The good news is that (other than the pain) it is completely harmless.
The way it always felt to me is like someone wrapped a small wire around something tender in my chest, and if I tried to breathe or straighten my posture, they would yank on it. I’d get it anywhere from a couple times a week to once a month. Then one day in my mid-30s it just stopped.
From what I understand this is relatively common. I was so grateful for the person on reddit who dropped this nugget of wisdom several years ago. It was nice to know I wasn’t dying or whatever.
Oh nice post. I totally have this.
Treatment: Reasurance
Its okay. You’re not dying. Calm down.
The pain is agitated by expansion and contraction of the chest. Taking a deep breath and allowing the rib cage to fully expand can relieve the pain, however it will feel unpleasant initially. At the point of full expansion, it can feel like a rubber band snap in the chest, after which the initial pain subsides.
Oh I gotta try this.
The trick is doing it quickly, like gasping for air after jumping into cold water.
At the point of full expansion, it can feel like a rubber band snap in the chest,
🤮
I often struggle with arythmia, angina, and palpitations, with up to several seconds between beats sometimes, and this sounds horrific. I’d rather double my heart problems than trade them for this
Yeah, this is how I used to deal with it. You just eat that stabbing pain for a few seconds and then it’s gone.
I haven’t had this in probably 15 or more years at this point, which seems to be consistent with the syndrome itself being most common in young adults, teens, and children.
So it doesn’t mean I’m low key having a heart attack?
Thank god.
heart attacks come in many different forms. even silent ones.
my dad had a major heart attack at 51. when they evaluated him he had had three previous heart attacks that he never knew about.
How are they able to tell how many you’ve had?
the heart muscle dies. they can tell via EKG
I had it when I was a teenager. When I stopped playing Trumpet it seemed to go away. Maybe the larger lung capacity caused it?
Thanks ! Didn’t know that was harmless. And people call me mad…
Does anyone know the name for the sensation where you stretch and suddenly your innards feel all wrong, almost like being on the verge of a cramp but not and you suspect that if you don’t return relatively quickly but gently to an unstretched position that something may go badly wrong inside?
No, but I’d guess you have some scar tissue or a twist or something and to take those feelings seriously.
I’ve definitely had some work done in the abdominal region, it’s not common or painful and does get checked annually. Thank you.
most surgeons, if they have had to pull anything (like a kidney or liver) out in order to do the surgery properly, they just toss it back in and expect it to settle back into place. it’s usually fine, happens without complication. that’s what i’d guess happened. probably a blood vessel or scar tissue getting snagged before settling back in.
I even went to the doctor once because I had it a few times a week some years ago.
What the fuck?? I had this as a teenager. Nobody could ever find out what the fuck it was.
My god it has a name… and so many people here seem to have it? I thought i was a freak for having this. Nobody else ever said anything about having similar pains.
Oh, same, never had it since about 30.
Crazy this just popped io as I just started experiencing something like this just this week.
We moved our living took around and the way the couch is positioned I tend to lay on my left side and propr myself up on my elbow.
Recently when I do this and breathe in I get a sharp pain right where the arrow is in the picture.
I have to stand up and breathe through it for it to stop. After a few occurrences, I noticed that if I press in the area it’s mildly soar. I have to really feel for it to find it.
I have no other breathing problems so it really scared me that I had a broken rib. Although I haven’t done anything that could have broken my rib.
I see legs and a dick in that drawing, not lungs.
Yeah that’s what I saw at first as well lol
It kinda looks like a dude bent over from behind, hangy balls flappin’ in the breeze
That sexy lungs-shaped butt
Oh good so it’s not just been me dealing with this random pain for the last 20 years…
For me, the way to deal with this was to raise my arms above my head in a stretch. Made it stop every time.
Thought I was having a heart attack the first couple of times it happened.
As an adult, I still have them from time to time, but not anywhere as frequently, though still without any warning.
Same! Instead of raising my arms, I basically just take a very deep breath and try to expand my thorax as much as possible. Works quite well for me.
I just figured it was related to my digestive system pressure because it would go away after releasing some gas.
Holy fuck it has a name.
Of course it has a name … Of course I’m not the only one this happens to.
Ive had it since a teen when I got pneumonia, always assumed it was related to that, however it’s actually this and it’s a perfect description. It a bit of a mind blown moment
