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pain in left upper ribs, for a year! ?

Hello. For a year I have had pain below my left breast, feels like it is behind my ribs. I can almost pin point the spot of pain. The pain has came and went and most I feel it when I need to pass gas or have a BM. I do have GERD and take Pepcid 20mg 2x a day. About 2 weeks ago I caught a stomach virus which made it way worse. I've been trying to be careful and watch it but in the last 3 days it feels like someone kicked me in the ribs. They are sore and achy. It is WAY worse when I bend over, exhale a large breath, sneeze, cough,turn to my left, etc. It is sore to the touch, but if I lightly press on the area it makes me feel as if I need to pass gas.

I have been to the Dr. and all they keep telling me is to take Pepcid but I do not like to be in pain. The strange part is when I am standing it is better and this morning I noticed if I lay on my stomach it feels better! If I put my hand on the area and press lightly when I need to cough or sneeze it is not as bad either. This morning when I laid on it I actually felt better, like the pressure helped!

At times I have even felt it in my side.

I try not to eat much dairy to see if that was the problem. I do know I ate lasagna today which was very cheesy and got more gas build up which is making sitting very uncomfortable.

Nothing seems to help it that I have tried so far. I am 27, female and overall pretty healthy (I do have poly cystic ovarian syndrome). I am a bit over-weight though (about 60 to 70lbs)

I am trying to find a new dr. but it is not easy living in NYC and around the holidays and I'm sick of being told it is just GERD.

Any help is welcome!

PS- PLEASE do not tell me to see a doctor or go to the ER. I have done all this many times and just get the same answer,

3 Answers

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  • Jess Q
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Maybe you should see a nutritionist or keep a log of what you are eating and when the pain really hurts, then you could see if another food you eat a lot was causing it without you realizing it. My friend had a problem because she was eating ham with ranch dressing.

  • 1 decade ago

    **Check any and all advice you receive with your doctor first. Then:

    You don't want to hear it, but: YOU MUST SEE A DOCTOR, if only to insist that he/she refer you to a gastroenterologist, a specialist in digestive system disorders and diseases of the digestive tract (esophogus, stomach, small and large intestines...). That person should order X-rays, MRI scans, etc., and he/she will likely have you write down everything you eat for a week or more, on top of taking a personal/family history to help rule out the possibility of a genetic disorder/disease.

    Odd as it sounds, if you still have pain, make sure you have not fractured a rib. (The X-rays should show this). What a lot of people don't realize is that it's a fairly common thing to not connect certain levels of pain with small rib fractures.

    If the pain persists after the gastroenterologist, your next stop is a food allergist. You may have an allergy to a certain food that can be cleared up by simply avoiding the food in question.

    All that Pepsid is not good for you. Stop taking it and see what happens. Pepsid and other drugs like it are not meant to be used more than one or two weeks at a time, tops. They are NOT a cure for anything, they only mask the underlying problem, inhibit the body's natural digestive process by decreasing the amount of acid created to break down food, and make it easier for stomach ulcers to form by creating an alkaline environment in the stomach that breeds h-pylori bacteria, which causes stomach ulcers.

    Sounds gross, but you may want try taking a teaspoon of mineral oil before bedtime. This is an old-wives remedy that helps ease the stomach contents through the intestines and provide more complete elimination of stools that may have gotten bound up in the intestines.

    If you're set against the doctor, try eating a yogurt with naturally-occuring probiotics (bacteria beneficial to the digestive system) called Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, (Danon and Stonyfield Farm both make their own versions).

    If you have a bloated feeling, then I don't advise taking a fiber supplement until you have a definitive diagnosis. If you are blocked, the fiber will only block you more, causing more gas, and more pain.

    ***Also, I forgot to add: Above all - stay away from anything with MSG - Monosodium Glutamate. This used to be used as a flavor additive in a lot of Chinese food and it is now added to many junk foods; primarily chips, and savory things like crackers, even some premade breads have it added. If you have a sensitivity to MSG (many people do), and eat more than one or two servings of something it, the result can be gas, bloating, painful cramping, and constipation AND diarrhea.

  • KitKat
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    a year?? the ER is a waste of valuable resources that could be used for a real emergency. follow up with a GI doctor. avoid the offending foods.

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