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can appendicitis pain come and go

Appendicitis pain can briefly come and go in the very early phase, but it usually becomes steadily worse and more constant over a few hours; because it can be life‑threatening, any suspicion of appendicitis needs urgent medical attention, not home monitoring.

Quick Scoop

Can appendicitis pain come and go?

  • Early on, appendicitis may start as vague, crampy pain near the belly button that seems to come and go for a short time.
  • As the inflammation worsens, the pain typically moves to the lower right abdomen and becomes constant, sharper, and more severe instead of truly “on and off.”
  • Most medical sources note that pain which fully resolves and stays away is less likely to be appendicitis, but this is not a safe rule to rely on by yourself.
  • If pain eases for a while and then suddenly gets much worse or spreads across the abdomen, this can be a sign of a burst appendix, which is a medical emergency.

If you’re asking “can appendicitis pain come and go?” because you or someone else has right‑sided or worsening belly pain, you should seek urgent in‑person medical care now rather than watch and wait.

Typical appendicitis pain pattern

  • Starts near the belly button or in the middle of the abdomen, sometimes dull and intermittent at first.
  • Within hours, usually shifts to the lower right side and becomes more localized, steady, and worse with movement, coughing, or pressing on the area.
  • Often comes with other symptoms: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, low‑grade fever, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.

A simple example: someone might wake up with a vague, “on and off” stomach ache near the middle of the tummy, but by later that day the pain has “settled” into the lower right side and hurts every time they walk or cough.

When “coming and going” is less likely appendicitis (but still needs

care)

Pain that is more likely due to gas, mild stomach bugs, or irritable bowel syndrome tends to:

  • Move around different parts of the abdomen instead of locking into the lower right side.
  • Improve with passing gas, having a bowel movement, changing position, or using a heating pad.
  • Not steadily worsen over several hours.

However, even doctors sometimes find abdominal pain tricky, and online descriptions or forum stories are not enough to rule out appendicitis in an individual person.

“Latest news” / forum‑style angle

In recent years (and as of early 2026), health sites and doctors online have been stressing that:

  • Appendicitis does not always look “classic” and not everyone has textbook symptoms or constant pain from the very first minute.
  • Some people on forums report having milder or intermittent pain for a day or two before things suddenly became severe and they needed emergency surgery.
  • There is growing pushback against casual, oversimplified internet advice like “if you’re not vomiting, it’s not appendicitis,” because people have been seriously harmed by relying on such rules.

So the current trend in medical advice is: if the pattern of pain worries you or is different from any usual stomach upset, it’s safer to get checked than to wait for “classic” constant pain or vomiting.

What you should do right now

You should seek urgent, in‑person medical evaluation or emergency care immediately if:

  • Pain is in the lower right abdomen, especially if it’s getting worse or more constant.
  • Pain worsens when you walk, move, cough, or press on the area.
  • You have fever, feel very unwell, or the pain is “different from any other” belly pain you’ve had.
  • The pain suddenly spreads across your abdomen, or it got better for a bit and then became much worse.

If you cannot reach a doctor quickly and have worrisome or worsening symptoms, treat it as an emergency and go to the nearest emergency department or call your local emergency number.

Mini SEO bits (for your post)

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  • A meta‑description style line could be: “Wondering if appendicitis pain can come and go? Early pain may seem on‑off, but worsening or right‑sided belly pain needs urgent medical care.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.