What could be causing pain on my right side/back under ribs?

[Meggers412]

I have been having this pain under my ribs for a long time now. The very first time I went to see about it they told me it was a strained muscle. The pain eventually went away. It's came back about a year ago and they removed my gallbladder. After the surgery the pain went away for about 6 months and now it's back and has been back for a few months now. I have had multiple tests done.. MRI (contrast and no contrast) X-rays, urinalyses, blood tests, ultrasounds, and a scope down my throat. They told me I have a fatty liver.. Something under there hurts! It comes and goes. It will hurt consistently for days and then will stop for a bit. I need help.. Don't know what else to do.

[Bananas5]

Hello Meggers412.

This pain is coming from your liver and you said the diagnosis is a 'fatty liver'.

You may be aware the main causes of a fatty liver are alcohol, overweight and diabetes.

The best advice I can give is to speak with your GP being totally honest about your lifestyle. Left untreated there could well be further damage and disease to you liver.

Good Luck.

Pat x

[Meggers412 in reply to Bananas5]

I don't drink normally at all but I am overweight. I've tried diets and things but never with keeping track of the pain. Maybe that is defiantly something I need to try! Thank you for your advice! Every and anything is appreciated!

[earthwitch]

Fatty liver isn't meant to be particularly painful. Did they actually do a biopsy of your liver? If they didn't, then it might be worth asking to be referred back to the gastroenterologist for that, just to confirm that it really is fatty liver and not something else. And if it really is fatty liver, then ask your GP if you can be referred to someone to discuss lifestyle changes (eg, should you be having a low fat diet, should you be avoiding alcohol, what medicines you can and can't take)

[Meggers412 in reply to earthwitch]

No, they did not do a biopsy of my liver. I am on a few meds for some different things, maybe I should ask about those?

[gwince1]

Hi there, what you describe is something that I have been suffering with for a long time, I too have have had my gall bladder removed, and my liver function tests are not ideal either, I have been taking pain killers for other problems ie knee and hip, which have now been replaced, so i do not take the pain killers, then I noticed the pain you describe had come back, I was tested for H Pylori and found to have antibodies, given two types of antibiotic at the same time, this helped a great deal and I felt much better for a while. I realised that in my attempts to diet,( I am overweight and all ways have been), I felt much better and the pain almost dissapeared, In desperation I had some food intolerance testing done at a local health food shop, I was sceptical to say the least, but they told me to avoid wheat, gluten, cheese, wine, grapes, oranges, and quite a list of E number additives, but I thought I would give it a go as I had just spent £65 on the test, to my amazement, within a week, my bloated tummy, which I had not realised was bloated, had dissapeared, I was not running to the toilet 3-4 times a day, no need to carry immodium with me, and my back pain has dissapeared completely, I know that there are many reasons for back pain, and you should consult your GP, but diet changes have made a remarkable difference to me, more than I could have imagined, I was quite worried prior to

changing my diet but I have not felt so good in years, my energy levels are better, and I sleep much better without the pain. It may help you to look into these tests, its not easy changing your diet of a lifetime, but worth it, my daughter saw the changes in me and follwed my lead without the tests, and she has remarked how much better she feels. Hope this has been of interest, and maybe some help.

[earthwitch in reply to gwince1]

along those lines, worth getting tested for coeliac disease, as that can cause pain in that area occasionally.

Has costochondritis (inflammation of rib cartilage) been excluded?

[gwince1 in reply to earthwitch]

Hi earthwitch, I have been thinking just the same as you, I am in the process of trying to sort out myself, I have just sent a blood sample to york laboratories for indepth testing, fore armed so to speak, before I go to my hospital appointment with my thoughts, I have suffered a long time with this and only by doing a bit of research on the net have come to the conclusion that I may be suffering with coeliac disease. Many thanks for your thoughts

[Esco15 in reply to gwince1]

Hi have questions for u I'm 39 will be 40 soon I have been dealing with the same but my pain lately is so bad I'm dubbing over in pain it's in right side under the ribs and hose across the lower back it gets so bad I can't even get out of bed I start throwing up and if i eat lately I'm throwing it up with in 45 min I know my mom had to have her gallbladder removed she had stones full and the size of golf balls I am boarder line diabetic have 4 discs out in back and this is the worst pain I have felt in my life I am 110 weight tops please tell me more about what I could do my husband called me a Hypochondriac please give me some advice

[Meggers412 in reply to earthwitch]

I have never been tested for that nor do I know what it is.

[Meggers412 in reply to gwince1]

I also run to the toilet a lot during the day, I always through it was because I had my gallbladder removed. I'm for sure going to try the new, better diet. Thank you for your help!

[Linda1974 in reply to gwince1]

Christmas day I had a sharp pain in my pelvic area the pain went into my ovary area on right side then into my hip and round to my lower back. A couple day later the pain in my pelvic disappeared. Then I started having pain in my tail bone shooting round to my hip on right side. It last for a few days .a this morning I started to hurt under my rib cage then it started to shoot round into my back the sharpest pain that would not stop. 2 year ago I had go hospital to be admitted I would not stop vomiting. They ran tube down my nose into my stomach. I could not eat for two weeks . Done test and all found out I had hpylory and a fatty liver. The hpylory was so bad they wanted to do sergury on me. But they couldn't cause my colon away swollen. Then last year I started having really bad stomach pain in right side under my rib cage it was a burning feeling plus they was a big not size baseball under my Brest on top rib cage. Went hospital he told me I have a huge hole in my stomach a very bad user it eating my stomach away.to eat better draw away from spicy foods and in healthy foods. Now today my under right rib into back hurts like hell.what could this be .

[thecurecomesfromyou in reply to gwince1]

this is the absolute best advice on this page, ALL of the problems here to do with pain in the body ALL are inflammatory problems caused by Diet. And ALL can be cured with it as well. i feel bad for the poster above as the best advice has fell on deaf ears and it should be voted tops.

[Hidden]

Possibly gall bladder or cholicistis of the gallbladder.

[healthresearcher]

When they removed your gallbladder, was it inflamed or had stones in it? This should be documented somewhere. After gallbladder removal, the stones can still stick in the bile duct which remains in your body. If they are not stones, it may be biliary dyskinesia - a motility disorder of the bile duct.

Fatty liver can be painful — discuss about the cause; fatty liver is reversible.

Gas trapped in the colon can also cause pain under the ribs.

[Meggers412 in reply to healthresearcher]

They told me that I didn't have gallstones and that it just wasn't functioning properly.

[pinknosedcat]

Hi, I really feel for you...it's no fun being in chronic pain. Have you seen an osteopath? I don't know how far under your ribs the pain is but could it be something to do with your ribs? Intercostal pain perhaps? Looking at all the tests they have done it doesn't look like they've investigated any structural problems. Do you know if the pain comes from within your abdominal wall or if it's in the wall itself? There are tests to determine whether it's exterior or interior. I'd start from there. Good luck.

[johnsmith]

I suggest that you start seeing the experts on muscle behaviour. Doctors and medical consultants know very little about how muscles behave. Muscle cramp is muscle cramp. The muscle needs to be untensed. You are in the realm of chiropractors, Alexander Teachers, masseurs, osteopaths and others who work with their hands.

Muscle cramp does not show up on MRI scans or xrays.

Various things in the body can cause pain as side effect, however this does not mean that you cannot seek advice on how to lessen problematic muscle responses.

[Carriesue]

You mentioned you are on different mess for other conditions. It wouldn't have to do with your heart or high blood pressure, does it?

I have had the same symptoms as you plus other side effects from Carvedilol or its other name Coreg.

I can't believe the horrible side effects I have experienced and I have had such a hard time getting doctors to listen to me.

[Lily2244]

Hi

Would just like to let you know that you can be dealing with 2 different things, from my experience of different types if back and hip pain , the first thing I suggest is going to see a chiropractor someone who also does acupuncture , not a clinic with different people, but one person who has studied both, very important, they gave the best treatments avail,.

The next thing you are dealing with is a diet adjustment, not about losing weight but about what u put into your body, all types of stones that u can get in your body are related to poor diet, so start there, I personly believe in natural therapy so I would start there.

Hope this helps

[12pudding]

I started reading this thread after I had been walking around for months holding my lower rib on the right side. In agony with it, but it would come and go. I knew it wasn't bone related - it was under the rib and internal. Finally I went to see my doctor about it specifically - no other issues. We finally worked it out. I had suffered Shingles 15 months previously with minimal rash but the pain was similar to the pain I had continually for just over 5 months with Shingles.

It turned out I had/have Post Herpetic Neuralgia. The Shingles virus lives in your body and stays dormant if you have had Chicken Pox in your youth, and re-occurs when resistance is low as Shingles. It doesn't end there. It can hit you again at any time, often, as in my case, without the rash but with intensified pain as Post Herpetic Neuralgia, and a Nerve Pain. (The pain can be anywhere and is identifiable by its internal electric tingly buzz-like feeling). Speaking about it to people I have heard of it down the side of the face, through the scalp and other places.

I've had this nerve pain now for 7 months. The nerve pain medication Lyrica spaced me out so much sometimes that I didn't know where I was or what my phone number was or how to turn on my computer - pure brain freeze. I have stopped taking it, and now the pain hits mostly during the early evening for several hours.

I hope this helps solve a mystery for some of you people. Have you suffered from Shingles in the past? It may be a progression of that.

[KymLadybear in reply to 12pudding]

Your post is very interesting thank you. I had bad pain within my right ribs under my breast. Agony. Went into hospital for all the major tests and nothing showed consultant said he couldn't understand what it was as it seemed to be within the ribs 🙄. Discharged me and said may be related to fibro myalgia.

Anyway I now sometimes get it on the left as well and my back. I have muscle pain and nerve endings can be scary when suddenly feel like have been stung sharply of a shower, or even clothes, can feel like a thousand needle picks.

I had chicken pox in my youth and had never heard of the association but, your comments, tend to make some interesting lines of thought.

Thank you 🌹

[VickeyRey]

I never have a drink , I don't smoke never done drugs in my life and I have fatty liver. The pain I have won't allow me to move any muscle on my right side so I am stiff 99% of the time I move slowly and Constantly in pain no one knows nothing :/

[KymLadybear]

I have non alcoholic fatty liver. This was caused by amount of pain relief needed for chronic migraine. We don't hear much about this cause but it's a side effect of excess medication.

[KymLadybear in reply to KymLadybear]

I have the same. People tend not to know about the painkiller link. Taking mega meds for chronic migraine all my working life and Amitryptlyn for muscle relief (stores fat in the body in a different way... Says on the leaflet with the drug) it's the reason for my fatty liver... Poor liver has had go try to process that all my life!

I was slim, active and with a good balanced diet when diagnosed. 😒

[KymLadybear]

It has been said here that fatty liver is caused by alcohol or bad diet/overweight. One cause that has been left out is... Painkillers. I was diagnosed with fatty liver but was slim, active and had a good balanced diet. Was indeed a shock until I researched. Non-alcoholic fatty liver can be caused by painkillers! I believe this was the only possible answer in my case.

I have had chronic migraine since my teens. During my working life I took copious amounts of prescribed painkillers to get me through, and Amitriptylyn to aid sleep and cut across attacks by inducing sleep.

Ami stores fat in the body... Says so on the instructions with the drug. Painkillers have side affects and the liver has to process the whole sorry mess. No wonder it malfunctions and can become fatty.

I am now off Ami after 25 years. Same for painkillers. I still have fatty liver but its a result of what my liver has had to deal with and not bad lifestyle. I wanted to put that right as else someone can get stigmatised for incorrect information, which only adds to worry instead of helping.

[MSTKing]

It sounds like pleurisy (not sure about the spelling) - have they mentioned that?