Stomach Pain After Eating (After Meals, Food and Drink)

The term ‘stomach pain‘ is often used loosely to describe abdominal pain in general. However, it is widely accepted that the term ‘stomach pain‘ describes left upper quadrant (LUQ) abdominal pain, especially pain after eating, when hungry or associated with other upper gastrointestinal symptoms like excessive belching, stomach bloating, nausea, vomiting, or regurgitation. Pain and these other symptoms however may not be due to actual pathology within the stomach itself.

Refer to Stomach Location for more information on the anatomical position of the stomach.

Causes of Stomach Pain After Eating

Gastric Causes

Distension of the stomach after eating, secretion and action of digestive enzymes, muscle contractions associated with gut motility and impairment of normal motility are the primary causes of stomach pain.

Pains in the stomach specifically (gastric pain) after eating includes :

• Gastritis. Inflammation of the stomach lining usually caused by H.pylori infection or use of NSAIDs.
• Stomach ulcer. This is an open sore in the lining of the stomach (peptic ulcer) which arises in long term gastritis.
• Hiatal hernia. Protrusion of a portion of the stomach through the diaphragmatic opening.
• Mallory-Weiss tear. Esophageal tear at the junction of the esophagus and stomach which may follow violent vomiting or retching.
• Gastric outlet obstruction. Blockage of the terminal part of the stomach or junction between the stomach and duodenum often due to pyloric stenosis, stomach polyp, stomach cancer and other causes of delayed gastric emptying.

Non-Gastric Causes

• Pain in the left upper quadrant may be related to other abdominal or gastrointestinalorgans often as a result of distension of the stomach after eating, gastrointestinal activity (motility and digestive enzymes), and activation of the defecation reflexes :
  • Esophagus – esophagitis, esophageal ulcers and other causes of esophagus pain
  • Colon – colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, splenic flexure syndrome, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Spleen – refer to Spleen Pain
  • Left kidney – refer to Causes of Kidney Pain and Kidney Pain Location
• Pain towards the epigastrium (upper middle abdomen) may be related to increased gut activity following eating :
  • Duodenal ulcers – peptic ulcer
  • Cholecystitis – inflamed gallbladder
  • Gallstones – gallstone pain
  • Pancreatitis – inflamed pancreas

Other Causes

Some of these causes may not specifically aggravate after eating but are worth considering as possible causes.

• Chest wall pain and abdominal wall pain – injury, rib fracture, muscle strain
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack) – Angina vs Heart Attack Pain
• Dissecting abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Pleuritis – left side chest pain
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Diabetic ketoacidosis
• Nerve root compression

Article reviewed by Dr. Greg. Last updated on January 3, 2011