gallstones in the gallbladder and especially if they lodge in the bile duct can cause severe right side abdominal pain below the ribs, nausea and vomiting. Constipation can contribute to pain. Constipation can be aggravated by pain, painkillers, by not eating and drinking and not moving around.

What can you do:
- try to eat – avoid fatty foods
- ask your doctor to give you something to relieve constipation
- if pain will persist, surgical gallbladder removal seems to be the first option
- you should also consider having a colonoscopy, since new polyps could grown in 14 years

If no insurance, try to collect money for required procedures somehow, or ask which hospitals can perform them free or at low cost. All what you have mentioned can be possibly treated.

ovarian cysts do not necessary rupture in a month. It could be also an intestinal hernia, stretched psoas muscle, or other disorder that could be detected by ultrasound, performed by gastroenterologist or gynecologist.

you should visit your doctor. It’s possible something is pressing on the nerves and/or vessels that supply your leg. I recommend you to check this personal medical history questionnaire and write down, when exactly is your pain, how long it lasts, when did it start and all other relevant circumstances before visiting the doctor.

I have been on a gluten free diet for several months now. That has improved some other strange symptoms I was having like tingling & numbness in my body, but has not helped the pain on my left side.

I have never had abdominal surgery.

I am having an MRI on part of my spine to look for issues there.

are you male or female, how old are you? Causes, often not detected by mentioned investigations include:
- splenic flexure syndrome – gas built within the left part of the transverse colon (this type of gas built usually does not cause cramping). Could be possibly relieved by a low-FODMAP diet. Not necessary that gas would cause any bloating, or maybe there is no gas at all. I assume you’ve already started with gluten-free diet.
- abdominal adhesions – strands of scar tissue connecting the bowel with adjacent organs, like diaphragm. Can be diagnosed by laparoscopy. Causes include abdominal surgery (anytime in life) or, in women, STD or endometriosis.
- pinched nerve in the thoracic part of the spine due to spinal arthritis, bulging/herniated disc or other disorder. Diagnosis is with CT/MRI of the spine.
Here’s an article about pain under the left rib cage.

Symptoms:
Pain in Left Upper Quadrant near the bottom of the rib cage on the left side – aggravated by driving, sitting & laying on left side (driving & laying on the left side really aggravate the pain). Laying flat on my back & sleeping is the best thing I can do to relieve the pain.

I have had a CT scan, chest X-ray, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, and lots of blood work.
Nothing conclusive (or even abnormal) came from these tests except that they said my duodenum was “scalloped” on the inside & that I likely had Celiac disease (which later blood tests confirmed).

However, the Gastroenterologist is convinced that the pain is unrelated to the Celiac disease. My stools have been strange sometimes, though in general have been getting better. However, the pain is NOT getting any better.

It is not a “cramping” pain caused by intestinal gas buildup. It is an aching, sometimes burning or boring pain. There is never any feeling of a sharp pain. When laying on the left side or driving, the pain intensifies as it is aggravated in those positions.

Any ideas what this could be? Thanks in advance for any help you can give, it is greatly appreciated as I am not sure what to do next.

a gallbladder disorder can cause abdominal and lower back pain at the same time. Gallbladder is distended from some reason, like gallstones – either in the gallbladder or in the bile duct. I strongly recomend you to get an exact diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

There are other possible causes of abdominal/back pain, like a disorder in the thoracic spine, resulting in a pinched nerve on on side. Another cause could be a disorder of the right kidney.