DS at uni - ongoing pain in right side - help!

[anywinewilldonow]

My DS, 19, has had an "ache" under his right ribs (through sometimes to his back) for more than 2 months but keeps saying it isn't bad enough to see the GP. He says it isn't related to eating (or drinking!), time of day or body position, doesn't feel like a muscle (he says it feels like it is "inside"), and is not tender when he presses, and not swollen as far as he can tell.

It has been worse some weeks than others. Sometimes he almost feels, he says, that he can ignore it, but it never completely goes away.

It doesn't wake him up at night and he doesn't think he has any other symptoms (nausea, bowels etc).

Any ideas? I am worried about him and the fact that he is not dealing with something which could be serious.

Does it come and go? Sounds like gallbladder pain. I know you said he said it wasn't related to eating or drinking but gallbladder flares don't come straight away after eating, I've had them anywhere from 1 - 24 hours after eating

I did think of gallbladder stones, though he's not your typical patient! My niece did have them in her 20s and struggled to get a doctor to take it seriously but she eventually had it removed age 27. Typically they affect mostly 40 odd year old plump or quick weight loss women. My niece wasn't overweight at all, though.

Thanks for replies. Gallbladder/stones did occur to me but he's skinny and doesn't seem to have flares as such - more like days/weeks of it feeling worse then days/weeks of it settling at a lower level of discomfort?

Anywine try and get him to see his GP. Whatever it is if it has been going on for 2 months it needs checking, even just a chat with the doctor. Easier said than done, and much easier when they were children as we would make the decision for them. Tell him you are concerned even if he isn't.

It may not be gallstones, rather his gallbladder isn't functioning properly. That's what happened to me and it had to be removed.

Grumbling appendix.
It doesn't always present with the typical symptoms. Ds had a year of being passed from consultant to consultant before it was decided to remove the appendix.

Sounds gallbladder ish. I wouldn't personally discount it for him not being the typical patient. I had gallstones in my early teens.

I have persuaded him to make a GP appointment. I'm hoping they will, at the least, do blood tests and refer him for an ultrasound. I'm sure if they do that they'll look at his gallbladder, but I'll tell him to ask if they can see his appendix too.

I've had something similar for two years! Diagnosis was non erosive duodenitis due to my crap diet and boozing too much!

That's interesting, Thisnamechanger - he certainly has a crap diet and drinks too much! Do you take acid reducing pills for that?

I did for a while but I was crap at taking them and didn't improve my diet enough so it flair up a bit when I'm going through an unhealthy patch. Tbh the pain isn't bad enough for me to be bothered to go back even though I know should.

It also sounds like it could be liver or kidneys... he might be downplaying the drinking because he doesn't want to worry you.

Yes, his liver particularly was what I was worried about! I'm hoping that the GP would include liver function tests with blood tests.

Appendix? Definitely should see a GP in case it suddenly gets worse.

Another vote for Gallbladder or Kidneys! Get to GP or call 111

Quick update. So his abdominal ultrasound was normal, and his blood tests were normal (so liver function normal, kidney function normal, blood counts normal and CRP - inflammation marker - normal). GP has basically dismissed him, saying it's nothing serious!

But he's had this ache in his right side for 3 months now. Surely there must be a reason for it? I've suggested he take some over the counter acid reducing tablets, but any other ideas?

It does seem to get worse during periods of heavier drinking.

That sounds good OP. It sounds like the GP has been fairly thorough.

Obviously if it gets worse, then your DS should go back to the GP. Perhaps it's some kind of muscle strain.

Take it from me, if his ultrasound and bloods were normal, then he isn't in any imminent danger, and the pain he is feeling is most likely skeletal. Sometimes it can feel like it's deeper than it really is, there are loads of ribs that connect from the spine to the front of the rib cage, it can cause pain like he's describing.

I've had gallstones, I had an ultrasound and they can't be missed! I also have costochondritis so I get lots of aching, full/sharp etc you name it, sometimes can come and go or last for ages, in some people can last for months to years.

There isn't a lot you can do other than give it time and make sure he isn't lying in awkward positions that might set it off.

How much drinking is heavier drinking op? That would worry me tbh.

As per previous poster I've had costochondritis and it was agony for months but not where you describe.

Costochondritis isn't located in a specific place. It can refer pain to other areas. It's well known to refer pain down arms, up necks and down backs.

There are many ribs and all have costochondral joints, these get inflamed and cause different types of pain. Aching, sharp etc. It can mimic heart pain.

You can definitely get pain in your side from costochondritis. However it could be a pulled muscle too. I've had both, and muscle injury's take a very long time to heal, depending on how severe the injury is.

You can get costochondritis anywhere around the area really, not just in 'the classic' spot.

Are you concerned about his periods of heavier drinking op? I'm sure people can advise you on here if you are.

Thanks for all your replies.

He has now told me that he thinks it may not be related to drinking after all, and that it seems worse when he is lying or sleeping on his left side (the other side to the pain). Better when lying on the side which hurts, which is strange. I think also it may change with other movement sometimes.

The pain is not on ribs but right in the side at waist level, below ribs.
Does this sound now more muscular? Bit confused that it seems to hurt more when sleeping on the opposite side!

So his side of liver and gallbladder? Monitor it and go back if it's still concerning him. Although the ultrasound should have picked anything concerning up.

When he is in pain, does it make it worse to twist his ribcage etc or is it the same?

Maybe for the time being get him to sleep on his back so he is not putting any pressure on either side, if it is muscular.

I'm not a medical professional but I had the same thing at uni and it turned out to be kidney stones. Although I guess if he had them they would have shown up on the ultrasound if they scanned that area fully. Mine was worse after drinking and waking up in the morning due to dehydration.

My gallbladder did not function properly. This cannot be seen on an ultrasound and my bloods came back clear so it took a very long time to be diagnosed, and I was only taken seriously after the pain got much worse. It got to the point where excruciating pain landed me in a and e 5 times with me staying in between a week and a fornight each time. I was dismissed by GPs and many consultants. To detect a gallbladder that isn't functioning you need a specialised scan called a HIDA. It won't show up on an ultrasound, CT or MRI. I was young and thin and my diet was normal. If your son starts to feel any worse or he feels that something still isn't right, get him to push the GP for a refer to a specialist. Hope he feels better soon.