What Causes Abdominal Pain After Large or Fatty Meal?

What Causes Abdominal Pain After Large Or Fatty Meal?

Abdominal pain after large or fatty meal can have various causes, just like most other symptoms. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose abdominal pain after large or fatty meal, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "abdominal pain after large or fatty meal" as a symptom. Here are two possibilities:

Gallbladder Disease
Poor Digestion

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

severe flatulence

history of iron deficiency anemia

unexplained fevers that hit hard

orange stool color

frequent meal-related burping

regular unexplained nausea

vegetarian diet

meals worsen top-right abdomen pain

frequent unexplained nausea

undigested food in stools

liver/gallbladder cleanses help

past non-surgical gallstone removal

... and more than 40 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of abdominal pain after large or fatty meal:

Cause	Probability	Status
Gallbladder Disease	92%	Confirm
Poor Digestion	66%	Possible

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate abdominal pain caused by eating, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

UPPER-CENTER abdomen and/or UPPER-RIGHT abdomen: If you experience discomfort or pain in the epigastric (stomach) area, below the breastbone, and/or behind the right rib cage that only occurs after eating, what makes it worse?

Possible responses:

→ A large meal
→ A fatty or oily meal
→ Eating at night
→ More than one of the above
→ None of the above / not applicable / don't know

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate upper abdomen pain after large meals, upper abdomen pain after fatty meals, upper abdomen pain after night meal or pain after large/fatty/night meal, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Dyspepsia / Poor Digestion

Gallbladder Disease

The mildest and most common symptom of gallbladder disease is intermittent pain called biliary colic, which occurs either in the middle or right side of the upper abdomen. Large or fatty meals can precipitate the pain (a 'gallbladder attack'), but it usually occurs several hours after eating, often at night when the gallbladder assumes a horizontal position that facilitates entry of gallstones into the cystic duct.

The pain is constant, can be quite severe, and may be accompanied by nausea. Changes in position, over-the-counter pain relievers, and passage of gas do not relieve the symptoms. Biliary colic usually disappears after several hours. Attacks of pain tend to be intermittent and infrequent.

Acute gallbladder inflammation (acute cholecystitis) begins abruptly and subsides gradually. Nausea, vomiting, and severe pain and tenderness in the upper right abdomen are the most common complaints; fever is usual but may be absent. The discomfort is intense and steady and lasts until the condition is treated with medicine or surgery. Patients with acute cholecystitis frequently complain of pain when drawing a breath. The pain can radiate from the abdomen to the back. Acute cholecystitis is usually caused by gallstones, but, in some cases, can occur without stones.

Concerned or curious about your health? Try The Analyst™