COSTOCHONDRITIS question

Hi all,
Not sure if this was the correct place to post, but since arthritis is sort of similar ... or, maybe you could lead me to another location?

What is the best way to curb costochondritis pain. There is no more severe pain, but a nagging ache in the second or third left ribs (originally the pain was more severe in my sternum, but that is gone now). How do I get this to go away. I do not take NSAIDS or other anti-inflammatories. I have had the sudden pain before and I have anxiety, which makes this worse. I just have never had the pain linger longer than 2 days.

I am 26-year old female who is very active and a former discus and hammer thrower, and shot putter. I am not overweight and jog and walk regularly. I think I may have triggered this bout this time by walking with a heavy backpack or coughing roughly and then went surf fishing, which may have further aggravated it. Before this one, the last time I triggered this was hanging a plant from the ceiling in my house. The pain hit me in the same spot when I lifted my left arm.

Thanks.

GL

Thanks, Oreo.

I have been using a hot water bottle and the pain seems to be subsiding even without inflammatory medications. I may have pulled a ligament or something. That may explain the back and shoulder pain too. It could even be a pinched nerve from coughing or something. Thanks for your input and advice.

Hope it contunues to get better for you louise. Nothing worse then having it hurt to do something as critical to life as breathing. Keep in touch. It's great to have you in the forum.
Oreo

This is the first time i have ever responded to a forum before.  I looked in the fibro. forum and couldn't find anything about costachondritis. 

The doctors say that i have costachondritis, they have never tested me all they have done is take Xrays.  I have had this problem for 15-20 years.  Each time i get it is is worse and last longer. 

I am in my 4th week with this pain and i just can seem to accept the answers the doctors tell me.  They tell me there is nothing they can do but give me medicines.  They put me on Elavil and i was a walking zombie with lots of pain.  I don't sleep at night, like somewhere else i read i can't even wear a bra.  I am miserable.  My pain is just under my left breast, i have a little swelling there, the middle of my ribs (sterum?) is not painful, i can feel something pop in that area at least 20 times a day. 

Does anybody out there have the same symptoms and have they been told the same thing by doctors?

 

oh no! i too hate that snapping popping chest noises. also, i hate that there is nothing that makes it totally goes away. i'm up in pain too many nites because can not get comfy from the chest pain. the worst is when i can't get a deep enough breath in. this stinks. i use menthol rub and then heat and also lidoderm patches and try not to move around too much or talk. with swollen excrutiating knee pain now...so i'm grateful the ribs and all are not acting up today. easier to take a few bad areas rather than them all. hoping for better days. a little aggrevated now...marching my butt up to the rheumy tomorrow if these knees aren't better. going on 5 days and not getting better. i don't see how anyone can function like this without being able to walk around for more than 5 minutes.
here's to a better tomorrow
erin

You would almost think I would get a commission.

Hi there - Yes I know about costochondritis. It certainly is miserable and there are many good reputable sites on the subject - Medical sites that is. The Mayo Clinic has a good explanation as does the Johns Hopkins site where it explains that it is an inflammation between the ribs, often mimicing a heart attack and therefore should be checked out each time to make sure of the diagnosis.

By process of elimination, because I react badly to most medications, I found a couple of ways to at least relieve the pain for the moment. First of all when sitting or lying, I make sure to place a pillow under my left armpit. This will perhaps spread the ribs enough to relieve the worst of the pain.

Secondly, I have a little pottery ball that I keep in the refrigerator, and use it to roll gently up and down my sternum (breast bone) during an extreme attack. For some reason, it seems to ease things ( just a bit, but even that is a blessing). Ive even used a glass of ice water to roll back and forth across the sternum.

Hope you all have some relief soon, I really do - Maura

You are most welcome Erin. Glad it helped if even for a little bit.

You know how little folks sometimes have thier 'blankie' - well I have my pillow and my chilly ball.

As I think of more stuff that I automatically do for pain, Id be happy to share.
Hugs Maura

Hi, I just found this site and I can't wait to try the pillow under the arm next time I get the acute pain. This is day 11 of what I can only guess is costochondritis pain. I have gone to the ER twice with miserable chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. All the cardio workup came out fine. Then they said it was "anxiety". Yes, when the pain comes on suddenly and lasts for 15 minutes or more, I do experience a lot of anxiety (palms and feet sweaty, shortness of breath, shallow breathing, panic), but the pain always comes before the panic attack. They gave me motrin and valium but it is not helping. I still get an average of 3 daily bouts of pain where I can't sit up, can't lay down, can't breath in deeply, and I just have to wait it out. When the pain finally passes, I shake or shiver.

I have seen 5 doctors and finally someone asked me whether I had perhaps strained something? Hmmm could it have been the 40 lb horse saddle that I lifted two weeks ago to place on a tall horse? Quite possibly, but since I am female, and young, and have no cardiac history, the first thing everyone says I have is "anxiety". Now I am on a constant round of motrin and valium (?) and going to the acupuncturist. I have found that heat aggravates the pain, cold helps a little, there is mild pain all day long, and the acute attacks are severe. Is there a way to know for sure if its muscular? I am tired of the pain and I am getting very depressed about the thought of having to live with this pain for weeks (how long to heal?)
thanks.

 dear Amartin,

what is going on?  you say it is about 3 bouts all day long of pain....but then it gets to an acute point that is more severe with hard time breathing, moving...? hhhmmmmmmm when did you first start noticing it? when you were saddling?

here's some questions:

what did the chest xray show in the ER?  have you ever been to a pulmonologist? or had a PFT? (pulmonary function test), asthma? did you have an echocardiogram ever? checked for RA? lupus?

when you mentioned that ice eased it a bit that is interesting. muscular strains typically respond to ice...but you have to make sure there is nothing major going on. if this continues, i would absolutely seek counsel from a good PCP or a specialist. that's  good that the heart enzyme labs were negative.

this might be a case where they will have to rule out a whole bunch of things. if there is some sort of RA or inflammatory process going on it may well be costo. also, mitral valve prolapse in some people can cause an achiness along the sternum and ribs. as does chronic pleuritis. emphysema and asthma too.

be careful!!!!!!!!!!!  one can never be TOO SURE WITH CHEST PAIN! and ya never want to risk a "maybe this or maybe that". i sure hope you find answers or better yet...it goes away! but keep track of it...there are so many variables of what it may stem from. 

in the mean time, i know how painful it is. sometimes mine is to the point where i can't speak, and like yourself...breath fully or move (mine is from costo RA with pleuritis, emphysema and at times acute pericarditis). it's such an uncomfortable feeling and i hope someone helps you!

where do you ride? work at a barn? i luv horses and racing. it's the best.

take good care

erin

  will be wishing you good answers from the doc....how horrible to feel this way.

it's a perfectly natural response for our bodies to go into a panic state when chest pain occurs and everything from breathing to moving an inch brings agony. if it's consoling in any way...when i first was developing the pleural/sternal and rib inflammation, i felt it was a heart attack or stroke and went to the ER and was shaking profusely and hysterical crying and gasping for air (plus developed a siezure on top of that because my O2 sat got so low from not being able to breath in from such bad chest pain)

once you get a definite dx from the doc about wether it being inflammation or muscular, i feel your anxiety will lessen. the fear may lessen. I MEAN....WHAT THE H*LL....IT IS ONE OF THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCES WHEN "NOT KNOWING" IS AT HAND. 

are the sedatives helping? i sure hope so for the meantime. are you able to adjust your lifestyle for a while? i mean like reduce using your arms, talking for a long time, lifting, driving or anything else that triggers a flare? i know it's a pain in the butt and such an inconvenience and soooooo fustrating   . do you have a heating pad? i use that on top of menthol and pain meds as to not let it get too out of hand (and then i throw everyone out of my space and shut the phone! hee hee hee) so i don't have to move and aggrevate it.

please let us know how your appt went. it would be great if these anti inflammatories take the edge off. what is your Rx the doc gave you? 

just getting off Sulindac ( caused EPIC bowel m's  ) LOL!  and starting Lodine (is working better) for inflammation.  

i wish you the best & some relief real soon.

sincerely,

erin

Amartin, please forgive my tardiness in welcoming you to HW. It is great that you have found a place where people understand what you are going through. I wish you all the best with the meds that you are now trying. Getting a positive Dx is very uplifting. It gives you peace of mind to finally know that it is not all in your head. Hope you all the best and know that you will be in my prayers.
Oreo

 amartin, how have you been? i am so sorry about how this pain has not gone away and still persists. how has it been lately??

the costo i suffer had at one time persists for MONTHS straight...like 50 days in a row with times of it getting much worse than others. it moves from spot to spot of varying intensity. right now the way i handle the pain is keeping my activity to a minimal. it is sad to hear but ever since i have been on bed rest, the costo pain and back spasms has let up and improved.

keep a close eye on it. are you on pain meds? perhaps a pain specialist? again i am on heavy pain meds so maybe that is why it has not been horific lately. when is your next docs sppt??

my heart goes out to you....it is terrible to be in pain.

take good care always

erin