Left side/back/rib area pain

[Imaleopard]

I’ve been having this pain on my left side by my ribs. It wraps around my back, then into my front rib area and Sometimes into my shoulder. It isn’t truly in my back, though, and not really in my abdomen. It’s mostly on my left side, sometimes I think I feel it to a minor extent on my right side. It started happening 6 weeks postpartum. It’s worse when I sit for long periods of time, but comes and goes throughout the day. I am now six months postpartum.I gained a lot of weight with both of pregnancies. My children are 22 months apart.Blood tests came back normal. Doctor thinks it’s muscular. I’m scared of stomach/spleen/colon/kidney/ovary/bone/spine/breast/pancreatic cancer. I am significantly overweight and out of shape. I went to the gym and did the torso twisting abnominal machine and it mimicked the pain, but I am still afraid that it is something more sinister because it’s lasted so long. It doesn’t hurt when I wake up or after I’ve rested. Still, I am so worried. I have had health anxiety for so long. It has cheated me out of relationships and time with my children. I get over one disease, then I get obsessed with another. Although I know this, this pain feels so concrete. I’m scared to get scanned. I’m only 36; I’m so scared to leave my kids. Please someone talk me down? Has anyone had anything similar?

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 20:52 ----------

No one?

[Darkest111]

if your blood tests came normal then why are you worried about the worst scenario aka C word ?. Don’t you think it will show in the blood test ?

I’ve had sensation on my right side of rib. It was a little painful at night or so. It was on and off for me but then it just went away by itself after a month. Yes I googled around the same symptom but google made it more worse.
If the pain is mild and All your tests are normal then it’s a Muscular pain. Don’t overthink and believe In your doctor. That’s what my wife preaches me which brings my anxiety low

[Imaleopard]

I read so much about people having some weird vague pain and clear blood tests and BOOM they are stage IV. I try to touch the “muscle” but don’t feel pain. Wouldn’t I be able to aggravate it by messing with it if it were a muscle?

[jray23]

I read so much about people having some weird vague pain and clear blood tests and BOOM they are stage IV.

But have you read so much about people having some weird vague pain and clear blood tests and BOOM they are fine? Of course not. Because it literally happens all the time and it's not news.

As always, bring your concerns to your doctor but all medical testing signs point to being clear right now, so that's probably exactly the case.



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[Imaleopard]

Has anyone had anything similar and found out it was nothing?

[max86]

Hi,

I can completely relate to what you feel...
I've visited the docs for 28 times (I've counted..) since my daughter was born... I know that fear of leaving your kids... I see my wife is playing with her and BOOM... Out of nowhere these terrible thoughts begin to rise.

I suffered from 2 issues which caused me rib pain in the past.

One was a bump I felt on my chest and I couldn't stop touching it... Then the pain began there and it reflected to the ribs.... Eventually I did an x-ray and it was just my xiphoid bone and it hurt because I touched it for 1000 times a day
So if you're contantly touching / pressing this place, stop it... I know that it's mentally hard but pelase do

The second was something in my bowels... Of course I was sure it's the C word... I was panicking and I did all sort of tests (gastroscopy and colonoscopy).
Nothing was found and I was diagnosed with IBS, which can occur becay of anxiety (fantastic...) And one of the symptoms were pain and itchiness of the ribs.

Max

[korega]

I have had a very similar pain on the right side for 2 years. As you said in the rib flank and wraps around to the back. I have had blood test, ultrasound and a CT scan. Nothing has ever come up. It moves up and down my side/back usually lower back but can go up to the middle and even up to the shoulder blade at times. It's never severe, more a dull ache. Sitting for long periods and especially driving can really aggravate it.

One thing I've put together is that it may be the oblique muscles. As when i kind of stretch to the side i can feel tightness. It's quite easy to throw those muscles out of whack with bad posture. My mind has been everywhere, but with all the tests I've had and the 2 year time period i really dont think it's something bad. Of course i have bad days when i really have to convince myself of that.

[Katie55]

I had pain like that, it was caused by mild (!) gastritis diagnosed by endoscopy. Easily cleared up my some PPIs.Very painful it was and my blood tests were clear

[ErinKC]

If you can mimic the pain with movement it's probably muscular. My best guess is straining of the intercostal muscles - look that up and see if it matches. They are the muscles between your ribs, and the pain can be really bad! This happens to me occasionally, and it can last for a good while since it's impossible to actually rest those muscles. Also - since giving birth 4 years ago my body has never been the same! You name it, it's hurt at some point. Especially so soon postpartum. You body is still getting itself back into place.

[Imaleopard]

Thank you all for your replies!

---------- Post added at 07:39 ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 ----------

I have had a very similar pain on the right side for 2 years. As you said in the rib flank and wraps around to the back. I have had blood test, ultrasound and a CT scan. Nothing has ever come up. It moves up and down my side/back usually lower back but can go up to the middle and even up to the shoulder blade at times. It's never severe, more a dull ache. Sitting for long periods and especially driving can really aggravate it.

One thing I've put together is that it may be the oblique muscles. As when i kind of stretch to the side i can feel tightness. It's quite easy to throw those muscles out of whack with bad posture. My mind has been everywhere, but with all the tests I've had and the 2 year time period i really dont think it's something bad. Of course i have bad days when i really have to convince myself of that.

THIS. This is exactly what I’ve been experiencing! It’s so unnerving. Doctors are getting pissed at me because I tell them it’s not really painful, just irksome. Driving is usually what triggers it, but sometimes it will happen for no reason at all. I too think it could be an oblique issue because I can mimic the pain with the torso rotation machine at my gym. I wish I could get rid of this for good!