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
shakeem29493 someboy
Posted
Hey, I know this post is rather old but did anybody ever seem to find out what this discomfort in the upper left abdom was? I have a very similar problem !
I have a really hard area on the left side of my abdomen just under my ribcage, generally its not painful but just uncomfortable however once in a blue moon it turns into a stabbing pain for a few hours which is painful every time I move. I am slim but if I breathe in and feel under the rib area there its like an oval shape which is quite firm and that's generally where the discomfort comes from.
I'm 22 and generally very healthy I work out regularly and eat healthily. I would say im slender and very tall
This usually effects me most when trying to sleep and has been going on for over a year now. The doctors have found blood in my urine several times also and I am just a little under in the red blood cell count. Also I find passing wind to be super uncomfortable and feels as if I have to force it out and it generally quite loud and I'm not sure how to describe it but its almost like an explosion hen it comes (of gas) I also have lower back pain and arthirtus as this runs in the family but I don't think this has anything to do with it.
So far I have had an x-ray on my lungs (as it started to become really painful when I had a cold It almost felt like it was moving when I coughed and was painful when coughing. This was all clear. I then had an ultra sound and nothing was found and then an xray on my kidneys and bladder once again nothing came up. I have also had an endoscopy I think it was ( a camera up my anus) once again this was clear.
I'm just really worried because the doctors seem to think I am going crazy but this is the most annoying thing ever. I can feel it 90% of the time and I know that something is wrong the last thing I need is to find out that this was serious and could of been prevented before.
IF YOU HAVE ANY HELP OR ADVISE PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!
shakeem29493
Posted
deborah82032 someboy
Posted
I too just started having problems with my bowels that sounds very similar to you. Went on a 4 day trip around new years, Prior to this I noticed that I was going to bathroom a little more often. I would go and have a normal size bm, 30 minutes later go again and have a soft pile of bm, then go 30 minutes later and the bm would be like diahrrea. A few days after I came back home, I felt some discomfort down on my lower left side. Then I noticed I wasn't having the urge to go and I felt distended and tight. A few days later I saw my Gastro Dr and he said I was constipated and to take Miralax, He never checked my stomach area at all. I am not getting any urge at all and my BM's go from small slivers, to a small soft pile, to small round balls and back to small slivers. The lower dull ache comes back and then the area becomes sore due to me pushing on the area there. The miralax is not doing much for me. I just want to have the urge to come back and have normal looking bm's. I have also been under alot of stress and worry. I know that can affect you, however this is crazy. I just want answers.I have never experienced this before. My Gastro Dr. reviewed my Colonoscopy test from 2017 and said there was no sign of cancer from the test done in March 2017. He asked me if my kidneys were working and I told him yes. I also have a complex cyst on my left kidney and two small polps in my bladder. Worried that it might be related to this. Will give it a few more days and if things don't get better, I plan to get more aggressive with my Gastro Dr. I just want to know why the sudden change in my bowel habits.
bruce93441 deborah82032
Posted
sohail65201 someboy
Posted
It remained for the last 03 weeks and now has also accompanied along the pain of the right ribs at the same lower portion of the ribs.
As, I do touch the ribs with the finger, so sensation is being felt of the ribs, which occurs with a slight sense of pain too.
mr.me51593 someboy
Posted
https://www.steadyhealth.com/topics/stomach-pain-after-masterbation , look at the link , I think this might be the problem , please read the posts ,
j72702 someboy
Posted
DavidBEsq someboy
Posted
I've had a similar problem to others in this thread -- a strong pressure and dull ache on my left side, behind my ribs, about three inches below my nipple. I've had it for 3 weeks. I have no other symptoms, and have regular bowel movements. It definitely gets worse when I eat. Over the last few days it has been less frequent, but came roaring back after lunch today. After a few hours it subsided, and one difference today is I felt it "gurgle" a couple of times, and it subsided more. I had an xray - no kidney stones. I have an ultrasound tomorrow. Through all my research my strongest suspicions are : 1) gallstones/pancreatitis; 2) IBS; 3) a virus/parasite. Possibly relevant facts: (1) I have been on the Atkins diet (lots of fat and protein, very low carbs) on and off the last 2 years. Most recently I was on it Thanksgiving through Christmas, took a break over the holidays, then started again Jan 3 or so. This thing started right about the same time. (2) the first time I felt it my 17 lb cat was lying on my left side. I chalked it up to a digestive issue at the time (like, if your pants are too tight after eating and it causes cramps.
If the ultrasound shows nothing I plan to go back to eating normally, with low fat/meat, and see if that takes care of the problem. Will report back.
DavidBEsq
Posted
lisalou36 DavidBEsq
Posted
I have so many of your same symptoms its unreal. I've been in the hospital 3 Times, emergency colonoscopy, upper g.i, catscans, rare bloodwork, heart monitor you name it. Nothing is wrong so far! I stopped going to the bathroom for 6 weeks just about when it started and after 5 months I'm better. No reason why except I take 30ml of milk of magnesium every night before bed. I did 3 rounds of ammoxicillin too but didn't seem to help. The spasms are back this week but thinking gas, no other symptoms. Mine started with a virus too and cannot sleep on left side. Can't breath when I do
DavidBEsq lisalou36
Posted
You had no bowel movements for 6 weeks? That seems really serious. I haven't had that problem - I'm going to the bathroom regularly. When you say spasms, you mean some kind of convulsion, or just pressure? Mine is pressure, and mild pain similar to a stitch in your side when you run.
lisalou36 DavidBEsq
Posted
Yes, it was awful. That's why they did the emergency colonoscopy. I've been normal since then, but they didn't find anything wrong. Spasms like a muscle twitch or fluttering. I got them under the left ribcage.
DavidBEsq
Posted
My ultrasound results showed a few abnormalities, but nothing the doctor thought explained my problem, nor required any further testing. Having not eaten much the prior 24 hours, I found the following line interesting: "Pancreas: Distal body tail obscured by bowel gas." If the pressure is just gas, then why has it been so constant and in a weird place (when I get gas, it's always in my belly, not this high).
I have to get a regular colonscopy anyway, so hopefully either by cleaning my system out or the exam itself I'll find an explanation (or it will go away).
lisalou36 DavidBEsq
Posted
DavidBEsq lisalou36
Posted
So, I'm feeling better. I took metamucil for 3 days - but stopped it because it made me too bloated and crampy. Got that pressure on my left side after I ate twice in the last few days, but it's been better each time. Then today I had a very large bowel movement (which my girlfriend just loved hearing about), and for the first time in 3 weeks I feel no symptoms. I think something I ate messed up my digestion, or it was a weird virus that attacked my digestive system. Think I had a partial blockage in my colon. Either way, I seem to be getting past it. We'll see what the gastroenterologist says on Tuesday.
DavidBEsq
Posted
It's now 2 months after the onset of this problem. It still comes and goes, but never as intense as those first 3 weeks. I had a colonoscopy and it found nothing. Before that I had an ultrasound which also found nothing. It seems to return after I eat, but not every time. It flares up when I sleep on my left side (I'm a stomach sleeper). So, it seems as though it must be digestion related. The next thing I would do is an endoscopy to look at my stomach. I'm going to give it a little more time.
Has anyone had an MRI for this?
I've read all of the comments and I don't think anyone has ever had an actual diagnosis of something, but if you have, please say!