Understanding New and Severe Abdominal Pain

Occasionally, a change in your position can change pain in the upper abdomen significantly. If your pain is sensitive to your positions, this can come from a collection of fluid (which may aggravate your pain as it shifts) or it may come from an organ that is sensitive to the weight of other surrounding structures. The most important position change for you to consider is the transition between sitting up (bent forward) and lying down flat.

Does your pain feel better when you are sitting up (bent forward) and worse when you are lying flat?

Yes, my pain is more tolerable when I am sitting up.

My pain does not change with my position.