For the last few weeks I have had pain under my right ribs and sometimes radiating into my back under my right shoulder blade – the shoulder blade pain gets worse when breathing. I had a collapsed lung about a year ago on the left side – but it doesn’t seem similar or likely that this would happen again, in the other lung. What could it be?
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Gallstones – Symptoms
The most common symptom of gallstones is pain in the stomach area or in the upper right part of the belly, under the ribs.
The pain may:
* Develop suddenly in the center of the upper belly (epigastric area) and spread to the right upper back or shoulder blade area. It is usually hard to get comfortable; moving around does not make the pain go away.
* Prevent you from taking normal or deep breaths.
* Last 15 minutes to 24 hours. Continuous pain for 1 to 5 hours is common.
* Begin at night and be severe enough to wake you.
* Occur after meals.
Gallstones – When To Call a Doctor
Abdominal pain can be a sign of a serious or even life-threatening condition, especially if you have a heart condition or are older than 60. If you are having sudden or severe pain and are not sure what is causing it, you may need immediate medical treatment. You should be especially concerned if you are having trouble breathing or you faint or lose consciousness. For more information, see the topic Abdominal Pain, Age 12 and Older. For more information on abdominal pain in children, see the topic Abdominal Pain, Age 11 and Younger.
Call your doctor immediately if you have:
* Pain that may be caused by gallstones (continuous moderate to severe pain in the upper right abdomen) along with a fever of 100.4F or higher and chills that are clearly not caused by stomach flu or any other reason.
* Pain in the upper midsection or upper right abdomen, along with a yellow tint to your skin and the white part of your eyes, dark yellow-brown urine, or light-colored stools.
* Diabetes or an impaired immune system and you have symptoms that may be caused by gallstones.
If you have symptoms of gallstones but no fever, chills, or yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eyes, you may still require evaluation and treatment. Schedule an appointment with your doctor.
Watchful Waiting
Watchful waiting is a period of time during which you and your health professional watch your symptoms or condition to see whether you need treatment. Watchful waiting is often the first approach to a first attack of gallstone pain.
My my, that sounds terrible, a collapsed lung. I believe that even in person I could only guess, but most on here aren’t doctors. Cancer? Internal injury? More lung issues? Slept oddly? Only way to really be sure is to go to a doctor. I would imagine that paid for that long means something more. But I couldn’t say. I hope the best for you. Good luck.