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Original poster

'flipping' organs!!

278 replies

chelseamorning · 01/01/2010 19:29

Now you're probably thinking I'm off my rocker here but bear with me!

My DS is 3. Since I gave birth, I sometimes get a weird sensation in my chest/stomach which when I bend right over. The only way to describe it is that it feels like an organ or something is 'flipping'. It takes my breath away and I have to stand up carefully. Then I feel it 'flip' back into place. Usually there are no other after effects. Sometimes it leaves me a tiny bit tender in the area for a day or so.

Please, is there anyone else who has this sensation???!!!

OP posts:
giraffesCanDanceAtHogmanay · 02/01/2010 07:07

No idea but bumpin this up for you

Original poster
chelseamorning · 02/01/2010 10:41

Thanks, giraffes.

Surely someone else has heard of this before?!

My mum knows exactly what I mean as she had it herself but it settled down pretty quickly for her.

OP posts:
Original poster
chelseamorning · 03/01/2010 19:01

bump!

OP posts:
uglymugly · 03/01/2010 19:16

Just a thought, but there is a known pregnancy-related condition called diastasis?-something-or-other, where the abdominal muscles separate but don't return to normal. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can identify this more accurately than I've done. If you have the faintest idea of what I'm wittering on about , maybe it's possible that this is the cause of the problem?

Original poster
chelseamorning · 04/01/2010 10:28

Thanks for the reply uglymugly (love the name!).

I know what you mean but this isn't it. That's closer to the navel. My problem is on the left-hand side, under the ribs. I'm wondering whether it's my lung.

OP posts:
uglymugly · 04/01/2010 20:14

My name is a very accurate description.

One other thing I can think of is maybe a "floating rib". I've tried googling, but mostly it's people who have experienced pain more than the weird sensation you experience. The "flipping" sensation you experience could be from a sliding effect as your body readjusts as you stand up.

Another thing I can think of is a hernia, which could result in omentum being squeezed out through a small hernia as you bend down, then sliding back into the abdomen when you stand up.

Whatever the cause of this sensation you experience, it's probably worth getting it checked out by your GP. Although it's not particularly troublesome by the sounds of it, it would be beneficial to rule out anything problematic for your own peace of mind.

As you've not got many responses here, I would recommend a visit to your GP, plus an update if you get an explanation/diagnosis, because I can't really believe you're the only person to have these symptoms, and it could be helpful to anyone else researching here in the future to read an explanation.

I'm well aware that strange things can happen to a human body - it took me ages to realise that the inexplicable pain I experienced in my right upper arm was actually RSI from using my computer mouse way too much; and the strange on-and-off pain in my right chest was actually from one particular bra!

lisad123wantsherquoteinDM · 04/01/2010 23:29

OMG I had this sort of thing for ages, but to me feels like something gets stuck in ribs or something and then when i stand up they pop back to normal. I went to GP, she just looked at me weirdly, said she didnt know what it was and sent me on my way been too to go again.
let me know if you find out what it is

missmama · 05/01/2010 00:13

My mother says she has had a floating rib! since she was pregnant with me.
We all just pat her on the head and go there there.
Lisad she will be overjoyed that somebody else suffers too!

CarmenTinselPalmTreesSanDiego · 05/01/2010 04:41

Not quite the same, but I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia after having dc3. Part of the stomach protrudes up into the oesophagus. It causes lots of nasty heartburn etc. But it does put pressure on the diaphragm and is worse on bending over so this might be the cause.

These children can really bugger things up!

CarmenTinselPalmTreesSanDiego · 05/01/2010 04:43

(ANd you can have a hiatal hernia without the digestive issues, so this may well be it. Some people have them with no symptoms. I suspect they're much more common after dcs than doctors realise.)

sunshineonarainyday · 06/01/2010 16:16

Yes! I get this every now and again - pretty much as chelsea and lisa describe. It always happens when I am reaching down to do shoe laces up and I get a pain in my left side . I have to kind of stand up slowly and straight and then it stops.

Am very glad to hear others have something similar - I had thought it was something to do with my heart! Do I need to visit my GP?

Original poster
chelseamorning · 07/01/2010 15:36

Thanks for the replies! I'm not mad afterall!!!

Mine's definitely just under my left ribs which is why I was wondering if it was my lungs. It can be quite painful for a few seconds until it pops back. Haven't heard of a floating rib, uglymugly, so will definitely research that one!

Since having my DS, I've gone from visiting my GP about once every 5 years to visiting many more times than I'd like! I thought that if I went with this problem, they'd definitely think I had Munchausens! I'll mention it when I next go and will report back.

OP posts:
Wallace · 07/01/2010 20:34

I have that stcuk
-pain-under-the
-left-ribs-when-bending-over thing too. How weird

BrigitBigKnickers · 14/01/2010 10:29

AH now I have had this for quite some years on the left side too.
My doctor did tell me what it was called but I can't remember the exact name

But I do remember him saying it's to do with a muscle/ catlidge thingy which is usually attached to the ribs and has become slightly detached.

Part of it gets caught under the rib when you bend down and then it flips back as you stand up. He told me it's nothing to worry about. I am over weight and he told me that losing weight can help to alleviate the symptoms.

sunshineonarainyday · 18/01/2010 12:32

Thanks Brigit - nice to hear that your doctor said it's nothing to worry about. I am also a teeny bit overweight so that also explains it. Will have to try and shift a few pounds!

telsa · 24/05/2010 23:13

I think I have this - hence bringing this thread back to life, and have been trying to find out what is wrong with me when I bend over and get a really weird pain on the right side under ribs. Does anyone know the name of the condition? Thanks.

pamela6000 · 14/06/2010 12:54

OMG..I have this too..it is embarrassing at times..like in yoga class..it takes my breath away and sometimes just standing up does not fix it for me..I have to kind of pull my stomach around until it is gone. It is almost like a weird crampy feeling too..like a cramp in the left part of my stomach up under my ribcage..but it does feel like something gets 'stuck' ...then unstuck..weird. I figured it had to do with my 2 pregnancies..anyone know if there is anything you can do besides loosing weight.I am about 5 lbs overweight..mostly in the stomach area. THANKS

MelanieMumToBe · 02/08/2013 13:45

Hey,
Did any if you get an answer to this in the end? I'm 5 weeks postpartum and have had the feeling that my rib gets caught or grinds on something. When I lean to my side or bend down and when I stand back up I feel it get UN stuck|grind again.
Would love to know if this is easily explained??
Xx

polygarden1 · 01/11/2014 12:37

Hello - I just came across this and was also wondering if anyone had any answers? These are exactly the symptoms I've had for many years off and on. It is usually when I bend down to tie shoes/put on socks, and is very painful, feels like "IT" - whatever - is moving out of place and I have to straighten up fast.... it then gradually goes back! If bad it can leave me feeling sort of bruised for a few days, sometimes longer. Been to docs about it but he didn't seem to have any ideas.....The worst thing is not knowing what it is!! Any feedback would be great!! Thankyou!

RockinHippy · 03/11/2014 11:14

I'm glad you resurrected this thread polygarden I've had the same problem since the latter stages of my pregnancy with DD - who is now 12!!

Ive been to the GP so many times over the years & got nowhere, she eventually accepted that it could be a Hiatal Hernia & send me for an ultra sound scan, but nothing showed up, though reading up on the NHS/Patient UK sites, that looks like the wrong test for a Hiatal Hernia anyway Confused

Mine is definitely getting worse, happens more often & leaves me feeling sore & nauseous for days afterwards, as a result I'm now scared to bend, even getting out of the bath kicks it off & I can also feel a weird bubbling/fluttering sensation in my left chest if I have trouble with wind, this week it's bad, as I'm antibiotics for another infection & they are affecting my stomach badly, today I feel really breathless without too - not sure if it's connected, but I get left side pain if I try & sleep on that side.

If any of you found an answer I would be grateful too, I need to go back to my GP, but I now if I don't have her ideas, nothing more will happen :(

TabithasMum2 · 26/11/2014 19:52

I'm glad others have had this sensation. I've had it since my last C-section and I keep telling my husband "they didn't put things back the same way!" Extra un-shed baby pounds are probably a contributing factor as well.
Mine is on the left side whenever I bend over and takes my breath away but is not otherwise painful. It definitely feels like something gets stuck under my ribs and I need to physically press it back down into place. It is an uncomfortable feeling, kind of like if your eyelid accidentally flips upside down.

coronado8081 · 11/12/2014 02:18

Hi Ladies, I am 51 (long time since I had my kids) and just started experiencing the same thing. Feels like my lung popped out from under my left rib cage. Usually when I am pulling on boots or bent over tying shoe laces. It is very painful in the moment and I have stretch and try to pop it back in. Usually sore a little for a few hours after. Thought I was going nuts. Will bring up with my GP when I go next. I have gained a little weight and am thinking this is a wake up call to get in shape after reading the threads. Thanks for contributing.

Painbelowleftsideribcage · 06/02/2015 21:00

I have something very similar: pain just below the rib cage, on the left hand side, when I am sitting on the floor or crouching and then bend towards the ground to do up my son's shoe laces. It happened once when weeding too. The pain is sharp and it feels as if there is movement, not a spasm, but movement. It's not deep inside. It's a little bit like a muscle cramp in terms of the movement and the fact that when I straighten up it goes away after about a minute or less. There is no pain after that. Sometimes it happens every couple of days, sometimes every 3 to 4 weeks. Would love to hear what others have been diagnosed with. Thank you.

lisadeeson1023 · 17/03/2015 09:45

Its nice to know I'm not crazy. I'm 46 and I have had the same thing for 21 years. I gave birth to my third child, all 3 by c-section, and after my last child I have had the feeling of something getting hung/caught under my left side ribs. It happens after I bend. I have pain and tenderness with it that never goes away. I have told many Dr.'s about it, but they never seem concerned with it. I had a Dr. tell me after my daughter was born that it was fat folding. When it happens and I finally get to stand straight you can see it drop back down. I found out 8 years ago that I have CHF I'm not sure if that has made it worse over the years, but I sure would like to know what it is and why it is happening. I'm going to push the issue with my Dr.after reading all the post I know it has to be something and not just me. I will post anything I find out so maybe it will help someone who is having the same thing. Thank you for posting it has given me the help to push me to find out what it is.

ThatsJustNotRight · 17/03/2015 18:29

Yay! Not alone!
I had my DS 10 yrs ago by c-section and have been baffled by this since then! Bending or curling up and there is a sharp cramping in my abdomen (although, for me it isn't just the left side) and when I straighten up it feels like everything is flipping/twisting back into place. Once everything is back in 'place' the pain is gone. I asked my Dr about it years ago and got the 'you sound slightly crazy' Look. She did mention thought that it could possibly be scar tissue from the cesarean getting in the way of things.
I can't imagine we are the only people who have dealt with this. You'd think someone would have a definite answer. Its just silly.