mid back /abdominal pain
I have been having back/stomach pain that starts very early morning, I have read others on this website who have had the same thing, it only comes after laying down for a few hours, it wakes me every morning before I've had a full nights sleep. I have had an endoscopy,MRI, several blood tests, had my liver, spleen and kidneys checked, been on GI meds, and have been told I have IBS, I understand that I do have IBS but I do not feel this back pain that radiates to the front has anything to do with IBS. It hurts when I take a deep breath and it hurts more when I lay on my right side. I have been to 4 different drs, mostly gastroenterologist but none of them seem to hear me say that I feel it is in my back, so I've not seen a dr specifically for back or arthritis type pain. I do also have fibromyalgia so when this pain began, I was afraid I was having a flare up. I have bought a new mattress because I thought maybe that was the problem but it did not help. Years ago I had x-rays on my back and was told I had arthritis. Could it be some form of rthritis? I am also wondering if anyone else has found the answer to their very similar pain.
I am 47 years old but most mornings I feel like I am 95, the pain does go away once I am up. Can anyone Please help.
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I don't have anything you have, but I have had similar back pain, I found out I was sleeping wrong, and upsetting my core muscles. It's just a suggestion, try and see if you wake up in the same position you fall asleep?
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I usually do fall asleep on my left side, often wake up on my left side but when I turn to lay on my right side, the pain seems worse so I lay on my back for a little while. I usually can't get back to sleep after that because the pain is to bad. I have a new mattress because I thought that was the problem when this all started 2 years ago. The new mattress has not helped. Thanks for your suggestion though.
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Wombate I have been experiencing something very similar to what you describe, for about 6 months no and the pain seems to get progressively worse.
My pain also wakes me up in the early morning (around 4am) but is based in my left side. It is basically impossible to sleep on my left side but sleeping on my right side it&&is a lot less painful. I feel the pain only in my left side and it increases when breathing in (even during normal breathing but the pain disappears when I get up. I have had similar test i.e. blood test CT scans, abdominal sonar tests,&&colonoscopy, gastroscopy and although I was diagnosed with&&diagnose IBS two years ago they cannot find anything else abnormal. My next step is a MR spinal scan.
I will let you know if I find a explantion for this strange condition and will appreciate if you can do the same.
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I had a thought the other day after talking with a friend/classmate. Have you ever heard of saliva testing? They test I think 5 different hormones, one of them is your cortisol level, this has something to do with your adrenal glands, if you have to much cortisol, you may have adrenal fatigue, our adrenals are right above our kidneys. I am going to the dr tomorrow to get a kit to have my saliva tested, I send it in and they call me with the results. I am very hopeful about this since I am so exhausted and have had an increase in belly fat which is another symptom of to much cortisol. I'll let you know when I get the results back. I have a glimmer of hope, I just don't want to get to excited about it and set myself up for disappointment again. But it is so very frustrating....
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I too experience exactly what you describe, and have for several years.
Every morning at around 4am I am woken by hideous pain that seems to radiate from my lower back (kidney area) through to my whole abdomen stopping at the base of my rib cage. I find the only relief to be curling up in a foetal position or holding a pillow tightly against my stomach. Its the same story every morning until I get up when the pain subsides within about an hour, often after opening my bowels.
I am a coeliac and my Doctor has told me that &You have to expect some discomfort&&at times&! He also says I may have IBS.
Have you had a coeliac screening? I am inclined to think this pain is in fact a bowel condition rather than a back problem, as certainly in my case, the worse the pain in the morning is seems to be related to a need to use the toilet about an hour after rising.
Strange you mention an increase in belly fat, as over the last years I too have this, though am slim otherwise.
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I have been experiencing low, right side abdominal pain which radiates to the back, since March, 2007. It is not always present. Comes on strong after falling asleep and waking up on my right side. I have had a CT, Ultrasound and am going back to my gastro specialist August 6. The interesting thing about my pain is that it comes and goes and about the same time I started with the abdominal pain, I started having soreness in my right foot. The foot discomfort is on the outer edge of my foot and sometimes when I've been sleeping on my right side, I wake up with pain in my right side and pain of my right foot. Sounds crazy but it is true. Good luck in finding out what your problem is.
Weezo
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I am still awaiting the results of my saliva test. That is my last and final hope for finding out what my pain could be. I have noticed the last few days, being under some added stress, seems to make me feel worse. If there isn't much stress at the time, or if I'm on vacation, I tend to feel much better, almost completely pain free. I'll keep you posted about the results. I hope that is the answer to my mystery.
Wombmate
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Have you received your saliva test yet? I have the same problem you do. I wake up at 4 every morning with stomach pains. They go away as soon as a wake.
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i think dharshas is right on. this sounds muscular and is probably related to sleeing. your core muscles wrap around from the back to the front in the absomeen. if they are weak, you'll have pain somewhere as other muscles try to compensate. look at the skeleton. the upper body has ribs, the lower body has the pelvis. inbetween is where you have pain (in the core) and what bony structures are there for support?? None. just the musculature. I'd suggest you work on your core, thoroughly check your posture and the tilt of your pelvis......do you really think this has anything to do with saliva?? come on now. see a good PT and fix yourself. loose weight if you are overweight. stop slouching. build up that core and the mid back muscles.
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OMG! After 6 months of increasing lower right abdominal pain which wakes me up earlier and earlier each morning and only goes away after I have been up and been to the loo, I do this search and find you all talking about what I am experiencing!
I've had catscan, MRI, Ultrasounds (both internal and external), colonoscopy, blood tests&&etc etc etc and NOTHING has shown up!
I have been unable to sleep on my left side for nearly 2 years and thought that it was a back/muscle/nerve pinch thing, but for the past month have slept on my left side and there is no difference.
I have tried removing food groups from my diet for weeks at a time to see if it is a food allergy thing - no good.
I'm ditching coffee for the next month to see if that works.
I have - wait for it - IBS, Fibromyalgia, Clinical Depression.
Sound familiar?
And mike1105 - I do weight lifting & toning regularly to maintain muscle strength & condition and walk 30-45 mins every other day (except when the fibro flares!)
I'm 46 years old and I feel like my grandfather did at 95 when he kept begging me to put him out of his misery.
The thought of living like this for another 50 years is almost unbearable.
The doctor has decided to put me in hospital for exploratory surgery if nothing changes. (I have 3 months to go - public health waiting list).
I am so glad to find you and know that I am not alone, that I am not imagining this pain. Lets see if between us we can find out what it is...
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My Dr. said it is acid reflux.&&He gave me a choice of meds or change my eating habits.&&I chose to change my eating habits. Especially at night. He also recommended probiotics, cleansing my digestive system.&&And cutting back on carbs.&&I noticed that when I eat carbs especially at dinner time that I wake up at 4am with stomach pains. What has worked for me is eating smaller portions through out the day. Cutting back on carbs, not eating too much late at night. I have my last meal between 5 and 6pm.&&Usually it's a salad (chicken, beef, tuna, salmon). Lots of veggies.&& I drink lots of water for the rest of the evening. Before I go to bed I enjoy a glass of&&red wine and strawberries as my treat. sugerfee popsicles and or healty choice chocolate bar.&&I just started experimenting and this works for me.&&And yes, I too work out MWF and walk for an hour uphills T and TH.&&This pain does not muscular.
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I have had the exact same pain that you have described for about 2 years now! I can only sleep on my left side as the right is too uncomfortable. Early in the morning I am awoken by what begins as a dull yet strong pain in my lower abdomen and back, which grows with my consciousness. It grows into a painful abdominal cramp in my front, but the pain still stays dull in my back. In my front it hurts if I stretch or breath in deep, instead I have to curl up.
I always want to try to keep sleeping through it, but the pain just gets worse the longer I stay in bed! not fair cos I love my lie-ins!! I often get up after having turned onto my front for a while, but by then I am in agony. I am not sure what the cause is but I do have IBS and I have suffered from stress and depression. I also have dairy intolerance (not lactose-intolerant but similar). I believe I may be intolerant of wheat as well (I have cut wheat out of my diet a few times and always felt better for it) but not sure if these have anything to do with it.
I find that after I get up the pain subsides within about an hour, especially after going to the loo. I find that a cup of tea helps too, it is a really good diuretic. (A cigarette used to do it as well, but I have given up smoking now and by all means am not advising anyone to start!)
I have also found that coupled with this condition, periods and hangovers are completely unbearable!!!
I am going to keep watch of what I eat for a while and see if it helps. Please let us know how your saliva test went!
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Hi I am having the same problem.&&My back and sides are hurting so bad and the pain medicine is not even touching it. If I am not better by tomorrow I am going to the emergency room.&&I usually just wait the pain out and it goes away so I figure it is just fibro. But this time it has been two weeks.&&I have IBS too but it has gotten worse.&&Everything I eat goes staright thru me.&&I have lost&&20 lbs and I don''t need to lose anymore. I have no idea what the answer is and I just give up.&&My body stays so out of wack from head to toe that there is no one this will not do damage to our bodies.&&I don't have anything that works right.&&Good luck with yours and I hope it gets better.
Candigirl
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Hello,
I am a Veterinarian, so I have some medical insite.
Waking up this morning I found myself in an all to my abdomen and mid-back were in enough pain to rise me from my sleep around 4am. I got up to urinate, which seems to relieve the problem, at least temporarily.&&This is the 4th night in a row with these problems and it's really interferring with my sleep.&&I have had repeated bouts of these episodes for nearly 10 years.&&I too have been diagnosed with IBD and Spondylosis in my back, however the most unique finding was about 7 years ago when I came up positive for a unique auto-immune condition known as HLA-B27 (Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 Complex).&&This auto-immune disorder is related to numerous conditions including IBD, spondylosis, Crohns', Uveitis and even Lymphoma.&&Like most auto-immune conditions, it can come-and-go.&&Although speculative, there is lots of anecdotal evidence to suggest that stress may play a role in the rhythms of clinical symptoms.&&Now, I'm not saying that everyone here has HLA-B27 complex, nor am I insinuating that this condition is responsible for all of our symptoms.&&But, it is very interesting that everyone here suffers from similar problems, and this may be another avenue for investigation.&&Testing for HLA-B27 is performed by ask your Doctor.
Let's keep in touch.
DRMAD
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I have wondered for so long about why i wake early every morning with this awful dull lower back pain, as though my kidneys ache and weight a tonne!&&Today i decided to have a really good look into my symptoms and if my kidneys were going to expode.&&I cant believe there are actually people out there with the exact same symtoms as me. I have been to many doctors whom have brushed it off, changed the subject or just dont hear what i'm saying! For the past 4 year every single day I have pain in my lower back (kidney area) that wakes me early in the morning and usually i need to go to the toilet which releives the pain for a while.&&When i go back to bed and fall asleep i will wake again with pain which will only finally go away after i have been up for about 1/2hr. I never get it at any other time only when i have been lying down for a number of hours (sleeping). I have tried exersice, weights and stretching and it works to relieve the pain at the time but not prevent it. I too find myself curling into faetal position to stretch out the pain, it always retruns after a few minutes.
So far i ahvent had any tests and from reading what you all have to say i tink i should save my money as no one seems to have returned any results that may look like they help.&&I might trying changing my diet and times i eat and see what happens. I will continue to check in to see if anyone has found a solution to our delema!&&Hang in there.........we will figure this out soon.&&There is probably a very simple solution!&&
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Did anyone get any relief any way?&&I've been dealing with this problem for 1 1/2 years and it seems to be getting worse everyday.&&My doctor says its because I'm overweight and he won't go any further from there.&&My pain is in the morning while sleeping in the lower ab and lower to halfway up my back.&&It seems to ease up a bit when I get upright and moving but it does not fully go away.&&I'm 5'3&&&170lbs.&&I've been at this weight for 3 years so I don't think that its my weight alone.
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I am just glad to know I am not alone...I have been dealing with this, now, I call a &problem&
(coz @ first, I felt a 'lil pain, I can still bear and i ignore it...but annoying) My pain is in lower back
that somehow I feel the pain has something to do with the pain in my abdominal area connected through the muscles above my knees like having a menstrual cramps but not exactly as that painful.
And they are not happening @ the same time just like you, lower back pain wakes me up early in the morning and it is gone after&&half/hr. I get up. My abdominal pain happens I think several hrs. after a meal but not each meal. I told my doctor but I just got an answer that is not satisfying. When
you mentioned about the saliva testing..Excuse me first, to Mike 1105, You did not get the point of what Wombmate is saying, the cortisol level when its too much it can cause adrenal fatigue and our&&adrenal glands is above the kidneys, cortisol levels can also cause belly fat...which I believe the culprit and maybe the reason why I am having this lower back/abdominal pain problem now 'coz I admit since I became lazy for one year I gain the belly fat ...Early morning I got up with lower back pain and I go to the bathroom to pee, if I drink a&&glass of water, the less pain I get. So, there is somehow a connection with the cortisol/adrenal hormone as our organs response to what we do in our body. It is indeed healthy habits/exercise is the answer to our problem (aside from chiropractors, expensive prescribed pain killers & surgery) With that saliva testing maybe Wombmate would
realize just like me that it is time to change our ways because without researching and looking for clues we gonna keep wondering what the hell is our prob. As you see, We have different type of lower back pain problems & We just have to do what we really have to deal with. Pls. share to the public what is the result of your saliva testing and maybe I will go to see my doctor too.&&Or to anyone who have else good things to say. Appreciate it. Good luck.
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I've been experiencing a lot of the same systoms everyone is describing - pain on my right side (front and back).&&I just went through two trips to the ER, CAT scans, X-rays, blood work, and urinalysis (+ for blood).&&I've been referred to a gastroenterologist and a nephrologist.&&I've had problems with constipation off and on for over a year.&&My symptoms start with pain (rt side), bloating, indigestion, and then it gets to the point of feeling like there's a blockage in my upper intestine.&&Once this happens, there's nothing I can take to find relief.&&The ER doc gives me a shot of pain killer and that's relaxes my muscles in my abdomen for a while and then it starts all over again.&&The only reflief I've been able to find was from a 14-day regimen of XIFAXAN after being diagnosed with small intestine bacterial overgrowth.&&Seemed to ease my syptoms for about six months, but now I'm right back where I was.&&I've had a postive ANA and Fibromyalgia symptoms since 1999.
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I did get the results of my saliva test. My cortisol levels are not where they are supposed to be. The confusing part to me is that when I wake in the morning, my test was within normal limits, it did drop tremendously around noon and then spike again around 4pm. I am on licorice right now (pill form), I just started taking it Aug 7th so I need to give it some time. I can honestly say that the pain seems to be not as severe the past few mornings. I'll post a message again when I feel more sure this is helping, my PA and Pharmacist said it could take a month or so before I am where I am supposed to be.
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Just wanted to quickly let you all know my progress.
A little before visiting this site my husband and i have been talking about starting to try for baby number three.&&I stopped taking my womens everyday multi vitamins and began taking a pregnancy formula that contains folate,multi vitamin and Iodine.&&I had only been taking it for a week before i began to realise that the pain i had been getting in the mornings has gone!!!!&&I have no idea if it is something in this Blackmores pregnancy formula or if its due to something else.&&There has to be some connection to the strenght or ingredients of these tablets.&&I have not had pain in the morning for just over two weeks now! If anyone want to give it a go let me know if you retun the same results. I was a huge tea drinker and have cut down to decaf tea, not sure whether this has too helped.&&Also managing my IBS better.
I have experience the same symptoms as all of you for the last three years and i no longer wake with any pain. Goodluck to you all.
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OK. Update here -
Have tried going without coffee - no effect. Have tried modifying/altering diet. No difference. Spent $2K (AUD) on viscose elastic memory foam mattress. Nope. Am still waiting hospital appointment with surgeon general to discuss symptoms. Have tried stretching and exercising (well, I do everyday for the FMS and the IBS and the depression LOL) - no difference. Have woken almost every morning with this pain. Am getting very very cranky.
Just a thought, everyone. It is interesting about the time factor with many of us. It appears that:
1. The pain starts early in the morning and gets progressively worse.
2. We get out of bed and go to the loo and it eases off.
3. If we go back to bed, or if we try to sleep in it escalates to sheer agony.
4. It is only relieved by getting up and moving around or remaining upright or in an&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&upright seated position for about half an hour or a little longer.
5. It ONLY occurs in the morning and not at any other time of the day.
6. It begins in the right lower abdomen over the bowel/appendix and radiates through the back and into the hip with time.
I dunno - I am really bewildered by this. At least I know I am not alone with this malady - keep posting everyone and maybe we will get to the bottom of it.&&
Gold32 - could you print a list of what ingredients & quantities are in the pregnancy pills? It would be interesting to know. Hope you are still pain free:)
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Hi.&&Are you still 'pain free'?&& I looked up the website:&&.au/pregnancy/.&&Are you taking the pills for getting pregnant or the ones for pregnancy/breasfeeding.&&I was going to give the pills a try!!
Thanks :-)
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I'm a male 25, and I'm having the same problem as everyone here.&&Early in the morning I get pain in my lower right back, around the kidney area.&&If I get up and go to the bathroom, the pain goes away after a couple of hours. The doctors can't seem to find out anything.&&I'll be doing some ultra sounds and colonoscopy soon (although I've done it numerous times before). However, I found an intersting book, on a specific diet that people swear have helped them out with their IBS, IBD, cramping, gas, bloating and on and on.&&People on the forms swear by it.&&Its called the &The Specific Carbohydrate Diet& If any one has tried it, can you please let me know if it works? I already bought the book and gone to the website.&&I know its not a gimmick, but the diet is one of the strictest diets I have ever seen.&&I just don't think I can do it.&&If anyone has experince with the diet I would be glad to hear about it.&&
Please, lets find a solution to this problem!
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I ended up at the doctor last night...103 fever, etc.&& They are treating me for a UTI and given me some sort of pill to cleanse my liver?&&Can't take the pill, made me SO sick last night and even worse this morning.&&I'll take the antibiotic and follow up with my OB/GYN and see what those tests say.....&&oh, but I had NO pain in my back this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I bought 'The Specific Carbohydrate Diet' book, I thought it would be the answer to my morning pain because the Dr thought it was all IBS, needless to say, I found it to hard to follow, I don't have a health food store close enough for me to buy alot of the items in the book, so I read it and decided it wasn't for me. I do feel it works for the right people, it just wasn't an answer to my problem. I have been feeling almost pain free all week, I have been doing a combination of two things, I have been taking some pills to help with Adrenal fatigue, I did a saliva test and found my Adrenals aren't working up to par (adrenals lay right on top of your kidneys) so it made sense to me, to give them a boost, maybe they have been working to hard that when I sleep, they stress and cause me pain. I have also been going to a massage therapist once a week and she is working on me for myofascial pain, so , one or the other is giving me some relief. I also work at a computer all day long so have been watching my posture as well.
Good luck.
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OMG OMG OMG OMG - Second morning with no pain!
After exhausting all medical options and having all scans and tests to show that my insides are perfectly good and healthy (thank you very much), I decided to play my last card. I had decided that if all else failed I would go to the chiropractor who had been recommended to me.
2 hours and a lot of pain later, I had my answer. Instead of my spine being straight and my hips being in alignment, my back has an S curve and my right hip is almost 2 inches lower than my left. According to the chiro, this has been the case for a very long time, resulting in the nerves that run around my right hip into my groin area being pinched by spinal and hip compression resulting in: YOU GUESSED IT! - groin pain after lying down for approx 7 hrs. All the other symptoms I have are directly related - the increase in urination, the tingling and numbness in right arm and leg, the sciatica in right leg, the headaches, the sensitivities, the IBS - possibly even the fibromyalgia!
Anyway - he has begun work on trying to realign my spine, starting with the incredibly out of whack lower lumbar region. He is really shocked at how bad it is! And the most amazing thing is - it works!!! I have had one treatment and altho it hurts and I am still adjusting to it, for the first two mornings in over ten months, I have had - NO PAIN!!!
Stay tuned - I will let you all know how this progresses...
CHEERS:):):):):):D
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I have all the symptoms you have mentioned and I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Good Luck!
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I've been suffering from this type of morning back pain for close to 20 years.&&Sometimes it's worse than other times (right now it's really bad), but I can't remember not having it.&&I decided to start a message board on Yahoo groups so maybe we can have more of a discussion between people and come up with our own solution.&&Please stop by if you want to help solve this!
http://health./group/morningpain/
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Hi Tress.
Would you be able to tell me the name of the Liver cleanse pills you were given?
Thanks xx
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My first post seems to have disappeared, so forgive me if it reappears and there's two!!I
I have been trawling the internet for info on these exact symptoms for my poor husband. GPs and ER have been worse than useless and you just get so fed up. But I just found this page which I thought was quite interesting about the kidneys. Please post if anyone tries these out and finds relief, so as to help the rest:):)
/the-kidneys-and-low-back-pain/
Thanks and all the best x
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I am having this morning&&lower abdominal pain also and I am glad to know that&&I am not all alone. I have been to 4 doctors and have blood tests, colonoscopy, defecography,and ultrasound but they could not find the problem. My symptoms started last year from September to March but disappeared during summer (April to October of this year). Again starting the first week of November, the pain has come back. It started as a tingling pain right in the middle of my lower abdomen but sometimes it radiiates to both sides but most often to the right. If I lie on my left side, the pain sometimes disappear. If I urinate or .... . the pain is minimized or disappears.&&It is troubling me because once the pain starts early in the morning (maybe 3 or 4PM), I cannot go back to my deep sleep. But once I get up , the pain is gone.
One of my doctors diagnosed me as having IBS. But none of these doctors told me why the problem in the morning occurs. I have been researching on IBS in the internet but there's nothing that says what happens in the early morning. Now that there are many of us having similarities in symptoms especially the morning pain which disappears upon getting up, I think they should include this&&medical findings in the literatures of IBS.
I went back to my doctor again this November and I was given some medications to stop the pain and medicine that's suppose to normalize movement of my intestines but it seems the medicines are not working.There's still pain in the morning. Knowing that I am not alone alleviates my fear about this illness. It was nice to read your&&comments and suggestions. Thank you all!
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As with many of the above posters I have been experiencing abdominal pain only occurring at night usually waking me up&&betweem 1am and 3am It starts just below the ribs and spreads to the lower abdomen and through to the back. I have had these symptons for about 3 months.
My doctors presribed Omeprazole an acid suppressor which had little or no effect. As a result of an endoscopy today they have found a sliding hiateus hernia.
I now have to see my doctor to see how to treat it as apparently they rarely operate. Why, I'm not sure? If anybody knows that would help.
They have suggested that four things are likely to aggrevate the condition: alcohol, smoking and tea/coffee and being overweight : (
I rarely drink alcohol or smoke but do drink a fair amount of tea. I am also slightly overweight, could do with losing a stone so there's something at least I can work on.
If anybody has any helpful suggestions I'd appreciate it.
Thanks and Merry Christmas
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I am a 29 year old male, and I found this discussion board the same way you probably did.&&For about three years I suffered from mid-back pain strong enough to wake me up, usually after about 5 hours of sleep.&&The pain was unrelated to exercise—I’m in good shape and work out frequently, and while my back was sometimes sore as a result, this was a different type of pain.&&I tried everything: stretching, focused exercise/massage, X-rays, MRI, abdominal ultrasound, testing for HLA-B27 for ankylosing spondylitis, and we even got a new bed.&&Nothing worked.&&The doctors were so mystified they didn’t even know what to suggest—so I would end up at discussing boards like this one scanning for clues.&&I made a deal with myself that should I ever resolve the pain, I would post the solution so that other people could read about it (probably at 4 or 5 in the morning) and perhaps have a new idea to test.
I finally happened upon the cause of my pain when I decided to test for reflux (GERD), which some posters on these boards had mentioned—the thing that caught my eye was that people with reflux often can sleep comfortably only on their left side, which I had found was the case for me.&&One informal way to test for GERD is to angle your sleeping position, which I did by stacking pillows into a ramp so that my head was about 10 inches higher than my feet.&&(The real way is to angle your mattress, but that’s more work.)&&While the sleeping position itself was unfamiliar and so a bit uncomfortable, I was surprised to note that the back pain subsided.
I looked into over-the-counter reflux medication and found two primary classes: H2 receptor blockers such as famotidine (Pepcid AC is a common brand name) and protein pump inhibitors (PPIs; Prilosec is a common brand name).&&I tried Pepcid first, and after about a week with no results, I tried the Prilosec (omeprazole).&&After taking one pill a day for about a week, the pain was gone.&&I had already taken down the pillow ramp by this time in order not to confuse the results, and so this was the first real good night’s sleep I’d had in years.
I did not want to post my account until I had had enough pain-free time to suggest that PPIs were likely a viable solution rather than just a temporary relief.&&I am happy to report that with omeprazole I have been pain-free for about 6 months.&&&&I’m no fan of taking pills every day, but after a year or so I plan to try going off omeprazole for awhile and seeing if the pain returns.&&For now, I take one pill each evening after work and sleep soundly.&& I have seen little if anything out there linking GERD to the type of back pain we all have been experiencing, but that seems to have been the problem for me.&&Give it a try, and if it works, post to this board so that others may benefit.&&Good luck!
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I am a 42 yr old male suffering from the identical symptoms described by all of you...have had all the test and some of the same diagnosis'.&&I recently suffered back pain and weakness which after a few weeks of trying to tough it out my boss ordered me to find a good chiropractor.&&I have never been to keen on chiro's but found one my health ins. would accept and on my 1st visit he without my saying a word about the a.m. abdominal pain pushed on my left side and said &you have a lot of pain here as well& I cringed when he pushed and thought maybe there are a few good chiro's out there after all. I've been w/o pain in my back or abdomen the majority of the time since that first visit, and go occasionally for an adjustment when I have a flare up...he also tells me on occasion specific stretches that have helped.&&Laying straight on the floor, bringing left foot up to the right knee, then bringing my left arm overhead while lowering the left knee w/foot still on right knee to the floor has been the most helpful, I do the same for the right side as well.&&Good luck!&&
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bout 3 weeks ago i stared 2 wake up with lower back pain. i always sleep on my left side. i read most of the comments sayin u should sleep on ur side. i tried my right side , still the same some mornin i ave 2 roll out of bed 2 get up. plus i ave a nine month old baby. some mornin i ave 2 ask my older kids 2 carry him down the stairs 4 me as it 2 painfull 4 me. i tried a new mattres but still no gd. goin the doctors this mornin as i cant carry on like this, i am only 33 yrs old but feel 78 most mornin. just think its wierd u can wake up 2 such pain. i am even wakin up early and scared 2 go back 2 sleep as thats when the pain seems 2 get worse.&&sharon.
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Same Story (symptoms) as everyone else...
I went to the Doc and it turns out to be gallstones ... I know everyone is different but its worth getting it checked out.
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I am a 24 year old female and I have been experiencing the same symptoms as most
of you since i was 13years old. the pain has gotten to the point where i cannot
handle it anymore. over the last 2 years it has gotten much worse, since i have
more time to sleep later than i used to (and the pain usually happens after
5-6hours of sleep).now, the pain seems to stay longer after i wake up and start
-back pain on both sides of my back (near kidneys) early in the morning, usually
after ~6hrs of sleep
-pain radiates through my back to both sides of my abdomen
-pain is worse when i take a big breath and try to stretch abdomenal muscles
-i feel a little relief curling up and stretching my spine out. sometimes
getting on my knees and falling asleep in the fetal position
-only true relief comes from getting out of bed and moving around, which
typically leads to having a bowel movement, and the pain usually stopping after
i have finished the bowel movement.
-throughout the day i may have a few pangs of sharp pain through my stomach, but
NOTHING like early in the mornings
-i have also noticed that after i wake up and start moving around (or just
tossing and turning in the bed for hours) my stomach starts to churn and
cramp...leading to needing to have a b.m. that creates so much cramping that i
feel like im giving birth.
as i have gotten older, and my schedule has simlpified my symptoms have become
easier to notice. when i was younger i only noticed the symptoms on the weekends
(when i was able to sleep longer than 6 hours). in college, i didnt get to sleep
much either, but i started noticing the symptoms more often. I also noticed in
college that when i drank alcohol heavily the night before, my symptoms didnt
occur, or were very mild. now, I am a nurse and I work 3pm-11pm. I sleep quite a
lot (around 8-9hours a day) and the symptoms now are unbearable.
i started searching for a cause and going to doctors in college. so far ive seen
my GP (who ordered abd. ultrasound, urine and blood tests, HIIDDA scan,&&and tried me on
bentyl which is a medicine for abd cramps- which, surprise surprise didnt work.)
she also tried me on a highfiber diet. I aslo visited a nephrologist (kidney)
doctor who also checked my urine, and did a CT of my kidneys. they checked out
fine. then i moved on to a GI doctor and had my first endoscopy and colonoscopy.
that doctor tried to dianose my with IBS (which as a nurse i know is a
&catch-all& BS diagnosis when you cant find anything else. plus ppl with IBS 99%
of the time have diarrhea, not constipation like i sometimes have) After
visiting all of these doctors i kinda gave up. I recently went to a different GI
doctor. my symptoms are worse than ever...I have decided, with the knowledge I
have of anatomy from nursing school...i think it is either something GI related
or something to do with a nerve from my back. that is why i recenlt have seen a
new GI doctor- i ultimatly think its my back/nerves that innervate the gut.
yesterday i had a colonoscopy and suprise suprsise everything was fine. this new
GI doctor told me he has no idea what is wrong with me but that he knows its
something because it wakes me out of my sleep (apparently that is a big
indicator for something real) i have an appt with a spine specialist next week,
and i pray he will listen to me and try to help me find out what is wrong. i
woke this morning with the worse pain ive ever felt...i think its cause i slept
all day yesterday from the meds they gave me during the colonscopy and then
slept all night...i was in bed way toooo long and the pain went on for HOURS.
ive been crying this morning with the fear that i will have to live with this
for the rest of my life. im only 24 and ive had these pains for 10 years
already. i have forgotten what its like to have a good nights sleep like a
normal person.
so far no answers...im so miserable and tired. has anyone found any answers yet?
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If you experience low back pain that is helped by crawling on your hands and knees your lumborum quadratus muscles are in question. The reason you felt pain when you stretched your abdominals is because you shortened the already tight quadratus lumborum instead, do the opposite and hug your knees holding on underneath, not around the top so as to avoid stressing the joint.
It hurts when you breath in because this muscles helps you inhale - that is why I discourage people from breathing deep when I'm massaging this area. When serious, activated trigger points in your quadratus lumborum muscles will make it difficult for you to stand upright, walk and turn over in bed. And it will hurt to cough or sneeze.
Alcohol is a depressive, it dulls the pain temporarily.
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What you are experiencing is called lumbago and the superficial paraspinal muscles (erector spinae) are in question.
These muscles contract when you strain to move your bowels and are completely relaxed when you're standing erect and when you're bending forward as in the fetal position. The referred pain from trigger points in the iliocostalis thoracic muscle refers pain around to the abdomen.
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Correction: When you are in the fetal position you're stretching the tight erector spinae muscles.
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The muscles that span the length of your back are called the thoracolumbar paraspinals.
There is a superficial layer, whose muscles are long and act as back extensors, and a deep layer, the rotators, whose muscles are shorter and diagonal.&&
A sure way to injure these deep rotator muscles is to twist while you're bending over to reach for something. A stooped posture and lordosis, in which case the muscles are always in a shorted position, aggravate this condition.
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To stretch the superficial layer of the thoracolumbar muscles sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your legs spread. Bend forward between your knees keeping your head, arms and back limp. To augment this stretch take a deep breath, exhale&&and hump your back while you are bent forward. Note that this movement is the opposite of arching your back which is what you do when you stretch your abdominals.
To stretch the deeper layer sit in a chair and rotate (twist) your back toward the painful side keeping your pelvis firmly planted. Look in the direction you are facing.
Another effective stretch is to sit on the floor or in a warm bath tub with your legs straight and reach for your toes keeping your head relaxed. This also stretches the glutes and hamstring muscles.
When in a supine position (on your back) hug your bent knees holding on to the thighs (not the knees) to avoid stressing the knee joint. Place something firm under your pelvis for extra leverage. Press downward and release.
All these stretches should be incorporated into your daily routine until you no longer feel pain.
You can massage these muscles yourself if the trigger point is in your lower thoracic region or lower back. Lie in a semi prone position with your upper knee bent and as high as you can comfortably rest. Reach back and with the pad of your thumb gently apply pressure to the sore spot. Note that when you are in the prone position (face down) the paraspinal muscles are in a too relaxed position to be effectively palpated.
If the trigger point is in the deeper rotators the sore spot will be closer to the spine and the direction you press will be forward (towards your front).
If the trigger point is in the more superficial muscle layer (the erector spinae) pain will be felt lateral (further outside) from the spine and the pressure is applied downward, towards your side.
You'll know when you hit the right spot because not only will it be painful but you will reproduce the referred pain.
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Chronic pain in the paraspinal muscles can be caused by kyphosis or lordosis, curvature of the spine. In severe cases, you can see a bulging where the muscles are tight.
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So glad to know i am not alone, I have been dealing with this type of back and abdominal pain for so long I too have forgotten what it is like to have a good night sleep.
I have tried all the tests plus seen a chiropractor for 4 years with little improvement.I have gone so far as to spending money on a kinesiologist&&(work on emotional pain that throws the body out) even though he has helped with a lot I still have pain. I think he was surprised and is unsure what to do with me now lol, Hence the no returned calls. He has 99% success rate for clearing any body pain, unfortunately I am part of the 1% he could not help.
It is funny to hear how most are diagnosed with IBS, Personally I have not but do have all the pain symptoms. I wake up at 4:00 am and the pain will go away after hot shower and I am up and going.I sit in front of the computer all day as well and I have had no pain at work either, actually I did prior to putting a cushion behind me which now allows me to sit straight and since then i have had no issues at work. In the last 6yrs I have worked out at the gym for 4hrs a day and found a little increase with my sleeping hours but the pain was never really gone yes 50% less but not gone.I have put on around 20kg in the last 18 month's. Between my body issues and lack of sleep my body has now started to gain weight that can't be shifted. Due to this I am now seeing a&&Naturopath. I actually started to gain massive amount of weight whilst going to the gym. 18 months ago I was unable to continue doing 4hrs per day but only 15hrs per week. When i started doing the 15hrs per week I gained 12kg in two weeks after that i gave up it really did not matter what I ate or how much I worked out, Since then I have only gained 8 kg in the last 15 months. Which is obviously weird as when i was doing all the right things I gained more and now I was eating whatever I liked and doing no exercise but walking. So yes my pain is much worse but really wasn't gone when i was very very strict on my diet and exercise.
My point is I have lived both a good healthy life and a regular one and neither have completely eliminated&&the pain and now that my body has been living of 4-6hrs sleep per night. I now have other health issues and they are coming to light, Just so tired.
For me another issue which I have not heard many touch on, is my partner as much as they love me are sick of seeing me in pain and hearing about the pain. We sleep in different beds as my partner can sleep from 10:00pm to 12:00pm the next day given the opportunity.I toss and turn so much that it is&&impossible for us to share the same bed. But regardless of that i can tell they are sick of the long term issue with no solution in sight.
I will test the pregnancy pills and go for the saliva test, really at this stage what the hell have i got to loose.
Just knowing you all get what its like is a small comfort.
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I'm sorry to hear that you've been suffering.
If medical tests fail to find anything wrong with you there is a good chance you have an aggravated trigger point or two.
The way to find out is to get massaged by an experienced masseuse. When pressure is applied to the trigger point it will reproduce the pain symptoms.
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Thanks, i will give it a go and let you know,
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I have been having the pain while sleeping on my side after a few hours.&&It is very painful to turn to the other side or even on my back.&&If I sleep on my back or side OMG!&&I feel like I want to die when turning over or getting out of bed.&&My stomach is bloated and I look as though I am pregnant!&&Needless to say the MRI or CST(not for sure) saw that I have fibroids inside my uterus!&&I will see my GYN tomorrow to see what she suggests...
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I'm sorry, I made an error. Here is my correction.
Chronic pain in the paraspinal muscles can be caused by scoliosis. In severe cases, you can see a bulging where the muscles are tight.
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I've found something. Let me start from the beginning. Okay, I woke up this morning with all the same problems. Pain in the lower back and abdomin, it hurts to breathe. Also the pain seems to get better the longer I'm awake, the pain usually subsides more after I use the restroom.Its been almost 2 years I had been dealing with this.&&I have had terrible experiences with Dr.'s in the past and now only go to them if I can't fine an alternative way of treating something. So I started to see a Kinesiologist/nutritionist. She has done so many wonderful things for me. Now, this morning I woke up with this same problem only through my own fault...I'll explain..... She did lots of different tests for lots of different things since I've been going to her, however this one she didn't need to do a test. She was all to familiar with it. She told me I needed to change my eatting habits around BIG TIME. She told me the way people eat now is causing a lot of problems. Basically I needed to eat a Clean diet. (If you don't know what I'm talking about a good example would be Tosca Renos book the Eat clean Diet) Also She told me I would need to eat the most in the morning and the least in the evening and cut out sugars all together (yeah I know that one wasn't one of my favorites). and having little snacks between meals keeps your metabolism fired up. Also DO NOT EAT within 3 Hours of sleep!!!! That was the big wapa-bonga answer for me. Eatting clean has most certainly helped but even if I'm eatting clean if I eat anything 3 hours before I go to bed (or if Its an unusually large meal) I wake up with the same pain in the morning. I thought she was crazy at first but everything she has told me has been right. At night your body should be resting, Not digesting food that was too heavy or eatten to close to bed. And last night I ate only an hour before heading to bed. Hence my discomfort this morning. I hope you all find what your looking for and I hope you all feel better soon!!! Love and Aloha!
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I had pains like this for years. It took me a long time to realize that the pain was only relieved in the mornings by urinating. Seems like a slightly full bladder was pushing against my lungs and rib cage and creating soreness. The rib cage hurt and radiated to the back. It seems like particular beds would contribute to the pain, leading me to think it's muscular. But the pain lessens considerably after I go to the bathroom. Maybe particular beds are bad matches for my bladder and kidneys?!
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I had pains like this for years. It took me a long time to realize that the pain was only relieved in the mornings by urinating. Seems like a slightly full bladder was pushing against my lungs and rib cage and creating soreness. The rib cage hurt and radiated to the back. It seems like particular beds would contribute to the pain, leading me to think it's muscular. But the pain lessens considerably after I go to the bathroom. Maybe particular beds are bad matches for my bladder and kidneys?!
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Because your bladder is in your pelvis and your lungs are in your chest it is unlikely that they could be pushing against each other, but you may be right about the pain being muscular.
There is a good chance that you had an active trigger point in one or more of your erector spinae muscles, the muscles that run the length of your spine.
If a trigger point is activated in the iliocostalis thoracis you will feel pain in the middle of your back (mid-thoracic) that may reach to your shoulder blade and around to your chest.
If the trigger point is in the iliocostalis lumborum the pain will be felt in the lumbar region, glutes, hip and maybe the stomach.
The erector spinae muscles are used to hold you up if you are stooped forwards and they bend you sideways. You also use these muscles when you inhale, cough and if you're straining to have a bowel movement.
If you are standing straight (erect) these muscles are in a neutral position.
If these muscles spasm it will make it extremely difficult for you to move.
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I had my gallbladder removed but the pain still presists
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Mike,&&I too am having the same symptoms, and I work out 5-7 days a week.&&It has nothing to do with my core, I exercise my lower back and stomach regularly!&&I agree with previous posters, it has to do with the bowels.&&As soon as I figure out what the problem is, ill post here.&&Good luck all.
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Chiropractor sounds like a winner.&&After reading through all the posts, it seems everyone has the same symptoms, and seeing as some of us have already exhausted every medical test in the book, the only logical answer is some sort of nerve being pinched.&&Im going to visit my chiro and report back.
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I have been following this post for over a year now and it has brought me great comfort to know I am not alone in this.
I have suffered the exact same symptoms for a few years now and have had a few wrong diagnosis and tests along the way, I'm now seeing a physio who says I've got various back issues to deal with (but who doesn't!).
Over time I've established a link between these symptoms and my eating habits, I wanted to ignore this at first as I felt I ate fairly healthily and I love my food so I didn't want to change my diet, however, I have to admit to myself now that if I eat a large meal in the evening or snack late at night (especially heavy, carby foods) I WILL be showing these symptoms the following morning, every single time! And if, for some reason, I barely eat at all in the evening I will get a much better nights sleep and hardly any pain in the morning (maybe a little stiffness, but who doesn't!). I might feel hungry though!
What helped was keeping a food diary (an honest one!) to find the link, these days I try really hard to a have a very light, early evening meal. It's not easy, I'm only 26 and it seems so unfair my friends can sit down to a three course meal at 8pm and not suffer, but the other side is that I might lose a little weight a long the way which is always welcome! Meanwhile I'm sure the physio will be helpful too.
I hope this helps others, I guess I wanted a proper 'name' for it and a quick solution, but I've accepted that isn't going to happen. I learnt to be honest with myself about my eating habits and realised I just had to change them.
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HI Jess,
I have suffered these symptoms for at least the last 20 years - maybe longer ( i am female age 60). I have tried over the years to work out what I am doing to make it easier/worse but in truth there seems to be little correlation between what I eat/don't eat and the 4am pain! So if I eat late in the evening ( after 6pm) I will have pain.&&But if I don't eat in the evening I can't sleep because I am hungry - but if I do get to sleep I will wake with the pain.&&The occasionally I have a morning without pain - no reason!
Finding this forum has made me realise I am not mad, or odd - just one of many surfing people.&&Thank you for being here:-)
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Hi did you have the tests.
I would love to know what they found.
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Aloha from Oahu
&&&&Dido, Dido, Dido
&&&&&&&&I knew, I wasn't crazy. I am going to try not eating late at night, and in the middle of the night when I wake up. I will learn about the clean diet, although I do eat clean, I fudge, and pay dearly. I was given the catch all diagnosis of IBS a long time ago, then Gerd. I have had Kidney stones, and got them removed. I have small&&sand in my gallbladder, but don't need to get it removed (yet).&&I, too, sit all day at a computer, go to the chiropractor regularly, and noticed that after I go to the bathroom, most of the real bad pain goes away. The only problem is the muscles start tensing in the morning (coffee) until I eat lunch, then a couple of hours later, they begin to stiffen up again, about a few hours after I eat. So, I will try to eat breakfast for a while. After dinner is the only time, I'm really pain free. I think my pains have began to put my spine out of sync. The daily pain is bearable, but the morning pain is unbearable. Hot showers do help, but a bowel movement heals it all the way. Recently, I have started drinking herbal laxative tea to compensate for my unclean diet. Trying to stay on a clean diet can be just as painful when I can't eat out, or eat at friend's house. I used to eat a real strict diet, and it really helped, but the older I get the less restrictive I feel like being.
Enjoyed knowing I am not alone in this pain. Why do the doctors act like they have never heard of this, when so many people seem to be having the same problems.
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6 ft, 215lbs, 40yrs old. Symptoms have been happening now for the past 4-5 days. Very similar to what everyone is talking about. I go to bed around 11pm and wake up around 4:30 with pain that wraps around my back and upper abdomen. It feels like very tight muscles if I had to describe it. I have an inversion table, and used it one night and saw fewer symptoms the next morning. I will use it again tonight and see if it helps. I will also keep a closer eye on my diet. I have also been under increased stress the past 3 weeks.
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I had no abdominal pain and only very slight back pain when I woke up this morning (possibly due to my workout). Here are some of the things that I did yesterday and last night. I used my inversion table yesterday afternoon right before lunch, and a laid on a trueback back stretcher in the evening. I did a 30 min total body workout after dinner time that evening and stretched really good afterward, especially my hamstrings (tight hamstrings can cause back pain). I took my multi-vitamins throughout the day including a fish oil and a probiotic. I drank water only throughout the day, and 8-16oz of water with a few drops of peppermint oil in it before bed. Meals were simple, portion controlled, and clean with a protein, carb, and veggies. I'm going to stick to this again the best I can today and see how it goes.
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2nd day on same regimen as noted above. No abdominal pain. Slight back ache. This will likely be my last report if things continue to go well. Also considering the Chiropractor soon.
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I forgot to mention that I have also been using a True Back at least once a day before bed time. If you use a True Back be sure to read the instructions or watch the instruction video on their website. But I have found a lot of benefit in using this device.
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Hello and Welcome to the Community. I'm sorry to hear about your painful symptoms (SX).
The person that originated this old thread is no longer active. Often ppl don't read these old threads - and comments are ignored. I encourage you to begin a new thread (question) for better visibility and responses.
Your pain, questions, comments and SX are important to us and informational. Please begin that new thread. If you need assistance please let us know - but it's as easy as clicking on the green &Post a Question& feature at the top right of any page. This thread is lengthy and often ppl won't &wade through it& to read your post.
Thanks so much,
~Tuck
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Yes!&&You describe my symptoms exactly!&&I do however have kidney and liver disease and have felt their increasing size may be the culprit.&&But when I sleep on my tempurpedic mattress I sleep well and awake without discomfort.&&We are in the process of replacing our master bedroom mattress to see if poor support is the issue.
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I have looked all over the internet for a solution to my pain :( I am 21 and have been experiencing this pain for a VERY long time. I began having this pain when I was about 14/15. It doesn't happen every morning but does only happen after I wake up. The pain is a cramped feeling. Like I have been rolled in a ball and finally am able to stretch out. It takes about 30 mins for the pain and cramping to subside. I wish I knew a way to prevent it from happening but I have learned to live with it. I know to expect the pain in the morning. I just stretch through it. But I know this isn't really a solution ... More just a way to cope.
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I have been having this same pain for about a year now and it has got progressively worse. I can't sleep on my left side or back when hurting. Food intake bothers it. I have also had ct scans that only showed a fatty liver but a non alcoholic fatty liver should not cause pain. I take gas-x, enemas and laxatives it seems to ease but does not go away. I am scheduled for a gastric emptying study,another ct scan and blood work. I also have Fibromyalgia and some doctors want to relate it to that but i know my body and it is not Fibro. I will repost results when i get them. Just wanted to let you know you are not alone and if your doctor has not called you a hypocondriac you are lucky my has and not to wish any harm on anyone but my doctor should experience what i am and he may want to help more. So much for the Hippocratic oath.
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