Causes of Right Side Abdominal (Stomach) Pain

i had sudden pain on the right side of stomach…. Should i go to see the doctor or its gonna be ok by itself..

To Rajj.

Where exactly do you feel pain, is it sharp or dull pain, can you elicite pain with fingers, any bump, when did pain started, do you have nausea, diarrhea?

I’m experiencing lower-right side pain, exactly like period cramps but worse, it is painful. my period is heavy and never lasted this long, it was dark-clots for 1 week then normal looking for the next week 7-8days and still appearing+Another symptom is that I have the urge to urinate all the time

Tiff,

I *strongly* encourage you to visit your gynecologist soon. Ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus may be involved…and it’s possible you’ve got an urinary tract infection (urge to urinate). Or something is pressing on your bladder from outside…

I have been having pain on my lower right side about 2 inches below my rib cage. It runs around the front a bit and toward the back about 5 inches on both. It constantly aches, but gets much worse (extreme stabbing pain) when I touch it or move. It has been going on for about 2 and a half weeks. It’s only gotten worse. I have started having hot flashed, but not other symtoms other than being nauseated a little. I went to the emergency room and they ran a UA and said it wasn’t an infection and the young dr. tried to say he believes it is a Lumbo-Sacral strain. I don’t believe it. If that was the case, it should be getting better not progressively getting worse. Any ideas from anyone?

Tiki,

have you had any injury or hard exercise 2.5 weeks ago? Is there any rash over the painful area? Or a bulge? Burning urination or cloudy urine?

Can you describe exactly what happens if you touch the affected area with the fingers only slightly, without pressing, so only touching the skin? Where do you feel pain and where it spreads?

No injuries at all. It started about two weeks ago and was mostly felt in the back to begin with….so I though maybe a kidney infection. Then after a few days, it just started staying in my right side. No rash or bulge, no burning and not cloudy urine. Just a constant ache. When I lightly touch it, it is very tender. If I put just the slightest pressure to it. The whole area almost contracts into a tight ball of pain. I do not do anything strenuous. I have mostly just been laying around taking it easy. When I lay down it is almost worse. If I try to move it does the same contracting feeling.

Tiki,

1. Herpes zoster (shingles) can affect any spinal nerve. Pain, tenderness and rash usually appear in a band like pattern along the course of the affected nerve. Rash does not always appear and extreme tenderness is possible.

2. Pinched nerve (from bulging disc or broken vertebra – from tuberculosis, osteoporosis, tumor…) in the thoracic spine would cause the sciatica-like pain, radiating from the spine toward the middle line in the front (on one side).

I believe that a neurologist can give you diagnosis.

Kidney disease, urinary stones, gallbladder or intestinal disorders are not likely to cause tenderness when only touching the skin.

I tend to have these short cramp like pains in my lower right side about two or three inches in from my hip bone. its not excrushating pain but it hurts. it’s not my period. what else could it be?

Poetry_girl,

have you had any, even slight fever, nausea, skin rash, mouth ulcers, joint pain, changed bowel movements or other symptoms?

It is appendix there, and Crohn’s disease often affects the part of the small intestine lying there. Ultrasound of abdomen can reveal appendicitis. Contrast X-ray investigation with barium and colonoscopy can reveal Crohn’s disease.

ive been having pain in my upper abdomin and right side almost circulating from the middle of my stomach near the breast bone to my back its been constant for the past 4 days i thought it may have been acid r4eflux but ive taken my nexium and it doesnt seem to give its getting worse i have been vomiting and have diarrea and a fever that bounces up and down one minute im cold next im burning up my temp is normal again but i cant seem to lay down it just hurts more and the more i move the more it hurts its like a very sharp stabbing pain i cant sleep barely eat food makes it worse but leaning forward onto it makes it not hurt as bad can you please help me someone

To januarbear21:

I strongly suggest you to see a doctor promptly. Some of symptoms you’ve mentioned appear in pericarditis or peritonitis.

the thing is i went to the emergency room and they told me nothing is wrong nothing is showing up that im hundred percent ok that the pain is probably caused by my acid reflux i mean now its for 5 days constantly i mean to me that doesnt sound right but the ER cleared me is there anything else it could be

Januarybear21,

I strongly recommend you to check a medical history questionnaire and write down all your symptoms, tests you’ve had so far, medications…as exactly as you can.

had my gallbladder out in July 09 and painfree for 2 weeks. The pain reoccurred 3 weeks post op and have ct, mri, and ultra sounds. Pain is in the upper right of abdomen. only when standing or sitting, pain free if lying flat

Well my little sister has been having pains about three to four inches above her hip bone and it has been getting worse what should I do to help her? (She’s ten, no period yet)

To moomoo.

Is the pain the same type (crampimg?) pain as before surgery?

Or is it constant pain?

i know this is weird but same thing to me kind of they removed my galbladder on the 6th of this month and now my pain is back but almost worse then before same place and theyve done mri and ct and nothing new said i iiritated it but i havent been out of bed to much since the op cuz ive been super tire so how did i irritate it
the pain wont go away could it be something else besides my galbladdder

To Mmmm..Pizza.

Take her to her pediatrist. It’s the appendix, the end of the small intestine and the right ovary there thatall can be a cause of pain. In appendicitis, the painful spot is often tender to touch, when pressed and the hand quickly removed.

For the last two days I have had sharp stabbing pains in the lower right abdomen, about 2 inches above the hip. I currently have a form of flu that my girlfriend gave to me (sharing is caring) but also have a very long history of abdominal problems and random nausea. I went to A&E (because I’m British) a few years back complaining of Appendicitis like symptoms but it turned out to be stomach ulcers.

With the current stabbing pain there is no nausea or diarrhoea but if I press where the pain is it feel very tender under the skin. The pains are common but not unbearably painful but make me wince as they’re a bit unexpected at times.

I’m 21, male, very skinny but generally healthy. Any advice as to what I can do?

Alex,

actually, chronic appendicitis is possible – in some cases, abdominal membrane (peritoneum) lying over it becomes inflamed (localized peritonitis). Ultrasound can be false negative in such case, so CT would be needed. Pressing deeply on the *left* side of the abdomen with the hand and removing the hand quickly would cause a wave within the abdomen and the pain on the right side – this speaks for appendicitis/peritonitis.

Next common cause affecting the last part of the small intestine located there is Crohn’s disease – colonoscopy is needed.

Sharp cramps, lasting for few-several minutes and going away completely may be from urinary (ureteral) stones. Dx is with ultrasound of the ureter and kidney(s).

my pain is the very same as before the surgery. sort of like a pinching pain. it comes and goes. doctors can push on my stomach area and it doesn’t hurt at all.

Moomoo,

it’s possible you’ve developed postsurgical adhesion – a scar like tissue connecting two organs in the upper abdomen can cause pain. This would need laparoscopic investigation.
http://www.healthhype.com/adhesions-abdominal-bowel-pelvic-symptoms-treatment-pictures.html

jan,
my pain is the same as before the gallbladder was taken out, so this is something that started back in February 09. My dr. said possible back injury, but nothing shows on cat and mri. am getting very frustrated with pain on a daily basis.

Moomoo,

you’ve said it’s like pinching pain, and it goes away when you lye flat.
1. Where exactly you feel pain – just below the right rib or maybe few inches lower?
2. Was this cessacion of pain when lying flat a characteristic also before gb removal?
3. Would you say that pain is position dependent only by a coincidence, or you can clearly feel that pain changes when you change position?
4. How long does pain last – is it like a cramp, lasting from minutes to hours and then disappearing completely and appearing again? Or it is more lika a constant fluctuating pain?
5. What was found in removed gallbladder, or seen on US/CT before removal?

After gallbladder removal there are two common reasons for pain persistence/reocurence:
- pain actually originated in the bile duct, like from a gallstone in the bile duct or from biliary dyskinesia or sphyncter of Oddi dyskinesia (SOD). This pain is not position dependent. Investigations include HIDA scan and ERCP.
- complication of operation, like surgical wound infection or, like mentioned, adhesions – scar tissue connecting certain abdominal organs, pulling them and thus causing (possibly position dependent) pain. Investigation is by laparoscopy.

Jan,

Over the last 18 hours the right side of my abdomen has become a bit uncomfortable. It’s an unhappy medium between sore and throbing and was exacerbated by eating. The little pressing test caused a very noticable wave and pain swelled in my right abdomen after about 15 seconds.

My history of abdominal problems began when I was about 14 (now 21) with random, and I do mean random, nausea which got worse whenver I lay down (I prop myself up while sleeping to this day)and the occasional stomach cramps accompanied by diarrhoea which occurs once every three months (roughly).

I also feel nauseas and feverish with shivers as I type this.

My history of

Alex,

two common disorders with symptoms you’ve described and pain in the right lower quadrant, are appendicitis and Crohn’s disease.

I recommend you to see a doctor promptly – ruptured appendix can be life threatening, and Crohn’s disease can also become quite unpleasant.

It hurts when i urinate and it it feels wierd..feel kinda nauseous and im having pain on my stomach then go over to the right side..what does this mean?

I’ve had this recurring right sided lower abdominal pain that my doctor didn’t seem to have any idea what it was. A month and a half ago it first occurred, then two weeks ago again, and now it’s back. The pain lasts bad for about 4 days, then gradually feels better until there is no pain after about a week. It feels like a tight muscle cramp just below and medial to my right hip bone, and it is very tender to touch. It is worse if I eat or drink even water, and if I sit up or lift my right leg. When I palpate the tender area I think I can feel a bump about the size of large grape, but I’m not positive. I am a 25 y/o female on birth control but have not have had any unusual periods or painful intercourse, so I don’t know if it would be the ovary. Thanks for any advice!

To norma_21.

Are you male or female and how old are you? Is it like burning during urination? Where exactly your pain starts and where exactly it spreads to? Are pains constant? Any change in urine color? When did all this start?

AmandaD,

it’s quite posssible it’s an intestinal hernia. Gastroenterologist or gastro surgeon would diagnose this quickly. Try to remember the exact spot and all symptoms (to be able to describe it if it disappears in a meantime). Try to feel is it soft, like a sponge, or hard, like a rubber ball. Also check, is it visible, especially when you stand up.