Muscle spasms in stomach and rib cage. CLOSED

I am new to the forum and found it by googling "muscle spasms in stomach and rib cage." Thank you, GrannyBoots, for posting your situation. I have similar symptoms that lasted 3-4 days (7-25 thru today 7-29). Pain in my upper abdomen with the feeling of fullness and expansion against my ribs from the inside out. The pain was worse reclining or laying in bed. Muscle spasms occurred in the areas of my side rib and upper abdomen especially when trying to turn in bed or using those muscles to sit up or push back in a recliner. The pain was impossible to bear when trying to lie on my left side. I felt a sudden boring hot pain on my right side under the ribs about midway from front to back. The only position I could sleep a short while was on my right side. Sitting up and leaning slightly forward brought my pain from 8-9 to 6-7. The pain also bore thru my back like a hot poker a few inches to the right of my spine and a few inches above my last rib on that side. I also had pain below where the shoulder blades end on the back/rib cage. The pain was better in the daytime when I was moving about and eating light. It seems to worsen a couple of hours after a meal. My doctor sent me for blood work friday (7-27) and an ultrasound tomorrow. He thinks my liver felt enlarged on exam. I had my first episode like this in Aug. 2004 and again in March 2005. I have had elevated fasting glucose levels starting in March 2006 and for the last 7 months have been taking Metformin XR. I also have been taking meds for GERD for about 6 years. I believe I also have a hiatal hernia and couple of weeks ago had an episode where food became stuck for a few moments. Thank you all for posting your experiences. It helps to know I am not alone.

What a relief to hear other people have this problem, although not a good one!  I had my gall bladder removed 2 years ago, have been put on Nexium, was diagnosed with gastritis a month ago.  I have had muscle spasms (charlie horses) around my lower ribs and upper stomach (mainly on the sides of the stomach).  I mentioned it to my doctor but he didn't seemed to be concerned.  Having been a smoker in the past I was afraid I had lung cancer but after reading these replies from others I do feel better.  I get the spasms when I laugh or sometimes when I sit in a different position.  Most of the time I can massage them away and mine don't last a long time but they do hurt and sometimes take my breath away.

Hi all,

Like many of you I stumbled across this forum when researching my symptoms.  I have recently (in the last week) started to experience a tightness or pushing behind and just under my breastbone.  Last night I experienced some heavy spasms which were visible and looked like something trying to push its way out of me.  I am a 27 year old male and have been suffering from stomach problems for the last 9 years following an apendectomy.  I have seen a number of doctors who have given me the same diagnosis after a brief examination; stomach infection!  I am worried that this may be more as it reoccurs too often.  I am also very anxious about requesting any further tests such as an endoscopy etc.  It has come to breaking point now and is ruining my life - I am happy to temporarily take medication to suppress the pain/spasms/bloating/bathroom problems if its available but would like to know exactly what I am dealing with?

Lady Cardinal,

I was so excited to read your posting because you have described almost exactly what I have been going through for the past 10 years.  My muscle spasms come on in the early hours of the morning, when I first wake up, and they began after I had my gall bladder removed (I ask everyone I know who has had their gall bladder removed if they have this same problem).  When it starts to come on, like you, I feel hunger pains and that's how I know that it's coming.  I find that if I get up and quickly eat something (yogurt with a little cereal or peanut butter crackers seem to work best) I can usually fight it off.  However, if I'm really tired and I wait just a couple of minutes too long then I've lost my window of opportunity and the spasms come on no matter what I eat. They only last about 20 minutes, but I am totally useless during those twenty minutes because I am in so much pain.  Sometimes, I'll get up and take a bath and that seems to help. In just the past few days, I've been taking a fast acting Tylenol when they come on and that seems to help as well. 

Interestingly enough, when I am pregnant this problem completely disappears.  I remember reading that during pregnancy your body releases a relaxin hormone and I assume that it is probably the presence of this hormone that keeps the spasms away.  I just had my third baby and spent almost nine months without any problems; however, about two weeks after my baby was born they came rearing back again and I have had them every single morning for the last six weeks.  I guess I'll have to get pregnant again to get a reprieve!

Today--I am reading all of your posts about "spasms" and am thinking---I wonder if THIS is what is going on with me!

I was really active (exercise 4-5 times/week) until May 07---when one weekend--I started experiencing pain where my sternum splits----to my right ribs---around to my back---up to my shoulders, neck etc...

I have had gall bladder tests done, MRI, B12 deficiency (numbness), Spine Xray, Celiac Test, Rheumatoid/Arthritis blood screen, and Physical Therapy! All of the tests were NORMAL---the Physical Therapy would help for a day or so--then, the pains would come back!

I would try and walk to the mail box---or just walk around the block---I would feel like I got punched in the GUT! I couldn't wear a bra for 4+ months because it felt like someone was making my bra too tight! I couldn't BREATHE!

I went to the ER twice---the first time I was told, "oh your a mother of three? You must be stressed. Here---have some valium--and call your primary"! My heart, liver, kidney, pulmonary function etc... all came back NORMAL!

I have become extremely anxious about this whole GI issue (Colon Cancer runs in my family---along with pancreatic/gall bladder cancer and polyps)----and can barely function day to day b/c I don't have pains until I start eating-----even the blandest diet makes me get these "PAINS"!

Today---I went to a GI specialist (after waiting TWO MONTHS to get in and see him)---and he is going to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy to rule out some things----but, I asked him what to take for these pains I feel about 15-20 minutes after I eat, ALL DAY, all night---until morning! He gave me a prescription for HYOSCYAMINE---to see if they are spasms-----he thinks I could have esphogeal spasms----(plus the anxiety doesn't help)---and maybe this will help!

I do hope this works! If it does-----it would be FANTASTIC! I am glad I found this thread!
Laurel

I sure hope it does Tammy! It's funny--b/c a few years ago---when I had my first endoscopy----they found a 'watery cyst' (submucusal bleb) outside my esphogus. I had to go to another GI specialist who performed an Endoscopic Ultrasound to see what this 'cyst' was---ended up being a fluid-cyst (whatever that means)---

anyway--he also thought maybe I was experiencing esphogeal spasms at the time---and said---if the pain continues---I could do a test. Well---after two weeks-the pains subsided! I never did go and see him---just tired of tests at the time! I also started taking Lexapro for my anxiety---and that helped too! I went off of the Lexapro after 1 year.....

I don't know---maybe it is something like this! My problem is---the back pain (and pain in the sternum) after I eat! I never wake up with this issue---just after I start eating!

I have been cryin' and asking, and bothering ya'll on HW with my questions---and then....THIS THREAD! I think I have some Hope here! ;) Fingers crossed!

Laurel

I went off of Lexapro---b/c I was doing really well on it---and my primary doctor thought I could stop taking it (gradually though)----until I was no longer on it! I felt fine until this past May---and that's when I started having the major anxiety again! When he started me on Lexapro again----I had an adverse reaction (crying all of the time, thought about death-- in the sense I thought I had a disease--not killing myself--- , being put in a home, being homeless, being helpless, couldn't sleep, etc...)---it was bad! It may have been that I was also taking Valium with it---but, I don't know--it was the worst experience of my life! :(

I haven't read your posts about it on the a/p forum---but, I will check them out!

I don't think I should've stopped taking it the first time----I should've taken that---along with some Cognitive Behavior Therapy---so, that, when this most recent health issue happened----I could've dealt with it better----but, the last go around--I only took the medication---and I should've had therapy too!

If you don't feel it's working----you should talk w/ your doctor! Do you feel like you are still experiencing anxiety? Just "there"---kind of like "numb"---no sadness/no happiness? He may also have to increase your dose---I started with 10 mg---then to 20 mg this last go round----it was just a bad reaction for me! :(

Laurel!

Hi Tabs, I am new to this but I am willing to try anything to figure out what is going on. I read your reply to Rosie 99 on April 9th about your stomach problems. It sounds just like me. The pain always wakes me up around 4-5 a.m. and the pain is intense! My problem is that even though I am thirsty I am physically unable to drink or eat anything or else it will come back up within seconds. I always go to emergency so that I can get some fluids into me and then they also give me anti-spasm, anti-nauseous, and pain medication. I've had a scope put down into my stomach but everything came back fine. I have lupus but the doctors don't think that is the cause of this (like yourself, it happens every 2-3 months).

Have you had an new luck trying to figure out what is going on??

The "beginner"

Hi everyone, I just spent an hour reading all of your posts. I am 25, male and I was in good health. I have a simmiler problem as most of you have described. Below I have listed what I had done the night before to bring it on, but now I have realized that I have had these episodes before and did not even know it. However the have ever lasted more than a day until now. The only link I have found between some of us is that we had back paints, I have a pinched nerve.

I had some teeth cleaning the day before the pain started.
I had a deep cleaning with medication and also medication placed in side one of my teeth and around my teeth and a mold was taken for a crown. ( I will get all the names of the medicines/chemicals used)
I had a bowl of soup (barley) and a glass of wine nothing more really.

I had tooth pain at night and took 1 Ibuprofen 600mg and an hour later a vicodin.

The stomach pain started In the middle of the night around 3 to 5am that’s about (3 to 4 hours) after I had taken the pills. I have never had pain like this.

The pain comes in bursts lasting about 10 to 15 seconds and it comes every 30 to 60 seconds.

The pain is a dual pain in the upper part of the stomach/chest where I would usually have heart brunt, pain can be described as in my chest, stomach and back, all spasms at once, stating with the front of the stomach and chest and reaching to the back. It feels like it is about to cave in, it starts out light (3 ) and goes in to (8) for the first few time and them in to (10) I can feel them setting in and getting stronger almost like a leg spasm would. If I am standing when one hits it will surly put me in to a hunch and if I am sleeping it will put me in to the fetal position. I also start to burp, there seems to be gas escaping almost like after a soda but much smaller burps, the stomach however is and feels empty

This however does not happen when my stomach is full, typically happens in the early mornings and in the middle of the night close to morning. I found that if I eat a small container of yogurt I should be ok for about 2 hours. The pain starts to subside almost immediately once I start to eat the yogurt (the yogurt is cold from the fridge, I have not tried anything else yet.)

Hs anyone else noticed that they don’t have the pain when their stomach is full?

Side notes: I have a back issue where my disk is herniated and is pressing on a few nerves. I take muscle relaxants for this but only sometimes.

I have mentioned everything that I believe could have brought on this issue, please if anyone has anything similar please let us now it could be a clue.
(Tooth work, Vicodin, Ibuprofen, soup, novicane….)



(What I have noticed on this post is that some individuals mention having nerve pinching issues, such as numbness of the arm or leg or toes. Others mention labor pains as comparison, anyone think this could be linked to a neurological disorder? I have an L1 and S5 disks out and I know this is similar to what some pregnant women experience. I also now recently got numbness in my calf and in my leg and toes.)

Thank you
All
Yev

Post edited...

 

I edited your post because we don't recommend putting your email address in posts.   That can bring along a lot of unwanted emails for you.  If you'd like, you are more than welcome to put your post in your profile where only members can see.

Thank you for your understanding.

Post Edited By Moderator (TammyGrl0528) : 1/8/2008 2:34:17 PM (GMT-7)

Hello raymy...just wanted to welcome you to healingwell, and I hope you find comfort in some of our posts, and I hope you stick with us. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Wishing you the best.

Hey there Amazzon...just wanted to extend a friendly welcome to the GERD forum here at healingwell. Thank you for sharing your story, and please, stick with us, and keep posting. This is a great place to get information and support, and if you are up for it, you can offer advice as well. Once again, welcome to the "family." Stick with us...wishing you all the best.

hi everyone, so glad i found this thread, i really thought i was the only one experiencing these excruciating spasms.

mine started a few years ago, back then they only lasted a few minutes, now they last about 20 minutes.

i thought i identified all the triggers: onions, tomato sauce, big meals, fake chocolate ( hershey's ) but to my surprise, last night my spasms came on and lasted for 2 hours. i only had a bowl of cereal, and did not lie down for atleast 1 1/2 hours after eating.

and the worst part it, every time i find relief, in a few attacks it no longer works. initially i would find great relief from alka-seltzer, then from a melt away antacid, now nothing helps. i would LOVE to have an endoscopy to confirm erosions, but i do not have health insurance.

i think that by following a very strict diet, a very clean diet, would help, and every time the attack strikes i make a promise on everything that i will, but i fall short on my promise.

i should add that along with the spasms, i get pain in my right jugular and get very lightheaded and faint, but i know that is from the decreased oxygen to the brain because the spams effects the diaphram and impairs breathing.

Post Edited (Mrs_Fall) : 1/19/2008 12:21:22 PM (GMT-7)

I can't believe I've found this forum, I am literally sitting here in tears knowing that I've found other people who are experiencing the same problems as I am. I've had problems with muscle spasms in by diaphram, back + abdominal muscles all at once for the last couple of years and back problems since I was a teenager. When I speak to my doctor about the spasms they look at me is if I'm talking another language and up till now have only been giving me painkillers which do nothing to stop or prevent the spasms. Mine also start as a strange feeling in the top of my stomach which feels like you're hungry and within minutes escalate into muscle spasms across my diaphram, through to my back and down and across my abdominal muscles, and I start to sweat (I've always assumed due to the pain) and can't breath properly. I am also sick sometimes and have at one point thought I was going to pass out as the pain was unbearable. I don't know where to put myself as no position takes the pain away. I have found that the pain can also start in my muscles round about the middle and to the side of my shoulder blades, and if I get someone to literally batter these muscles and take a valium (which I have to get from my mother in law as the doctor won't prescribe them), then the pain subsides, but only to come back in waves, sometimes for up to about 2 hrs. The next day I feel as if I've been run over by a truck as my whole body aches, and I am absolutely shattered. This only happens every couple of months although I don't see a pattern to it, and it also aggrivates by IBS. Has anyone noticed that when they take certain painkillers that it brings the spasms on quicker? If I take Co-codamol, Co-proxamol or Co-dydamol, it makes me worse, although the doctor thinks this is a coincidence, but I don't! Sooooo sorry for rabbling, but it's so good to be able to get this out to others who know what I'm talking about!!!! Big hugs to you all