Pain under left rib

[countrygirl]

Past week I have been getting on and off during day a sharp pain under my left rib with a feeling as if something is wriggling around under there!!

I have had this symptom before over the years, about 5 years ago ended up in hospital with it and after ultrasounds was told it was probably IBS. I then had a sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and while having my appendix removed they did a good look around as well and all was fine.

I seem to get it before a bowel movement and sometimes after I have eaten. I am also getting alot of gurgling and poppings under the rib as well.

does anyone else get this with IBS???

It started after I had been on hols for a few days and had eaten totally differently to normal.

[Jules147]

IBS can cause pain and discomfort anywhere from your armpits down to your groin. I have suffered it on and off for the last 17 years since I was diagnosed with it. Each bout seems to occur in a different place. If the spasms are as high up as my ribs I feel pressure against my rib cage and a fluttering sensation just under the lowest rib.

The gurgling and popping as you describe convinces me even more that it is IBS. You have had everything else eliminated so IBS is the one remaining possibility. You may be aware that the diagnosis of IBS is a process of elimination and once you have had it you will likely have bouts of it with periods of remission that can last for years but it (nearly) always returns. A bout can last anything from a few days to several months but the duration is shortened and the symptoms alleviated with treatment.

Anxiety makes it worse and this sets off a vicious cycle all of its own although it is usually easier to break though than other symptoms of anxiety because it is treatable with medication that acts on the physical symptoms, doesn't have weird side effects and works immediately. A combination of antispasmodics (Colofac) and peppermint capsules (Colpermin) work for me. If these aren't effective then a very low dosage of tricyclics may be prescribed.