This is a bit of a long explanation I’m afraid. I suffer from celiac disease, although I very rarely get any symptoms. Around 3 months ago I started to get pressure in my rectum along with a dull ache under my right rib. I just presumed it was my celiac disease so decided to sort my eating out as I wasn’t exactly sticking to the gluten free diet. Since then, the pain under my right rib remains but it often spreads down my right hand side and I often get a bout of burping. I also seem to get stomach cramps every now and again aswell. I’m fairly regular to the toilet (2-3 times a day) no change there. I have had a liver function test aswell as a full blood count and all came back normal. Iv had an ultrasound of my liver, gallbladder and pancreas and they have all come back normal. My doctor seems to think it may be a stomach ulcer, although she has admitted herself that’s shes not overly sure what’s wrong. I’m now 3 months later and still this pain on my right hand side and under my ribs remains. Just wondering if any of this could be IBS related? It’s not a condition I know too much about.
It sounds more like gastritis than IBS. With IBS, you would be getting a change of bowel habit - either diarrhoea or constipation or a mixture of both. Gastritis can cause pain under the ribs and abdominal pain. Does you pain come on after eating? Maybe try a food diary to identify problem foods. Avoid fatty, rich and spicy foods and stick to a bland diet. Make sure you are sticking strictly to a gluten free diet too. The stomach cramps could also be celiac related. Maybe ask for an endoscopy to check for gastritis and h pylori. H pylori can cause gastritis and ulcers.
Many thanks for ur response. Eating doesn’t really seem to have an effect on it, that’s why I’m not convinced it’s gastritis. It’s just a constant burning pain that’s generally there all the time. Will certainly keep a good diary though just incase.
Also monitor your bowel habits in case they suddenly change which is an IBS symptom along with shifting stomach pain. An endoscopy would help to rule out gastritis, h pylori or ulcers.
I got my results back and there negative for H Pylori. Been taking omeprazole and ranitidine for a week also and they have made little to no difference. Really at my wits end as to what this pain under my right rib and down my side can be.
Were you checked for gastritis? An endoscopy would show it up. Rib cage pain, burping and abdominal pain are signs of gsstritis. Ask your doctor about this. I assume you were off your antacids for at least two weeks before your H pylori test? If you were on them when you got tested, the negative test might not have been accurate.
Yeah I didn’t start the omeprazole until after I had given my sample. I think an endoscopy is going to be the next thing my doc tries but I don’t see her again until Friday. Food doesn’t really seem to make much difference to my pain, so I was a little unsure as to whether it was gastritis.
An endoscopy should tell you more.