Pain on Right Side

Updated on August 11, 2009
K.K. asks from Traverse City, MI
22 answers

ok mama's...This pain I am having is bearable...just really really annoying, and I need some advice.
I tried to go to sleep last night and started experiencing a sharp little pain on my right side, well below the ribs, but not quite low enough that i consider it to be pelvic. i would say that it is directly to the right of my belly button, next to the top of my hip.
anyway....it is sharp, almost zappy, electrical feeling...lasts only a second or two, and keeps coming every few minutes. it is not a constant pain, but i wouldn't say that it's frequent enough to be considered throbbing. It is strong enough to have kept me awake most of the night, and didn't really respond to ibuprofin (I took that at 3am hoping to get some sleep)
It is still happening today at work and has not changed at all after drinking, eating or using the restroom.
It is sharp enough to be considered pain...but doesn't last long enough for me to think that I need to go to the doctor?
anyone have any ideas?

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So What Happened?

well...the pain lasted only 24 hours total...i had a doctors appt the next morning with my doctor, but I cancelled it, and will discuss what happened and what I felt with my doctor during my annual appointment next month. Thanks for all the great advice!

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N.W.

answers from Detroit on

If the pain was enough to keep you up all night...it is definately serious enough to go to the dr. I would call and make an apt. immediately.

1 mom found this helpful

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R.K.

answers from Detroit on

I've had a feeling like that before.

I suggest drinking LOTS of water - thoroughly flush your system.

If that is too difficult or not working just to increase your water intake, try eating as much watermelon as you can (when you get full, it's time to stop, but you can repeat it in about 30 minutes or an hour when you get hungry again). Don't be afraid to eat a whole watermelon or two in the course of a day or two. You'll be able to tell whether it's working or not. If the ache quits or subsides, it should pretty quickly once you eat the watermelon, but you might need to eat more again if it comes back. Then, just make sure you stay well hydrated after that.

The weather is pretty warm, and that increases the body's need for water, and if you have any tiny stones in the kidneys, they could make you pretty uncomfortable until you can flush them out (by staying really well hydrated and/or watermelon), and staying well hydrated will prevent them to begin with, too.

Hope this helps - Good luck.

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

I am having the same problem I am getting an Ultra Sound on Wednesday. Dr. thinks it is my Gallbladder again since the pain is also in that area but more in my low stomach exactly where you said yours is. I didn't want to take the chance of it being something more so I went to the Dr. and she is sending me for the Ultra Sound and also mentioned I might need gallbladder surgery YIKES! You should go to the Dr. and find out exactly what it is. Keep us posted.
K.

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A.T.

answers from Grand Rapids on

this could be a lot of thing but you should seek a drs care but depending how sever the pain is it could be apdex or something in you female parts unless you dont have them anymore like me Ifelt like a hypercondrax everytime i went in to the drs but now they should have listen to me cuz now i have fibromyalga& other medical problems but you should go in & get checked out

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S.H.

answers from Detroit on

Sounds like you might have either a kidney stone or an ovarian cyst. I have had both and to be honest - can't tell you which was worse as they both made me cry... Definately go to the doctor.!!! Any pain like that is an indication that something is wrong!! Don't wait for it to get worse... If it is a cyst - it will stop hurting once it bursts - then depending on what type of cyst it was you could end up with a nasty infection.

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P.N.

answers from Detroit on

Ok...this may sound silly. But, I was having similar pains as you and found out I was not eliminating my bowels entirely and therefore became very constipated. One time that it happened, the pain was all the way up to my ribs, usually on the right side. It made me think it may have been my appendix but, the pain wasn't low enough. Try some M.O.M. That worked for me. If you still have pain or it increases, definitely call your doc. Good luck.

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J.F.

answers from Lansing on

I had the exact same thing and finally wound up going to a chiropractor (as a last resort) . . . wish I would have went earlier. It was immediately relieved with a minor adjustment--completely painless and took only a few seconds. Every once in a while I will get out of alignment and the pain will return just like before, so now I see him right away when it happens. No medications or doctors necessary.

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B.A.

answers from Detroit on

Get it to see a doctor, it could be appendicitus. If your appendix ruptures, it can cause very serious complications. Don't risk waiting. Good luck.
Barb

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M.P.

answers from Detroit on

Pain typically originates in a different area than where a person feels the pain. Your schedule is very full: mom, working f/t, school, and two children well not much time to relax. Sounds to me like you are experiencing stress and maybe just a great massage would work.

All of the nerves in our body are connected to our spine and when a person experiences stress, that is where it starts, in the back.

I had chest pains so bad I went to urgent care. It wasn't my heart, it was my back.

Also, my husband has had problems with his leg and the pain is in his back. He has been seeing an EXCELLENT massage therapist and the pain is going away.

With your full schedule, still try to eat as healthy as you can. That helps reduce the affects of stress as well.

Remember creating a healthy family is like a game of Follow the Leader. Our kids will do what we do. Take care of yourself first.

M.

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A.U.

answers from Detroit on

Sounds like it could be your appendix. Very similar to what happened to me! I went to the hospital 3 days in a row and was sent home. Turns out it was my appendix and a couple days later I had to be rushed to the hospital and have emergency surgery! My appendix ruptured and had been ruptured for over 40 hours! They said i was lucky to be alive! I was in the hospital for 2 weeks with 3 drainage tubes, staples in my belly button, and low abdomen!
So, what I'm saying, get to the doctor and get it checked out!
Another thing that the doc told is that you can usually tell if its appendicitis (sp?) by pushing IN on the area that usually has the pain, then let go real quick. If it doesn't hurt too bad pushing in, but hurts bad when you let out - its probably your appendix! I think usually you'll have a low grade fever as well and white blood count will be elevated.
Good Luck!

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

I've had my appendix removed and an ovarian cyst that burst and what you are describing doesn't sound like either to me. Both of those came on very strongly and quickly and you'd be in severe constant pain by now. Have you had your appendix removed already? I had a similar pain after mine was gone that was pretty random and it was just like you said, didn't last very long at all. It usually happened when I was standing up though and not laying down. Now, I'm guessing that it might have just been my organs shifting around because of my appendix missing. Have you had anything removed? I think going to a chiropractor could help if you are able to do that because I've been seeing one for 2 years and I haven't felt any pain during any of that time. Before seeing a chiropractor I saw several different doctors, including one that told me I am probably just going to have to deal with the pain and he could prescribe me some painkillers that I could inject myself in the area to numb the pain when I felt it...and I thought - what???!!! By the time I do all that the pain is gone, not to mention, I am one of those people that believes pain is my body trying to tell me something, so I don't want to just mask the pain, I want to know why/what is causing it and cure that...anyways, I don't know if I've been much help here but at least you can compare your experience to mine. I'm sure if you see a doctor they will send you to a specialist, I had a colonoscopy and an abdominal ultrasound and both found nothing but I guess it gave me piece of mind to know its nothing serious. Good luck and keep us informed of your results - take care!

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N.W.

answers from Lansing on

If you still have it go to the ER it may be your appendix. Its @ the level of your crest (top of your pelvis on the rt). If your blood work is elevated they may decide to do an Ultrasound or Cat Scan. It is better to go in now than wait it out. Good Luck

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N.K.

answers from Detroit on

I would go to the doctor or at least call them. Appendix maybe? I wouldn't just ignore it. Also, sometimes I get pain during ovulation. Either way, better safe than sorry.

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E.H.

answers from Saginaw on

I've had that happen a few times in my life. The first time I had ovarian cysts. It started off just as you've explained, but then it started getting worse and finally it was unbearable. Ibuprofin didn't help. My doctor put me on a something stronger, but that didn't really cut it either. I was referred to a GYN who it seems like he put me on Celubrex - sorry if I spelt that incorrectly. That seemed to help. I then had to wait for a specified amount of time to see if the cysts took care of themselves, which they did. If they didn't I would of had to have them surgically removed.

Just a few years ago I had similiar pain again. It was tolerable, but after a while I did see the doctor. They weren't sure what was going on. Well the pain increased and finally it turned into great pain. It felt like contractions. I then found out I had kidney stones, verified by ultrasound. I'm on my third round of kidney stones even as I type this, this time they had to be verified by CT scan.

I suggest you see your doctor.

Good luck,
E. H.
A little about me: I'm a 33 year old mother of a wonderful 3.5 year old. I've been married for 10 years. I work full time as Co-Owner/Secretary/Treasurer of our fourth generation commercial and residental painting company.

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D.S.

answers from Grand Rapids on

K. k; hmmm that i believe is the side of apendicitis, it also can be a kidney if you are not drinking water, or once i ate some popcorn and it somehow got lodged in the intestine wall the kernal and it caused a great deal of pain, i read up on it, is how i know, ahahah did you eat popcorn lately and have you had lots of water? if the pain is umbearable go to drs, if it goes away it may not be much i would have it checked, hope all is well, D. s

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D.H.

answers from Detroit on

K. ~
I'm a nurse, and I've had my gallbladder removed for a similar pain.
Are you having any nausea, vomitting or diarrhea? Did it start after you ate something? It could be your gallbladder...usually irritated by fatty foods.
It could also be your appendix. Is the pain between your belly button & your hip while you're laying down? That's called McBurney's Point, and it indicates appendicitis. You really need to get to the doctor and have a CBC done so that they can check your white blood cell count, and also liver enzymes to rule out the gall bladder.
Please don't wait...if it is your appendix, the pain usually goes away when it bursts, and then it's an emergency.
D.

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R.S.

answers from Detroit on

HI K.,
I just went throught the same thing and everyone sadi they thought I had the same things as everyone has responded here. I started with the OB and had everything checked. I was convinced I had ovarian cancer. Not true. Ob thought it was irritable bowel. Pain got worse and I went to my regular Dr. She talked to me for about 5 minutes and told me I had Diverticulitis (SPell check not working). Anyway she put me on antibiotic and it has gone away. I had this for about 3 weeks and the pain got worse before it got better.
PLease don't worry yourself before you have it checked out. I was so scared one night I was in tears. I am not a cryer. Good luck

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S.M.

answers from Saginaw on

Hello K., It could be the appendix. You need to get into the doctor ASAP, because it can turn dangerous fast. If it starts to move downward or becomes more painful fast, go to the ER. Are you running a temp? Good luck.

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L.L.

answers from Detroit on

Go to the doctor! Something is wrong. It may not be serious but the pain is coming from something. Perhaps it is fibroid tumors in your uteris. Have you had a hysterectomy????

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D.J.

answers from Detroit on

i had a simlar type of pain before it ended up being my appendics. the pain wasn't severe but it was enough to be annoying this lasted about 3 months on and off but didn't show up on the test until it was at the point of needing to be removed. howevere my friend who get sist a lot and has endometrosis talk about simalar pain. it is something you should have checked out by a doctor.

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L.N.

answers from Benton Harbor on

Could be anything. Certainly nobody on here can diagnose you, regardless of experience. UTI, cyst, appendicitis, gas, ovulation, kidney stone...seriously, anything!

You really need to see your doc. Even *nagging* pain that isn't really disabling is still important enough to warrant a visit.

~L.

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M.C.

answers from Detroit on

It may be an ovarian cyst or a UTI. I had a bad ovarian cyst a few years ago and it felt like someone was using a blow torch on me. I ended up in the emergency room, but I was also early into my second pregnancy and thought that maybe the pregnancy may be eptopic(sp.). While at the hospital, they put me on morphine for the pain and then I got sent home with vicodin. It took a few days, but the pain lessened and eventually went away. Keep an eye on it, but just to be safe, I would contact your OB/GYN and see what they say.

Hope you feel better soon,

M.

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