Upper abdominal cramps (severe spasms)

Ever since I had my second child I started having a tightening sensation under my ribs on the left side. Usually when I sit up to quick or turn a certain way or while doing sit ups. I asked a surgeon about it at the hospital I work at she said it sounded like a Charlie horse not to worry and take some ibuprophen when I worked out. It only flares up now and then but I believe it is just muscle spasms.

I have all your symptoms and diagnosed myself with a Sphincter of oddi Dysfunction.  I think we all have it and there is nothing to do about it, basically.  I am going to try the Edgar Cayce castor oil packs/heating pad therapy.  Acupuncture--I tried but it's expensive and I was more focused on other issues since this is a spasm of movement.

Of course, it can be parasitic based, too (I tried a parasite program and it didn't help), for some of the people but I have the feeling it is a body structure thing because it comes from movement, like that part of our bodies is slightly constricted, causing a pinch.  I hope I have been helpful.  I have had it about 15 years.  If it were there all the time, I would think it would warrant more extensive treatment, but I think the best treatment is no treatment, unless you have a hernia or some other condition.

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i am a 29 yo male that has had these upper abdominals spasms always centered on my left side right above the ribcage for 3 years now. I too have seen many doctors regarding it and each has a theory but nothing prescribed works. I was also diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 16 months ago and I am curious if any of you are also MS patients?

There are, indeed, sphincters in that area.  The sphincter of oddi spasm is most often overlooked.  A spoon of mustard in hot water, like a tea, may relax it before it gets a good grip.

yes, to me it is like a tightening sensation under my left ribs. actually I usually can see the skin?(muscle) seem to relax as it subsides -and i have had it for years now so do think it is some sort of muscle stretching/relaxing, Quite frightening as it happens though.

When I get one of these cramps I am completely unable to do anything. They start in the upper left of my abdomen, just under my rib cage and it spreads from there across my abdomen. It feels as though my diaphragm is cramping. Like many others here, they have been triggered by laughing really hard and when bending over to do something like scooping the litter box or washing the kitchen floor. I cannot help making noise because the cramp seems to force them: moaning, an odd open-mouthed groaning, even screaming.

Last June I had a knee replacement. They are really painful, especially in the first few days. While I barely remember anything from the first few days when I was in a hospital - due to pain medications and residual effects of anesthesia - I do remember that I repeatedly had episodes of these attacks. It did not matter that moving my knee caused extreme pain - these were worse! I would writhe in my bed, even moving the knee which had just been replaced. I seem to remember the staff looking at one another and rolling their eyes, as if I would be faking these things. I do clearly remember once when they were moving me into a wheelchair to go to PT. I told them to stop because my stomach was starting to cramp again. I breathlessly explained that these happened, there was nothing I could do, the sometimes came in a serious as many as four cramps. Even thought I was in a hospital, as far as I know, they never had anyone examine me to see if they could make a diagnosis.

I'm not able to get up to get water or to massage the area, not that I've noticed any particular hard lump the way I have with a charly horse. I essentially, well, writhe, moving from one position to another. Often I am moaning about how much I hate these cramps or saying, 'why? why does this happen?' I can do some things with my breathing, although for the most part they seem to just need to run their course. After it stops I lie on my stomach stretched out for awhile, focusing on my breathing. Usually, there are several cramps in a row. They are so excruciating that I am very careful to not move for some time and then to do so cautiously.

They have happened publicly and I have no choice but to sit there groaning. There is no control. Once I was laughing at a live performance in a full theater and tried to deal with it without making noise or bringing any attention to myself, but eventually a groan escaped from me and the house lights were brought up, people were yelling to call 911. Fortunately the man speaking at the conference handled it very respectfully, even coming back to me and helping me to an exit door before he went back to the stage and, without saying anything negative about me, led everything back to the topic.

I've been told that it was gas. Well, I've had bad gas and that's not what this was. And that it is some kind of anxiety attack and hyperventilating. Well, I have hyperventilated once or twice in my life - this is very different. And my emotional state doesn't matter - the most common trigger is laughing.

You know, I had these when I was ON PAIN MEDS! And it was as if the cramps forced me to scream. I do remember that in the hospital they moved a roommate out because it was so disturbing to her and I spent the next few days in the room alone. But still no doctors will take it seriously.

I've learned to recognize a twinge that indicates when it's about to start. Then I immediately lie down stretched out on my back and concentrate on breathing and keeping that area relaxed. That's where things stand to this day.

 

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Oh wow, it is a relief to me that I am not the only one experiencing this.  Everytime I bend over to tie shoes, or pick something up I get the cramping/charlie horse sensaton in my upper left abdomen.  Mine started about 28 yrs ago after my 2nd c section, I have been trying to figure out why this was happening, I thought perhaps after my c section things were possibly not put back in their proper place.  It is very painful and difficult to explain, but I have found nothing to help the situation.  I am going to try some of the things that I have read in this blog to see if I can get any type of relief.  I have Fibromyalsia, and I am not sure if this elevates the pain with this situation or not, but I force myself to stretch straight or flat on my back until the pain subsides.  My husband just can't understand why something like bending over causes such pain.  He acuses me of faking it.....believe me I wish it were that simple. 

 

I have suffered from cramps in the muscles alongside my rib cage for years. I also get cramps in my abdomen periodically.

I'm glad I found this thread because I thought I was the only one who gets these types of cramps and because it gives me a chance to share a couple of things which have helped me.

First, taking magnesium AND potassium reduces their frequency quite a lot. Chose a variety of magnesium that has good reviews on Amazon - some of the basic varieties apparently aren't absorbed that well.

Second, Hyland's Leg Cramps remedy STOPS THE CRAMP almost immediately every time. Just dissolve 2 or 3 under your tongue and the cramp goes away. (Occasionally I have to do it twice for the cramp to end.) I keep a bottle in my car as well as at home. (I sometimes get cramps in the car when I have to twist around to see if it safe to turn.)

What causes these cramps in some people but not in others isn't clear to me, but having read all of the posts in this thread I don't think there's a reason that a doctor will be able find other than perhaps dehydration or a deficiency of magnesium, potassium or perhaps calcium (I haven't heard of a clear cause of Charlie Horses either.)

Thus all of the people rushing to the emergency room, going to different doctors etc may be wasting their time. (Don't get me wrong - I know just how painful these cramps can be and I understand why people are desperate for answers and pain relief but the solution usually isn't surgery or painkillers). Just take the appropriate minerals, stay hydrated and keep a bottle of Hyland's Leg Cramps remedy handy. (It has helped several of my friends with leg cramps as well as me.)

 

 

 

My spasm in the central sternum/ diaphram area only occurs about every 2 weeks or so but it often wakes me up and builds and builds over 3-5 hours and it is impossible to sleep as lying down makes it much worse. I often vomit a few times too. The pain is certainly muscular so no anti acid even touches it no matter how much I take. It usually happens a few hours after a heavy meal. The pain is off the scale, very intense! I had a 5 hour session last night and I am now off work and exhausted and afraid to lie down in case it comes back. I took 1000mg of parmol which never helped at all! I am an otherwise healthy male of 54. No alcohol is involved!

 

 

I'm 47 and I've had these same weird overwhelming abdominal muscle spasms too, but they just started about 6 months ago out of the blue.  I'm on prescription water pills for liver disease and I wonder if the fact that they zap your fluids and potassium means the spams/cramps are related to one of the two or both.  I was told a long time ago that Charlie Horse leg cramps that you get in the middle of the night (usually) were due to mild dehydration so I wonder.....I'm (finally) on Flexeril now for back spasms I've had for about 8 years now but I usually only take it at night so I can sleep with the back pain, but I wonder if I took them as prescribed 3x/day if they would keep the abdominal spasms/cramps at bay because they are even more excrutiating than the back spasms....hmmmm.......maybe food for thought anyway.

I am experiencing this same problem now and have been for months now but it seems to be getting worse

great to hear in a way as i am not alone. i push gently but firmly on the pain and it subsides and then i load up on magnesium and potassium -dont forget the pepto too.

What your describing about the stomach sack is exactly what is happening to me and has for over 30 years. Nothing seems to help at all, pills, stretching, heat or laying down. They stopped for a while now I'm having this debilitating pain literally every couple of days and they are worse now than ever. I have never had a doctor be able to tell me what it is. There are too many of us with this problem for someone to not know. But it seems to be most common in women.

To add to my last post the last occurrence I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance... I was home alone and thought I was actually dying. Couldn't move couldn't breathe was loosing color and drastic body temperature change.