# Pain under left breast and rib cage - gas related?



## AlexD (Apr 1, 2012)

Hello everyone, I have Crohn's Disease but I'm not sure if this symptom is related, if it's just gas, or if it might be something else.  I regularly get an aching pain under the rib cage and my left breast right around where my heart is.  It's scaring me a lot since it's so close to my heart.  I belch a lot (which smells like rotten eggs) and am just wondering (and hoping) if this could all be gas related.  But nothing seems to fix it, I've tried all the OTC gas remedies and various prescriptions that my doctor has given me.  Does anyone else experience this?  If so, do you know what causes it?


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## mickey (Apr 1, 2012)

Sounds like gas issues.  From comment of smell of belly, sounds like your stomach bacteria is not in balance and perhaps may need to try probiotics.


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## David (Apr 2, 2012)

Hi Alex,

It's understandable that you're feeling fear with pain located in that region.  I'm sure I would be scared too.  I'm so sorry you're having to experience that 

Since your doctor has given you various prescriptions I assume he has evaluated you for all the bad stuff like heart issues, so that's good and as hard as it is, I think you can get that idea off your mind.  

You may want to keep a food journal and see if there are any correlations with what you eat and drink.  I also wonder if you push on the area or your sternum if that makes the pain worse?


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## Footy (Apr 22, 2012)

Hey I'd get this occasionally and I was just diagnosed with h.pylori.  Maybe get checked for that?


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## 723crossroads (Jul 26, 2012)

:thumright:Hi,
  I have the same pain alot too under my left rib. I always thought it was crohn;s related. I have been tested for gluten allergie's and everything else related. have had MRI's and catscans because i had cancer on my right kidney 3 yrs. ago. So, I truly believe this is crohn's pain. Also get spasms in my back alot. So bad I must take pain meds. I have cut out almost all chemicals and preservatives. I eat whole foods and drink plenty of water all day. So, whatever it is, it must be from the inflamation in the upper intestine. I was diagnosed with it in my illeum where it meets the colon and in the colon as well. Illeum is down lower. Hope this helps!!:thumright:


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## Lydia_Marsh (Jul 26, 2012)

I am currently undiagnosed, awaiting colonoscopy biposy results, but a dull, aching pain under my left rib cage is the first symptom I had before I really started feeling ill. I still have the pain, which has now progressed into my back, and neither my PCP nor GI were able to really say why. At first I thought maybe it was a gas bubble and that I needed to burp, but after 3 days I started to get concerned by it (this has been two months ago now). If you find anything out, please post!! And as the last reply said, the ileum is lower, which is where the erosion is in my intestines, so it's weird for the pain to be up under the rib!
Good luck- hope the pain subsides for you!


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## 723crossroads (Jul 26, 2012)

Dear Lydia,

 I have mentioned this to the two gastro's and they don't really say anything . But, the pain wraps around my back too. My crohn's was diagnosed lower too. But, I have bile acid problems. Crohn's messes with your liver function and gall bladder. So this could be the problem. I hate it because it hurts so bad. I have to take pain meds for it sometimes. If I do find out anything else, I'll let you know. I see my gastro next month. God bless!! Hope you feel better soon! 723Crossroads:rosette2:


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## 723crossroads (Jul 26, 2012)

723crossroads said:


> Dear Lydia,
> 
> I have mentioned this to the two gastro's and they don't really say anything . But, the pain wraps around my back too. My crohn's was diagnosed lower too. But, I have bile acid problems. Crohn's messes with your liver function and gall bladder. So this could be the problem. I hate it because it hurts so bad. I have to take pain meds for it sometimes. If I do find out anything else, I'll let you know. I see my gastro next month. God bless!! Hope you feel better soon! 723Crossroads:rosette2:


PS. I am on cholesterymine for the bile acid and the diarhea and it really helps alot. Talk to your Dr. about it.


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## Gculk (Jul 26, 2012)

Get checked for SIBO (Small intestine bacterial overgrowth), as this disorder increases the number of bacteria in your small intestine, which would lead to more protein being broken down by bacteria in your bowels, leading possibly to the rotten-egg (sulfur) smell.  This could possibly also increase your risk of H. Pylori as H. Pylori feeds off of the products of other bacterial processes.

Alternatively, you could have reduced motility in your small bowel, from possibly a stricture or inflammation, leading to the same sort of symptoms due to protein being exposed to gut bacteria for a longer period of time.

One suggestion I would make is that the rotten egg smell is indicative of a protein mediated issue in either way, because protein is the only dietary component that regularly contains significant amounts of sulfur.  Possibly try and reduce your protein intake for a period of time and see if it makes a difference?

Now, I'm not a doctor, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but it's worth considering.

Hope this helps.
Nathan


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## 723crossroads (Jul 26, 2012)

_Gculk,
 Thanx for the info on sibo. I will ask when I go next month to see my gastro. They did a stool sample and bloodwork 3 weeks ago to check for cdiff and other things. All that showed up was inflamation. Would the bacteria problem show up in the stool sample? 
Thanx again. Hope to hear back from you. Do you also have bile acid problems? Just wondered. thanx, Teresa_


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## Gculk (Jul 26, 2012)

No, SIBO won't be found unless they go poking around looking for it.

Fucked if I know what's wrong with me, I'm undiagnosed .  But really no, I don't think I have any bile acid issues.

That said, I don't believe that bile acid issues would cause the issues you are having unless it were secondary to SIBO (a cause of bile acid issues due to the bacteria breaking down the bile acids to forms not readily re-uptook).

Are you taking bile acid sequestrants?  Medicine for your bile acid issue?  If not, I have read that apple is high in natural sequestrants, so if you can tolerate apples in your diet (watch out for the peel, high in insoluble fibre) it could be a possible bandaid fix while you try and get it sorted out properly with your doc.

Do you often eat meat, or nuts? Once again, I'd like to suggest you examine a reduction of protein in your diet as an effort to reduce said symptom.  The rotten egg smell is almost certainly from bacteria in your mid-gut breaking down proteins, releasing sulfur gasses.

Nathan


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## 723crossroads (Jul 27, 2012)

*Nathan*

*Hey,
  Thanx again. I'm not the one with the rotten egg smell or sulfer. I just have the pain under left breast problem and the bile acid is under control now from cholestyramine. A drug for cholesteral and crohn's problems. It helps me alot. I am pretty much able to control the diarhea with it.
You have a great night and God bless!*Teresa


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## Gculk (Jul 27, 2012)

723crossroads said:


> *Hey,
> Thanx again. I'm not the one with the rotten egg smell or sulfer. I just have the pain under left breast problem and the bile acid is under control now from cholestyramine. A drug for cholesteral and crohn's problems. It helps me alot. I am pretty much able to control the diarhea with it.
> You have a great night and God bless!*Teresa


AH! Woopsies.  My mistake.  Got you mixed up.  Teach me not to read names.

Ok, so what part of your back do you get spasms, and could you describe your pain?  If it's in between the shoulders and relatively constant when it occurs you could be looking at referred pain from abdominal issues.

The location of pain could also indicate a liver issue, I'd expect that to be picked up on typical blood tests, but an idea nonetheless.

As well, you could have a secondary location of inflammation.  Have you had recent imaging of the location of the pain, such as pill cam, small bowel followthrough or scopes?

Nathan


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## Beach bum (Jul 28, 2012)

I also have this left hand side pain, sometimes just under left breast,sometimes almost like a lance going through from front to back.

I cant really lie on my left side either as this seems to hurt more and usually sleep on my right.
Would love to hear what it is if anyone finds out. 
My crohn's is in the small intestines , which as some have mentioned is lower down, bit of a mystery I guess.


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## 723crossroads (Jul 28, 2012)

*Beach Bum,
  I was fine all day today till I ate and that left side pain came back. So it is in the intestines and has something to do with crohn's, I'm sure of it. But, will post after I see my gastro next month. I may get a new scan that can actually see inside the small intestines. Then we'll know for sure what it is. Hope you feel better!  God bless, Teresa:thumright:*


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