Something trapped under ribs

[Traceyed1]

Hello everyone recently and have been suffering from health anxiety which have been heightened by the passing of my mother yesterday. I was bending over earlier and felt like something was trapped under my ribs on the right side. It wasn’t painful just an odd sensation and righted itself when I stood upright and rubbed the area. Now I am panicking that it was my liver and something is wrong with me. My anxiety is through the roof at the moment due to losing my mum and I am constantly in fear that I will die too. I am 41 years old and usually fit and well.

[Carys]

OH my goodness, I am so so dreadfully sorry to hear that you are grieving the death of your mother. Only yesterday - thats really tough and really not surprising that you are feeling and focusing on boldily sensations. If it helps you to know I often get nerve pains under my ribs, or even between them, that can be astonishingly painful and last a very short time. So, if yours wasnt even that bad, I would say its nothing more than some soft tissue being pressed or some nerves 'glitching' (medical term lol) and really I wouldn't focus on it being a problem at all. So, how are you doing about your Mum ?

[Traceyed1]

We are doing ok. Just quite numb at the moment. I am suffering with horrible anxiety and just struggling to calm down. I keep thinking that my liver is bleeding even though I am not having any pain. I can’t shake off these feelings. I am a nurse as well which make me feel like I am going mad as I should really know better

[Carys]

Has the anxiety been long-term for you, or since (I presume) your mother was diagnosed ill?


As a nurse you of course know that you wouldn't just get a quick 'niggle' under the ribs if your liver was bleedin, and you will also know that soft tissue/muscle pain is the most likely reason for a passing niggly pain. Then, this isn't about 'knowing ' sometimes is it, it is about feeling a bit out of control with your thinking.

[Nicole0134]

First of all, I’m so sorry to hear about your mum. Your grief will be new and raw so everything will be off kilter, so strange body sensations will be part of that. Your anxiety will be sky high with everything you are going through. Be kind to yourself.....x

[BikerMatt]

So sorry to read about your Mum x

[MyNameIsTerry]

Really sorry to hear about your mum :hugs: This place is hear if you need it and there are (sadly) many who will understand what you are going through.

I sometimes get a nerve trapped between ribs and it's like you can't take a deep breath. Sometimes you can get the tiny muscles near the ribs caught too.

But as a nurse you know all this and more far better and this is about being set off into a spiral by a massive shock. Anyone is going to be all over the place experiencing a bereavement and it's a way for your anxiety to find it's way back into upsetting you. Don't berate yourself for it because we would all be the same I bet. Treat this element like you would any other trigger and calm it down any way you can and it will go. That's going to be hard right now but you will find a way.

[ErinKC]

I'm so sorry to hear that you've just lost your mother. What you're describing sounds kind of like the muscle/ligament around your rib just getting trapped for a minute based on your movement. I've had this happen to me.