Need some help with a health issue.

[CodeRedR51]

I've done some Google searching and don't really know what I should be looking for, so maybe you guys can help. First things first, I have no insurance and cannot afford to see a doctor at this time, so I'm hoping it's maybe an issue with my diet that I can change relatively easy.

Lately (or rather for a while) I have been getting sharp pains right below my right rib cage. These never occur during the day, rather they usually wake me up in the middle of the night. Usually when this happens I have to get out of bed and walk around, or just sit up and wait patiently for it to subside. If I try to lay back down, it hurts so much that I can't breathe.

That area is usually sensitive to touch, as it hurts if I push on it a little. Now, as I said if I get out of bed and do something for a bit, or sit up and read a book for an hour or two, it goes away enough that I can lay down and go back to sleep. Not really an issue on the weekends, but a major pain in the rear during the week when I have to get up and go to work.

I think I've linked this issue to eating greasy foods, as it will usually happens when I eat Pizza or something similarly greasy late at night. I've watched myself lately about eating those kinds of foods any later than about 8:00, but it sucks as I'm scared to even touch them anymore.

My last occurrence with this issue was last night. Had a turkey burger with cheese and tomato around 6:30, then had a few cookies with a glass of milk about an hour later. Then about 10:00 I had a glass of Sunny-D and went to bed around 1am. I woke up at 4:30am and was not able to get back to sleep until around 6am.

Sorry about the long post but...any ideas?

 

[TB]

While certainly not as good as going to a doctor, you could plug your symptoms in to WebMD and see what comes out.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Hmm, could be any one of a number of things. Nothing I looked at really described it exactly though.

 

[Waltermydoinher]

Sounds similar to heartburn but no guarantees as I'm definitely not MD schooled...

Have you tried ant-acid? Something like "Pepsid Complete" or "Pepsid-AC"? Both available at your local Wal-Mart.

Definitely lay off the spicy/greasy food for a week or so and see if it subsides. Also try not to drink soda, switch to just water for a week or so?

Good luck man.

 

[Masi_23]

Can be a lot of things... hopefully nothing serious, but first thing came to my mind is ulcer?

Or maybe just normal cramps? ...take a look at these... might give you some useful info.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Or maybe just normal cramps? ...take a look at these... might give you some useful info.

Thanks, but it's actually my right side.

I'll give the Soda thing a try. I didn't have any yesterday, although I did have one tonight.

Edit: Come to think of it, what about dairy products? I did have cheese and milk last night. Pizza does have cheese on it, etc, etc.

 

[DKLion3s]

Going by my experience with my ex, you may have early, if not, mid stage appendicitis. You are right to stay away from greasy foods & meats, temporarily. Green-leafy vegetables will be your friend for a while.

And please go to a public subsidized clinic and see a practitioner soon. Doctors there general provide their services as voluteers, so payment is generally based on your wage scale.

Good luck, and hope this helps.

 

[Masi_23]

I thought appendicitis was acute? He mentions that its been going on for a 'while'?

But if it is appendicitis, then that is very serious.

 

[DKLion3s]

The pain goes away, so it's not full blown, yet. But meats and greasy foods will only irritate it, until it does errupt or should I say, perforate the appendics.


Either way he needs to find a clinic. It's not going to go away.

 

[Wenders]

Simplest solution is heartburn, given that it comes on worse after eating fatty foods its probably the most likely but that being said I am no doctor and heartburn can also be a symptom stomache ulcers. Could also be gallstones.

If greasy foods makes it worse then don't eat them for starters, as well as losing weight but you should see a doctor to rule out other causes.

 

[Omnis]

If it feels like you're being stabbed in the back, it could be gall bladder. Go to a doctor if the pain doesn't go away with some maalox.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I thought appendicitis was acute? He mentions that its been going on for a 'while'?

Maybe the last year or so? I'd say on average it happens once a month, maybe twice a month.

Simplest solution is heartburn, given that it comes on worse after eating fatty foods its probably the most likely but that being said I am no doctor and heartburn can also be a symptom stomache ulcers. Could also be gallstones.

If greasy foods makes it worse then don't eat them for starters, as well as losing weight but you should see a doctor to rule out other causes.

I weigh 130lbs, I need to gain weight.

If it feels like you're being stabbed in the back, it could be gall bladder. Go to a doctor if the pain doesn't go away with some maalox.

No back pain actually. Just in that centralized area under my right rib cage. Sometimes it will spread to the middle (stomach area) but that's only when it's at it's worst.

 

[BrutherSuperior]

http://www.minuteclinic.com/

Cheap & easy. If you have no/little income, see if there's a free clinic somewhere near you.

Any pains in your chest should be checked out ASAP.

I had a pain similar to yours and I thought I got it from hockey. Turns out I had a partially collapsed lung and walking pneumonia. Get checked out...

 

[Omnis]

You probably just have to take a massive crap, especially if it moves to the left later on. Let us know when it comes out.

 

[CodeRedR51]

http://www.minuteclinic.com/

Cheap & easy. If you have no/little income, see if there's a free clinic somewhere near you.

Any pains in your chest should be checked out ASAP.

I had a pain similar to yours and I thought I got it from hockey. Turns out I had a partially collapsed lung and walking pneumonia. Get checked out...

No chest pains, it's lower than that.

You probably just have to take a massive crap, especially if it moves to the left later on. Let us know when it comes out.

No.

 

[Omnis]

Trust me. One time I thought I was having a heart attack like Red Foxx. Wound up being all steak and no vegetables.

 

[Duke]

Right side, under the ribcage, intermittent stabbing pain - sounds like incipient appendicitis to me, too. Find a clinic and get checked, because if that goes acute suddenly, you won't be able to, and it can kill you if it bursts. Good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I'm going to try and find one of those clinics tonight. Just did a quick search on Google and nothing came up.

 

[TomDrum]

How would you describe the pain?

What is your pain out of 10? 10 being the worst pain you can imagine and 0 being none at all.

Does the pain occur after physical exertion?

Does the pain happen EVERY time you eat greasy food or only once a month?

Grease is digested in the gastrointestinal tract which is aided by bile which is produced in the liver. It is then stored in the Gall Bladder which then releases bile when you need to digest grease. The gall bladder sits just under the liver and releases bile into the duodenum which is the receiving chamber (from the stomach) of the small intestine. The liver sits on the right hand side just under the diaphragm which is why you are getting pains just under your lungs.

If you can't afford to see a doctor or get health insurance, maybe you should consider moving to a country that has a health care system that kind of works

 

[TomDrum]

Right side, under the ribcage, intermittent stabbing pain - sounds like incipient appendicitis to me, too. Find a clinic and get checked, because if that goes acute suddenly, you won't be able to, and it can kill you if it bursts. Good luck, and please keep us posted.

It's not appendicitis as the appendix is part of the large intestine and is situated in the right iliac region of the of the abdomen, so just above where the right leg meets your abdomen.

Also, appendicitis is acute and not chronic. This pain has been occurring monthly and appendicitis pain is sudden and does not resolve itself.

 

[mafia_boy]

You have Squirrel AIDS, and there's no doc that can cure that.

 

[TomDrum]

You have Squirrel AIDS, and there's no doc that can cure that.

That could be true too.

 

[CodeRedR51]

How would you describe the pain?

What is your pain out of 10? 10 being the worst pain you can imagine and 0 being none at all.

Does the pain occur after physical exertion?

Does the pain happen EVERY time you eat greasy food or only once a month?

1) Wouldn't really call it "pain", feels more like someone is putting pressure on that area.

2)I don't have this issue during the day, it only wakes me up in the middle of the night. So no, no physical exertion.

3)Doesn't happen every time I eat greasy food. Maybe once, sometimes twice a month.

 

[TomDrum]

1) Wouldn't really call it "pain", feels more like someone is putting pressure on that area.

2)I don't have this issue during the day, it only wakes me up in the middle of the night. So no, no physical exertion.

3)Doesn't happen every time I eat greasy food. Maybe once, sometimes twice a month.

Do you feel short of breath?

Do you smoke? How much alcohol do you drink?

If you were to have no greasy food at all would it still happen?

I still think its a gallbladder or liver problem. You might not be producing enough bile and your gut is having a hard time digesting it. This is what happens to lactose intolerant people, they do not have the enzyme 'lactase' in their GI tract so their body doesn't know how to digest lactose and thats why they throw it up or shoot it out elsewhere

 

[Omnis]

Did you poop it out yet?

 

[FoolKiller]

To me it sounds very similar to how my wife described her gall stones.

And I mapped what your profile says is your location. It looks like Phoenix is your nearest good clinic for your situation.

http://www.freemedicalcamps.com/vcampinfo.php?campid=1088
http://www.freemedicalcamps.com/vcampinfo.php?campid=1093

They might not be able to fix it (remove the gall bladder) but can see if that's what it is.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Do you feel short of breath?

Do you smoke? How much alcohol do you drink?

If you were to have no greasy food at all would it still happen?

I still think its a gallbladder or liver problem. You might not be producing enough bile and your gut is having a hard time digesting it. This is what happens to lactose intolerant people, they do not have the enzyme 'lactase' in their GI tract so their body doesn't know how to digest lactose and thats why they throw it up or shoot it out elsewhere

I only feel short of breath if I try to lay down, then I can't breathe. I don't smoke, never have, and yes I do drink but the last time I've had any alcohol was a couple months ago. (not a heavy drinker) I've only really linked it to greasy food, but last night we had Pizza around 7:30 and I didn't have a problem. Although I took an acid reducer tablet before hand, so not sure if that helped.

Did you poop it out yet?

I don't know.

 

[Omnis]

You could have a kidney hung up on the floating rib or just bad kidney inflammation. That explains the pain when supine. Remember that episode of House?

Also, if it's the gall bladder it generally hurts like a mother.

 

[CodeRedR51]

I don't watch House, although the couple episodes I have seen were good. I may start watching it if the episodes are on Netflix.

It's hard to say if there's really much pain there. I think of it as more "uncomfortable" than anything else.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Just thought I would update this as I had another episode last night. Home made Tacos for dinner around 7:30 may have contributed to the problem, as the only thing I had to drink last night was water. Woke me up at 1:45am, 4am, 6am. Running on about 3 hours of sleep right now.

Edit: I had been taking ant-acid tablets and just recently ran out, so I'm going to pick some more up this weekend. I have a feeling my body just produces too much acid in my stomach, because most of the time when I try to burp I get nothing but acid.