abdominal pain

[Biciclista]

Once upon a time, my DH had to work in New Orleans after the Katrina hurricane/flood, and my stomach started bothering me.
my dr put me on some antiacid stuff and it magically went away; so when he came home, I quit taking stuff.
I had a very obvious stressor going on at the time, him being in that horrible situation, working VERY long hours, including driving late at night, every night; so it all made sense, I was worried about him.
Now here I am having some of the same symptoms again. I WILL go to the dr and i'm sure she'll prescribe some of the same stuff again, but this time, I don't have a major stressor; and I'd like to know if anyone out there knows of anything else to do besides taking drugs.
it's a dull ache when my stomach is not real full (i ate 90 minutes ago and it's back) it's on the left side at navel height.
It doesn't keep me awake at night and i don't feel it when i'm riding.

anyone have any thoughts, remedies?

[Tuckervill]

I don't know. I had to stop doing jumping jacks this morning at boot camp because I think my gallbladder attacked me. I tried to run, had to go home. Took a couple of hours for the sharp pain below my ribs on the right to stop hurting. Doesn't sound like what you have.

I had a lot of stress when I was getting divorced and had stomach pain and I lived on antacids. Similar kind of pain. I just figured it was indigestion from the stress. I don't have indigestion much anymore.

Hope you find and elementary and easily repaired cause.

Karen

[ny biker]

Well, caffeine, nicotine, certain foods, and alcohol can all cause heartburn problems, if that's what's going on.

But I think if it's navel height, I don't think that's heartburn.

[Biciclista]

i drink a cup of green tea in the morning, no nicotine, and no alcohol. Pain is on and off all day.
It doesn't seem to matter what I eat; although I stuck some gum in my mouth
and guess what, as long as I'm chewing my stomach doesn't hurt!

(of course, my jaw will get tired and the gum will get old...)

[Grog]

That doesn't sound like a burning stomach to me, but I ain't no doctor (just married to one).

I'd get things checked out.

[Bruno28]

I had similar symptoms from a stomach ulcer - although the pain was more at the bottom of my ribcage where it separates rather than navel height. There are good meds to eradicate the bacteria that cause ulcers now.

Best get it checked, obviously.

[Aggie_Ama]

My thought was my dad had similar issues before his gallbladder went totally haywire and had to be removed. It went on for several years thinking heartburn/indigestion until it got worse and he thought it was too serious to be such. But I am not a doctor, good luck tummy aches are the pits.

[Biciclista]

yeah, i made a Dr appointment, but i hate having to take medication and will fight it all the way. If there's something else i could do, I will do that.

ps. phew! gall bladder pain is on RIGHT side; mine is on left.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Mimi, have you had your heart checked lately? Though it's not the likely cause, it's shown that sometimes women can have heart symptoms that feel like stomach pain under the ribcage, like an upset stomach or gas pain. Just keep it in mind.

[Biciclista]

My heart is great, was checked at last checkup, and I am sure the dr will
check that too; thanks for suggesting it.

I don't think chewing gum can make heart pain go away.

[Zen]

Spleen.
I'm just as good as House. Neither one of us is a real doctor. But the location you describe is where the spleen is

[Biciclista]

you're just as good a house?

great, spleen. what next?

[Crankin]

I have had pain as you are describing for like 4 years. It's across the left side of my waist, spreading out from my navel. Not all of the time, but enough to have had every part of me checked out. They thought it was diverticulosis, but it's not. I've also had ulcer-like symptoms for years, since I was in my 20's. Can't tell you how many times I have been to the emergency room, thinking it was a heart attack. So, sometimes, I have to cut back on certain foods and/or caffeine. Exercise seems to bother it, sometimes, but, if I stop and eat, it goes away.
Let us know what happens.

[shootingstar]

Keep us posted, Mimi. Wierd as this may sound, you have had a number of exciting positive things happen for you which make you busy in different way at this time in life. Just observations, based on the postings to all of us at TE.

Can happiness cause stress????

[NbyNW]

Maybe just reading the news is stressful!

I had good results with Zantac, years ago when I had similar symptoms. I think it's even available over the counter now. No troublesome side effects that I remember, except that I felt better after taking it. It's different than an antacid -- I think a good Dr. should be able to explain in layman's terms the difference -- so that if you decide to take medicine that you're comfortable with it.

Good luck, hope you figure out what's going on!