Abdominal Muscle Spasms

[AngelinaB]

For almost 1 year now I have had horrible muscle spasms in my abs when I do sit ups. I do a lot of running and other exercise and my abs never tighten up like that any other time other than doing sit ups. Everytime I try to do sit ups I can get through about 10 then the upper right abdominal area completely tightens and feels like a really really bad charlie horse. I'm just looking for any advice or experience with this that anyone can give me. I saw my family doctor and he said it's not a hernia and it could maybe be my gallbladder. With everything I've read online about gallbladders it doesn't seem like that is it to me. Just wondering if anyone can give me some help!
Thanks

[GoddessDi]

So many people! I thought I was crazy describing the pain in my abs as a charlie horse. Or at least people looked at me like I was nuts when I describe it. I am very active and muscular. I was morbidly obese for most of my life, since childhood, up until 12 years ago. In 2005, at 389lbs and 43yo, I began a journey and finally figured out what worked for me to lose weight. I lost 250lbs without weight loss surgery. After that, I did have reconstruction / skin removal surgery. They took 52lbs of skin off my body. I work out a lot and found my body responds well to lifting weights. However, for the past year, one side or the other, just under my breast bone, I get this incredible pain that doubles me over, clutching at my abs. If you didn't know me, you'd think I was having a heart attack. It's always been the top set of abs muscles and on one side or the other, never both sides at the same time. You can see the muscle bulge. If I catch it in time and stand up, put my arms above my head and stretch as far as I can, I can stop it. But sometimes it comes on sooooo fast that I can't catch it in time. Yesterday, I did about an hour of power lifting and then about 30 minutes of racquetball. Afterwards, as I was about to sit down on a mat and do some stretching, my entire ride side of my abs instantly seized up and I was frozen, because any movement actually made it worse. I was in an awkward position, sitting on the mat, leaning backwards, but not fully down yet. After a few minutes it finally stopped. I laid down and did some minor stretching, I was afraid to do more. Last night, laying in bed, my lower right ab seized, but it only lasted a minute. It actually felt like someone had traced their finger across my stomach and into the spot where it seized up. There is no rhyme or reason to them happening. It's not only when I work out, or after I work out. It happens on days when I don't work out too. I can be bending down to pick something up that fell and it'll happen. I can just be sitting on the couch and it happens. Just now, sitting at the computer WHAM, it happens. No one seems to know what causes it and many don't even understand. I had a neuromuscular therapist say that my electrolytes might be low and for me to drink some Gatorade. YUCK! I'll try it because I'm desperate for an answer. I wonder, as someone mentioned above, if surgical adhesion's might have something to do with it, but then ask why after so many years? When they took the skin hanging from my belly (28lbs of skin), they also fixed a hernia at the same time, but found hole by the hernia was very small, so no mesh was needed. I do have scars across the top of my abs and also across the top of my hips/pelvic area. But again, surgery was YEARS ago. My last surgery was August 2008. It's so frustrating!

[Griggsnancy5]

Amazing to find others!!!!   I had breast cancer and reconstruction using abdominal fat -- minimal muscle involvement. However, 6 months later my abdominal wall was overall weak and distended.  So I a a 10" square of mesh inserted to strengthen it.  Shortly after this, my spasms started.  Incredible pain at the most unexpected times.  I was beginning to think it was mesh related, but have not seen that mentioned by others. So, I lean toward adhesions, scar tissue or surgical staples.  

[5039]

The reason your abdominal Muscle spasm or seized up is because your body is trying to protect your spine and preventing you from doing the action that your are doing.  Whatever you are doing at that moment is causing your spine disc to bulge or herniate out.  The more bulging of your disc the easily you will get spasm during exercise.  

Do an MRI to from out about the condition of your spine

[721710]

I can9;t believe so many people have this same problem. I have been to every doctor I can think of and nothing. The pain is preventing me from working out because the fear of the pain. It happens all the time now. I have had several MRI's gull bladder out and still continues.  I also feel that is getting bigger or covers more area now. I am so frustrated but don't know what else to do. My back is hurting more now because I avoid using the stomach muscles. Ugh. Would a MRI show the spine issue if they weren't looking for it. Stomach MRI will show back issues?

[brandon690]

I'm 25 and I started getting the charlie horses under my right rib a few months ago.  I do heavy weight lifting, which seems to be in line with the physical activity that most of the previous comments talk about.  It's possible that I could have a muscle tear I guess.  Something else that might be worth looking into is a condition called "splenic flexure syndrome", which is basically gas caught in the splenic flexure.  The splenic flexure is located precisely in the area where the cramping happens.  I'm leaning toward this as the cause of my charlie horses.

[Izopac]

Me too!  This has been happening for YEARS!  I had my gallbladder removed 12 days ago. Today, I was putting lotion on my legs, bent over while sitting , and bam!  It happened again! I sat right up straight.

[melodysmerk]

I have recently started having this happen too. I have not asked my Dr. about it but it feels like my intestine is getting twisted or something. It is a very uncomfortable feeling and when it happens I worry that things (my organs) won't pop back into place. I do have alot of stomach fat but I am afraid to bend because I hate the feeling!

[Monster1023]

Have you found any answers on this yet

[jmichell]

I am glad I found this cite. I do have a hiatal hernia, s when I do sit ups and crunches, I can expect for the upper right quadrant to tighten and release, all I do is put my arms up over my head and it goes away, however I was at the gym this morning and that same tightening feeling happen in the lower abs.  What is going on down there?!  If I can get some feed back, I would greatly appreciate it