Pain at the left side of my belly button going up nearly to my rib cage while running

Icy_Fox
Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
edited November 27 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, I have come to you with another problem. While my hip pain has been diagnosed as severe tendon inflammation, I don't think this issue is related to it. I have had this aching, stabbing pain while running for the last half a year that has generally prevented me from running. I can normally start running, but after a random amount of time (somewhere from 2 to 5 mins), I start feeling at first a mild pain at the left side of my belly button, that slowly spreads up almost reaching the rib cage (look at the diagram I attached bellow). The pain then very quickly becomes sharper, like someone was stabbing me to the point where I have to stop. Immediately after I stop, the pain slowly fades. If I rest for a bit and then try to resume my run, the pain quickly (way quicker than at the very start) comes back, and I can't run for more than 15 or so seconds before it becomes unbearable.

I'd like to make a note here that I am not an experienced runner, but we did run a lot in P.E. in high school about a year a go and the pain just wasn't there. I could without a problem run for 10-15 minutes even though I was severely overweight at the time.

Another thing I'd like to point out (and that I don't like talking about but the doctor said I have to mention it consulting anyone) is that I lost around 40-50 pounds in the last year or so. I did it with a lot of exercise (which I believe might be a factor for my pain), mostly fast walking and the elliptical. The elliptical was actually the first time I noticed this pain, that was back in November of last year. It was very mild and I didn't think it was a big deal or anything...

Any advice or opinions are highly appreciated. I will gladly answer any questions you might have so don't hesitate to ask!

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Replies

  • snemberton
    snemberton Posts: 175 Member
    Are you holding your breath? Try breathing in and out on a specific set of counts.
  • Icy_Fox
    Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sounds like a stitch

    Shouldn't stitches go away after a while?
  • Icy_Fox
    Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
    snemberton wrote: »
    Are you holding your breath? Try breathing in and out on a specific set of counts.

    I don't think so, but I haven't paid attention to it to be honest. Probably not though...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Icy_Fox wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sounds like a stitch

    Shouldn't stitches go away after a while?

    You said it does go away when you stop running?
  • Icy_Fox
    Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Icy_Fox wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sounds like a stitch

    Shouldn't stitches go away after a while?

    You said it does go away when you stop running?

    Yeah it does, though what can I do to prevent them?
  • snemberton
    snemberton Posts: 175 Member
    Breath more? Not being snarky, but it is to my understanding, a lack of oxygen to those muscles. I learned to take breaths in a rhythm along with my pace.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Icy_Fox wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Icy_Fox wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    Sounds like a stitch

    Shouldn't stitches go away after a while?

    You said it does go away when you stop running?

    Yeah it does, though what can I do to prevent them?

    Run slower, try and breathe more deeply
  • Icy_Fox
    Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
    I wasn't at a shortage for breath though, the run was quite slow... can it hurt that extremely just becouse I don't breathe correctly?
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,984 Member
    edited July 2018
    For me, stiches are a sign of a) running too fast or breathing too slow b) being anemic and trying to run (same result), c) too short after a meal d) too little fluid
  • RunsWithBees
    RunsWithBees Posts: 1,508 Member
    Have you consulted your doctor yet? I had some chest pain (although mine was higher up) that turned out to be costochondritis. Turns out my rib cartilage gets easily inflamed. Mine hurt when I would take deep breaths but curiously didn’t really bother me when I ran and the doc gave me the ok to run just no upper body/arm/chest exercises for a couple of months.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    edited July 2018
    I generally breathe in for 2 steps starting with my left foot and out for 2 steps, again, starting on the left foot. When I get a stitch, it usually goes away if I switch to breathing in for 2 steps starting with my left foot instead. It is something to try, anyway.

    I also agree with the advice to slow down.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    You're probably breathing out when you put your left foot down, causing compression of the diaphragm on that side when the force travels up your left side.

    Switch to the opposite side when this happens.

  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Side stitches are my first guess as others have said.

    Some intestinal issues can cause discomfort in the descending colon, the part of the large intestine that goes down the left flank. It’s worth considering if you happen to have digestive/bowel symptoms.
  • bnovak226
    bnovak226 Posts: 135 Member
    I find this happens to me if I have had too much or too little to drink. If I know I’m going running the next day I drink a lot of water the day before the run. Then just drink a “normal” amount of water the day of the run. Just a thought. I would play with both water consumption and the breathing
  • Icy_Fox
    Icy_Fox Posts: 90 Member
    Thanks for all the tips guys, I'll deffinitelly try the breathing in the evening when I go for a run. Regarding water, I drink around 3L a day, evenly spread (so not all at once) so this shouldn't be an issue...
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