pain in upper right of abdomen when exercising

Guest

Hi,

Wondering if anyone else has experienced this or has an idea of the cause/solution... For several months now, when I am doing higher intensity cardio exercise (not out of my comfort zone, but once I start breathing more heavily), I'll often get pain in the upper right of my abs, sort of under the ribs... it almost feels like a "stitch" but deeper. As soon as I stop the exercise, or go to a way lower intensity, it stops, but within a minute of increasing my intensity it comes back. This doesn't happen every time I exercise, but probably 50% of the time.

I thought at first maybe it was an inflamed gall bladder, but it only happens when I exercise, and I have no other signs of gall bladder problems (no difficulty digesting fats, and I had an ultrasound to check for stones last summer when I was experiencing severe gas pain after fatty meals).

Thanks!

zimari · Guest

Having pain in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen whlist exercising is a sign of hypoxia or lack of oxygen on that area due to continuous exercise. It is a common condition in people who ran and are not very fit. When the pain comes, stop running and walk instead until the pain goes away. Try to alternate running and walking at the beggining until your fitness status improves. Always remember to warm up before stenuous exercise.
Marie

guest 123456789 · Guest

I think I have the same thing going on. I woke up about a month and a half ago with severe upper right adominal pain. My doctor and I were both pretty sure that it was my gallbladder and he said that they would most likely need to remove it. I went through ultrasound, CT scan, and HIDA scan all came back negative. The pain gradually became more and more bareable but has never went away completely. I have tried to run a few times since this and the pain comes back. It is completely different from runners cramps. I have had others tests ran and none of the doctors know what is going. One doctor says that it is a muscle strain, but the pain is too deep below the muscles for me to beileve that. I don't know what the solution is but I have just had to live with it, and do no high intensity workouts.

10250325 · Guest

I too suffer from this pain as well, however it is only when I bend over usually when stretching or reaching to the floor for something. It is very painful. I am a runner, and my doctor thinks it is a muscle strain. I don't feel the pain when exercising. I will be going for an ultrasound to exclude any internal organ issues. I too find it hard to believe it is a muscle strain as I have had it for over 3 months now.

Iwant2run! · Guest

I have the exact same pain when I do high intensity exercise. It comes within 5-10 minutes of running. If anyone figures out what it is, please let me know!!

WorkingOnIt · Guest

I remember having that pain ever since elementary school when we would do long distance running & I still get it now. I've had it during long distance swimming & cycling as well. It doesn't feel nice, but it's generally not bad enough to cause me to stop. Zimari's hypoxia explanation seems to make sense given when it occurs. I seem to recall, particularly during swimming, that focusing on my breathing during the exercise helped.

sunhillhome · Guest

Also when you're exercising, the blood flow increases through the liver. As the liver tries to keep up with blood flow, it is also performing other functions like dealing with toxins as they are stirred up to exit the scene. Best advice, work your way through your exercise routine. When pain strikes, it's a signal to pay attention and modify what you're currently doing. As you continue working out, your endurance increases and your body adjusts accordingly.