Chest pain. Rib pain. A sudden stabbing under the left side. The kind of discomfort that makes people wonder: “Is this my heart? My lungs?”
Then comes the ER visit, the normal tests… and the silence. No one explains what just happened. But it might have been your gut all along.
When the Pain Feels Serious (But the Tests Say You’re Fine)
We’ve met so many patients who have experienced this sequence:
- A sudden, sharp pain under the ribs
- Chest tightness, sometimes radiating to the arm
- Shortness of breath, or a fluttering sensation
- A rush to the emergency room or urgent care
- Bloodwork, imaging, maybe even a cardiology consult
- And then: “Everything looks normal.”
But the pain didn’t feel normal. And the fear it triggered? Very real.
What often goes unrecognized is that IBS can present in ways that mimic much more serious conditions—including gallbladder attacks, kidney pain, pelvic conditions, and even cardiac symptoms.
What Most People (and Many Clinicians) Don’t Know
IBS is usually described as a “lower gut” issue—bloating, irregular stools, cramps.
But the large intestine actually wraps around the entire abdominal cavity, and certain segments of the colon—especially the splenic flexure on the left side and the hepatic flexure on the right—can trap gas or stool in ways that create pressure, referred pain, and even spasms.
This is especially common in people with IBS-C (constipation-predominant), but it happens across all subtypes. When gas builds up and motility slows, the colon can press upward and outward—creating pain under the ribs, behind the breastbone, or around the flanks.
Some patients describe the sensation as:
- A fist pushing into the ribcage
- A band of pressure across the diaphragm
- A “stuck” feeling beneath the left breast
And often, no one has ever explained that the colon even reaches that high.
Why This Gets Missed
These pain patterns don’t show up on standard imaging unless there’s an acute obstruction or inflammation. And most tests are focused on finding disease, not explaining functional sensitivity.
That’s where Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBIs), like IBS, fall through the cracks.
They’re not visible in the same way—but they are real, diagnosable, and treatable.
And once patients see a map of the colon and where those flexures live, they often say:
“That’s exactly where I feel it.”
Understanding your own anatomy can be the first step toward calming the fear—and the pain.
Why This Matters
When IBS is misread as something else—or dismissed entirely—it doesn’t just delay care. It can reinforce fear, deepen mistrust in the body, and lead to unnecessary testing or avoidance of movement, food, or activity.
In contrast, when the symptoms are explained clearly, patients can begin to:
- Recognize safe patterns
- Interrupt the flare loop
- Use strategies that actually match their physiology
This is what we aim to offer in care: clarity, validation, and a grounded path forward.
If You’ve Felt This, You’re Not Alone
It’s terrifying to feel pain that mimics a medical emergency. It’s confusing when tests show nothing, but your symptoms continue. And it’s frustrating when no one names what’s happening.
But there is an explanation—and more importantly, there are things that can help.
If you’ve experienced this kind of pain, know that it doesn’t mean something has been missed—it might just mean it hasn’t been framed correctly.
And once that frame changes, so does everything else.
