By Silvia on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 05:05 am:

Hi all,

I recently have been experiencing a pain on my left side of the waist, just below the ribcage.
I told my doctor about it but she's not familiar with this condition. She just told me to wait till I see the genetecist, but I don't get to see him till mid September. Anyway, does anybody else get this with hypermobility/EDS?

Thanks.

By MichelleT on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 06:14 am:

Yes, I get pain in my side, but it is actually caused by the pain in my back. At one point, I thought I had something wrong with my ovaries, but realized the pain was originating in my back and hips. I guess the rest of my body tries to compensate for my hips and sciatica, so that it seems the problem is originating somewhere else.

Maybe this doesn't apply in your situation, Silvia. But it's what happened to me. I hope your appointment goes well.

By MichelleT on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 06:16 am:

Yes, I get pain in my side, but it is actually caused by the pain in my back. At one point, I thought I had something wrong with my ovaries, but realized the pain was originating in my back and hips. I guess the rest of my body tries to compensate for my hips and sciatica, so that it seems the problem is originating somewhere else.

Maybe this doesn't apply in your situation, Silvia. But it's what happened to me. I hope your appointment goes well.

By Sheena on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 10:00 am:

Is it just on the bottom rib, about 1 inch in front of the side seam of a dress? Please tell me what it is!

By Silvia on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 12:53 pm:

Hi Michelle and Sheena,

Michelle, thanks for your response. I do suspect it's due to my back and hip problems but am not sure. I also think it might be due to loose ligaments by the ribs. I'll ask my genetecist when I see him and post here what he says about it.

Sheena, Yes, that's where the pain is! As soon as I find out what it is I'll post it.

By Sharon on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 07:24 pm:

Silva,
I have loose ligaments in my ribs and can get sharp pains anywere from my neck to waist in front or back when a rib goes out or is out and it is also hard to breath etc. the 1st time this happened I thought i was having a heart attack even though i am only just 30.
Hope this helps

By Sharon on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 07:26 pm:

Silva,
I have loose ligaments in my ribs and can get sharp pains anywere from my neck to waist in front or back when a rib goes out or is out and it is also hard to breath etc. the 1st time this happened I thought i was having a heart attack even though i am only just 30.
Hope this helps

By Lin on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 09:22 pm:

hmmm, you mentioned you thought you were having a heart attack, it sounds similar to something that happened to me, i wonder if it was just a subluxed rib... i was exercising before, doing ab work and push ups and things when i got this sharp pain in my chest, but too low for my heart i believe, and i couldnt breathe, then i got dizzy from lack of oxygen i believe, i was gasping for air. i layed flat on my back for a while till it all subsided, i thought i just overstressed myself while exercising, but it could have been a rib, i have pushed ribs out of place before. And i am WAY too young to have heart problems.
Lin

By Sharon on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 11:16 pm:

Sounds like my experience Lin. It was very scarey and when the rib goes out it press against your lung making it very painful and very hard to inflate your lungs because of the pressure of the rib, usually I have to get my massage therapist to put my ribs back but sometimes I can do it myself. But also don't forget that heart troubles like mitral valve stuff etc can be related to EDS, I have trivial mitral valve regurgitation and slightly increased flow across my aorta, diagnosed by echo cardiogram.I sometimes have palpitations etc.

By Lin on Thursday, August 09, 2001 - 09:44 pm:

I am having a cardiac echo soon, my geneticist ordered it and wants me to start having them regularly to catch heart problems...
Lin

By Mei on Friday, August 10, 2001 - 11:44 am:

It is sort of standard procedure when you see a geneticist about a connective tissue disorder to have your heart checked out. Most of the time it is just a precaution, but they can't take the one-in-a-100 (or whatever it is) chance. Hope your heart is ok Lin. Mine fortunately was.

By Sheena on Monday, August 13, 2001 - 09:56 am:

My GP was very insistant that there is an important difference between an abnormal heart (eg after rheumatic fever or something), and a normal heart with an abnormal function. The latter could have a mitral valve prolapse, could give palpitations, could have occasions when the heart beats at double or quadruple speed etc, but does NOT put you at risk from infections during dental procedures or whatever. So I am not planning to visit a cardiologist just to be told whether I have a mitral valve prolapse or not.

By Dianne Bray on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 08:52 am:

My daughter (17) is complaining of a strange feeling in her ribs and a popping sensation in them. She says its causing pain that radiates into her back. In the past she has had problems with facet joint and has slipped a disc. She says this doesn't feel the same but feels like her ribs are moving. Any suggestions

By Sharon on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 03:14 pm:

Dianne,
Like most of our jopints a EDS/HMS'er can dislocate ribs too or cause muscle spasms in ribs or get chostochronditis, I get all of theses and the 1st time I got it I thought I was having a heart attack because mine was in upper chest and radiated around my chest. It can be very scarey. Get it checked out to rule out heart problems, but it most likely rib dislocations or inflammation etc
Hope this helps

By Kerry on Thursday, November 21, 2002 - 08:44 am:

I am so relieved to find a site like this! I was diagnosed as hypermobile last year. Dianne, i am 18 years old and i had the same popping sensation on my bottom ribs - in fact i could 'click' them in and out. 2 years ago i had an operation to remove the end of my right rib, and the following year, to remove the end of my left rib. I have had little problems since with my actual ribs. However, i do have a collection of scar tissue that sometimes causes discomfort. My scars are also quite bad because of the elasticity of my skin, though i would definately recommend this procedure to others of the same complaint.

By Keri on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 11:31 am:

Hi, all, I get pains in my chest as well that feel like heart attack pains and found out it was costochondritis. I also get clicking of my bottum ribs that is both annoying and sometimes painful. Does anyone else have this happen and do you know what the cause is? I assume it is because of loose ribs but do not know what to do about it. Any ideas as to what it is and how to deal with it?

By maggie on Wednesday, November 05, 2003 - 08:24 pm:

I often get this as well, but on the left near my heart, which is why i thought heart attack as well! I definitely have hypermobility syndrome, which mainly affects my thoracid spine but also my hips, elbows, and ribs.

Does anyone else get pain in their back and ribs that causes you to feel like you have to compress your ribs? I often find myself pushing on my ribs to relieve pain.