Upper abdominal cramps (severe spasms)

Only feels like you are dying during an onset.

I have been getting most your symptoms. I was wondering also why no one mention it was happening on their upper stomach part. Thinking about it it is more on the right side than the left. I usually get it like you stated sometimes when sneezing, bending, stretching, while sitting on the bed if I reach out forward to get something, definitely awkward positions while love making, exercising. It is not all the time but enough times that I think twice before doing this things. I wonder if is the water intake or potassium like they say. But I would like to know what it is. And I mention it once to my doctor. Maybe I didnt know how to explain it to him but he didnt give me an answer. I am definitely not going to run to the hospital when I get it because I feel fine when is gone. Maybe the area a little sore but I go about things fine after it.

I went to the ER via ambulance around 1:00 AM today regarding servere pain in the upper abdomen (in between the breast plate) all the way though my back. Pain happened twice so hard I became nauseous and thought I was having a heart attack. ER Dr. diagnosed as muscle spasm and received meds if pain comes back.  Have had this issue for a long time and Dr. took out gall bladder about 4 years ago.  Didn't seem to help.  Last night was worse attack ever. No warning.   Pain on a scale of 1-10 was a 12.  Was prescribed Dicyclomine.     

My first spasm hit me in 2001 when I raised my arm above my head while I was lying down.  It was awful enough to remember all this time.  Since that time, it has gotten progressively worse and more encompassing.  The worst ones seem to be in my torso -- rib area.  For a while, if I coughed, I could get it to stop.  I do have emphysema and a history of bladder cancer; but I am quite active and work full time.  I now get spasms in my torso, my legs, my hands, my feet, and now in my lower abdomen.  Like many of you, they can be brought on by a turn, a sneeze, laughing, or now - for no reason at all.  They wake me from a sound sleep or send me flying when I am just lying down to watch television.  I have repeatedly asked my doctor about this and tried to explain how frigging painful this is.  I usually just get a look.  Last time, though - I raised a little hell and told him I cannot take this any more, that they bring me to my knees they are so incapacitating.  He suggested I try quinine or magnesium.  I take a potassium pill every day and my blood levels are all in order.  After reading some of your posts, I am going to try the magnesium and see how that goes.  If anyone's doctor finally tells them what this is, I'd like to know.  My daughter is starting to experience the same spasms. 

Good luck to you all - I feel for every single one of you!

I also have had upper stomach spasams on and off for 40 years, srarted when my daughter was born, doctor said my muscles were very stretched from labor,but still get them 40 years later,seems like if i lift something heavy or overeat sometimes brings it on,feels like my insides are being twisted,always happens at night!!.Has anyone found something to relive this??? Its awful.

The exact same thing happens to me except instead of somthing bulging out, it goes inward. As if my muscles are being sucked into my body. I have had MRIs to see if there are any hernias but everything came back normal. Any relief from your symptoms since your post?

Hello! I am praying for wisdom from fellow sufferers of weird pain. I am 40 years old.  I have spasm under right rib cage when sneezing, coughing a lot, sometimes when bending.   I also have strange feeling under right rib cage occasionally, especially after eating a lot, or certain things. I have lost 20lbs, this all came on about 2 and a half years ago. Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer- so left all that on hold- and I am battling breast cancer for the second time. Still have these issues (ive had cts hida-scan ultrasound etc)  I am convinced that I am not getting proper nutrients from my food.  But cancer doctors only talk cancer - not possible connections with other things in body. Talked with some nutritionists- no real answers there.   It seems somewhat better when I was on super pure diet - but hard to maintain weight!  any suggestions from anyone on causes????  

May the Lord Jesus Bless you!

Amy

How many of you have low muscle tone, or a surgery in your abdomen. I have the same symptoms, and I wonder if it isn't due to having multiple abdominal surgeries where they stretch your muscles out? I will talk to my doc about this. I wonder if a tummy tuck, where they stitch you abs back together, will help...

It is so comforting to know other people are experiencing this, not that I would wish this on anyone!  It's funny because the only thing I can compare this too is a horse having "Colic". or twisted gut.  This kind of thing happens to horses if you suddenly change their diet.  It's as if the digestive system gets shocked by different substances through it and spasms.  In horses it is fatal if a vet cannot operate in time to correct the situation.  Fortunately for humans, our guts do not get physically twisted, but it sure can feel that way when these spasms are occuring!!

I had a bout of it last night for the first time in awhile.  Of course, sitting on the "throne" in the seated position, semi-straining (not to be graphic but detail helps to understand why this happens...) and on it came, fast and furious!  It seems like it starts just under my left ribcage, and gradually moves downward.  It feels like a tight knot but I can feel it moving and spasming inside of me.  It feels as though someone stuck their hand in your gut and is rotating all of your intestines, or feels like an alien baby trying to get out!  Honestly the most odd and painful thing I have ever experienced, leaves me immobile for the duration.  The way I try to get it to subside is to close my eyes and take deep cleansing breaths while arching my back backward to try to stretch out the muscles and whatever is in spasm mode.  It did subside after about a minute or two, but the longest minutes you could ever experience. Some things to note as I reflect on my episode:  I had salad for lunch at work for the past two days....normally don't eat salad every day, and had a good size bowl both days.  Have coffee every morning to drink, and yesterday I had a coffee in the A.M. and drank a Monster drink throughout the afternoon (caffeine=diuretic).  So, that said, a previous post I read seems to be on track as far as possible triggers.  Caffeine is a diuretic and being dehydrated definitely causes muscle spasms.  I read once that when you are dehydrated, uric acid builds up in the muscles and can cause painful spasms, thus why runners can get charley horses in their calves.  Potassium helps to combat this.  The amount of salad I introduced into my body I am sure was a shock to my digestive tract, so in my opinion these spasms are brought on by digestive means.  Think about it:  what causes Hiccups??  Notice if you eat something too quickly, or rice (always gets me) your hiccups start?  Hiccups are actually your diaphragm going into little spasms.  Something irritates it and it spasms.  All of the organs in our bodies have muscles that involuntarily contract:  that is how food travels through your esophagus and through the intestines, so it it not abnormal for muscles to spasm at one time or another, but it is a matter of trying to pinpoint the triggers.  Based on my experience, I feel coffee is a trigger, as well as a sudden change in diet, lack of drinking a lot of water daily, and the fact that I was straining muscles in my abdomen when it happened.....just my thoughts and thank you all for posting!

I've had these kind if pains for over 3 years and the doctor has sent me for numerous tests and found nothing. He thought it was anxiety but I'm sure it isn't as the pain can wake me during the night after a deep sleep I'm in agony all the time and drained Dunno what else to try or do :-( I know how you all feel

I have also experienced this excruciating, grabbing, upper left quadrant pain/spasm. It occurs when I bend over to tie a shoe or similar action It takes my breath away and is very frightening. I have GERD as well as a hiatal hernia. I am on Prevacid 24 hr which seems to control the acid, but have to watch my diet. I take potassium as well as calcium. So glad I'm not alone on this mysterious misery. Good Luck to you all!

Gently massage the solarplexUs area in Small circular anti clock direCtion for 2 minutes. It gives a great relief

Have had these same episodes/symptoms for the last year. Sneezing, coughing, or bending a certain way brings them on. Getting worse and more frequent. Ultrasound revealed nothing wrong with my organs. Had laproscopic surgery and problem began a few months afterwards. Thinking incisional adhesions from the laproscopic surgery. Muscles don't move naturaly anymore causing severe wave-like cramping. Anyone else with this possibility?

Your description sounds a lot like mine. Afterr my first pregnancy I noticed these sudden painful spasms (I think it's my diaphragm) when I'm sitting or standing and I suddenly have to shift position. I sometimes get it right after a hard sneeze or coughing fit.. HATE when it happens while I'm driving. I put my hand on my solar plexuus and feel the muscle spasming. I push on it hard and massage the spasm until it stops. I have no idea if that even helps. The muscle is sore for a day or two afterwards. I might not get them for a couple weeks, then I have them on and off for a few days. I just hate it. I asked my OB-Gyn about it, she just saud it's just something that can happen to you after having a baby, nothing I can do about it. I've had 2 c-sections and an incisional hernia repair. I wonder if the pregnancy (muscles being stretched) or the c-section caused it. The spasm is defibnitley muscular so I don't see how it could have anything to do with my digestive system. Have the muscles in my abdomen been permamently pulled, torn or stretched as a result of pregnancy? Wish I just knew why this was happening.

I have been having the same thing going on too. It started more in the center of my chest under my ribcage and has gradually switched over to my right side... Almost everything that you shared has happened to me... Even the after sex part. I had an ultra sound done in that area and all they could find was a fatty liver.... I need to watch what I eat I guess and loose weight, however, this has happened with sudden movements, sneezing and coughing really hard. Even laughing uncontrollably has set this off. :(

I am not a heavy drinker and rarely drink. I have noticed that it happened a bit more frequently if I drank hard liquor and did not hydrate.

I wish someone knew what this was.