Sore left side located near left ribs. Hard stomach.

Pain in left side by rib cage, or towards the center. cramping when eating salad or Roughage. One friend had sand in gallbladder. test had to be done specifically to check. Nothing they could do outside of removing it, but it wasn't bad enough.

I have had at times a pinching or crampimg pain in my left side below the ribs and back. Last August I had a physical and everything checked out except that there was trace blood in my urine. I had an IVP, Cytoscopy, and an ultrasound of my kidneys and testicles. Nothing was found. As this year has gone on the pain has comes and goes and lately the pain is more noticable. Sometimes it is a throbbing sensation, sometimes pinching or cramping. It even sometimes feels like there is pressure or something pushing on that side. When I press on the area it seems the left side feels like my right, but a bit more pronounced. I will be going in for another check up soon, but I am concerned that something is just not right!!!!!! Any insight would be great!

No answers yet. My PCP has been gone for the last month during this all. I see her for a yearly exam on Monday. Hopefully she will have some insight. I will let you all know.



I have been having this problem since a kidney infection came about a few days after I saw my PCP about a pain (she said pinched nerve) in my neck/shoulder area. Anyway, the other doctors thought it was kidney stones since I was having blood in my urine. Had pelvic/abdominal R/O stone protocol scan & IVP & both showed no stones. I have cramping in my lower ab & lower back & pelvic area, more when I sit. It hurts into my hips. I have a bad cramp in my pelvic area after urination & intermittent burning and also intermittent difficulty urinating (sometimes don't feel finished/weak stream). This last urine was finally clean, so that's good. Maybe it's just the kidney(s) trying to heal after that severe infection (my white blood count was over 17).



Now here are the symptoms I have in common with you all: I have a pain in my left lower rib area (doctors keep saying "kidney pain") in my back. It feels like something is pushing on my ribs. I kept asking my husband if it was swollen, it feels swollen, but he says it's not. It is tender & when it gets bad, it feels like something is coming through to my front ribs. Sometimes it is tender in front under my ribs. Sometimes when I eat, it hurts after. My pain progresses throughout the day. A dull ache is always present reminding me of this pain all day long & into the night. It hurts to sit back in a chair, drive, or lay down. When I lay on the other side, I can feel a very mild version of the same left sided pain in my right side. I could never really sleep well on my back, and now I have an even harder time. I used to have mornings that weren't bad, but now the pain is moderate from the moment I wake up, sometimes it's bad at night & wakes me up. Later in the day I feel like from my last couple ribs down, abdomen & back all the way to my thighs , is just crampy & achy & hurts. I get these little "pain pokes" as I call them in my sides & pelvic area/groin. The worse the pain gets, the cramping gets worse. The vicodin helps but does not stop me from feeling the pain. It certainly does nothing for the cramping. I have been burping a lot also lately. (maybe meds?)



The doctors seem more concerned about the heart issue. I want to fix the cause of this pain. I think the pain is causing the heart issue. I have been having palpatations & a high pulse rate during this thing. My blood pressure is always good though, until this last appointment. It is usually 110/68 or so & this time it was 128/98. My palpatations have been becoming more frequent. I was extremely dizzy yesterday & thought I was going to get sick. I got a little light headed & misjudged the door & walked into the trim around the door & have a big welt on my elbow. The dizziness could be from the Inderal they put me on for the palps so I haven't pursued that symptom.

Guys, you need a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer. Also should have CT scan of ab area for possible Diverticulitis.

Well, I have nearly all the problems that you guys do. But, I was told I had a panic attack around 5 months ago, my 1st. ever episode, so I went home and tried to relax, and it has gotten almost unbearable, I went to the doctor again to see what was wrong, since the pain traveled from my chest to my Rib cage, that spreads from side to side, lower area of ribs, to my sternum. My Doctor did blood work and urine tests, both came back negative, and he is at a total lose. I went to WebMD (worst mistake ever) did the symptom checker and it went off on a random venture of kidneys stones, to blocked arteries, colon cancer, and most things that lead to death within minutes... this scared the heck out of me, as would it anyone, but my wife is 8 months along, and doesn't need the pressure of worrying about me. This is totally driving me nuts! And, the pain goes away, only when I drink beer... not medication nor excersise. If anyone has a clue of what's going on, and my Doctor is an id**t, then please let me know

I read through all posts and I am having the same pain as describe.

1) Pain is under ribs, left side of abdomen. It comes and go. Personally, I do not see much difference between before and after eating. Seating on the chair is sometimes confortable and the pain can be describe as an alien trying to get out my chest. My stomach feels tense in that area with no specific reasons.

2) few options are coming to my minds: Ulcer? Gall bladder (should be on right side per reading though) Something I don't know?

I feel everyone pain and anxiety as doctor does not seem to know how top pinpoint the problem. Been on acid reflux medecine but did not help. BTW I now avoid coffee and caffeine as an experiment.

Good luck to all as I am going to take an XRAY tomorrow.

I have the similiar pains. I have pain near my ribs in my back. It goes from left to right and most of the time settles on my left side. It sometimes has a burning sensation. It gets hard to deal with. It sometimes shoots pains around my sides and I have had this going on for years and I have been frustrated! I had a colonoscopy done ands tests on my pancreas and liver, x-rays and I have been to multiple docters just to be told that it is all in my head! This has been going on for about 4 years off and on. But lately it has been worse and hard to ignore! I went to another docter and he asked me about my stomach. I never noticed it before but when I get to hurting my stomach becomes upset, little enough to make me feel bad but I don't vomit or anything. Just makes me miserable. Any way... I have been taking some medication for gas. My doctor said that when you are stressed your stomach secretes more acid than needed which causes a gas build up in your stomach and it can make you hurt in all sorts of places. Since I have been taking it, I haven't had any problems. It is a temp. medicine. Not permanent and I try to relax more. That is why it is off and on. I feel most of my pain when I slow down at night and or go to bed. I think that it is because when I am up an moving I can deal with the pain more! I don't know. I hope this helps.

to the guy who wrote this Well, I have nearly all the problems that you guys do. But, I was told I had a panic attack around 5 months ago, my 1st. ever episode, so I went home and tried to relax, and it has gotten almost unbearable, I went to the doctor again to see what was wrong, since the pain traveled from my chest to my Rib cage, that spreads from side to side, lower area of ribs, to my sternum. My Doctor did blood work and urine tests, both came back negative, and he is at a total lose. I went to WebMD (worst mistake ever) did the symptom checker and it went off on a random venture of kidneys stones, to blocked arteries, colon cancer, and most things that lead to death within minutes... this scared the heck out of me, as would it anyone, but my wife is 8 months along, and doesn't need the pressure of worrying about me. This is totally driving me nuts! And, the pain goes away, only when I drink beer... not medication nor excersise. If anyone has a clue of what's going on, and my Doctor is an id**t, then please let me know


It sounds like you have anxiety/stress disorder. I have that with depression as well. and i have exactly every single symptom you have. Including it goes away with a beer or two. It's called you need to start relaxing, when you have a beer it realxes you thus taking away worry and anxiety and stress temporarily. For me i also smoke so that helps to relax me as well, but my pains come and go and sometimes can be really painful. Other times it's just there but not really painful just annoying because i know it's there. Other times i'm completley fine. It all depends on what i'm thinking about, worrying about, and stressing out about. My advice try to relax man, this actually worked out for me in one way, i found a bunch of articles on how sex and having the big O has a big effect on people with stress and anxiety problems. So my wife at the very least will give me a BJ every night right before bed so that i get a goodnights sleep. :-) god of loved readying those articles to her :-)

As silly as it sounds... you may check your bra size. 5 out of 6 woman wear the wrong size. This will also cause pain on both sides (near ribs and back). Just a helpful tip.

Hi i am also getting a pain in my left side only when i eat some thing and it it is any thing i eat triggers it off it not happening when i drink just when i eat i havent lost any weight far from it in fact i have put on weight this last year about 1 stone but this pain has only been happening this last thew days can any one sheed some light on it please . :-(

I'm feeling the pain myself, at present actually. I've been slightly paranoid about the number of (strong) antacid tablets I've been taking - it's only been one day but for an extended period. I get quite regular heart burn symtoms, and I tend to take the tablet with early symptoms, to 'hit it hard and early' so to speak. Perhaps a side effect? Perhaps common?

Has anyone checked into a helicobacter pylori bacteria issue? If your stomach is not the right pH this will get out of control. HCI and and Pepsin will factor in too. Also, the enviroment in your intestines can get out of balance from bad bacteria, yeast and maybe even parasites, especially if you have had antibiotics. None of these will show up on scans either.
A good digestive enzyme and probiotics may help. You can also take HCI and Pepsin if that is the problem. If you bring it up to a good GI doctor, he may be able to do some tests.

I have the same feeling. It's also on my left side in the stomach area near the rib cage. It's not pain but more like pressure and it occurs when I'm sitting or lying down. I've had a CT scan, Xray, and even a colonoscopy and everything came back normal. I was prescribed Amitiza because the doctor thought it was a case of chronic idopathic constipation, but that wasn't the case. I went back to the doctor today after 10 months of the pressure with no relief and the doctor gave me Prevacid and I have an upper endoscopy scheduled for Monday. I don't know what the problem is but its more uncomfortable than it is anything else.

For a few weeks I have had that same pain on my left side and now a few weeks later I felt it on the right. It stays mostly on the left. I also feel it more when I eat, drink or sit. I saw a doctor, he tested my blood, stool, and he did a CT scan with contrast and they saw nothing. He told me to drink benefiber and prilosec for 14 days, but the pain is still there. I am now been referred to a GI doctor. I will probably have a endoscopy to see the inside of my intestines for damage or any other problem. I read somewhere that it could be a gluten problem, like lactose intolerance. I read that it could be coelic disease. I look it up and it is a disease that damages the villi in your intestine. I would suggest you tell your doctor and see what he/she says. I did notice that when I drink or eat milk products it intensifies that pain.

i have had the same "pressure" for a few months now (as someone said before, it isn't painful, just irritating) it does seem to lessen when i drink or smoke, and when I'm away at university it pretty much disappears altogether...interestingly i drink more alcohol and consume much less milk and bread while at university (not sure if this is of any relevance) but the pressure came straight back as soon as I got back home...I'm going to try giving up dairy for a couple of weeks and see if that makes any difference, but i am starting to suspect it may be psychological. If I have any luck i will be sure to inform you guys :-)