I got my gall bladder out 12 years ago in my 20’s !
Just thought I’d throw in my two cents:
Just because you had your gallbladder out doesn’t mean that you can’t get them in the cystic duct. If that becomes blocked, you can have a ton of issues. (The pain is horrible.)
Another issue that can cause pain in that area is an inflamed spleen or pancreatitis. Stomach ulcers can flare and quiet. I had duodenal ulcers (it’s like acid reflux, but where the stomach goes into the intestine) a few years ago that hurt like hell and yes, the pain came and went. It took months to figure it out.
The problem with abdominal pain is that it can literally be anything and can radiate from anywhere. It’s very difficult to narrow it down.
I’d recommend getting in to see an Internal Medicine dr. Not a family practitioner who also happens to be an IM, one that does IM for a living. They dig harder than anyone else, in my experience.
One easy test is to do 30 days of Prilosec (20mg or one pill a day). If it helps, you’re looking at ulcers (stomach or gut). No, it may not cure the problem, but it does work well for diagnosis.
You might have a bruised or cracked rib...or some injury to the cartilidge that holds ‘em all together........that pain can (trust me) last for close to a month.