Obsessions, Compulsions & Disorders

Not everyone who has pain near the liver experiences exactly the same kind of discomfort. Some people describe the pain as extreme – it feels like like their liver is ready to burst. Others describe their pain as “just an occasional discomfort.” They feel an aching sensation when they breathe in or cough. People with pain in the liver area are also likely to complain of swelling or bloating.

Liver Pains can come from the liver itself, but pain in the liver area can also be connected to a problem with another part of the body, particularly the gallbladder, blood vessels, or the biliary tract. When the pain is being caused by the liver itself, it often means the liver has become inflamed for a variety of possible reasons.

Cirrhosis, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, liver failure and hepatitis are several of the most common problems that can affect your liver. There are, in fact, many different types of liver diseases that can cause liver pain.

But once again, pain in the liver area can also be the result of a problem elsewhere in the body or the digestive system, like an obstruction in the biliary tract or a stone. Doctors call this type of pain biliary colic. It usually comes on fast, causes several hours of discomfort, then goes away. Discomfort begins in the upper middle quadrant or the right upper quadrant, and may radiate to the area between the shoulder blades or to the shoulder itself.

Usually, you get biliary colic because you’ve just eaten a big, fatty meal and your gallbladder is struggling to break down all the cholesterol you’ve consumed. Other causes of pain in the liver area include a liver abscess and cholangitis or inflammation of the biliary duct. Sometimes, liver cysts can also cause pain in the liver area. Poor gallbladder health can also cause what feels like pain in the liver area.

Several medications are available that will help relieve pain in the liver area. They include:

* Drugs known as NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which reduce pain and inflammation. Some NSAIDs require a doctor’s prescription, but you can get other forms over the counter.

* Meperidine (also known as Demerol)

* Morphine

Liver pain shouldn’t be ignored. Anytime you have soreness or tenderness near the bottom of your ribcage, it’s best to talk to your doctor. Such discomfort could be the result of liver of gallbladder problems. These can be serious threats to your long term health and deserve the attention of a medical professional.

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