Does anyone ever heard or experienced symptoms of tight band under rib cage? would appreciate feedback from anyone with similar case

[almondric]

I am 33 yrs old and I have been feeling strange symptoms for the past seven years already though I don't experience heartburn or acid reflux. I often feel something in the area immediately below the junction of my rib cage comparable to the feeling of a clamped nerve, twisted stomach or tensed muscle which is uncomfortable but not painful. Hence, I don't do situp exercises anymore. The symptoms becomes more intense when my stomach is empty and I'm taking deep breaths (especially when exhaling) while lying down in bed. It makes me feel debilitated at times so I would just sleep and the symptoms become milder when I wake up. My bowel is affected too. I would feel some discomfort in the area in the morning after waking up but the stool won't come out until I get up from my bed which means that I have lost the normal push to defecate and I am now dependent on gravity for my bowel movement. In addition, I have lost 10 pounds (I'm 5' 7" and I used to weigh 130 pounds) even if I haven't reduced my food intake and I feel weak even after eating. Further, I noticed that I easily get tired and feel sleepy even after sleeping for 8 hours. There are times that I pass thin stools but most of the time my stools are shapeless. I had already underwent lower GI xray, transrectal ultrasound, abdominal ultrasound, stool examination, lipase test, liver function tests but the tests did not reveal anything.

I would appreciate any feedback from anyone with similar symptoms regarding diagnosis and possible remedy. Thanks

[wendydee]

Hi! Sorry you are having this worry. You maybe need some reassurance and maybe factual evidence. Why don't you have a look at ovacome.org. Uk On there you'll find a BEAT symptom tracker. You can check, record and print out your symptoms to take along to the next appointment. It gives you a calm way of discussing what you're feeling. There are also Factsheets on there, under the 'resources' heading. I hope it helps.

Love Wendy xx

[5a50]

Hi there. I'm sure someone must have already suggested Irritable Bowel Syndrome to you. My friend's son was diagnosed with this, but they called it Spastic Colon back then. The muscles in the colon just below his ribs would go into spasm causing severe pain similar to what you describe and all the other symptoms were similar. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids (avoid coffee, but not entirely sure why) to ensure you remain hydrated and that you don't suffer constipation, which could be a possible cause of your morning problems. Peppermint tea is good, as are oil of peppermint capsules, and perhaps try Colpermin which I think you can buy over the counter to see if it helps. If you suffer a lot of stress, this could be causing your symptoms or make them worse so if you can reduce your stress this may reduce their severity.

Good luck with that and hope you get it sorted out! Valx

[almondric in reply to 5a50]

Thanks for your reply. The very first thing that I do in the morning is drink 4 to 6 glasses of water just to be able to move my bowel and I drink more throughout the day. I also try to avoid using the electric fan when the weather suddenly turns cold because it I could feel the cold air getting into my intestine causing stomach discomfort or pain The knot like symptom is not painful but disturbing and uncomfortable that I have stopped working since because I am sluggish, I don't feel well and I am having difficulty concentrating on what I'm doing. I hope u don't mind me asking about ur friend's son. How is he doing now? How old is he and how long has he been suffering from the symptoms? Are the symptoms gone already or does he has to manage them for the rest of his life?

Hope to hear from you soon. Tnx and God Bless!