Pain in my left side.

[Korina]

Lately, like in the last 4 months or so, my left side hurt when I drink.
Anyone know what this might be?

Im 44 and I have been a pretty hard drinker most of my life.

Also for the last year or so I have been eating lots of fatty foods, fried foods and the like.

The pain is about halfway between my belly button and my left hip.

[AnnieBodie]

I don't know Korina, but I'd recommend that you see your doctor about it. It sounds intestinal.

annie

[bigsister987]

Could be liver, pancreas or spleen. You really need to see a doctor asap. And stop drinking of course.

[Korina]

I had my liver checked last month with a blood test. It came back good. I havent thought about my Pancreas. I have had a deep fear that something is wrong in there. The pain comes almost everytime I drink. Usually when I first start drinking.

[crazy]

Pancreas and liver are on the right side and higher than you describe. Intestines and appendix are where you describe. I had pain like that too, when I was drinking, I asked my Dr. about it and he said it was likely intestinal pain, the junction of where the small intestine turns into the colon is right there. Not sure what that means but it did go away when I quit drinking.

[bigsister987]

Oh I didn't notice the directions!! Sounds like your ovary to me, but you're a boy so perhaps not.

[Apostrophe]

Hey Korina,

Who knows, but I wouldn't mess with this. Somebody on the board recently said they'd had a normal liver test a couple months ago, then wound up with jaundice. I think especially with us guys (and gals) who are not so young anymore, we need to be listening to our body when it says enough's enough. Don't obsess, get it checked, don't drink.

[greengirl32]

Actually, the pancreas is NOT on the right side, it is on the left.

When I first wanted to quit, the last few times I drank I was beginning to notice an ache in my left stomach area and I was beginning to get very sleepy after meals, particularly lunch. When I quit drinking it went away. The pancreas has to do with releasing insulin into the body at appropriate times (hence my sleepiness). I would google pancreatitis and see if what you are experiencing sounds similar. There are a few others on this site who have had severe cases of this.

[Bart]

Originally Posted by crazy

Intestines and appendix are where you describe.

Intestines are, but the appendix is going to be on the right side midway between the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS) and the belly button-- basically just on the other side of your body where you are describing. It is right where the ileum of the small intestine joins the ascending colon.

The problem here is you might be feeling what is called "referred pain." We are not used to our internal organs hurting, so when they send pain signals the brain sometimes misinterprets these signals as coming from body parts that send sensation to vertebrae on the same level-- ever wondered why people have a tingle in the left arm with a heart attack? That is one reason (called referred pain).

What all that means is that pain in your left side *could* be from something located there on your left side, or it could be from a variety of internal organs with the signal getting mixed up by your nervous system. Bottom line, you need to see a doctor. Hopefully it's nothing serious, but that is not a chance you want to take.

[AnnieBodie]

Originally Posted by bigsister987

Oh I didn't notice the directions!! Sounds like your ovary to me, but you're a boy so perhaps not.

Are we talking about Korina's right side or our right as we look at him? HE should be the reference - HIS right side.



Anyway, anything below the belly button is intestinal, unless you are indeed a girl. Seriously, talk to your doctor about it.

Annie