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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

434 Replies

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  • stephen_88243
    stephen_88243 someboy

    Edited

    Hi there.

    I am somewhat relieved to see I'm not the only person suffering from these symptoms. Not meant unkindly!! I've been getting so worried about it.

    For a few weeks now I permanently have this pressure just under the left side ribs and irregular bowel movements. I was as regular as clockwork before but in the summer I was admitted to hospital two times with very serious upper UTI. Since then I have been left with these symptoms.

    The discomfort on my left side is not unbearable but is so unpleasant as though something has swollen up inside and is about to burst.

    Sometimes I cant even rest my arm on my left side because I can feel something there and it makes me feel horrible. I have to take care how I am positioned when sitting and I find driving quite uncomfortable. I keep wondering if my left kidney is all swollen up for some reason.

    Last week I had blood and urine tests because I've been on Ciprofloxacin for 2 weeks incase there's an infection. Tests came back normal. The Consultant physically felt around my abdomen area and said he could not detect anything unusual!! So how come I am still living in this horrible discomfort and fear about what it might be. Everytime I eat or drink something my stomach gurgles and grumbles like crazy. It's so scary. Keep thinking stomach cancer etc etc. And yet the doctors and hospital don't seem that concerned.

    I am booked in for an Abdo CT scan next week so I am just praying to get some answers from that. I just hope it's not a horrific answer.

    Any suggestions or input from anyone would be gratefully received.

    • stu40900
      stu40900 stephen_88243

      Edited

      Hi Stephen, I too have had the same symptoms. Started with going to the toilet 2-3 times an hour and pain in my bladder area. After 6 months it's a nagging pain below my left rib which doesn't prevent me from doing any thing physical, it's now a mental thing.

      From what I've experienced over the last year, injuries, family deaths, anxiety attacks, it points to anxiety. I've seen a urologist, had bloods taken etc and everything is normal. I'm fit, 45, don't smoke etc. Any one else experienced the same thing???

    • Blitz95
      Blitz95 stephen_88243

      Posted

      Hello Stephen, 

      Ive been looking through this thread and my symptoms match to yours the most. I started feeling it after I recovered from a UTI, and it is still going. How did your CT scan turn out. Please get back to me as the anxiety is driving me insane. Hopefully, you are feeling better. 

    • lalaim28547
      lalaim28547 stephen_88243

      Posted

      Hi Stephen.

      I too had a UTI and started feeling a pressure under my left ribcage. No pain, but it's worrisome. My BMs are mostly OK; I had some constipation but it's better now. Did you ever find out if the ribcage pressure was associated with the UTI? How are you doing now?

    • Light1971
      Light1971 stephen_88243

      Posted

      Hi there, did you ever find out the cause? I have exactly the same symptoms!

  • Guest
    Guest someboy

    Edited

    Hi. I know you posted a long time ago but I'm having exactly the same symptoms. Did the treatment for kidney stones worked?

    Since I was 17 (29 now), I remember having this uncomfortable feeling in my left side after eating a heavy meal but it would usually last a day. Right now I've had this feeling for 2 months and it's accompanied by changes in bowel movements, bloating, and an excessively ridiculous amount of burping and nausea. I had been tested for my ovaries, uterus, liver, complete blood count, urine, celiac, autoimmune reactions, h. Pylori. And everything came back normal. The pain doesn't go away with any medicine for acid or nausea. I read someone mentioned gastroparesis and I'm being tested for that next week but hadn't considered kidney stones until I read your post. After reading a ridicule amount of articles I'm thinking it might be something with the pancreas too, but my lipase test came back normal. Doctor mentioned it could be IBS but haven't give up yet until finding the cause. I've noticed the pain gets worse after eating or drinking gassy foods or carbonates sodas but the worst is definitely after drinking alcohol. I hope you or anyone reading my post could know something about this symptoms.

    • royalty
      royalty Guest

      Posted

      Hi would love to know if you got answers to your health I'm having lots of pressure not exactly pain flatulance awful nausea mine started under left rib has now gone right across to liver area mine feels just like I've got something inside trying to burst out I also have heartburn sometimes I'm so scared of going go dr in case I have to have camera down throat 

  • dana50064
    dana50064 someboy

    Posted

    I have been having the same thing for the past week. It is sometimes higher or lower, and I am not sure why. I was worried about it, so I went to the urgent care and they did a urine test and it came back fine. They said it was probably something in my intestines or abdominal wall. Frustrated as I don't really know which doctor to go to or if any of tehm will say it is anything but anxiety. Trouble is it is giving me MORE anxiety if anything. Curious to see if anything has helped anybody.

    • markm247
      markm247 dana50064

      Posted

      I wouldn't let it worry you. I have had this for years and all of the research I have done has led me to believe it something intestinal but not something to be concerned about. It is frustrating how little doctors (even experts) know about a condition that obviously affects a large number of people but try not to let it concen you or interfere with your life. Hope this helps!

  • katabira36770
    katabira36770 someboy

    Posted

    How are u sir .. i was aksing if u also feelt some kind dull or burn when u lie on yo the left side ..?
    • someboy
      someboy katabira36770

      Posted

      no nothing like that and actually seem to have got rid of the pain by stopping eating breakfas cereal. Tiredness and Fogginess are my main issues at the moment.
  • Kit88
    Kit88 someboy

    Edited

    Hi someboy,

    I have had the exact same symptoms for almost 2 years now. I have had pretty much every test you can do including colonoscopy, contrast scans, blood work, and even surgery to see if endometriosis could be the issue. Every test comes back normal. No one can figure out what is wrong. I've tried cutting out gluten and dairy but I still feel completely drained and the brain fog is terrible, no improvements with the side pain/bowels. Have you had any luck with an answer for what this could be?

    • Guest
      Guest Kit88

      Edited

      Have any of you guys read about this two topics:

      1) systemic candidiasis

      2) splenic flexure syndrome?

      I'm thinking our problem might be one of those 2, specially the second one. It's directly related to idiopathic chronic pain in the left side and excessive belching.

    • someboy
      someboy Kit88

      Posted

      Hi Kit88, not really had much luck in getting any further with this im afraid.

      As I have mentioned previously cutting out breakfast cereal seemed to stop the side pain for me but can't get to the bottom of the tiredness and fogginess.

      Have to say as a bit of an experiment I have tried drastically reducing the amount of Carbs I am eating over the last couple of weeks and I am feeling marginally better I think but no idea what that tells me really so not really any further forward.

    • someboy
      someboy Guest

      Posted

      Thanks for the suggestions. Looking at the symptoms of the 2nd one I am not sure that fits with my symptoms.

      Candida though is something that whenever I am looking online with regards to my symptoms keeps cropping up again and again but then what I read about it online seems very split.

    • Rosiewrites
      Rosiewrites someboy

      Posted

      I went through very similar symptoms as you about a year ago and went through a whole bunch of tests including colonoscopy, ultrasounds etc then my doctor suggested a simple blood test for celiac and it showed high numbers of something ( cant recall right now) but it was a flag that maybe it was gluten related. I had further testing endoscopy which showed no celiac damage but doctor suggested avoiding all gluten. That was a challenge but it was worth trying for sure. It took a long time and lots of discipline but it has been a year now and since then Ive learned that gluten can cause constipation, bloating, migraines, brain fog, fatigue, and the list goes on. The most obvious symptom which dissappeared was the left rib dull ache and pressure. It reappeared whenever I was accidentally glutened as they say. So I hope this helps you because its frustrating when you are used to feeling great then your whole being is turned upside down and your mind races.

      So do a bit of reading on non celiac gluten sensitivity/ intolerance and you might try going gluten free for a few months and see how you feel. Good luck.

    • beth66217
      beth66217 Rosiewrites

      Posted

      Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I will certainly give it some consideration. Thank you very much
    • roger28587
      roger28587 Rosiewrites

      Posted

      Hello Someboy and Rosiewrites;

      Well, I thought I was crazy, and glad to have found this string.

      I am a 45 yo male and in October  2017 I had a dull but strong pain 1-2 fingers below my rib cage on the left side to center, followed by being dizzy, and crushing fatigue.  Later on came bloating, bowl issues and concentration issues (brain fog).  Prior I was very focused and now not so much as this has persisted now for 4 months.

      I have been to the cardiologist  and completed multiple stress tests, with no issues.  I have had an ultrasound, endoscopy, and neck to pelvic CT with neg results.  I have tested negative for H-Pilori, and Celiac disease.  I have removed coffee, nicotine (gum), soda, and gluten from my diet, and while each has had short term results, the dull pain has returned.  

      I am on aspirin and Lipitor. Anyone else?

      I wish you all well and hope someone posts an actionable solution.

      Thanks

       

    • lisalou36
      lisalou36 roger28587

      Posted

      Wow. Our story is the exact same. I just got better after 5 months. I was deficient in vit d (15) and after taking supplement I got better but might be a coincidence. I've had colonoscopy, upper gi, heart monitor, stress test, 2 echo, head,abdominal and pelvic Ct scan and sooo much bloodwork. Nothing is wrong!

    • roy3400
      roy3400 lisalou36

      Posted

      lisalou36 im happy you are well now.. i am experiencing it right now so maybe i could try taking some vitamin D as well. Thank you. 
    • Grantanamis
      Grantanamis Rosiewrites

      Posted

      Thank you all for your input on these issues. I recently have been experiencing similar discomfort in my middle to left lower rib cage area. 3-4 months now this discomfort is hard to explain to others that aren’t experiencing it so this thread is very helpful.  I would say I have endured in the past the GI scope and celiac test (negative) But then discovered although I’m not celiac I do have a wheat/gluten allergy.  This allergy in the past has caused discomfort but I’ve been able to handle small amounts of gluten. I think through reading some of your posts though I see now that it is progressively getting worst and in the last few months with extra stress, life changes, moving and job changes I’ve fallen off my GF diet.  Now I am experiencing a new frustrating level of discomfort. Pressure under the ribs, excess acid feelings, feelings of being over full or extremely bloated after even small meals and a change in BM’s. Then of course the anxiety, fear, fatigue, brain cloudiness that accompanies it.  I have been trying over the last couple of weeks to regain my discipline and be 100% GF (disappointed to discover carmel at Starbucks has Gluten argh!) so not perfect but hope that this and cutting out alcohol and 100% back to healthy foods this discomfort will go away.  My GP says ultrasound is next step if I choose. 

      I wonder if Gluten is a big culprit for many others? I will see if it helps me when I again am 100% GF. I hope so. Thanks all!

    • Susanshaine
      Susanshaine Grantanamis

      Posted

      Having nearly same experience. Never thought about gluten, wondering if the Viramin D and B-12 deficiencies and supplements mentioned above are a result of most of our B-12/Vitamin D comes from bread & dairy products which seem to have the highest number of gluten & dairy intolerant adults (or adults whofor some reason or another have a hard time digesting gluten or lactose and therefore don’t absorb the b & d vitamins their products are enriched with.

      I honestly felt at my end then found this thread of people with same scary weird symptom.  I was going to ask a dr about B-12 shot as I think I remember my whack grandma used to get them religiously every 3 months and then suddenly be a slightly tolerable human.

      I’m going to super sleuth more info on this and I hope I can find us all some answers so at the very least we can ditch the anxiety while we’re burping at the wrong moment. 😉

      Please let us know how you’re doing.

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