Pain in both sides of rib cage upon waking up after sleeping

welcome to HW CP,

Sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us.

Sounds like a very painful situation.

You need to get more intense with your doctor, as you know, you have to be your own best patient advocate. Stress the pain level. If nothing else, perhaps he can start referring you to specialists that can get to the bottom of whatever is going on.

Hope you get some answers soon, and some relief.

Please keep us posted, and if you need to vent, we can take it! It feels good if you are having a bad day.

My best,

David

Hi K3LLY,

Just saying hi and welcome to the forum. Sorry about the pain.

You should definitely let your doctor know how painful it is, so hopefully he can investigate and determine what it is.

Hope you fine out what's causing it.

Take Care

UA

I have intercostal neuralgia. It is the inflammation of the nerves between the ribs. It is the most painful thing I have ever been through. Mine is only on one side and I cannot get up,move around and make the pain go away. I just thought I would mention it because it is very painful and in the same area.

K3LLY, welcome to the CP forum so sorry that you are haing so much pain though.

Moderators do their own posts, they are not automatic ones. I have lupus really bad and suffer with pleurisy chronically. I also get pleural effusions often too. Both of these conditions can cause terrible pain in the chest and ribs.

Is the pain getting worse than before? Does it hurt worse when you are laying down? Are you having any difficulty with your breathing? If you are having ANY of these things I would suggest you be seen in the ER. Not trying to scare you, but you just don't want to take any chances.

I hope our Dr can figure this out ASAP, and they can get you some much needed pain relief. I'll keep you in my prayers and please let us know how you are doing.

Hugs,
Barbara

I just started experiencing the same symptoms a couple of weeks ago. You have Ankylosing Spondylitis. The good news is that most of the inflammation is caused by food allergies, and that you can become pain free by going on a No Starch Diet and a few other modifications.

Definitely go see your physician but here is my story and how I stopped the back and rib pain:

http://www.kickas.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=493731#Post493731

The key components that worked for me are:

1. Sleeping and resting on a layer of Memory Foam over a hard surface.
2. A strict No Starch Diet (a low starch diet did not work for me).
3. Stopping all medications like Advil and Tylenol that test starch positive.
4. Heat Packs, such as ThermaCare HeatWraps, to relieve the pain.

I initially started taking Tylenol and Advil, which would relieve the pain for several hours, but worsen the flare after the effects wore off. Same for Prednisone 5 mg daily, which I started myself on the third day after I started waking up in the middle of the night with excruciating low back pain and bilateral rib pain, with severe crippling upper and lower back pain during the day that was an 8 or 9 on a pain scale of 10.

As some of you have found, prednisone douses the inflammation almost miraculously. I felt so good the next day I went to see a movie with minimal discomfort. Only problem is that it only lasted 25-26 hours, then it seemed to WORSEN MY SYMPTOMS. I took prednisone for 6 days so I could still continue to work. Then stopped prednisone and all other meds after I found they all tested positive for starch, using the iodine test.

I cold-turkey'ed all the other body-care products that had starch. I stopped using my Shesiedo skin care face moisturizing products, all makeup, and stopped using my shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion. These all sadly tested starch positive. This may not really be necessary, but it is what I did to completely clear my system of starch.

My pain decreased by 40% off prednisone, Advil, and Tylenol, and I was able to work a full day using only wearable heat pads to my upper and low back.

But the kicker was when I switched from a low-starch diet to a completely pure No Starch Diet (NSD). The former was through ignorance; didn't start iodine testing for a couple of weeks.

4 hours after starting a NSD, I was completely pain free for the first time in 12 days!!! It really works. Please do try it. The incredibly fast response may have been because I had been off all medications and all body-care products since the day before.

Fasting will likely work, but I hate feeling hungry. So what I did is eat a pure meat and fish diet that my husband cooked using only using salt, and sometimes grapeseed oil.

The last 6 days since I first became pain free have been pure bliss. My pain has been minimal, from 0 to 1. And only worsens to a pain scale of 2 out of 10 when I eat something my body is allergic to, which for me I have found so far to be eggs, blueberry, crunchy melon, and figs. But the pain quickly resolves in less than 3 hours, as long as I go back to eating just my safe foods, which I now just use my body's response to test.

Foods that seem to douse the inflammation, so that my back feels almost completely normal, are Hershey's 1.55 oz. Milk Chocolate bars (they are gluten free), cantaloupe, and Trader Joe's organic Plain Yogurt. Not sure if it is just one or if all 3 have that effect; will try to parse it out over the next few days.

The other significant component to my healing has been lying down on a firm surface covered by a layer of 1-1/2 inch memory foam (only $27 for a full size at Wal-Mart). For me, that hard surface has been my hard, armless, cushion-less couch. As soon as I started sleeping on this, it was like sleeping in heaven. No more waking up 4 hours later with excruciating low back pain and scary bilateral rib pain.

Resting on this is truly healing for me, I believe not just from the cushioning but also from the warmth the memory foam provides. Whenever I have back pain, I lie down and rest. The pain almost immediately goes away, and when I get up 1/2 hour or 1 hour later, it is minimal or completely gone. Better than Tylenol or Advil--the same effect without the afterward worsening of the inflammatory symptoms.

As an interim, until you can get a good Tempurpedic or Sleep Number mattress, I would suggest removing the cushions on your sofa, applying two 1-1/2 inch layers of Memory Foam, and sleeping on that. Or simply using two layers of Memory Foam on the floor. You will immediately know if this works for you.

Also, I've made up Memory Foam cushions for my carseat and work chairs, which helps alleviate the pain by a huge factor and allows me to function almost normally. Before doing this, and getting the flare under control, driving that 1 hour to work and then back was sheer agony.

I am having the same symptoms. The rib pain mainly comes after about 5-6 hours of sleep. There is no pain if I press on my actual ribs or surrounding tissue. It does seem to emanate from my right side at a spot just under the ribcage, but that comes and goes. Laying on top of pillows eases the pain slightly, but the pain will subside almost immediately upon getting out of the bed. Occasionally there will be a "flutter" in the spot under my right ribcage after getting up, but it's intermittent. The pain encircles my ribcage with most pain on the bottom "edges"of the ribs. There is no pain in my sternum, no pain when I breathe. I've seen all of the suggestions of costochondritis, gall bladder, GERD, etc. but none really fit my symptoms. This came on suddenly this past February and I originally thought it was due to some kind of strain after working in the garden, but the pain really only comes after about 5 hours of lying in the bed, not during the day when I'm up and walking around. The only difference since February is the magnitude of the pain, it has never stopped. For a person who LOVES to sleep, this is some kind of cruel irony.

Hi K3elly :)

I know EXACTLY how you're feeling. In fact, I just now joined this site cuz I woke up with the same pain in my ribs I've been experiencing for about a year now. I finally decided to Google it and see what I could find out. It's so frustrating to wake up even halfway through the night and feel like this.

Anyways, what I've found (so far) is your description of what's been going on with you, and I gotta say I was relieved to find out that I'm not the only one.

After reading all the above responses, I noticed that a lot of ppl don't seem to understand that the pain does NOT bother you all day long (neither does mine), and it goes away soon after getting out of bed (so does mine, after about a half hour). I imagine yours (like mine) will go away even faster if you take a nice, hot shower right when you wake up..? Mine does, but most mornings I just simply don't feel like getting wet the instant I wake up, so I deal with the pain for that whole whopping half hour or so lol. The frustrating part is waking up with it in the middle of the night...every night...and then again in the morning...every morning. Not to mention endlessly trying to find a comfortable position all night long once the pain starts...about 4-5 hours into sleeping.

Now.. I haven't gotten to do very much research just yet. And.. I don't know how old you are. But.. being 43 myself, I'll bet mine is being caused by arthritis and sleeping on a waterbed (not enough support). It's a soft-sided bed (looks like a regular mattress), and I have a couple of blankets plus a really high-quality memory foam thingy on it (all for more stability), but I'd be willing to bet money that if I go talk to 2 or 3 mattress places, they'll tell me that as we get older, we all need more support when we sleep.

Which means I probably simply need a new mattress. And maybe you do, too..?

And if I do have some arthritis in my ribs (very possible cuz I had both of my knees replaced last year due to severe arthritis, plus arthritis starting in my big toe), a simple x-ray can let me know for sure.

I really wouldn't worry too much about it being anything major going on. Ask your doc for a quick x-ray and maybe stop by some mattress stores to see what they have to say. I'm sure there are foods that can help calm down arthritis and help you sleep better, but you can visit that aspect once you find out if it really is arthritis bothering you. For me, I think I'll take an Ibuprofen or two before bed, and a little more with my morning meds.

A few last things to think about.. if you do end up getting a firmer mattress, I've heard they take some getting used to. Also, if your pain is really being caused by arthritis, try using a memory foam topper on the mattress. It'll not only cushion you a bit while still getting the benefits of a firmer mattress, but it might give you the slight warmth your ribs need to keep inflammation down. There are also heated mattress pads out there (Sunbeam, etc)...my husband has a bad back, and he loves those. The queen size ones come with a control for each side, so I don't roast if I don't want to lol.

Good luck! :))

Seems to me these pains are mostly just caused by needing a new bed/mattress. Pressure points, getting older, arthritis, weight changes, muscles maybe not as strong/supportive as they once were...all these things can contribute to either subtle or severe aches/pains. Especially after sleeping because nothing is moving very much (if at all) for hours. Even if I merely sit for awhile, I've noticed it takes me a few steps across the room until the muscles on my sides, just below my waist (gluteus medius muscles), to 'get into gear'. Especially the right one cuz I injured it earlier this year. It'll probably always give me problems now.

My husband and I did end up going to a few mattress stores last weekend. We both found that there was one mattress we really like a lot. It's a memory foam mattress...'Radiance' was the model name, but I can't remember the manufacturer right now. Once we can afford it, I'm sure it'll make a huge difference in how we both feel in the morning. We currently have a soft-sided waterbed, and I think I definitely need the cushion a foam mattress has but a lot more support than a waterbed can provide. I'm a side-sleeper, so all I seem to be doing is stretching out my rib area each night. Come morning, I hurt a lot.

Til then, I've decided to take some ibuprofen before bed and again with my morning meds (which are about an hour before I get up). That's made a big difference so far. Barely any pain in the mornings now. Confirms for me that I have some sort of inflammation going on...probably arthritis. Ah, such is life :)

And yes, 19 yrs old...definitely time to check out some new beds. Maybe not a box spring, but at least the mattress.

To Terrilee29....I have had this same exact experience. Wondering if you found out what it was. I had x-rays and there was nothing they could see.(I had fallen around the time it started but I think the pain started before hand so just to rule out did x-rays and because I told my Dr I fell I don't think he thouht it could be anything else,) But, yes it is hard to describe because it is strange that the pain is only really bad when I wake up or even when I wake up int he middle of the night. Very hard to move and get comfortable. Then after I shower and start moving around it goes away and i can get on with my day. Thinking it is arthritus.

Also in regards to bed, because I have degenerative disc disease and undiagnosed lower back issues for years (Since I was quite young) I bought a special bed years ago. I can tell the difference when I sleep on a bed that's not appropriate firmness/softness, my entire body will hurt upon waking up! But again, this I'm not sure is related to that. Though it is possible. This morning I've rolled on a soft roller thing, stretched, tried "jogging" in place to rid myself of it (lol), and now I've just gave in and took two ibuprofen, hopefully that will help.

Hi K3LLY you mentioned that you slept with your head of the bed elevated  and you have had degenerative disc disease for a long time, have you  thought that this pain your experiencing when waking up is caused by that? I mean, do  you have any  problems with DDD in your thoracic discs?  . The reason I ask is,  I have many problems with my thoracic discs along with all my other discs, and I often experience the pain  that your describing as I have bone spurs and herniated and torn disc in the thoracic area. I cannot lay flat or lay on my sides for more than just fifteen or twenty minutes  at a time because of the rib pain, so I sleep in a fowlers position, kind of like a reclining position in a recliner. In fact I slept in a recliner for more than ten years because of this,  until I got an adjustable bed, which  made a huge difference, as now  I can tweak the adjustments of the bed when ever I get uncomfortable.  Anyway, that is how DDD of thoracic discs affects me, so it might be something to consider???.

Good Luck to you and it is nice to see that you have come back to the forum!

White Beard

Hello Angeles & welcome to the forum. Angeles, we ask all new members to make their own intro post so that all members will see if & be able to respond & give you a proper hello & welcome aboard. By posting on someone else's thread not many people will see this.

We look forward to getting to know you.

Thanks.....Susie