So over the past year, I have encountered three incidents of discomfort/pain on the right hand side of my upper abdomen (I think -- the pain is right below my right breast). These incidents happen every couple of months. The first two were more uncomfortable than painful, but it was enough to wake me up from sleeping. The pain feels like there is an apple-sized lump within my gut. When it happens, it is constant. It does not get better or worse, nor does it come in waves or throb. It is a steady, constant discomfort. It lasts about 3-4 hours before it finally subsides. There are no other symptoms that accompany the incidents. No nausea, no fever, no diarrhea, no dizziness, no difficulty breathing...just the discomfort. Changing my position does not help, although if I take a deep breath in while sitting up, it hurts.

The third and most recent incident was similar in location and the feeling of the lump inside my rib cage; however, the pain on this was immense. On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain was an 8. When I sat upright and tried to take a deep breath in, it was agony! I went to the emergency room where they drew blood, did an EKG, took a chest X-ray, and even tried a CT scan (they thought that I might have a blood clot). While I waited for the results, they gave me Toradol and Morphine to ease the pain. The meds they gave me did, indeed, ease the pain, but I could still feel that apple-sized lump inside my rib cage. I spent 4 hours in the emergency room, but all the tests were negative. I really don't want to feel that kind of pain ever again, so I would like to solve this mystery. Does anyone have any ideas?

There is a history of gall stones in my family, but I have never experienced it. My appendix was removed 28 years ago. I do suffer from chronic bile reflux and acid reflux. I am also on a slew of medications, but nothing new. I have been on these meds for five years so far. Please. Any help would be greatly appreciated.