SHARP, STINGING PAINS UNDER THE RIB AREA/TOP OF ABDOMEN

LATELY, I HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME SHARP PAINS UNDER THE RIB CAGE AREA/ MAY EVEN BE AT THE TOP OF MY ABDOMEN - AFTER I EAT.   IT LASTS ONLY FOR A SHORT PERIOD AND STOPS.  SOMETIMES, THE PAIN STARTS BACK BUT I HAVEN'T HAD ANY FOOD.

WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS?

 i had the same issue, including sharp pain in my back and sometime in the chest....
very painful, stops 15min to a half hour but has been lasting up to 3hours as of today!
but i found out that mine is caused by my gallbladder so im having my remove on monday.
my doctor did a blood test to see if my liver was elevated and an ultra sound of the gallbladder, she said i had sludge which turns into large gallstones so it was better to remove it.
hope this fixes my pain issues and then i can eat something since i've been on liquids and i'm only about 7weeks out of gastric bypass...

I get mine out Tuesday!    SOOOO ready.

THANKS FOR THE POST.  I WISH YOU WELL ON YOUR SURGERY. 

I HAD MY GALLBLADDER OUT ALMOST NINE YEARS AGO.  SO I KNOW IT CAN'T BE THAT.  I HAVE WONDERED IF IT COULD BE AN ULCER, BUT I HATE TO SEE A DR. AND HAVE EXPLORATORY SURGERY JUST FOR IT TO BE NOTHIN' AT ALL. 

HAS ANYBODY ELSE GOT ANY IDEAS?

About a month or more after surgery i had pain under my left breast. It hurt more when i sat..
It reminded me when i was PG and the babys foo****ing my rib cage... My doc did a upper GI just to make sure things were running okay and all was fine. Now in my 3 month pre-op no more pains.... Good Luck to you.

Even if you had your gallbladder out nine years ago, you can still develop stones and sludge thru the biliary tract. There is another semi common disorder involving the sphincter of oddi which drains bile from the liver into the duodenum.
I too am having issues and I had my gallbladder out 13 years ago. Yesterday, they attempted a ERCP on me and were not able to make it to the papella which is directly below the spincter of oddi. Endo specialist said that they only have a 50/50 success rate on ERCP's (this is at one of the top 3 hospitals in the country).  Next Wednesday I find out what are some of the alternatives.
I too thought like you...that it is immpossible to get stones! NOPE in fact they are being seen more and more!
Hope this helps!

I have simular pains at times. Mine is due to constipation.