Left side pain under ribs, nausea... any idea of cause?

[mom1982]

Hi all, do any of you have similar symptoms and/not found out what is wrong?

I get these symptoms now & then but i'm having all of them right now so am worried/anxious

• pain on left side under/below ribcage
• nausea, sometimes loss of appetite (no weight loss)
• occasional diarrhea/constipation
• stomach churning/rumbling (even after eating)
• tired, little energy, depressed

Thanks

[Lauz]

Hi there
Yes I have had all of those symptoms before and all at once. I never used to get them but then after my headaches went away the pain that I felt under my left rib area was the next thing I was fixated on.
Pain or discomfort under the left rib area is apparantly quite common with anxiety suffers so I have been told. This is also the side where all your bowels etc are so the discomfort or pain that you are feeling could be
1. muscle tension
2. gas/wind
3. heartburn (i had this without really knowing I had it)

I was like this before or after eating it didn't seem to matter and my bowels were a little different than what I was usually used to.

All symptoms you have described are definately anxiety related and as hard as this will sound but the moment you let your brain not think about them, you will no longer feel it.
I now dont get the pain in the rib area, nor the weird bowel movements or stomach churning.

If you are concerned they definately go see your doc and they will be able to rule it all out for you and put your mind at ease

[mom1982]

Thanks Lauz for your reply. The thing i'm concerned about the most is the nausea cause it is very uncomfortable and it's a new symptom for me. I don't feel like eating or going out or doing anything normal cause of it. I've had pain in the left side that came & went many times this yr and IBS symptoms but nausea is new and i was doing very well with little or no anxiety relapses in over 2 months. This is very disappointing :(

[phw]

Hi there! I really feel for you. Believe me, I understand the nausea very well. Strange though, even if you eat or drink while feeling like that, you will see that whatever you consumed "stays in"! I know how uncomfy it feels but I have taught myself to eat three times a day, no matter the feeling. I feel espsecially naucious in the mornings. And no, I am not pregnant as I am a male You just have to force yourself to eat something. Prove to yourself that you can eat, even if you feel like that. I find that eating fruit helps and also try something light like yoghurt or rice cakes.

I also have this pain in my left ribcage. I am a smoker, so that makes me even more paranoid and I also lost my dad to heart attack. Imagine the stupid thoughts going through my mind when I get these "chest" pains... I have these in times when I am really stressed and then I start stressing about the pains. Before I know it, I am caught in the vicious circle of stressing because I am stressing....

Best is to do what you would have done under normal circumstances. "Fool" those feelings you have into thinking that your mind and body is ok!

Hang in there and remember : "Courage is to be scared to death but still saddling up your horse!"