Ouch, my liver...maybe..
 

Before anyone says anything, I have already gone to the doctor, gotten x-rays, and blood taken, I should know tomorrow if I have some wierd disease, or hepatitis X (highly unlikely).

With that out of the way, ouch! It hurts to breathe deeply, but only on the right side of my chest, about 2 inches below my nipple. It hurts to laugh, to cough, to sneeze, to move differently. Basically it hurts.

I didn't fall down, I didn't move anything heavy, and I have not been anywhere outside of Ohio in years. No broken ribs.

My question is, would my liver be the cause? How does a liver feel? I don't think I have ever felt my liver... Are there muscles that can be pulled in the rib cage area? It almost feels like it's underneith the ribs, but I can press on them and duplicate the pain of breathing. Anyhthing like this ever happen to anyone? A friend of mine said he felt that way before, and it went away on it's own, he called it his "Second Heart" because he said that is how he thought a heart attack might feel like on the other side of the chest. I would almost have to agree with him, it hurts like crazy.

Is it the kind of pain where you can only take somewhat shallow breaths, and anything other than that results in a sharp stabbing pain that takes your breath away?

Cause if so, I get that from time to time. I have NO idea why, just happens and goes away in a minute or two.

I get that too. What the fuck causes it?

You know what? My aunt had the same thing happen to her this weekend.

Turned out to be a broken rib. Damn if she knows how she broke it.

So you never know.

You may have pulled the muscle between your ribs (intercaustal?). That makes it hurt to breathe, laugh, cough, walk a certain way etc... it was also tough to sleep too.

It lasted a couple of weeks then went away. I would stretch it out here and there for temporary relief. Can you feel the area of pain? Can you probe it with your fingers?

I'mnot sure how I got it either. The two times I had it, the first was caused by a collision in basketball, the second time I think it may have been dancing to hard (I threw my hands in the air with a little too much exuberance). Not sure though.

That is exactly it. I can feel the area of almost exactly where it hurts, and I can push down on it and it feels tender. I hope that is it, much better than a inflamed liver. I need my liver, it's my enabler!

I would like to imagine your liver is significantly lower than two inches below your nipple, sweet one.

I'm guessing you pulled a muscle. Which is not going to show up on a blood test or x-ray.

Start taking yoga to lengthen and strengthen those muscles, baby!

I only thought "my liver" because the damn doctor said something looked abnormal in my liver area, like one side was higher than the other, which is why they ran blood tests. Well, I got the results back and guess what. Nada. Zilch. Clean as the day I was born. but it still hurts like a soab when I take a deep breath, or yawn, or laugh, or stretch. so yeah.

Well, the good news is it's NOT yo' liver so cheers! Look up that muscle pull to see if you can dig any info on it - intercaustal (sp) muscle? It's the muscle between the ribs.

Oh yeah, taking hot, hot showers are good - let the steam envelope you and try to breathe deeply. It feels darn good.

damn muscle http://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/journey/intercostals.html

One of those muscles you never knew you had until you pull them, and then you know EXACTLY what they do. :) Asides from being tasty when growing on cows. Mmmm, spareribs.....

Take it easy and eat some yummy spareribs. Maybe that'll teach the muscle to behave.

Well, if you're pretty old it could be two inches below your nipple. Heh, heh!

Just an FYI, if it were hepatitis, your joints would ache after the initial infection, and you likely would have though you had the flu

I have experienced the exact feeling myself at the age of 24. I waited about four days before the pain was too much to handle. arriving in the ER, the staff took me ahead of the waiting patients as "chest pain" was a priority. soon after the X-rays were taken the Dr. and several staff members rushed into my room and wheeled me into trauma. As the Dr. prepared for the procedure he explained to me that I had a "pneumothorax" , which is the medical term for a collapsed lung. I thought the pain was intolerable until the Dr. cut a hole into my chest and forced a long thick rod inside a catheter....then removed the rod leaving the catheter ( tube ) . The tube was then connected to a vacuum container which removed the air pressure inside my right side chest. The expansion of my lung was the most unrelenting pain I have or ever will experience in my entire life. I hope and pray this is not what you are experiencing. I wish you the best of luck. ( the only good thing in the entire experience was the pain medication I was given.) ** LOL**

( Those who don't read have no advantage over those who can't )

wow, this was a long time ago.