saut

I've been having this dull pain in the lower right side of my abdomen, right about where my waist is. It feels like a cramp, or maybe gas, except this has been going on for about three days, so I don't think it's either of those. Can anyone tell me what is located where my pain is, and what it could mean? (I'd ask my doctor, but the pain is barely noticable most of the time, it's more annoying than anything).

tritium

Your appendix? I'd go get it checked to be sure.

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Charlatan

Get it checked before it bursts...

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Yakk

New chronic pain in the adomen sounds like something that is worth a doctor's visit.

I mean, unless you just started tightening your belt another notch.

As an aside, is it tender when probed gently? Your stomach muscles tensed up?

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

Rodney

Could be a lot of things, not necessarily an appendix. But pain, especially continuing pain, is your body's way of telling you that something's screwed up, so a doctor visit is mandatory. Go to a clinic now.

saut

When I tense my stomach up and push in on the area, there is no pain. However, if I relax my stomach and push on it, it hurts worse. I really don't want to go to the doctor for something that seems like no big deal. Oh well, I guess I should.

tritium

Appendix's sometimes don't even hurt or could hurt in another part of your body entirely. Its absolutely critical in matters of pain in that particular region of your body to have a doctor check you out immediately.

If it were an appendix infection and it burst, then you would be immediately septic and be in grave danger.

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onetime2

No question about it see a doctor. While it could be a lot of things, a few of the things it might be could make your life miserable and have a chance of killing you. I am among the last to go see a doctor but one of the things that will get me there is recurring pain that does not go away after a day or two.

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yournamehere

Your appendix is much lower than your waist (well - the way I've seen some kids wear their pants, maybe I shouldn't say that). Sounds like it might be a sore intestine - could've gotten twisted or stretched.

In any case, see a doctor.

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saut

The pain intensified slightly and spread throughout my abdomen. Sometimes I get a shooting pain right in the middle of my chest. Going to see a doctor as soon as possible.

gonadman

Feel your hip bone, now feel your pubic bone(right above your dick). Imagine a line connecting them. The middle of that line is McBurneys Point- and right where the appendix is located in most people. Jump up and down, does it hurt right at that point? Thats localization and should be looked at by a Doc. Subacute appendicitis could present this way. Other possibilities- upper urinary tract(kidney) infection or stone. Abdominal muscle strain, constipation.
When you tense your muscles, your are forming a firm barrier over your organs. The fact that it hurts worse when you relax them signals organ pain, not muscle pain. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is something that needs attention. If any other symptoms, such as fever, frequent urination, or worsening pain occur, you've got to get it checked out.

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saut

The only symptom I have is the pain. I've been shitting normally, so it's definitly not constipation. There's no pain in the V line from my hip bones to my pubic bone, it's about two inches above that.l Seems to be the intestinal area to me. The pain subsided over night, but is definitly still present.

saut

Oh, and my fucking doctor's office is closed until Tuesday. This sucks.

yournamehere

If you have chest - and other - pains associated with this, it could be gallstones. Pain from the gallbladder tends to feel like it comes from different places - even the back. Did you by any chance grow up on junk food? A high fat diet is usually the culprit in young people with gallstones.

__________________
If you want to avoid 95% of internet spelling errors:
"If your ridiculous pants are too loose, you're definitely going to lose them. Tell your two loser friends over there that they're going to lose theirs, too."
It won't hurt your fashion sense, either.

saut

I have a pretty healthy diet. Definitly not fat by any means.

saut

I just got into touch with my doctor, and he doesn't seem too concerned since I don't have any symptoms except the pain. I'm supposed to eat "light meals" and "drink lots of fluids" and "call them if it gets worse or doesn't get better." Lot of fucking help that was.

Rodney

Sorry the doctor wasn't of more use. If it doesn't go away in a couple of days, make the appointment and tell them you're coming in there. Sometimes (most of the time) you have to be firm with the medical establishment. Because it _is_ an establishment, one that wants to play by the rules that makes life easiest for itself, not necessarily the people it's supposed to serve.

That said, add ulcers (or a pre-ulcerous condition) to the list of possibles. They can crop up at various places in your digestive system, not just the stomach. I had an almost-ulcer for a while -- I think the condition is caused gastritis. I was under a lot of stress. It felt like a generalized pain in that part of my body. The kicker was when I went on vacation and the pain stopped, then started again two weeks after I got back.

saut

An ulcer was something I definitly thought was a possibility. I've never been under a lot of stress ever -- until I totaled my car last week. I've been quite stressed out about getting a new car, money, getting to school, etc.

gonadman

An ulcer won't give you pain in the lower right, it would be upper left for gastric ulcer or upper central for duodenal ulcer. The stress could be giving you pain due to irritable bowel. That pain is usually crampy in nature. Kidney stone or subacute appy still possibilities. Gallstones usually upper right and precipitated by a greasy meal. Of course it could be a contusion from the auto accident. Certainly doesn't seem too concerning if it is mild and improving. Just watch for any other symptoms.

BTW Rodney, not all docs are like that. Most genuinely care alot about their patients. Sounds like you unfortunately have encountered the other kind.

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For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

saut

No other symptoms, but the pain seems to be getting worse and is more easily triggered (just walking around seems to do it now, whereas only sudden jerky movements did before).

onetime2

I would head to an urgent care med center. You won't get hit by the excessive emergency room visit charges (which most insurers hit you with if you're not admitted) and you'll see a doctor right away.

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Yakk

So, your abdomen, containing most of your vital organs, has been steadily getting more and more painful for how many days now?

GET YOUR ASS TO A DOCTOR.

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

Rodney

It's really the system that makes this behavior, not the invidual. In the average HMO, caring is only encouraged (or tolerated) if it doesn't get in the way of making quota. And the system just wears people down.

For instance, I found a doctor through an HMO who was recommended to me as good, and he really was. But we had so little time, and his head was so full of other things that he had to do, that he skipped a few things. I'd already identified some issues surrounding the condition I thought I had (which I actually did have), and so I brought them up in the exam and he followed them up. But if I had 't, I doubt that he would have thought of it.

saut

Here's something new I've noticed: it only hurts when I move, especially walking. I'm inclined to think that if it were an organ in pain, this would not be the case. This makes me suspect that it's a deep muscle tissue issue (rhyme very intentional).

Schwan

Still,

saut

I'm working on it. My doctor's office isn't open until tomorrow (Monday). I'll be going then.

StephenSa

I had a similar situation this time last year. It was a deep pain somewhere around the left side of my lower abdomen which led me to think it was some sort of organ with something wrong with it. I waited a few days and then went to the doctor. They ran all sorts of tests and the like and could find nothing wrong. They finally decided it was probably some sort of deep muscle spasm and gave me a script for a mild muscle relaxer. I went home and took it for a few days, the pain went away and has never returned. I work out a lot so I probably strained something. Even though it turned out to be nothing serious, I'm glad they checked me out. Always better safe than sorry.

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saut

I woke up this morning and felt 100 times better. It still hurts a little if I give it a good poke, but otherwise not at all. I'm thinking that I did something akin to what Stehpen did -- deep muscle spasm.

gonadman

There is no quota system in HMOs. The problem arises due to the extremely low reimbursement rate for primary care physicians. It is on the order of $5-$7 a month plus your copay for EVERYTHING you need- including EKGs, bloodwork, suturing, cultures, mole removal, etc.

Ther doc is rushed because he needs to book more patients per hour to make the same amount of money. I agree the system stinks and only the worst type of care arises out of HMOs but fortunately the system is slowly changing.

Sorry for the off topic remarks, but there is a lot of misunderstanding regarding HMOs

...Glad to hear you're feeling better....

__________________
For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

KirStang

Hey guys, i just revived an old topic, but i do have a question. Today, after i finished doing 300lbs on a bench press machine (was pushing my limit, usually do ~260), i stood up, and felt sharp abdominal pain in my lower abdomen, like a slight pressure on my bladder, and when i bent forward, i had pain in my lower abdomen as well as my anus (sorry if i'm being too descriptive.) After bending forward and poking around (there was pain when i poked..), i felt something slide and the pain was much better, whereupon i continued with other workouts.

Is this a hernia? A serious problem? Is it because i've been working out too much? Lower abdomen strain? Or just gas; i've been gassy from eating cereal and mlik, but i don't want to get a bad hernia...

Thanks