Just a quick question. For about a week now, after eating, I have a severe, dull pain right under my ribs. If I take an somthing like Tums, it usually goes away within 15-30 min. No matter what I eat, it happens. I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced this.

Are you eating anything that you weren't eating before?

It could be a garden variety of things. Gallstones....ulcers....Of course you know the best advice is to check with your healthcare provider.
Is it after every time you eat? Right side, left side, middle? Generalized or localized?

What happens if you don't take tums?

Have you experimented with a low fat diet?

Just some thoughts. The only way to know for sure is to be seen.

Good luck!

I suggest getting to your doctor asap! I suffered from this and was told it was a muscle cramp. It was a burning, stabbing pain right under my ribs on the right side that radiated into my right shoulder blade. My attacks got worse and worse until I ended up in the ER. It was gall stones/gall bladder disease. I had to get it out. Felt great since then...
I treated my attacks with tums and mylanta or Maylox and a heating pad on my ribs. The heating pad worked wonders-- not sure how or why but it did. In the meantime stay away from fatty foods, eat low fat and stay away from dairy, nuts, chocolate and especially cheese... cheese is what landed me in the ER. Good luck to you and I really hope it's something you can take care of easily and quickly. If you end up needing your gall bladder out if they can do it laproscopicly (sp?) it's a breeze...

recommend the visit to the dr's. It could be a world of things...some minor some not. Either way...best to have the dr look at it

Oh, please do see a doctor!! And let us know what you find out!

I had gallstones. Gallstones would not be relieved by Tums. For sure if they are gallstones, the attacks will only get worse.

Luckily for me, I had a friend that recognized my symptoms immediately and when I looked it up on the internet it was clearly my issue. I had the surgery (best thing I ever did) but luckily since I got to the doctor fairly soon it was not emergency surgery.

Best of luck - Lori

I have had my gallbladder ultrasounded about a month or two ago and it showed nothing. I did eat bad foods a couple days last week. Maybe it's my body's response to evil food. I am not doing that again. When I started eating good, about a month ago all of my symptoms went away pretty much.

If you are really sure it's not gallstones. Maybe your having a hard time digesting fiberous foods? I find that some veggies, brocolli in my case, are not cooked thououghly(sp?) I get a gut ache something awful.

For a while this happened to me too whether I was eating or drinking. I could tell it was in the general stomach/intestines area, but I have no clue what caused it. It still happens to me from time to time- sharp, stabbing pains that last for a few minutes after I eat or drink. It seems to be a new thing in the past few months, so I thought it might be related to something new I've been doing diet-wise. Not sure if any of that sounds familiar to you, though.

I was having some stabbing pains also after eating, a few weeks ago.
It has gone away and I never figured out what it was.

So, I was at work Friday and I was hurting soooo badly that I doctor I work with in the hospital sent me to the ER. They said that it is more than likely an ulcer. They gave me a prescription for Nexium and told me to follow up with a GI doctor. Hopefully that is all it is.

Glad you saw somebody (though sorry it got so bad!). Do follow up with that GI doc -- you are WORTH it!!

I too had mysterious stomach pains, had every test done, including ultrasounds etc. everything came back normal. Frustrated, I thought what could it be. Turns out my stomach woes was from Splenda (aka artificial sweeteners) I was od-ing on them, as the fake sugar was in everything I ate and drank from yogurt, beverages, cereals, snacks, etc. I quit Splenda cold turkey about 8 months ago and 3 days in, the mysterious pains have magically disappeared! Coincidental, I think not! Never again will artificial sweeteners pass my lips. If its not an ulcer, you may want to completely eliminate the fake sugars. I did a hit to google and typed in stomach pains and splenda, and thousands of others have had the same problems as I have had, maybe something to consider incase your tests as all ok.

Splenda does a number on me too. From icepick head aches, chest pains to major anxiety. I was putting it on my cereal, eating it in yogurt, and having several Diet Rites a day. Even went to the ER because I had such a major panic attack that I really thought I was going to die. I started keeping a detailed journal of every thing I put in my mouth and also every time I had my various problems...sure enough like clock work, it was the splenda. I too quit cold turkey, and about 3 weeks later chugged a couple Diet Rite colas and within 2 hours I thought I was going to die. Guess I still didn't believe it after that because I have tested this theory a few more times since, and every time I get horrible chest/neck/head pains + anxiety.

Oh I should mention that I did see a Doctor and had a large battery of tests run that all came out negative. It was only out of frustration did I start my own medical experiments.