Abdominal pain under rib cage left side...Feels like A Charlie Horse

[ltldrmr67]

Did you have your tubes tied or do you have filshi clips ? If you have clips of any type on your filopian tubes, it's possible one could've come loose and migrated in that area. You should see an internal medicine Doctor and have bloodwork done to check for infection, check liver enzymes, kidneys...etc.... I felt the same way and my bloodwork was good except my H.Pylori count was high in the 60s. I never even heard of H.Pylori before until my Internal Specialist called me in for a follow up on my blood work. H.Pylori is a stomach infection and is generally treated with antibiotic therapy such as Prev Pack which consists of Previcid, Biaxin and amoxacillin. Most everyone has it apparently, just some people have lower counts from 30 or below. Anything higher than 30 is a sign of infection in the stomach. Alot of people with ulcer problems have a high count and don't even know it! Family practice doctors just treat the person for the ulcer pains and check your blood for chol.,sugar,thyroid etc... which also is a good thing also. H.Pylori apparently comes from the foods we eat. Stay away from Buffet Restaurants where everyone puts their hands in the food.If you are really concerned, See an internal specialist Hope that helps. Good luck Shelly>

Hello, New to this forum and glad to meet you all.

I am a 38 year old Smoking Housewife with no medical insurance, about 180 pounds....have gained about 30 pounds since starting work on the computer 3 years ago, and dont get alot of physical exercise, so I am in an upright posistion alot of days and of course bending forward with not so great posture.

Other than generalized getting older and general aches and pains Im healthy.

I have had SEVERE bouts of pain on my left side, just beneath my rib cage in the stomach area, for about 7 years.

The pain isn't always present, it comes and goes but I never have it when im standing or laying down (only when Im sitting) , It can be brought on sometimes by coughing or even twisting/bending my body to the left ,right or foreward, doing sit ups, getting out of bed or for no apparent reason at all, but not every time, and I cant reproduce the pain for the doctor.

Severity of the pain...UNBELIEVABLE !!! On a scale of 1-10 it is always a 8-9 during the episode.
It almost feels like a charlie horse in my stomach, or severe labor pains but ALWAYS in the same spot ..I can put my finger on it every time..It's the same exact spot.
No chance that Im pregnant Ive had a tubal 15 years ago, and as mentioned this has been ongoing for about 7 years.
The muscles in my stomach area completely contract and I cant hardley breath in or out untill it passes.
It lasts about 30 seconds and then stops leaving a sore,bruised feeling for an hour or so in that area.

I can apply pressure with my hand to the spot and be very still or lay down as I feel the muscles begin to contract and that will usually delay or stop the full blown spasm for awhile or a day.
There's no bruising, I cant feel any lumps, it used to only happen about once a month ( sometimes It wouldnt happen for 3-6 months) but recently it has been more frequent happening 1-2 times per week.

It doesnt cause fever, and im not dibilitated except when im having the pain.
I am constipated and gassey quite often ( I think I should be going more than I do),I get indigestion often but hardley ever have diarhea.
These dont feel like gas pains, they are extremely more severe than that.
I dont loose my appetite,I dont take laxitives because I hate the stomach ache produced by them.

The only meds I take are Advil or aleve for pain ,claritin for allergies and Nyquil when I have a cold.

I also occasionally get a burning achey feeling in my back, towards the top between my shoulder blades, it's a radiating ache no more severe on one side than the other, but occasionally radiates up the right side of my neck ... usually brought on during colder weather or times when im stressed or smoking more than usuall , I thought it comes from my lungs and was a URI but my general physician always says my lungs sound fine, so maybe it is coming from muscles ?
I might add, taking Nyquil seems to help the pain between my shoulder blades.

I have brought these pains to the attention of my general physician for years and she looks at me as though she's puzzled so I stopped even bringing it up to her because she makes me feel stupid, I am not a hypochondriac .

7 Years ago she put me on anti-depressants after my 5 - 6 th complaint about these pains , I assumed she was thinking that I was too stressed and freaking myself out , I stopped taking them after the first 6 months or year because the pains didnt stop and I didnt feel depressed even in the begining .
I dont take pain pills so I turned those down when they were offered and told her I dont want a band-aid , I want to know whats wrong.

She says it could be alot of things (possibly more than one thing) and I should have an MRI done but I cant afford that.


Any ideas?

[Peace Train]

I have been suffering with the exact symptoms. I realize that so many of us have. We keep getting jerked around by doctors--tested and treated for illnesses we don't have. Sometimes eventually even getting illnesses we shouldn't get due to their incompetence.

I've finally learned this is most likely Candidia albicans that has overgrown in the intestinal tract. My incidents of intense sharp pain usually occur following a round of antibiotics. I am about to start self care, because most western doctors do not recognize this.

Visit curezone.com for more info. Basically get off sugars/carbs, get on probiotics, get off antibiotics, antacids, birthcontrol pills (if possible). Some herbal remedies help as well.

I know how painful this condition is--I was almost passing out from the pain in the airport the other day--stress and fatigue seem to be factors as well. Oh, colon cleansing with apple cider vinegar definitely also does help to get this toxic overgrowth out as well and the pain does subside. But you do have to change your lifestyle!

Good luck!

[Unregistered]

OMG! I have looked and looked all over the web for an answer to this problem! This is the first time I've run into anyone who has the same issue. My symptoms are SHARP cramping pain just up under my left ribs. Cramps lasts for 4 minutes, very painful on a scale of 1-10, I'd say a 9. When they stop, then all is well and I have no other issues. Cramp is brought on by any stomach muscle exertion (like sawing or sit ups or pulling), ****** (BIG bummer), or bending over or squatting. Cold food or liquids can be felt in the same area, but don't produce cramps.

One doctor said it was IBS----wrong! One doctor said it could be a spasm in the diaphragm. Possible. I had an ultrasound done of the left abdominal quadrant, everything was normal. X-rays of same area showed nothing. Colonoscopy is probably next. Any further info or developments would be greatly appreciated. I'll keep checking back.

[Unregistered]

I have had the exact same pain for over 10 years. I have had MRI's of the aorta, spine and gal bladder. Also I just completed a colonoscopy and endoscopy. NOTHING!!!! It is interesting to read other posts. My pain is mostly when I am standing up. I am a teller at a bank and am doing a lot of standing. I am with the other folks that think it is a charlie horse of the abdominal muscle. But what do we do about it?

curious

[Unregistered]

I have had the exact same pain for over 10 years. I have had MRI's of the aorta, spine and gal bladder. Also I just completed a colonoscopy and endoscopy. NOTHING!!!! It is interesting to read other posts. My pain is mostly when I am standing up. I am a teller at a bank and am doing a lot of standing. I am with the other folks that think it is a charlie horse of the abdominal muscle. But what do we do about it?

curious

Hi. I also have experienced this sharp intense pain just below the very last left rib. When it happens, I'd feel faint from the pain. My goodness. It may last for about 10mins. I haven't had any tests done. But will be talking to my dr about it on Wednesday. I am female, 29. I started experiencing this since 2001. It only comes by once in a blue moon. It's in the same area where I feel cramp from running, also on the left. So I am thinking and also hoping that it's only muscle related problems.

[Unregistered]

Iv just turned 21 and gettin the same thing , my doctor never knew what it was and also told me its anxiety attackes and offered me anti depressents it cant be that tho i never satarted the course as im not depressed , im up at 3 am as i just had the pain about 40 mins ago and i get woken from my sleep with it , it starts off with a bad ache under my ribs and across the top of my back by shoulders , then it comes on strog a few mins later where im doubled over not able to straighten up and humming in pain while rocking myself back and fourth , its worse than labour pains and i should know i had a baby 3months ago the pain makes me want to vomit its unbearable sometimes im weak and crying while its happenin its like a contraction it lass about 25mins and i spray deap heat all over my back while this is happening it seems to help but im worried there is somthing seriously wrong?

[Unregistered]

Oh my goodness people.. I have the same exact thing and I have been told it is possibly due to lack of calcium or potassium... my doc recommended that I drink Tonic Water because it has quinine in it. Quinine used to be used as a treatment for Malaria, but can be used as a muscle relaxant. It has (in the past) been used for treatment of nocturnal leg cramps and arthritis. *(No wonder so many old people drink it!) But anyway... thought I would offer this information.. it did NOT help me, but if you can stomach tonic water, try it out. There's also a vitimin called q12 my doctor recommended, which didn't help me either, but maybe it will help somone out there. ... Doctors may still prescribe quinine, but the FDA has ordered firms to stop marketing unapproved drug products containing quinine.

Please note (taken directly from the FDA website)
[Posted 12/12/2006] FDA informed healthcare professionals and consumers that the Agency ordered firms to stop marketing unapproved drug products containing quinine, citing serious safety concerns, including deaths associated with quinine products. There are multiple unapproved products containing quinine currently on the market, used off-label to treat leg cramps and similar conditions. Since 1969, FDA received 665 reports of adverse events with serious outcomes associated with quinine use, including 93 deaths. Quinine drugs are associated with serious side effects, such as cardiac arrhythmias, thrombocytopenia, and severe hypersensitivity reactions. Qualaquin, manufactured by Mutual Pharmaceutical Company, is the only quinine product approved by the FDA.


I'm not a doctor, I don't play one on tv, but if this helps anyone dealing with the same type of cramps I have, then that's a start. I plan on printing your information and taking it to my doctor to show him exactly what I'm talking about (and as proof that other people actually have this same problem) ... thanks for your info. Enjoy mine

[Unregistered]

I have occassional "spasm" near the front lower ribs. Usually after bending and straining like when doing a sit up. Very painful. Feels sore for days. One explanation I found that seems to explain this, that has not been mentioned is " Costochondritis and Tietze Syndrome ". Try looking up those terms and see if it sounds right.

[GoodGuesser]

I experience this under the rib cage, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left and I have to do some deep breathing till it passes or it will hurt like a bruise for days.

My guess, and I'm a pretty good guesser (I just diagnosed my own shingles with the help of google, of course :-))......is that it might be a hiatal hernia. I rushed to the hospital and got the antiviral pills which probably kept me from suffering more than I did.

I asked a heart doctor about it and he said, Well, it's NOT your heart!

I haven't really mentioned it to any other doctors since.

I wish someone knew what it was. It's quite excruciating and worrisome.

[lorajean]

I have experienced this for years. It started when I was about 30 and would only happen when I am sitting, leaning, twisting but all when sitting or leaning hard. It always happens on my RIGHT side and only subsides when I drive my thumb into it under my ribs....I can actually feel the muscle cramp. At first when it all started years ago ( I am 43 now) the cramp was about the size of a quarter and would last only a few minutes but it was a few minutes of intense charley horse action! I would drive my thumb in until it left and sometimes....many times actually, it would come back instantly just like a charley horse would. I would always hav a bruise on the skin afterward from the pressure of my thumb. When I was stressed really bad around age 39 the charley horses were nonstop and went to the ER several times only to be sent back home. The last time I went I demanded some answers so they admitted me. I am a good ol' country girl from Maine and I can take a lot of pain! When they asked the pain # I told them 9+. My long time doctor then knew something was wrong because he knows I'm not a sissy. He ordered an array of tests and EVERYTHING came back normal...not even my gallbladder was acting up - NOTHING! They put me on morphine because it was so constant....well, after talking with my dad on the phone he told me that my grandfather had the same thing and so does my aunt on my fathers side....guess what? No answers! Doctors just assume it is my diaphram spasming. No known cause OTHER THAN if I eat regular interval meals It happens much less! The other day I had an "attack" and the charley horse was long and bumpy (about 4 inches long and about an inch or so wide) and as I drove my thumb into it I could feel it spasming....literally! It was so weird to feel with the thumb and as much as it hurt I was amazed and fascinated! The best thing I have found is to stand up, twist and arc your back while driving your thumb into it until it goes and wait until next time. It actually feels like a rock in there with my thumb! Whatever it is, might be a hereditary thing? I have an identical twin sister and she does not have the problem.