# upper abdominal TIGHTNESS



## leeballz

Hello there,I posted a while ago about this problem I'd been having for the past 5 months or so, found here: http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?s...rt=#entry736379But I basically want to sum up all my "diagnosis's" in one place and see if anyone possibly has any insight...I have: -IBS- A (lately very C and no D)-hiatal hernia (very small)-gallstones (small)-fructose malabsorptionIn my previous post, i'd talked about how a new symptom arose a few months ago, where I'd have this constant "bloating/fullness/pressure/tightness" feeling in my upper abdomen, right below the rib cage. It was 24/7 and made me feel short of breath. After eating anything i'd get really full. Basically doctors still don't know the cause of this, but over time (the past month or so) it's greatly improved, and I haven't taken anything for it except ativan when i feel the "tightness" coming on strong, which tends to relax me. Also eating small meals and healthy.Anyway, I still quite often get the tightness feeling in my upper abdomen, that lasts for a couple hours at a time and is not related to eating that i can tell, right in the center of my stomach/chest area. it feels so tight like I can't breathe right, or like there's a blockage down there, and it comes on at random times, usually in the evening. Some people have said it could be my hernia but my dr. said it's too small to do that. Could it be my gallbladder? "dyspepsia" is i guess what i'd call it right now because I still don't know...I guess i'd appreciate if anyone else could tell me if they get this "tightness" feeling in their upper GI, and what dr.'s have diagnosed YOU with.I'd really like to figure out exactly where this tightness comes from, because i'd never felt it w/ my IBS before this year and it's a really uncomfortable, discerning feeling. Oh and I know "anxiety" can cause chest tightness etc. but I really really dont' think this is that because it's more ongoing- plus it's there even when i'm the most relaxed, and it's not just tight but feels "blocked' and full..Thank you for listening,-Leeann


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## landimarie

Hi! Was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago and my IBS is in the transverse section of the colon. That's the part that runs straight across just below the ribs. I live with the tightness you are talking about. It also feels like someone is trying to pull my ribs out from the bottom two on each side when I'm really bloated. When I stand up there is a rippling effect from right to left like hard contractions. Am on an antispasmotic and have started on IBS structured foods. Some days are better than others. Since I'm a newbie it will take awhile to get all this figured out. I wonder how many with IBS have the transerverse type problem? Most everyone I've read about has the lower abdominal type.


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## AIRPLANE

Lee,Try reading my reply to Jolin's post, who posted today as you did. I kind of got the two posts confused as I read them both at about the same time.


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## landimarie

P.SI also have a hiatal hernia. It was the first thing I had checked when the problems started. After an endoscopy it was found that my 15 year old hernia had not changed so it wasn't involved. Next were ultrasounds of my gallbladder and so on until the IBS was dignosed.


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## leeballz

Thanks for your responses...landimarie- that's interesting about the transverse colon spasming that you say you have- maybe that's what's going on with me, and it just _feels_ like it's in my stomach? I have had IBS my whole life but it's always seemed to affect my lower abdomen- getting BAD cramping and aches after eating and usually D with it... lately though it's been different, so maybe it's moved upwards? I guess i just still can't tell if it's my IBS acting up in a weird way, affecting my stomach and upper abdomen area, or if it's something else (the hernia, the gallstones, a spasming muscle in my esophagus, damaged nerves etc).It's really weird that this came on suddenly one night as well (the tightness in my stomach/below the ribcage).I guess I'm just trying to see if anyone else feels this tightness in that same area, maybe we can compare diagnosis' and narrow it down to the cause.Thanks for the input! -Leeann


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## melissamiller707

Hi,There's no doubt why you experiencing upper abdominal TIGHTNESS or BAD cramping, gallstone can cause that pain, you should try natural way of dissolving of gallstone.gallstones treatment


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## lisaaanoel

I was diagnosed with IBS a little over a year ago. When it first started, I experienced the tightness under the rib area as well. I still get it occassionally, but now I seem to get more pain than just the discomfort. I haven't really found anythng that helps it. I also haven't been able to find anything that caused it. It's hard to figure out when for weeks you wake up with the tighness and go to bed with it feeling that way.


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## lweinberger

leeballz said:


> Hello there,I posted a while ago about this problem I'd been having for the past 5 months or so, found here: http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?s...rt=#entry736379But I basically want to sum up all my "diagnosis's" in one place and see if anyone possibly has any insight...I have: -IBS- A (lately very C and no D)-hiatal hernia (very small)-gallstones (small)-fructose malabsorptionIn my previous post, i'd talked about how a new symptom arose a few months ago, where I'd have this constant "bloating/fullness/pressure/tightness" feeling in my upper abdomen, right below the rib cage. It was 24/7 and made me feel short of breath. After eating anything i'd get really full. Basically doctors still don't know the cause of this, but over time (the past month or so) it's greatly improved, and I haven't taken anything for it except ativan when i feel the "tightness" coming on strong, which tends to relax me. Also eating small meals and healthy.Anyway, I still quite often get the tightness feeling in my upper abdomen, that lasts for a couple hours at a time and is not related to eating that i can tell, right in the center of my stomach/chest area. it feels so tight like I can't breathe right, or like there's a blockage down there, and it comes on at random times, usually in the evening. Some people have said it could be my hernia but my dr. said it's too small to do that. Could it be my gallbladder? "dyspepsia" is i guess what i'd call it right now because I still don't know...I guess i'd appreciate if anyone else could tell me if they get this "tightness" feeling in their upper GI, and what dr.'s have diagnosed YOU with.I'd really like to figure out exactly where this tightness comes from, because i'd never felt it w/ my IBS before this year and it's a really uncomfortable, discerning feeling. Oh and I know "anxiety" can cause chest tightness etc. but I really really dont' think this is that because it's more ongoing- plus it's there even when i'm the most relaxed, and it's not just tight but feels "blocked' and full..Thank you for listening,-Leeann


 Hi Leeann, I've been reading a lot on ovarian cancer and gastrointestinal issues are one of the signs. You may want to check into it. Read the wikipedia page on the symptoms. The "feeling full" even after small meals is a concern. I realize on this post you've only mentioned the gastro problems you're having but there are other signs you may want to read into also. I'm not trying to scare you but I had a friend die of this disease because doctors didn't fully check into her early symptoms and chalked it up to GERD. By the time the other symptoms like back and pelvic pain came about she was already in stage 4 and it was too far along to treat. Please do yourself a favor and get to a good OB/Gyn or OB/Gyn Oncologist "just to rule it out". Better to be safe than sorry.Sincerely,Lisa


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## Pac4eva

**constant "bloating/fullness/pressure/tightness" feeling in my upper abdomen, right below the rib cage. It was 24/7 and made me feel short of breath. After eating anything i'd get really full**. Hi Leann-I have your exact symptoms even down to the small hiatal hernia (2-3 cm) I found hernia from an upper endoscopy in late Feb. I've been dealing with this sense December. I had a ph study (acid) and a esophogus test where they put a tube down my nose and throat to test my swallos. Surgeon says the tightness im feeling in my upper GI is not due to the hernia and surgery might not even help the symptoms. Can I get an update on you and what you have done and how you are feeling? Thanks so much.Zane


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## TVgirl

I would have cardiac issues checked out as well !!!!


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## MIguy

BUMP. Any updates anyone? I have uncomfortable upper abdominal fullness/pressure/tightness/bloating; don't seem to have any other symptoms. No pain. And the pressure is relived if I lie down flat. It's been a few weeks now. It's good to read that the OP's improved on it's own. I have a DR's apt scheduled next week. Will keep everyone updated.


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## Owen Kellogg

I have a question about the phrase, "*tightness/bloating UNDER the ribcage*":Is this pain just BELOW the ribs, or is the pain BENEATH/BEHIND the ribs???My pain is beneath/behind my ribs, on the left side. A trip to the emergency room a few weeks ago resulted in a couple of chest x-rays, which showed nothing as far as lung problems. I've since had my first colonoscopy, which also showed everything was clear. This pain is still with me, and driving me crazy.


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## Kathleen M.

May depend on exactly where the bend in the colon on the left side is, but usually it is up under the bottom of the rib cage, so often "under" the ribs means inside the rib cage area (or behind the ribs) rather than only in the part of the torso where there are no ribs.


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## Owen Kellogg

Thank you for your reply, Kathleen. As I mentioned in my "introduction" post, the pain has moved from my left lower quarter (hip/groin area) to up under my left ribs in the past month or so. It sometimes radiates into my back. Stretching my torso seems to help temporarily.Other than the chest x-ray and colonoscopy (both clear), should I consider having more tests? Perhaps an ultrasound or MRI of the area? I really don't want to deal with more Dr. visits right now, but it would ease my worries a bit if I did. Perhaps I should wait a while?


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## Kathleen M.

Generally left sided pain is less worrisome medically speaking as most of the things that go bad in a painful and potentially needing surgery way are all on the right (appendix and gall bladder).So there isn't as much on the left to go look at, so if it is just general IBS type symptoms and the pain isn't really severe it sounds like you've looked at the main suspects for the lower left rib area.You sometimes in the med literature see reference to splenic flexure syndrome because that colon bend (called the splenic flexure) is just generally troublesome.


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## annie7

i've had pain, spasms and bloating in the upper left part of my colon for many many years. when i brought it up during a gastro visit, he mentioned splenic flexure syndrome. kathleen is right--it sure is troublesome--lol.


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## knum

> constant "bloating/fullness/pressure/tightness" feeling in my upper abdomen, right below the rib cage. It was 24/7 and made me feel short of breath. After eating anything i'd get really full**.a esophogus test where they put a tube down my nose and throat to test my swallos. .
Click to expand...

Hello I was reading a post from pac4eva, this was posted long ago but I would like answers on upper abdominal tightness ?


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## coloradogrl22

Hello!

I am 24 and I have IBS-mixed. The past month I have been experiencing bloating of my stomach and a feeling of pressure right under the middle of my ribcage. This is to the point where a regular bra is not comfortable to wear and now I wear sport bras to prevent the digging. I am showing signs of decrease in appetite and currently have not been diagnosed with any food allergies. The area under my ribcage becomes tender which I notice when I cross my arms across my chest. I have also felt almost like "gas bubbles" throughout my GI tract (so all over my stomach area). Is this all connected? I have been taking miralax daily for constipation and I don't know if this is causing irritation? Is there arecommended diet anyone suggests?


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## Patrick ibs c

cheese is one food to skip


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