’s just acid reflux or the gastritis, but this uncomfortable feeling under the rib that doesn’t go away can be paralyzing and scary. Not to mention that I feel like I’m going crazy because nobody seems to believe me, and make me question if this is just in my head.

    Hang in there everyone ??

    I will update this if I feel better after using my remedies/supplements. 

    • lisalou36
      lisalou36 Thebubbleinside

      Posted

      I have exactly what you are describing. I went through every test you could imagine including a colonoscopy upper GI, all the blood work you could imagine, a heart monitor, hospital stays, Etc I found out I to have a vitamin D deficiency I started supplements 2 weeks ago. My symptoms come out of nowhere then stop for about a month and then return. I noticed this pattern and during the times that I don't have it I feel really good and when it comes back it seems to affect all areas of my body. Do you find any correlation with your. Period/ ovulating?

    • Thebubbleinside
      Thebubbleinside lisalou36

      Posted

      I’m in the same boat. When I have the symptoms it feels like my whole body is fragile and painful. Maybe that could be from all the straining of the muscles from tensing up (unconsciously). 

      Also the symptoms showed up right before my last period but didn’t go away when my period ended. 

      One thing I did notice is that my period ended after only two days and then came back after 24 hours which has never happened. I asked the dr if it was in any way correlated and she said no. And she also said I’m too young to have any sort of hormonal imbalance, and that periods do that sometimes and there was no reason to be alarmed.

      I noticed I have a few broken capillaries on the side of my left rib, which also might be from the straining of the muscles in that area. 

      I’ve been feeling better these past couple of days.

      This is what has helped me:

      A full glass of water as soon as I wake up followed by half a banana.

      Then I go to the bathroom and drink a shot of tasteless aloe Vera juice afterwards.

      Have a good breakfast (vegan, gluten free waffle with strawberries and blueberries).

      Go for a three mile walk

      Come back home and have a ln Organify smoothie with a spoonful of fiber flakes.

      Then I go on with my day and I try to have a healthy (not too fatty or acidic) lunch.

      Usually have a snack like some cucumber or apple slices.

      At night I have a healthy dinner

      Stop eating by 7pm and drinking water by 8:30

      Have a shot of aloe Vera right before going to bed.

      That routine has been helping a lot and I can sense the symptoms getting better. They’re still there but maybe it’ll take a few weeks with this routine until they can go away.

      Last night I forgot to have the aloe Vera shot before going to bed and the symptoms were killing me this morning! I think the aloe Vera really makes the difference. My father in law has bad acid reflux and he’s the one that recommended it. 

    • lisalou36
      lisalou36 Thebubbleinside

      Posted

      Im with you on the period connection. I've had hormone testing 2 times and it was normal. You're never too young to have hormone fluctuation! Don't let a doc tell you that! Our food is poison and will lead to that. Im trying to figure out what step to take next as I've had every test done I can think of! I'm deficient in vitD tho

    • Thebubbleinside
      Thebubbleinside lisalou36

      Posted

      I read somewhere on the internet that low levels of vit D can cause stomach issues so I’m very hopeful that my supplements will help. How much are you taking? I was prescribed 5000 units a day (my levels are super low). 

      I really wish I knew what’s happening to my body! I wish this uncomfortable bubble pain thing would just go away. 

      Are you under stress? 

      I am. I believe that most illnesses/diseases originate as stress. The brain is only capable of handling 40seconds of stress at a time if I remember correctly. So I’m thinking that my stress and love for spicy food have caught up and now are causing issues... and even more stress... 

      I’m so done with this! 

    • lisalou36
      lisalou36 Thebubbleinside

      Posted

      Im on 50,000 weekly! I had a feeling it was helping and then this last week it wasn't getting absorbed correctly and made me sick again. Now I'm on the mend. I have a total addiction to garlic triscuits. When I eat them daily for weeks, this happens every time!

    • Thebubbleinside
      Thebubbleinside lisalou36

      Posted

      Hi! I wanted to see how you’re doing?

      My rib pain is slowly going away! I’m at a point where I almost don’t have it at all...

      Also wanted to ask you if your breasts got tender when you started taking the vit d? 

      My breast tissue has been swollen for a few days and my left supraclavicular lymph node is swollen (just a tiny bit, though... the doctor said she’s not worried about it). I don’t know if it has anything to do with vit d but I guess I just want to link it to something so I don’t panic. 

      I went to the dr again a few days ago and she said the breast tenderness could be a hormone change/imbalance... can you believe that? Lol last time she told me I was too young for that! But I digress... 

  • Shortstakk
    Shortstakk someboy

    Posted

    I had the same symptoms as original post and after colonoscopy..found out I have a redundant colon (tortuos colon) better diet and exercise and fiber was recommended. And staying hydrated . Seems to be alot better and after dealing with digestive issuesfor almost a year and going through all kinds of tests..its a relief to know its not very serious. It could be in rare cases. I still have aching under left rib sometimes..i notice its more when i eat alot of meat and dont drink enough. Hope this gives some help. Oh..I had a ct scan before colonoscopy..they said it looked like diverticulitis. During prep for colonoscopy.. though gross..i felt fantastic. And dr said my colon was clean as a whistle. Just extra long and twisty
    • Shortstakk
      Shortstakk

      Posted

      Also.. for other posters.. i have been having menstrual issues during all of this also. Not sure how related to eachother.
  • stan09864
    stan09864 someboy

    Edited

    Update: Sigmoidoscopy clear as a whistle. 

    My symptoms:

    Random Bowel Movements some soft weeks then back to normal, for last 8 months. Lots of sounds coming from abdominal regions, popping feeling?

    Pain (not intense, 1-10 probably a 4) just feels like something is there like a bubble or balloon in my left side right under the rib cage. Worse when sitting, driving and laying on my left side.

    Sometimes the pain goes to the back and lower left side. Some days pain is almost absent, but some type of small pain is always present. And always in the same place. sad

    Tests done:

    Sigmoidoscopy, all clear, no inflammation no polyps. 

    Had Xray of chest and abdominal, no issues. No CT scan yet (they said im too young to risk the radiation age:33)

    Ultrasound of my left area showed no issues, other then non-obstructive stones in my left kidney.

    Had all bloodwork, including digestive bloodwork, no issues.

    No blood in stool

    Convinced myself I have PC cancer/tumor, anxiety is definitely kicking in really bad.

    Eating clean for 3 months, no change on symptoms for the most part.

    I'll keep you guys updated after my next visits.

    • roy3400
      roy3400 stan09864

      Posted

      i have the same situation as u but ive done only xray, ultrasound, cbc and some ther stuffs and all were clear. The doctor said to me that it maybe just a psychological thing. 😔 Though i started eating more on those rich in fiber and drink more water to help me with my bowels and it sure did help. It kinda subside those feeling of pressure / discomforr or some balloon inside. Maybe i also have a tortuous colon though the doctor never told me about it if i have that condition. Also i just found out from my xray that i have a mild rightward curvature on my thoracic spine. 

    • Thebubbleinside
      Thebubbleinside roy3400

      Edited

      I’m starting to believe mine is psychological sad stress related.

      I notice that when I’m out and about I tend to forget about the pain and I stop feeling it, until I remember again.

      Even at night when I’m asleep I tend to wake up and I remember the pain and start feeling it. 

      This morning I was doing great, no pain! No bubble feeling... then I got stressed out about something and it came back and hasn’t gone away...

      I’m not saying I’m certain that is in my head but it could be some sort of strained muscle that flares up with stress and gastro issues. 

  • jrm1321
    jrm1321 someboy

    Posted

    What happened next? How are your reports?

     

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