Liver pain is usually felt in the upper right side of your abdomen, just under your rib cage, and it can sometimes spread to your right shoulder or back.

Where liver pain is felt

  • Most often on the upper right side of the belly, under or just below the right ribs.
  • It may feel like a dull ache, pressure, or sometimes a sharp pain that can worsen when you move, cough, or take a deep breath.
  • The discomfort can also radiate to the right side of the back or right shoulder area because of shared nerve pathways.

Liver pain vs other belly pain

  • Gallbladder problems (like gallstones) can cause very similar upper‑right abdominal pain and are often mistaken for “liver pain.”
  • Stomach, pancreas, or intestinal issues usually cause pain more in the middle or left side of the upper abdomen, rather than just under the right ribs.

Other warning signs to watch

See a doctor or emergency care urgently if liver‑area pain is accompanied by:

  • Yellowing of eyes or skin (jaundice), very dark urine, or pale stools.
  • Persistent nausea, vomiting, marked loss of appetite, or extreme tiredness.
  • Abdominal swelling, confusion, or easy bruising, which can be signs of serious liver disease.

Common causes of liver-area pain

  • Hepatitis (viral, alcoholic, or autoimmune) causing inflammation and swelling of the liver.
  • Fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, or liver cancer, which can stretch the liver capsule and create discomfort.
  • Blocked liver or hepatic veins (Budd–Chiari syndrome), or nearby gallbladder disease such as gallstones.

What to do if you feel this pain

  • Do not ignore new or worsening pain under your right ribs, especially if you drink a lot of alcohol, have hepatitis risk, or other liver issues.
  • Avoid alcohol and unnecessary medications (especially high doses of acetaminophen) until a clinician evaluates you.
  • Seek urgent medical care or an ER visit if the pain is severe, sudden, or comes with jaundice, fever, vomiting, confusion, or abdominal swelling.

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