fluttering in stomache but not pregnant

The SteadyHealth team reacts

As we see in this thread, even women with "fluttering sensations in the stomach" who say that they aren't pregnant are bombarded with suggestions that they might be expecting after all, despite negative pregnancy tests. Given the fact that many women who do experience these feelings describe them as being very similar to the sensations of fetal movement, that isn't exactly surprising. What is surprising, however, is just how many things can be responsible for these kinds of sensations.

Is there a medical term for this? Dr Sasa Milosevic, SteadyHealth's "in-house doctor", enlightens us: "You can call this an abdominal wall flutter, as it appears in scientific literature. The term tremor of the abdominal musculature is used to describe involuntary movements of the abdominal muscles."

He continues by explaining that, where involuntary muscle movement is concerned, there are multiple terms that describe different levels of severity:

•  ​Fasciculations (twitches) — these are very mild and typically undetectable by the naked eye, and noticeable only to people experiencing them. These twitches are, Dr Milosevic points out, "contractions of particular muscle fibers of the muscle, rather than the whole muscle".
• Tremors affect one or more small muscles, and others will be able to see them as well. 
• Cramps are more severe muscle contractions. 
• Spasms are longer-lasting cramps that are usually related to neurological diseases. 

Gastrointestinal problems

As some people who participated in the discussion suggested, gastrointestinal issues can indeed cause fluttering sensations — and there's an explanation for the fact that many people who experienced the feelings said they don't feel like it's "just gas" as well. The abdominal muscles can respond to high levels of acid or gas within the digestive system by twitching. However, Dr Milosevic says:

"Abdominal cramps can occur for a number of reasons and usually come along with abdominal pain."

If you experience abdominal flutters and feel less-than-ideal dietary habits could be the cause, try eliminating spicy and highly processed foods from your diet for now to see if that makes a difference, and also ensure you are properly hydrated. Should these lifestyle changes not help, see a doctor. You could have a chronic condition such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, or inflammatory bowel disease.

Stress is also sometimes said to have the ability to cause muscle twitches or spasms, as well as general gastrointestinal upset. People who experience fluttering sensations while exposed to a lot of stress may have already found a likely cause in their stress, but should still seek medical attention to rule out other possibilities. 

Parkinson's Disease is a movement disorder characterized by tremors (mostly at rest), rigidity, slow movement, and changes in speech and mental function. Most people will be familiar with the fact that Parkinson's often causes hands, feet, arms, or legs to "shake" — but did you know that Parkinson's disease patients also report "internal tremors" quite frequently? These tremors occur within the abdominal area and aren't visible to outside observers. Though Parkinson's most commonly affects people over 60, it can also have an earlier onset. Anyone who recognizes early symptoms of Parkinson's, which include a loss of the sense of smell, posture changes, sleep problems, and changes in facial expression, should seek medical attention. 

A rare condition, diaphragmatic flutter is caused by involuntary contractions of the diaphragm and respiratory muscles. Besides fluttering sensations, pain is another common symptom. The condition is rather uncommon and its management complex, and it has been linked to neurological disorders. 

Let's also take a look a possible causes of general muscle twitches and spasms, which can occur in the abdominal area but also in other places:

• Dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance can do this to you. 
• It's also possible that you have simply overworked certain muscle groups, by exercising or performing vigorous physical labor, for instance. 
• Nerve compression can lead to muscle twitches. 
• Spasms can occur when your muscles are not being supplied with enough blood.