Bulging lower stomach!?

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Hey MFP, first time poster here. I’m hoping you guys can give me some advice or enlightenment on my problem. Basically for as long as I can remember I've had this strange 'bulge' around my lower stomach. I've never seen this on anyone else, even people who are heavier than me. I’ve searched google high and low and I literally can’t find ANY answers.

I'm at a healthy weight for my height - 119 lbs and 5'4. I eat healthily and don't have much fat on the rest of my body. I doubt it's bloating or water retention, because it's consistent and never goes away.

It’s had a really bad effect on my self esteem. I am constantly hiding in baggy tops and jumpers. It’s upsetting that I can’t wear cute figure-fitting tops like every other girl my age. I just don’t know what to do anymore.

Here's a photo to illustrate the problem: http://i41.tinypic.com/9ih9gx.jpg

Really hope someone can help me out!

Replies

  • Shuuma
    Shuuma Posts: 465 Member
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    Well, aside from pregnancy, the only other person I've seen with that was a gentleman I worked with. Turns out he had diverticulitis and it was basically a blocked system. What does your doctor say about it?
  • suuusuuu
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    I really doubt that anyone here can help you. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.
  • ebicon
    ebicon Posts: 11 Member
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    Well, aside from pregnancy, the only other person I've seen with that was a gentleman I worked with. Turns out he had diverticulitis and it was basically a blocked system. What does your doctor say about it?

    I really doubt that anyone here can help you. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.

    I haven't seen a doctor about this and don't know if I could. My confidence is rock bottom and I barely leave the house or speak to anyone as it is, I'm not sure if I could handle actually showing someone in real life. That's why I came here.
  • stacydawn75
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    I second the dr. If nothing else, because it's bothering you psychologically. But aside from that if there is something wrong, and that there is something that can be done to help possibly correct a health problem, you need to find that out.
  • suuusuuu
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    I haven't seen a doctor about this and don't know if I could. My confidence is rock bottom and I barely leave the house or speak to anyone as it is, I'm not sure if I could handle actually showing someone in real life. That's why I came here.
    That's okay. But you should consider that this could really be -anything- and, seeing that it's so big, it could easily be also life threatening if not treated.
  • thatjosiegirl
    thatjosiegirl Posts: 362 Member
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    https://www.zocdoc.com/answers/3381/what-causes-the-lower-abdomen-to-protrude

    Yes, get to the DR asap!!! This could be very serious and possibly life threatening!!!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    If you are scared that it's definitely incredibly serious and that makes you afraid of the doctor, also know that it could be easy to fix. Maybe it's an abdominal wall defect, which I think might just take a simple ultrasound to see.

    But most everything 'safe' it could be (lots) will still cause problems eventually, as far as I know. Just gather up your courage and walk right into an ER if nothing else. Then it's done and you know and can move on in your life.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    What if by going to the doctor you find out they can help you? Are you really going to let vanity stand in the way of a possible medical issue? Slap on a bulky sweater and go get checked out.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Well, aside from pregnancy, the only other person I've seen with that was a gentleman I worked with. Turns out he had diverticulitis and it was basically a blocked system. What does your doctor say about it?

    I really doubt that anyone here can help you. You should see a doctor as soon as possible.

    I haven't seen a doctor about this and don't know if I could. My confidence is rock bottom and I barely leave the house or speak to anyone as it is, I'm not sure if I could handle actually showing someone in real life. That's why I came here.
    Yeah, much better to just die than see a doctor...
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
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    Medical professionals went into medicine to help people. Let them help you!

    And if you're worried about other patients judging you, don't. They have their own problems... They aren't concerned with yours.

    Good luck
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
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    You honestly need to see a doctor. I know this is scary but I was in nursing school for two years and that doesn't look good to me. It doesn't look like a pregnant belly bump either. You need to put your self esteem issues aside and worry about your health. This means getting to a doctor, or emergency room immediately. You need to be prepared that when you do go to the doctors, they will run tests on you. The will take blood, do an abdominal CT scan, an abdominal x-ray, an abdominal ultrasound. They may even want to perform a colonoscopy and endoscopy. They also may perform a barium enema.

    I second the possibility of Diverticulitis. But this usually brings about a mass in the left lower quadrant and yours seems to be directly in the middle. Obviously other possibilities include a tumor/cancer…. stomach, colon, kidney, liver.

    First things first though, answer these questions……
    When did you first notice the mass?
    Is it always there or does it go away?
    Has the mass grown in size or was it always that large?
    Is the mass soft or hard?
    Does it cause you pain?
    Do you have any physical symptoms?
    Do you have any known medical conditions?
  • ebicon
    ebicon Posts: 11 Member
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    When did you first notice the mass?
    Is it always there or does it go away?
    Has the mass grown in size or was it always that large?
    Is the mass soft or hard?
    Does it cause you pain?
    Do you have any physical symptoms?
    Do you have any known medical conditions?

    Thanks for giving an in depth reply.

    To answer your questions - I'd say I first started noticing it when I hit my teens. Maybe 4-5 years ago. It's always there and it has always been consistent in size. It feels soft and seems to be just fat storage, however if I tense up I can feel hardness underneath (I think that's my abdominal muscles though ?) There's no pain or physical symptoms, and I have no known medical issues.
  • alexandriax03
    alexandriax03 Posts: 289 Member
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    When did you first notice the mass?
    Is it always there or does it go away?
    Has the mass grown in size or was it always that large?
    Is the mass soft or hard?
    Does it cause you pain?
    Do you have any physical symptoms?
    Do you have any known medical conditions?

    Thanks for giving an in depth reply.

    To answer your questions - I'd say I first started noticing it when I hit my teens. Maybe 4-5 years ago. It's always there and it has always been consistent in size. It feels soft and seems to be just fat storage, however if I tense up I can feel hardness underneath (I think that's my abdominal muscles though ?) There's no pain or physical symptoms, and I have no known medical issues.

    Hmm, very interesting. Because you weren't born with this lump, I still HIGHLY suggest going to the doctor. It's most likely nothing. But it sounds to me like it might be a benign soft tissue tumor called a lipoma. Lipomas are common and typically don't cause symptoms unless they start pressing on nerves. These tumors feel soft because they are a collection of fatty tissue. They usually don't metastasize (spread), making them easy to remove/treat.

    PLEASE see a doctor so that you can find out what it is and regain your confidence/self-esteem.
  • stonel94
    stonel94 Posts: 550 Member
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    you really need to see a doctor, could be any number of things, all bad, like a tumor, hernia, cyst, etc. etc.
    it's definitely not fat because it doesn't distribute like that.
  • ashiii1
    ashiii1 Posts: 8 Member
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    Absolutely 100% see a doctor. Why continue living with this mysterious bulge that wrecks your self-esteem? The bulge needs to be diagnosed before a treatment can be used to help you.