What Causes Right Sided Stomach Pain?
For the past couple of hours I have been experiencing sharp sore pains on the right side of my stomach near by belly button. It sends sharp pains every time a try to bend down. I also have been constipated for about a day. I now also started to experience cramping on the lower part of the right side of my abdomen and it feels like I have bad menstrual cramps but I am not due for my period for another two weeks. I am also feeling nauseous and experiencing lower back pain.
I am over reacting to these symptoms? What can be causing this?
Please report to your family physician/ER of the nearest hospital.
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX ! Good morning. I am Dr Shareef answering your query.
Although it needs a clinical examination of your abdomen to reach at a diagnosis, your history and symptoms are typically going in favour of an acute appendicitis, where the pain starts in the peri umbilical region shifting later to the right side of lower abdomen, followed by vomiting associated sometimes with constipation.
If I were your doctor, I would advise you not to have any food till you are examined and investigated in the ER, where after a physical examination of your abdomen you might be advised for some routine blood test like CBC, blood sugar, blood urea and serum creatinine, a serum HCG test if you are sexually active to rule out any chances of an unsuspected pregnancy which might not be in a normal position, a urine routine/microscopic examination followed by a culture and sensitivity test if you had any urinary symptoms to rule out a UTI, and an ultrasound of whole abdomen to see the status of your pelvic organs and rule out any pathology on the right side.
In case of appendicitis, you would be required to undergo a surgery which is very commonly done and is quite safe in expert hands. Therefore, I would advise you to report either to your family physician for a primary assessment, or to the ER of your nearest hospital where a total assessment and related investigations could be done.
In the mean while, if the pain is severe, you might go for an anti spasmodic and an anti emetic, otherwise it would be better to get yourself examined before going for any anti spasmodic. You could go for a proton pump inhibitor for the present.
I hope this information would help you in discussing with your family physician/treating doctor in further management of your problem. Please do not hesitate to ask in case of any further doubts.
Thanks for choosing health care magic to clear doubts on your health problems. I wish you an early recovery. Dr Shareef.