Advice on pain under ribs right side

@kzeiss CA-19 is a blood test for pancreatic cancer markers.

You are right in that sometimes it takes just that one doctor who is a great diagnostician … it’s like winning a lottery, eh!

Please let me know if you get any answers. I have been dealing with chronic diarrhea since June 2024. The pain under my right rib, just as you described, started shortly after. I can also get the pain on my left side but not as far over and not as severe and not nearly as often. The pain can range from very sharp and painful to dull aching. As you said, ibuprofen only helps mildly. I have to go lay down and put a heating pad on the area. My Gastro has run several tests. One was an ultrasound on my liver done in the office. It showed mild fatty liver which they dismissed. I do not drink alcohol now and never have. They did a ct scan w/contrast which only showed a 4 cm splenic aneurysm not worth having a surgeon look at yet and on left side. I have had tons of blood work and stool samples. I have not had an MRI or HIDA scan. Hope we both get answers.

I had very similar symptoms for over a year. Every day I would wind up laying on the bed doubled up. I had so many tests done no one found anything. And my primary noticed something on my blood work and said let's do a c scan of the liver and gallbladder. Sure enough gallbladder filled with stones. Gallbladder gone, pain gone.

Question… have you started any new meds? I get this pain and nothing shows up. Had all types of tests and even gallbladder removed. Finally figured out its when I start new meds and some interact with my body and causes this. I cant get an answer as to why it happens though. I just have to stop the meds for it to go away.

I have upper right side pain which we feel is most likely due to my PBC which was diagnosed a little over year ago. (Autoimmune liver disease). I’ve been put on Urosodil which has helped my liver enzymes but I still have the pain. I try to be careful on what I eat. Not real fatty foods or processed which is all hard to do. Some days it’s not bad at all and others not so good. My gastroenterologist is wondering if maybe I have gastroporesis where my food processes really slow. I’ve had belly issues the majority of my adult life so nothing would surprise me. We know it’s not gallbladder that was removed in 1980. Hopefully they find answers for you

I also have the right side pain under rib cage. My gastro doctor has done colonoscopy, endoscopy and CT scan with contrast. The only thing that was found was some scar tissue on my right lower lobe lung. The radiologist claimed this could be rubbing against intestines however how can that be based on them being in two different cavities?
Anyway, I don't have the best diet and I do like my occasional alcohol but mixing things up (such as eating so-called healthy and going dry) worsens my constipation issues and gerd. Hate all the meds such as nexium and linzess, et. al. I see all kinds of supplements regarding IBS-C and acid reflux but everything makes me bloat like I've swallowed a beach ball. The older I get the worse things get.
Recently tried HCL Betaine and pepsin and oh my gosh my stomach swelled up so bad I could hardly walk.
Whenever I wake up and I'm not like this I am very soon.
All the best to all of you out there struggling with these things.

This sounds like exactly what I’m experiencing! Have you had any updates?

Hi, @mhc59. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am glad you are finding others with similar experiences.

I am tagging @michael1012 for an update.

What symptoms bother you the most? Have been able to see a doctor?

Hello @michael1012 ,

Was wondering if you have found any answers for your pain. I have the same pain for 3 years now. My pain is under my right rib cage, stabbing pain, that goes down to right above my hip and the pain radiates to my upper and mid back. I have also started being more nauseous when I eat and sometimes my body won't digest ( this was consistently from baked goods and one time it was avocado oil type of chips) and in the middle of the night I will throw up ( this is a newer development, that has happened 4-5 times). I will say as someone who has had a tumor before, when I bend to the right, if feels like something is there that isnt supposed to be there.

I sought out help several years ago when I started having yellow and green loose stools, pain, bloating and diarrhea. First we tried to rule out the gallbladder with a HIDA test, this came back normal. They then did a colonoscopy and found inflammation the first time so they thought I might have IBD (family history). Started taking a prescribed anti inflammatory to see if it clears out, had a follow up colonoscopy which showed the inflammation gone so they chalked my situation up to IBS and said good luck.

I have triggers from food that consistently give me loose stools, pain and bloating-- however, my triggers are increasing or like you there is something else going on. The pain is 4-5 most days, up to 9 when I am really inflammed. Sometimes I can't sleep on my right side at night because the pain radiates all the way down my right side. I feel the best when I don't eat, then pain is a 2. I am beginning to think it could be my liver or I also had abdominal surgery in 2014, a laparascopy and a laparatomy-- my right ovary had a solid mass the size of a clementine-- this was pushing on my intestines.. I have wondered if there is scar tissue and for some reason it triggers the pain above.

I just keep hearing about all these stories of young people getting colon cancer. I ate badly my entire childhood. I want to seek help again because I am scared and I dont want to live in pain forever. Right now I just can't afford any more medical bills so I haven't gone. Hopefully that doesn't kill me one day.

Thank you. For over 10 years I have been suffering from similar symptoms. From 2016 to present, I went for ER evaluation at least twice yearly, had CT scans, ultrasound sounds and 2 MRIs, chest X-rays, 4 upper GI studies. Results: Chronic Gastritis, GERD. My GI surgeon performed a Laparoscopy for GERD, repair of Hiatal Hernia, Fundoplication.
In less than 5 months, my symptoms started; rt sided upper abdominal pain, radiating to right thoracic region, bloating in upper abdomen and radiating to my RT Hip to my right Groin. Presently and over the past eight months, I have abdominal flatulence that I cannot cope with despite taking bland diet, less carbs, sugar, very little fats, seeds, etc . Sorry about the length of my missive. Can I have an opinion of my GI status?
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