Tightness Under Ribcage

[mvdula]

This is a new symptom that I have woken up with in the morning twice in the past week or so:

when I wake up, I feel kinda like I have to work harder to get a deep breath - but I can actually breathe fine. It feels like maybe my diaphragm is tight. The first time I thought maybe gall bladder (but I just woke up, so obviously not after eating) because when I pressed in that area the right side felt more sensitive/knotted up. It is not pain. Like a whole band of tightness where diaphragm is - under chest - but makes my chest feel kinda tight. Today while driving in morn, (it is still bothering me now) I pressed in that area in the middle - like an inch or 2 under sternum and it hurt - in a weird painful way like when you press in a weird spot on your back and feel that you are pressing on a nerve or something - very sensitive. Very tight and feels like knots (but I can't feel anything hard when I press) I can distract myself and it doesn't bother me as much.......but I'd like to know what it is. Anyone?

[mvdula]

possible hiatal hernia? this is just my guess. i don't get any bad taste in my mouth or any burning sensations. i am full very quickly (sometimes this produces chest fullmess, sometimes just stomach fullness - an awful type - very uncomfortable) - cannot eat as much as i want or i will feel sick bc of fullness- have to eat a little at a time. i have always been like this to some extent - very small person with what i assume is a small stomach - i joke it is as if i was born with gastric bypass. but the tightness/discomfort in morning is new - diaphragm area and mainly in middle where my eso would go through it. just a thought - i can't think of anything else - anyone have any ideas??

[Jersey Girl]

Yes, I have this quite often, mainly on my left side. And the squeezing was so, so much worse when I first developed POTS years ago, that I had multiple cardiac tests, including a stress test lying down! I usually get this symptom along with other POTSy symptoms and end up taking Xanax as it is distressing. Martha

[pat57]

I do have a hiatal hernia. It started to bother me when I gained weight. I lost some, and its not bothering my again. I would not describe it as tightness.

It was a dull ache, the location is the same tho.

[ajw4790]

Hi!

Maybe just see a doctor to make sure everything is okay and that nothing has been torn/displaced etc.

Hope you find answers!

[Gena]

I get this symptom often. I attribute it to be anxious about something and not realizing how tight my diaphragm has gotten. I get weird sensitive spots on and around my rib cage and sternum too.

I found that lying down on top of a rolled up towel (or very small pillow) under the middle of my back and doing some breathing exercises helps those muscles relax and opens your heart. (The rolled towel is positioned on the back so that it opens the chest and pushes it upward and forward). I read about this in one of my health magazines.

I try to do this and other relaxation techniques first. If all else fails, then I take a small amount of Klonopin. I had so many cardio tests b/c of the pain. Sometimes my heart will actually hurt from squeezing so hard and I'll get very localized pain from that. But most of the time it's just tightness in my ribs and chest.

Hugs,

gena

[mvdula]

I get this symptom often. I attribute it to be anxious about something and not realizing how tight my diaphragm has gotten. I get weird sensitive spots on and around my rib cage and sternum too.

I found that lying down on top of a rolled up towel (or very small pillow) under the middle of my back and doing some breathing exercises helps those muscles relax and opens your heart. (The rolled towel is positioned on the back so that it opens the chest and pushes it upward and forward). I read about this in one of my health magazines.

I try to do this and other relaxation techniques first. If all else fails, then I take a small amount of Klonopin. I had so many cardio tests b/c of the pain. Sometimes my heart will actually hurt from squeezing so hard and I'll get very localized pain from that. But most of the time it's just tightness in my ribs and chest.

Hugs,

gena

Gena-

Thanks -

Your response helps me a lot because those are the same thoughts I have - that maybe I don't realize that the anxiety is tensing up my diaphragm - esp since distraction does help it. I even had it again when I woke up last night - but not as bad and did really feel like tension - just surprises me that I would be so tense in sleep - but I guess it should actually prove it since I woke up from a bad dream saying "No-no" while crying.