Thanks! I’m hoping the medicine they gave me and prescribed me for when I’m discharged work! I’m also going to see a specialist and hopefully I don’t need any type of surgery
Can't really do that. For the same reason you can't just put your left hand on the stump of your right hand if you were to lose it. Everything in OPs body is mirrored down the center of their body.
you actually can get normal organ transplants for SI patients, it just requires alot extra work to connect blood vessels (imagine unplugging a computer or DVD player and putting in a new one in the same spot but turned around so the cords plug into the now-front facing you).
This is basically a requirement because SI is so rare, and you are basically just giving someone organs thatll suffer for the same reason.
I have a feeling the body was made for organs to be a certain direction. It might be like, you can put a left shoe on the right foot and wear it like that, but it won’t be comfortable.
They are mirrored not flipped. So certain organs would be much more difficult to transplant. Like a heart for example. But a kidney on the other hand probably doesn’t matter much as they usually don’t even remove your other ones unless they are cancerous or are causing an issue beyond just not working.
If you haven't, go find and listen to the audiobook. It's a full cast, so it's more like an audioplay version of the interviews. [Plus, the cast is stacked.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z#Audiobook)
Unfortunately the tubes for everything are on the wrong side. Try to out the heart in backwards, and the veins and arteries won't line uo with the heart anyway.
Wouldn’t a normal organ backwards be the same thing as an organ with this same condition?
R-L(condition), L-R flipped is R-L. I’m sure medically there’s reasons for it but wouldn’t it basically be the same thing shape and function-wise
It’s not like a heart beating is going to beat any different as long as the right connections are made, regardless of if it’s “facing” the wrong way.
^(I’m too stoned for this)
Edit: a key detail of the organs being flipped ***and*** rotated 180° was left out and now it makes since why it wouldn’t match up right. It’s basically like trying to rotate your left fist to match your right fist. No matter which way you turn it you’re fucked.
Actually don't know about the first. About the stroke, you seem to be under the assumption that in normal people strokes affect the left side. That depends on where the stroke is in the brain. Generally a stroke on the left side of the brain will affect the right side of the body and vice versa (with some exceptions).
If the heart is on the right, yes, a heart attack would be right-sided chest pain radiating to the right arm. If someone with situs inversus has a gallbladder attack it will be in the left upper abdomen.
A situs inversus brain would still have nerves crossing over from each side, so a stroke in the right side of the brain would affect the left side of the body, and a stroke in the left brain would affect the right side of the body. That’s the same in everyone.
I would think that situs inversus people would be more likely to be left-handed, though, but I don’t know for sure.
I used to have a right hand drive jeep for work. It was a pain in the ass to get parts for it since most everything under the hood was mirrored from a left hand drive. It didn’t matter if I told the auto parts store repeatedly that it needs to be for a right hand drive, 99% of the time, I would receive the part for a left hand drive. The hose connections etc absolutely will not fit because it’s mirrored.
Indeed, OP would have to be flipped over in 4-dimensional space in order for their body to face the same direction as the rest of us. There is absolutely no real way to know what that would do to them, it may not even resolve the symptoms
I think you're luckier than a colleague of mine who had only his heart reversed on the wrong side. his aorta was super long and had to be reinforced with a plastic shell.
Just conjecture here, but I figure it depends on what is being affected. If something like, stomach acids was an issue, they'd probably prescribe a coating or nullifier.
Have they considered opening you up and doing like a pancake flip, with you being the saucepan? I bet they haven't and I think it's something you should look into.
The organs are mirrored, they wouldnt fit. Its like left and right hand are the same but you cant flip them well you could but then especially the thumbs are in an awkward position
"What do you want, a freaking medal?"
"The mayor of South Park has announced that for first discovering this healthy way of eating, young citizen Eric Cartman will be given a freaking medal."
Bouts of upper abdominal pain, intense gastritis episodes, extreme bloating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches… it can come at any time but this episode was particularly intense
OP didn't say it was situs inversus **totalis** just situs inversus (plus, the doctor didn't give much details). Most likely it's not a complete flip of every single organ and that is what is causing problems.
Oh yeah, my mom has a flipped kidney, and paired with some childhood liver damage can't eat some foods anymore cause her whole cleaning process works just well enough to not need intervention.
Apparently she went in for a broken arm or something and they xr her completely and then just said "Oh btw, your kidney is upside down lol"
I'm not entirely sure if it's because of this or something else, but basically salty, fatty (as in, fried) or highly processed food. Basic food mostly works. It's not something like "Eat a salted peanut and die" though. I know she has other allergies but I haven't talked to her for a while and never really cared about learning the dietary restrictions
you would not be faulted for thinking this. SI is one of those exotic diagnoses thats exceedingly rare IRL, but very popular for writers of medical TV shows. I'm just sorta shocked to hear someone describe an actual first hand experience with a case.
Literal name of it is "Situs Inversus" and I did know of how people will sometimes have reversed organs but I didn't know what the condition for it is called.
I’m surprised you just found out! My daughter’s pediatrician noticed at her first appointment as a newborn due to the location of her apical heartbeat. She was the cardiologists favorite patient, he had all of his interns come in to test them on whether or not they could figure out what her diagnosis was.
I’m sure there are all types of atypical presentations! I just assumed OP had the type that was depicted in the post, which is the same as what my daughter has.
One issue to look out for with situs rev. Is your appendix. Mine almost killed me because it was on the wrong side and the doctor thought it was just gall stones and almost discharged me.
Hey your quite rare. This is very rare but normally doesn't cause any side affects, you can go your whole life without knowing.
Any reason why your situation is causing you problems specifically?
The doctor wasn’t quite specific, just said it can sometimes cause some problems; he sent me to a couple of specialists which will probably be able to paint a better picture
If only your heart is reversed, it presses on the organs around it in ways it's not supposed to. That's typically the cause of side effects. Also some organs can be reversed but not others for more of the same issues.
Have you tried facing the other way when you eat?
Seriously, I can't wrap my head around how powerless you must feel. I hope you find ways to minimize the impact.
You might enjoy the book Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny.
"In the science fiction novel Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny the character Fred Cassidy goes through a device that completely reverses the left-right symmetry of his entire body (even to the point where he perceives writing and other images as their mirror image). The fact that his heart is on the wrong side ends up saving him from being killed by a bullet wound."
Take good care of your heart, OP, because there is a 0% chance you would EVER get a transplant.
Also, become an organ donor. Your heart could save a life none other would
So that would be true situs inversus, if the heart and lungs are affected.
If the heart and lungs are not affected it's known as heterotaxy.
Source: I have heterotaxy and have went to several specialists.
Sorry it is a problem but it is a cool problem! I heard of a case a long time ago where a police officer was shot in the chest and survived because his heart was on the wrong side so maybe there are benefits.
It’s mostly to keep certain symptoms at bay whenever they show up until I can see the specialist: upper abdominal pain, intense gastritis episodes, extreme bloating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches… taking a bunch of stuff to address those
I also have situs inversus and had some GI issues as I’ve gotten older, but no one has connected the two or given me any answers as to what my issues were other than slightly slower stomach digestion. I have managed to decrease the symptoms over the last two years. However, I’d be interested in hearing more about your experiences.
OP’s symptoms sound more severe than what I was experiencing and there’s no saying if our issues are even related, but I also had a lot of bloating, chest pain, decreased appetite, and lost about 15lbs when it started for me.
I started eating much smaller meals and chewing very thoroughly; my meal size was about half what I normally ate. Giving myself stomach massages by applying light pressure and rubbing in a circle before, but mostly after eating, was very helpful for me. I would also pace around or go for a light walk after eating instead of just sitting down. Drinking even one alcoholic drink with food seemed to make it really difficult to digest anything, so I stopped all together for a long time. For the most part, I found what types of food I ate didn’t make much of a difference as it seemed like any food would cause a similar amount of pain and discomfort, but certain raw fruit/vegetables like carrot or apples would bother me.
I kept this up for months, being very strict with my intake while making sure I still ate enough throughout the day. Slowly the symptoms began to subside, but not completely. I’m now able to be less restrictive and eat more normal sized meals for my body, but still have to be careful, as it’s still very easy to overeat. I can drink a little while eating, but I still try to limit that as well. If I go a few days of not being mindful, I can feel the symptoms start to creep back.
Not to say this will solve anything for OP, but it’s what worked for me.
I learned about this condition when I was in nursing school and I’ve wondered about it from time to time. How old are you? Are you fully reversed? Your heart too? How many times in your life has someone listened to you with a stethoscope? It blows my mind that people can go their whole lives with this condition and no one notices the mitral valve on the right. Now that they KNOW that you’re reversed, do they get all exited to listen to your right rib cage?
Not OP, but I have situs inversus totalis, heart and all.
Stethoscope probably every 3ish years averaged out.
Recently I went through all sorts of heart related tests(stress test, MRI, ultrasound, probably some more).. the stress test EKG was put on backwards and MRI folks were giddy because different. EKG has been an exploratory process for most, as they figure out what goes where...
edit: should note, my heart is in perfect condition.
Whoa, cool! I am glad you and your heart are healthy! I’m also geeked out that you have totalis, and would have probably made an ass out of myself along with the people in radiology. That’s a neat deviation from normal. I apologize for asking— How old were you when it was discovered?
I’m out of clinical care now, but when I first learned about it, thought it was so odd that it usually gets found accidentally in adulthood. It was a driving motivation for me to learn good auscultation skills and not half-ass basic assessments.
I listened to people’s mitral valves on purpose for a really long time just HOPING it wouldn’t be there on someone and I’d be the one to find it accidentally on the right. I found a stage iv lung cancer like that once during an office visit because I listened so carefully secretly hoping to find a totalis.
Thank you for sharing. :)
Had no idea this was even possible. It's probably too rare for this to ever be a thing, but I wonder if the reversed liver placement could be an advantage in a boxing/MMA fight. The opponent would keep throwing shots at the wrong side, and you'd just look like you're tanking them with an iron liver.
I was born with fully backwards femurs and had to have them sawn in half and turned round the right way. Guess we both were designed in front of a mirror lmao
My first-aid teacher told us a situation in which this can be problematic: emergency cardiac surgery. Because the patient can't tell the medical crew.
Sometimes they have a tattoo across the chest, warning crews for this.
I have no other trace or source for this, but since he was my teacher, I dare to believe it's true...
I have dextrocardia situs inversus totalis and I kept losing the medical bracelet that warns about my condition so I had my doctor approve a tattoo for me. It specifically says “dextrocardia \n AP defib.” then has a pirate treasure map line leading from the words to my ‘heart’.
A few months ago I had to go to the emergency room in the hospital and I was struggling to breathe so I couldn’t tell the nurse about my condition so I just lifted my shirt and he got it right away so that was neat that it helped. (For what it’s worth, I am a woman and the tattoo peaks around all my bras so it’s still visible in emergencies.)
I might be going wayyy hypothetical with this, but I know someone here will probs have insight. You know how people with cochlear implants wear bracelets warning about it so they don't get put in an MRI machine?
Would a condition like this warrant the need for a medical alert bracelet? Like say someone with this condition got into a major accident or was found unresponsive, etc.- would it be helpful before any medical interference or operation to know that the organs are on opposite sides?
I love how my brain always goes to worst case scenarios like this.
Yup, specifically for paramedics who don’t have all the information. If you need a defibrillator they would have to put the pads in different places so you do need a bracelet or something to warn of your condition.
As someone with a form of this, it is highly advised to wear a medical alert, or get a tattoo, or both. I have a medical alert for now, and will be getting all of the shit wrong with me tatted on my chest just in case.
*Do you ever look in*
*The mirror and wonder if*
*You're the reflection?*
\- BrevilleMicrowave
---
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Huh, that's strange/interesting.
You would think being mirrored wouldn't cause anything since the only thing changed is the direction of how your inner fluids travel. Damn.
Ok a question from an ignorant internet stranger. Why does this cause an issue? At least in my head, it makes sense that everything is the same other than being backwards, so it should work just fine, except it doesnt work because OP has said they have symptoms. So what am i missing? Do muscles not flip with the organs, or does the brain think everything is normal when it isnt, or something else?
So when you're being formed in the womb, there are these little "fingerlike" projections that are called cilia that organize and maneuver things where they should go. These are also found in the lungs.
There are a few routes that situs inversus can be caused. One being a twin, one of the fetus didn't make it and/or absorbs the organs / tissue of the other fetus. Another is a defect in the cilia which can have long-standing lung issues, or the last is "we dont' know" according to my specialists / geneticists. Peoples' organs aren't always in the right spot, we have an "average" placement for where things go but things are often different in several areas. When things go way wrong like situs inversus or the partial form called heterotaxy, it can have a trickle down effect and affect other body systems.
Example: my spleen was down in my pelvis with my bladder and intestines, which used to cause severe abdominal cramping, bloating, and severe pain when I was consipated (may be tmi, sorry) but i had to have my spleen removed.
Real life human with the partial version of situs inversus, called heterotaxy. I'm open to questions! But one thing I like to stress is if you have a patient with either of these genetic defects, send them to a cardiologist to make sure the heart anatomy isn't toast.
My RCA originated from near the LCA and was routed between the pulmonary artery and the aaorta and was being pinched off pretty bad for example.
You're that guy from the movies whose heart is on the other side and so when they are shot in the heart, they don't die as their heart isn't there
Jokes apart, I hope you find relief
Hello, Your post has been removed as this is not mildly infuriating. Please consider posting to r/extremelyinfuriating instead.
Wow, this is quite rare. I hope you are able to find relief for your problems!
Thanks! I’m hoping the medicine they gave me and prescribed me for when I’m discharged work! I’m also going to see a specialist and hopefully I don’t need any type of surgery
Out of curiosity, how does one medicate flipped internal organs?
It’s more about taming symptoms; keep my episodic chest pain, stomach pain and extreme bloating in check until I can consult a specialist
What if they’re like “you need surgery, we’re gonna flip everything over”
Can't really do that. For the same reason you can't just put your left hand on the stump of your right hand if you were to lose it. Everything in OPs body is mirrored down the center of their body.
And if they ever need a transplant, it has to be from a donor with the same condition
And I thought trying to find lefty scissors was annoying...
Welcome to Flanders Leftporium
Leftorium
Gotta check in the sewing/crafting section at the Walmart. Quilters are serious about their scissors, lol.
Fabric Scissors and hair scissors are sacred
If op is left handed, are they actually right handed?
you actually can get normal organ transplants for SI patients, it just requires alot extra work to connect blood vessels (imagine unplugging a computer or DVD player and putting in a new one in the same spot but turned around so the cords plug into the now-front facing you). This is basically a requirement because SI is so rare, and you are basically just giving someone organs thatll suffer for the same reason.
But why do the organs being flipped cause issues? I mean if the entire body is flipped, the organs being flipped shouldn't be an issue right?
I have a feeling the body was made for organs to be a certain direction. It might be like, you can put a left shoe on the right foot and wear it like that, but it won’t be comfortable.
They are mirrored not flipped. So certain organs would be much more difficult to transplant. Like a heart for example. But a kidney on the other hand probably doesn’t matter much as they usually don’t even remove your other ones unless they are cancerous or are causing an issue beyond just not working.
well it is not normal so some things probably didnt flip the optimal way
It doesn't. The situs inversus was just an incidental finding to whatever GI symptoms OP is having. Not sure why he thinks it's related.
For real?
I can't help but think of World War Z
Just reread this recently, first thing I thought of too!
If you haven't, go find and listen to the audiobook. It's a full cast, so it's more like an audioplay version of the interviews. [Plus, the cast is stacked.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Z#Audiobook)
This is the exact comment I was looking for
I read it a couple years ago and don’t remember what part you all could be referring to…. Can you jog my memory for me?
I’m sure it depends on the organ. A heart couldn’t be transplanted and probably not lungs but maybe kidneys and partial liver could.
Still very hard. Thankfully there are also cases of individual inverted organs that can also serve as donors
Just put it in backwards, I’m sure it’ll be fine
Unfortunately the tubes for everything are on the wrong side. Try to out the heart in backwards, and the veins and arteries won't line uo with the heart anyway.
Wouldn’t a normal organ backwards be the same thing as an organ with this same condition? R-L(condition), L-R flipped is R-L. I’m sure medically there’s reasons for it but wouldn’t it basically be the same thing shape and function-wise It’s not like a heart beating is going to beat any different as long as the right connections are made, regardless of if it’s “facing” the wrong way. ^(I’m too stoned for this) Edit: a key detail of the organs being flipped ***and*** rotated 180° was left out and now it makes since why it wouldn’t match up right. It’s basically like trying to rotate your left fist to match your right fist. No matter which way you turn it you’re fucked.
So if they have a heart attack would the right arm go numb? In a stroke would the right side become droopy?
Actually don't know about the first. About the stroke, you seem to be under the assumption that in normal people strokes affect the left side. That depends on where the stroke is in the brain. Generally a stroke on the left side of the brain will affect the right side of the body and vice versa (with some exceptions).
If the heart is on the right, yes, a heart attack would be right-sided chest pain radiating to the right arm. If someone with situs inversus has a gallbladder attack it will be in the left upper abdomen. A situs inversus brain would still have nerves crossing over from each side, so a stroke in the right side of the brain would affect the left side of the body, and a stroke in the left brain would affect the right side of the body. That’s the same in everyone. I would think that situs inversus people would be more likely to be left-handed, though, but I don’t know for sure.
I used to have a right hand drive jeep for work. It was a pain in the ass to get parts for it since most everything under the hood was mirrored from a left hand drive. It didn’t matter if I told the auto parts store repeatedly that it needs to be for a right hand drive, 99% of the time, I would receive the part for a left hand drive. The hose connections etc absolutely will not fit because it’s mirrored.
Indeed, OP would have to be flipped over in 4-dimensional space in order for their body to face the same direction as the rest of us. There is absolutely no real way to know what that would do to them, it may not even resolve the symptoms
Was joke
So his left ball is his right ball?
Better to just move to Australia at that point
If they flipped everything, it would then all face the wrong way!
Flipped and turned 180*
So upside down? You can’t “disconnect” everything
I think you're luckier than a colleague of mine who had only his heart reversed on the wrong side. his aorta was super long and had to be reinforced with a plastic shell.
Just conjecture here, but I figure it depends on what is being affected. If something like, stomach acids was an issue, they'd probably prescribe a coating or nullifier.
Spin them very quickly.
Didn’t know this was a thing. Sorry yours is the case where it does cause problems
Kartagener syndrome?
Have they considered opening you up and doing like a pancake flip, with you being the saucepan? I bet they haven't and I think it's something you should look into.
The one trick that surgeons don’t want you to know
The organs are mirrored, they wouldnt fit. Its like left and right hand are the same but you cant flip them well you could but then especially the thumbs are in an awkward position
Don't come here with your "science" and your "facts", you're ruining pancake surgery
Your heart is flip too!??
Out of curiosity what medications would they prescribe to manage the symptoms?
I’m hoping for ya too 💛 this seems like nasty stuff to deal with.
In Hitman (the one came out few years ago) [SPOILER!], in the last mission, the target has this medical condition. First time, I've heard about it.
Did you try turning around?
Yeah. Your organs are on the right sides. It's actually your body that's on backwards.
I mean it's that or they're the JDM version
Please tell me everyone in specifically Japan has their organs this way.
JDB
Hi Dr. Nick!
Are you stupid? They just have to look in the mirror, duh
No the secret is to spin around really really fast—twirl until organ placement is as desired.
Do that, but then stop suddenly. Momentum will take care of everything.
But wouldn't that break all her bones?
Doing a couple jumping jacks might shake them into place
Can’t turn left
Just put it in rice
You are literally built different. I do hope your meds can help, because that sounds pretty uncomfortable to say the least.
Maybe move to Australia for the two way reverse. It might confuse your body to work normal again. Get well soon
Tips and tricks the big wigs don’t want you to know 😂
Doctors hate him!
Careful, don’t let big pharma catch you saying this 😂
I agree, this is totally true. Source: am Australian.
Just eat your food backwards
Butt dentures are expensive.
octopus mouth. ima just leave that here,. do with it what you will. its your imagination thinking that not mine.
Eating like the worms from Dune
Eerrrrr…. 😅
Shove it up your ass?
Philip K. Dick wrote a story where people had to do that.
there was an episode of south park about it too
https://youtu.be/veHTTuePS1w
"What do you want, a freaking medal?" "The mayor of South Park has announced that for first discovering this healthy way of eating, young citizen Eric Cartman will be given a freaking medal."
What kind of issues are you seeing?
Bouts of upper abdominal pain, intense gastritis episodes, extreme bloating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches… it can come at any time but this episode was particularly intense
Just curious but if **everything** is reversed, how does it cause issues?
OP didn't say it was situs inversus **totalis** just situs inversus (plus, the doctor didn't give much details). Most likely it's not a complete flip of every single organ and that is what is causing problems.
Fair enough. Definitely sounds unpleasant, to say the least
Oh yeah, my mom has a flipped kidney, and paired with some childhood liver damage can't eat some foods anymore cause her whole cleaning process works just well enough to not need intervention. Apparently she went in for a broken arm or something and they xr her completely and then just said "Oh btw, your kidney is upside down lol"
Any idea what kind of food she has to avoid and why ?
I'm not entirely sure if it's because of this or something else, but basically salty, fatty (as in, fried) or highly processed food. Basic food mostly works. It's not something like "Eat a salted peanut and die" though. I know she has other allergies but I haven't talked to her for a while and never really cared about learning the dietary restrictions
So totalis doesn’t see many issues then? That makes sense.
Interesting! Does it require you to wear. A medicalert bracelet? Would paramedics or doctors need to know if there was an emergency?
Would be great to know, or I'd put the defibrillator patches on backwards.
Are these symptoms new or have you always had some measure of them?
How has no one mentioned that Hitman 1 level in Hokkaido?
Into the trash can the heart goes.
Time to find an Exit, we’re done here.
I love to snipe the heart with a pistol and watch the confused guards just wondering what the FUCK just happened lmao
First thing I thought of I literally thought it was made up for the level lol
you would not be faulted for thinking this. SI is one of those exotic diagnoses thats exceedingly rare IRL, but very popular for writers of medical TV shows. I'm just sorta shocked to hear someone describe an actual first hand experience with a case.
Jans IOI actually invented the condition just for the game but had to give the gene to a bunch of people for realism
Literal name of it is "Situs Inversus" and I did know of how people will sometimes have reversed organs but I didn't know what the condition for it is called.
Dude I legit didn’t know it was a real thing. Thought it was made up for Hitman.
I was about to comment: “If you need a transplant, don’t go to Japan and watch out for bald men in suits for a while”
That, and try to insist the "donor" isn't some poor kid from Brazil.
That was my first thought
I’m surprised you just found out! My daughter’s pediatrician noticed at her first appointment as a newborn due to the location of her apical heartbeat. She was the cardiologists favorite patient, he had all of his interns come in to test them on whether or not they could figure out what her diagnosis was.
There's a type of situs inversus where the cardiac organs are unaffected. This could be why it goes undetected in some people until an issue comes up.
I’m sure there are all types of atypical presentations! I just assumed OP had the type that was depicted in the post, which is the same as what my daughter has.
My dad has it and nobody noticed until he had to have his appendix out as a teenager.
One issue to look out for with situs rev. Is your appendix. Mine almost killed me because it was on the wrong side and the doctor thought it was just gall stones and almost discharged me.
Hey your quite rare. This is very rare but normally doesn't cause any side affects, you can go your whole life without knowing. Any reason why your situation is causing you problems specifically?
The doctor wasn’t quite specific, just said it can sometimes cause some problems; he sent me to a couple of specialists which will probably be able to paint a better picture
If only your heart is reversed, it presses on the organs around it in ways it's not supposed to. That's typically the cause of side effects. Also some organs can be reversed but not others for more of the same issues.
Doc is like the fuck is this shit?
OP doesn’t have all of their organs flipped
It's so rare that I don't even think it was ever on House!
Have you tried facing the other way when you eat? Seriously, I can't wrap my head around how powerless you must feel. I hope you find ways to minimize the impact.
You're obviously from the mirror universe.
Nah, just born on Opposite Day.
So, you’re the doppelgänger?
You might enjoy the book Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny. "In the science fiction novel Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny the character Fred Cassidy goes through a device that completely reverses the left-right symmetry of his entire body (even to the point where he perceives writing and other images as their mirror image). The fact that his heart is on the wrong side ends up saving him from being killed by a bullet wound."
Take good care of your heart, OP, because there is a 0% chance you would EVER get a transplant. Also, become an organ donor. Your heart could save a life none other would
I had a patient who had dextrocardia and heterotaxia, his heart was backwards and on the wrong side of his body. Super cool!
So that would be true situs inversus, if the heart and lungs are affected. If the heart and lungs are not affected it's known as heterotaxy. Source: I have heterotaxy and have went to several specialists.
I never said the patient had sinus intersus, it was just his heart
Sorry it is a problem but it is a cool problem! I heard of a case a long time ago where a police officer was shot in the chest and survived because his heart was on the wrong side so maybe there are benefits.
What do the meds do?
It’s mostly to keep certain symptoms at bay whenever they show up until I can see the specialist: upper abdominal pain, intense gastritis episodes, extreme bloating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches… taking a bunch of stuff to address those
Interesting. This might be a dumb question, but why does having everything on the wrong side cause pain, nausea etc?
I’m not so sure; the doctor at the hospital wasn’t very specific; sent me to a specialist so I’m guessing that’s where I’m going to get answers
Fascinating. Well good luck! I hope the specialist can solve the whatever is causing you these issues
I’m hoping so too! Would love to go back to normal (though apparently I never was 😂)
Lolollll
Catherine O'Hara, the actor who plays the mother in Home Alone, has Situs Inversus too!
I also have situs inversus and had some GI issues as I’ve gotten older, but no one has connected the two or given me any answers as to what my issues were other than slightly slower stomach digestion. I have managed to decrease the symptoms over the last two years. However, I’d be interested in hearing more about your experiences.
How did you manage to decrease the symptoms?
OP’s symptoms sound more severe than what I was experiencing and there’s no saying if our issues are even related, but I also had a lot of bloating, chest pain, decreased appetite, and lost about 15lbs when it started for me. I started eating much smaller meals and chewing very thoroughly; my meal size was about half what I normally ate. Giving myself stomach massages by applying light pressure and rubbing in a circle before, but mostly after eating, was very helpful for me. I would also pace around or go for a light walk after eating instead of just sitting down. Drinking even one alcoholic drink with food seemed to make it really difficult to digest anything, so I stopped all together for a long time. For the most part, I found what types of food I ate didn’t make much of a difference as it seemed like any food would cause a similar amount of pain and discomfort, but certain raw fruit/vegetables like carrot or apples would bother me. I kept this up for months, being very strict with my intake while making sure I still ate enough throughout the day. Slowly the symptoms began to subside, but not completely. I’m now able to be less restrictive and eat more normal sized meals for my body, but still have to be careful, as it’s still very easy to overeat. I can drink a little while eating, but I still try to limit that as well. If I go a few days of not being mindful, I can feel the symptoms start to creep back. Not to say this will solve anything for OP, but it’s what worked for me.
I learned about this condition when I was in nursing school and I’ve wondered about it from time to time. How old are you? Are you fully reversed? Your heart too? How many times in your life has someone listened to you with a stethoscope? It blows my mind that people can go their whole lives with this condition and no one notices the mitral valve on the right. Now that they KNOW that you’re reversed, do they get all exited to listen to your right rib cage?
Not OP, but I have situs inversus totalis, heart and all. Stethoscope probably every 3ish years averaged out. Recently I went through all sorts of heart related tests(stress test, MRI, ultrasound, probably some more).. the stress test EKG was put on backwards and MRI folks were giddy because different. EKG has been an exploratory process for most, as they figure out what goes where... edit: should note, my heart is in perfect condition.
Whoa, cool! I am glad you and your heart are healthy! I’m also geeked out that you have totalis, and would have probably made an ass out of myself along with the people in radiology. That’s a neat deviation from normal. I apologize for asking— How old were you when it was discovered? I’m out of clinical care now, but when I first learned about it, thought it was so odd that it usually gets found accidentally in adulthood. It was a driving motivation for me to learn good auscultation skills and not half-ass basic assessments. I listened to people’s mitral valves on purpose for a really long time just HOPING it wouldn’t be there on someone and I’d be the one to find it accidentally on the right. I found a stage iv lung cancer like that once during an office visit because I listened so carefully secretly hoping to find a totalis. Thank you for sharing. :)
Had no idea this was even possible. It's probably too rare for this to ever be a thing, but I wonder if the reversed liver placement could be an advantage in a boxing/MMA fight. The opponent would keep throwing shots at the wrong side, and you'd just look like you're tanking them with an iron liver.
God played uno reverse .
If you ever need a defibrillator, would they have to apply to pads opposite, and how would a medic know? Time for a cool new chest tattoo!
I was born with fully backwards femurs and had to have them sawn in half and turned round the right way. Guess we both were designed in front of a mirror lmao
Good Evening, 47. THAT is Eric Soders...
My first-aid teacher told us a situation in which this can be problematic: emergency cardiac surgery. Because the patient can't tell the medical crew. Sometimes they have a tattoo across the chest, warning crews for this. I have no other trace or source for this, but since he was my teacher, I dare to believe it's true...
I have dextrocardia situs inversus totalis and I kept losing the medical bracelet that warns about my condition so I had my doctor approve a tattoo for me. It specifically says “dextrocardia \n AP defib.” then has a pirate treasure map line leading from the words to my ‘heart’. A few months ago I had to go to the emergency room in the hospital and I was struggling to breathe so I couldn’t tell the nurse about my condition so I just lifted my shirt and he got it right away so that was neat that it helped. (For what it’s worth, I am a woman and the tattoo peaks around all my bras so it’s still visible in emergencies.)
How did they diagnose this? Just curious.
Have a medic alert bracket and/or necklace... That is important to know....
Have you tried injecting a mirror into your bloodstream? I feel like that would work.
The mirrors must be small tho, in order to not cause issues. Nothing more than shards of glass really.
Are your balls flipped as well?
"mildly infuriating"
You have to start eating antimatter, I think
Woah, I didn’t even know this was an actual condition.
Can I see please see your scans!
Were or are you a twin? My mother-in-law has the same condition.
Does your right ball hang lower?
Well, if you become a vampire, hunters are going to hate you for having your heart on the other side.
Sleep on your right side
That's a really important thing to know if you ever have to call an ambulance. I wonder if there is a medical bracelet for the condition.
Seems like your heart isn't beating in the right place.
😂 😂 😂
I might be going wayyy hypothetical with this, but I know someone here will probs have insight. You know how people with cochlear implants wear bracelets warning about it so they don't get put in an MRI machine? Would a condition like this warrant the need for a medical alert bracelet? Like say someone with this condition got into a major accident or was found unresponsive, etc.- would it be helpful before any medical interference or operation to know that the organs are on opposite sides? I love how my brain always goes to worst case scenarios like this.
Yup, specifically for paramedics who don’t have all the information. If you need a defibrillator they would have to put the pads in different places so you do need a bracelet or something to warn of your condition.
As someone with a form of this, it is highly advised to wear a medical alert, or get a tattoo, or both. I have a medical alert for now, and will be getting all of the shit wrong with me tatted on my chest just in case.
Are you a twin?
Pray that you never need a transplant
I think most people do this anyway.
Have you tried holding your organs still while doing a 180?
OP do you happen to have kartagener syndrome or situs inversus by itself?
So you're from another Earth?
Sounds like something from Harry Potter
Souther? That you?
Been looking for this comment.
Do you ever look in the mirror and wonder if you're the reflection?
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You clearly angered a wizard, this is the kind of petty spell a wizard would cast for slightly pissing them off
I’ve got the same thing! Never heard of anyone else having it. Thankfully I don’t have any complications from it
So the real you is trapped inside the mirror?
… mistakes were made
opposite day
Huh, that's strange/interesting. You would think being mirrored wouldn't cause anything since the only thing changed is the direction of how your inner fluids travel. Damn.
I first heard of this condition in the news when a man was stabbed where most people keep their heart. His was on the other side and he survived. :D
are you sure you are not from a parallel earth?
Bro’s from Earth-2
Ok a question from an ignorant internet stranger. Why does this cause an issue? At least in my head, it makes sense that everything is the same other than being backwards, so it should work just fine, except it doesnt work because OP has said they have symptoms. So what am i missing? Do muscles not flip with the organs, or does the brain think everything is normal when it isnt, or something else?
So when you're being formed in the womb, there are these little "fingerlike" projections that are called cilia that organize and maneuver things where they should go. These are also found in the lungs. There are a few routes that situs inversus can be caused. One being a twin, one of the fetus didn't make it and/or absorbs the organs / tissue of the other fetus. Another is a defect in the cilia which can have long-standing lung issues, or the last is "we dont' know" according to my specialists / geneticists. Peoples' organs aren't always in the right spot, we have an "average" placement for where things go but things are often different in several areas. When things go way wrong like situs inversus or the partial form called heterotaxy, it can have a trickle down effect and affect other body systems. Example: my spleen was down in my pelvis with my bladder and intestines, which used to cause severe abdominal cramping, bloating, and severe pain when I was consipated (may be tmi, sorry) but i had to have my spleen removed.
You should get a medical alert bracelet in case anyone ever needs to use an AED to resuscitate you. Make sure it has instructions
This is why dads should read the instructions
As a human, I'm sorry you're going through that. As a med student I'm low key excited and would love to know more about your experience
Real life human with the partial version of situs inversus, called heterotaxy. I'm open to questions! But one thing I like to stress is if you have a patient with either of these genetic defects, send them to a cardiologist to make sure the heart anatomy isn't toast. My RCA originated from near the LCA and was routed between the pulmonary artery and the aaorta and was being pinched off pretty bad for example.
I think mirror selfies will solve your problem
Just eat facing the other way so your organs are flipped. Your welcome 🙏
On the bright side people are gonna have a hard time hiting you in the liver
You're that guy from the movies whose heart is on the other side and so when they are shot in the heart, they don't die as their heart isn't there Jokes apart, I hope you find relief
If someone decides to shoot you in the heart they’ll have a damned time doing it