Abdominal pain goes away laying down - Digestive Disorders Message Board

elm007 · 09-20-2009, 09:47 PM

Last 7 months I've had fairly bad upper abdominal pain. The closest sensation would be like heartburn (but never goes into my esophagus.) It gets worse the more i'm up and about. Feels better the instant I lay down. (It can get bad enough i have to lay down on the SPOT no matter where i am.) Goes away after laying down for a while.

Slight nausea after eating. ('the' pain not worse or better after eating.)

Diarrhea off and on for 3 mo. Steady and green for about a month.

Don't know if it's relevant or not:
22 F
average h/w
but gained 20lb over last yr
Celiac, lactose intolerance, allergic to Solanaceae plants.
Can't digest most fruits very well. (sorry, forgot to mention no luck with prevacid)

Visited an internist and others. Had endoscopy, ultrasound, and blood-work came back normal.
Any feedback would be appreciated.

elm007 · 09-23-2009, 09:56 AM

I've tried a lot of things, but does it sound most like acid reflux?

AuntieLeela · 09-23-2009, 12:26 PM

Reflux is usually worst when lying down. Doesn't mean it can't be GERD though, everyone experiences symptoms differently.

Maybe hernia, endometriosis or costochondritis? I'm thinking inflammation in the abdominal wall, that's a pain that changes with posture. The test for this is an easy one - tense your stomach muscles, if the pain remains the same or increases it generally indicates an origin in the abdominal wall.

Here's a list of signs/symptoms:
Pain often constant or fluctuating; less often, episodic
Pain intensity possibly related to posture (e.g., lying, sitting, standing)
Pain not related to meals or bowel function
No findings of an intra-abdominal process
Abdominal tenderness unchanged or increased when abdominal wall is tensed (positive Carnett's sign)
Discrete, tender pain trigger point no more than a few centimeters in diameter
Trigger points often found along lateral margins of the rectus abdominis muscles or at attachments of muscle or fascia
With stimulation of trigger point, referral of pain or spreading of pain over a large area

elm007 · 09-26-2009, 12:17 PM

Thanks for replying!

Good ideas. Though it probably couldn't be hernia or endometriosis since it's not in my lower abdomen at all and there's no trigger point. And with Costochondritis, it feels deeper in my gut than it would be if it were being caused by one of my ribs.

I agree though, if it was acid reflux it wouldn't feel better laying down (should be worse if anything.) Is there any possibility that that's what it is, but not going into my esophagus?

akw9807 · 05-20-2010, 07:51 AM

Hi elm007,

I have the exact same as what you've described! I'm 27, but have had this mystery pain for at least 12 years. It seems to come out of no where. It's this awful, very stong pain in my upper abdomin--right at/under where the ribs come together. I can't associate with a particular kind of food. It does seem to be worse when I'm out and about like you said. Rarely does it happen when I'm at home. It is not always, but often accompanied by green diarrhea and goosebumps. The only thing that helps is to lay down completely flat on my back. I've had all sorts of tests done over the years and my doctor can't come up with anything.

I realize your post is a couple years old, so you may not even be on here any more. If you are, I'd be very grateful for any information you have on this. I hope you have gotten some answers and are feeling better!