Question:
Has anyone had pain on their LEFT side, like below the ribcage?

It started yesterday and I thought it was a pulled muscle because I went rollerbladding for the first time and was uneasy on my feet. But, today, it seems to have gotten gradually worse. It hurts to walk around, stand, breathe. I know if it's on the right side, it could be appendix or gallbladder but it's on the LEFT side, so I'm not sure what it could be. No temperature or vomiting, just pain. Any suggestions? thanks    — michelle T. (posted on July 7, 2003)

July 7, 2003
I don't know how far post-op you are but I read that after surgery, usually 3-4 weeks, you will have pain on that side. This is due to the doctors having to move your ribcage. If you are farther than that I am not sure. I know the spleen and stomach are near the left side. Hope this helps! Summer
   — Summer L.

July 7, 2003
I had the exact same thing about 3 weeks out. It was so bad that I called my doc on a Sunday night and asked him about it. He told me not to worry. He said that since I wasn't running a fever or vomiting just to watch it. He reminded me that the actual surgery site is more to the left than the right (basically where I was hurting) and that there was a lot of "stuff" healing and pulling in there. It went away in about 5 days.
   — Melissa B.

July 7, 2003
I have had the same thing for the last two days, but I have a temp. of 100.2 and a headache. Does anyone know what might be wrong? My pain is sharp and hurts when I breathe or move at all...on the LEFT side....thanks.
   — Jeralyn Merideth

July 7, 2003
I have had increasing, up to extreme pain in my left side. I finally had the dr. admit me to the hospit5al for a cat scan. I didn't hurt a lot when lying down but if I stood up and or tried to walk It felt like it was going into spasm. This is 20 days post op. The hospital found nothing wrong in cat scan and examination. I did have a BM the moring of going to the hospital. I went home in pain. the next day (yesterday as to this wrinting) I had the urge for a bowel movement but was severley impacted and thought I was going to die until I finally got everything out. The extreme pain I had went away however. I didn't thing I had a bowel problem but I guess that was what it was. I only had 2 BM before this but assumed because I was eating so little this was all there was in there. I stll feellousy and have a real upset stomache but almost all the extreme pain went away. Good Luck!
   — Joel L.

July 8, 2003
I too have a pain in my left side. I asked my doctor about it he said that it could be the start of a hernia, or maybe they nicked some nerves on the way out after surgery. He said give it a few weeks there is a lot of healing going on and stuff... Kind of feels like a pulled muscle. It goes away in the morning after a nights sleep, but comes back every day about the same amount of pain....?
   — alsobig

July 9, 2003
I had a similar pain on my right side at 2 weeks post-op. I went to the ER and mine was just muscle aches.
   — Nan G.