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What Causes Pain Under Left Rib Along With Pain In Lower Back?

Posted on Mon, 6 Jul 2015

Question: Pain under left rib, also pain in lower back on left side and sometime I can feel it in my shoulder blade. I have bad gas and burp a lot, less than a year ago I was diagnosed with gerd and a hiatul hernia. When I looked at my stool last night it was clay in color and in small chunks. I feel constipated, but can't poop. When I pass gas it's foul smelling. This morning after examining my stool it was normal inn color, not clay like, but still in small chunks. Sometimes my pain is in the lower abdomen and near my belly button. This has been going on for the past 4 days. I seem to have lost some weight, but appetite not affected, I'm just trying to see if it's pancreatic cancer or pancreatitis.I don't have any sign of jaundice nor does eating or drinking make my symptoms worse. Any help would be greatly appreciated,

Answered by Dr. Ralf Von Seckendorff (27 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Pankreatitis to be ruled out by blood work and ultrasound

Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,

to rule out pancreatitis the most effective way i would do if you were my patient is through ultrasound abdomen (also the gall bladder can be checked for with this) and blood work for inflammation and amylase/ lipase. The symptoms you are describing can be caused by a pancreas condition, by may also have other origins. If this is not pancreatitis and goes on for a longer period of time a colonoskopy can be the next advisable step. The stool you are describing may be within normal range though.

Hope this is helping you , if you have any clarificatons you can get back to me, if this was helpful please kindly rate my answer. Best regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj

Follow up: Dr. Ralf Von Seckendorff (1 hour later)

When I was diagnosed with my gerd I had an endoscopy and a colonoscpy done. Everything came back normal besides having 3 ulcers,colon was excellent he said. I also don't feel tired or any sort of fatuige. My stool just now was normal colored and solid, yet my lower back still hurts and I feel nagging pain under rib almost right behind it,

Answered by Dr. Ralf Von Seckendorff (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Stool normal, pancreatitis or kidney condition to bechecked by ultrasound

Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,

good thing your stool is normal by now, then there is usually no need for another colonoskopy at this point.

So possible is still pancreas or kidney problem, to be ruled out by ultrasound and blood/ urine test as advised above. If that turns out normal, then it can also be a problem from the lower spine like lumboischalgia.

Hope this is helping you , if you have any clarificatons you can get back to me, if this was helpful please kindly rate my answer. Best regards

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D