Pre-gaming this: Obviously, talk to a doctor. I have to see him next week at some point anyways for a prescription refill so yes, I will update him on things. He actually knows about this and told me to let him know if it persisted another month.

I want to ask the general public though because at times I have had to (and successfully) guide my doctor towards the right path in the past. I'm also curious to see if anyone has had this feeling and if it was a minor ulcer or something else.

I have a pain in the upper left corner of my abdomen just under my ribs. It isn't constant, it comes periodically, sometimes short, sometimes long, and there is no time of day, food, etc. There's no pattern I can see whatsoever. It is a slight burning, gnawing sort of sensation. It's bothersome. This will be month two of having it.

Initially it was suggested it might be a pulled muscle from coughing. In Jan I came down with a nasty viral infection and it came with a violent cough. But since it hasn't healed up and just seemed to get a little worse, I doubt that.

I'm wondering if it's just in tie with my other off irritable bowel/digestion problems, or if it's something else, like an ulcer in the early stages of suffering. It's a very new pain I've never felt before it started. I recently had an ultrasound of that entire region thoroughly and so I'd know if something was wrong with the spleen. I figure it's stomach related somehow.

It could very well be an ulcer. Do you have any other symptoms? Nausea? Heartburn? Indigestion?

Have you been taking any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or diclofenac? They can often lead to gastric ulcers or an irritated gastric lining.

Have you tried any antacids and have they done anything to help? Note: I am not advising you start taking any without consulting with your doctor. If you do have an ulcer then you need a different type of medication. Just interested.

At varying times, yes. I've been known to go to bed and suffer with burning up my throat. It actually hasn't been too prevalent lately now that I think about it. It does come and go though. Acid reflux I suppose is that. Heartburn, not really. Indigestion not particularly no. I do suffer on a regular basis from my intestines having spasms. Nausea, not unless I overeat. I've been very hot feeling lately. I can get overheated due to pain but lately it seems to be a regular general heat that radiates.

No NSAIDS in my house actually. I take on a daily basis a regular dose of percocet, and tylenol is also a regular. I watch very carefully how much I take knowing how bad it can be for the stomach and liver. I take pain killers, birth control, and a beta blocker.

No, haven't tried any. I really didn't think about ulcer until just recently when I figured that it likely wasn't the pulled muscle suggested. I pull muscles annoyingly regularly and it feels nothing like it for one thing.

I can't say I know too much about ulcers, but if you came down with a bad virus shortly before hand then your immune system may have taken a battering and allowed the bacteria to infect your stomach lining. Acetaminophen, if you've got a long history of taking it, isn't likely to have upset your stomach (I think we'd be inundated in stomach ulcers if it did, the amount my dad takes >_>; ) I did suspect ibuprofen but if you don't take it then I guess it rules that out unless one of the other components in your drugs has a similar effect. I hope you get a good answer from your doctor and it's nothing serious, I wish you luck.