Lower Right Abdominal Pain

by Kevin
(West Chester)

Pain at night in my mid-right side lower abdomen just above my pubic area. When I roll over in bed onto my left side it is very painful. When I roll to my right side it is not painful at all. Very painful when I first get up in the morning walking and turning torso and the pain subsides throughout the day. Not painful at all when sitting at work or even walking around if I do not do anything stupid to initiate the pain (quick movement of area). I workout 5 times a week and have seen my primary doctor who diagnosed me as an abdominal strain however it has been a week and seems to be getting worse with the rest. I am getting frustrated and starting to worry.

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Dear Kevin,

The pain you described indeed does sound like that due to abdominal wall muscular injury, though it is important that an hernia is excluded too.

Do you feel unwell in anyway apart from the pain? Is there any feeling of nausea or loss of appetite? What about change in your bowel habit? I have asked those questions to quickly exclude other causes. If you do not feel unwell or feel nauseated or have loss of appetite or feeling feverish, or no change in your bowel habits, then it makes a muscular cause or hernia more likely.

I note that you said you do workout 5 times a week. Can you remember stretching so much or straining your self recently?

Muscle sprain could take weeks to go away, if it is. You will need to be on regular pain killers, like Tylenol (acetaminophen) combined with Voltaren or Voltarol (Diclofenac), if you do not have allergy to any of those medicines or if you are not asthmatic or suffers with stomach or duodenal ulcer, or stomach bleed in the past - please check with your doctor.

Should the pain become worse, or if you vomit as well, please seek immediate medical attention for re-evaluation and perhaps for some tests, even if it means going to the Emergency Room.

Thanks again for stopping by here and hope you get over this disturbing pain soonest.

Best Wishes,

Dr Edema
Abdopain.com