HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Prescribed gabapentin for sternum,chest wall pain -costocondritis ?

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/3/2012 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
 I folks I have been posting for a while now on the heart forum and after having 4 stents fitted and also having a endoscopy I have now been diagnosed with chest wall and sternum pain. I think this is called costocondritis. I have been prescribed Buprenorphine patches 5 micrograms per hour and more recently with 10, together with co-dydromol and more recently dihdrocodeine 30mg. These together just manage to control the pain but with pretty bad constipation. My doctor has decided to try me on gabapentin and to slowly build up to 3 x 30mg daily with the patches. When looking up the side effects I see some people believe this drug has actually caused them the same symtoms I am trying to remove. can this be true. This worries me a lot.
Posted 4/4/2012 12:05 AM (GMT 0)
I have something similar in pain, but not the same cause. I have some ribs that were fractured and did not reconnect in the front. They slip over each other and the rubbing hurts.

I have had a couple of sessions of "intercostal" anesthetic and steroid injections, sort of like the spinal injections for sciatica, that have relieved the pain for several months. The injections are in the thoracic area instead of the lumbar spine. Depending on which ribs are involved, this might do the job instead of taking opioids.

You can get this sort of injection in the ribs in front to stop the nerves from relaying the pain. I tried that first and it didn't work for me at all, but you have a different cause of pain than I have.
Posted 4/4/2012 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
Alcie Thanks for your interesting reply. I wonder why my G.P. is saying there is no cure, just pain managment. Anyone else who has had steroids for this type of pain
Posted 4/4/2012 7:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi DaveBax,

Welcome to the fibro forum. I don't know a lot about Costo, but I do know it is a fibromyaglia symptom. And that it can be very painful. I get tightening of the muscles from time to time, but not a lot of pain there. I am thankful for that. And should add a "yet" behind that sentence.

I took neurontin years ago and didbn't like it, but that doesn't mean that it wont work wonders for you. There are a lot of people that take it.

I hope that you feel better soon. If you are brand new to the forum, I would like to point out a thread called "fibro 101", it is the second thread on the forum. Take a look at it and see if there isn't something in there that could help you. I hope that you are having a good day.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 4/5/2012 5:32 AM (GMT 0)
gabapentin is a nerve painkiller. I have no side effects from it. I have pernament nerve damage from my eye surgery. In fact, its numb in the corner of eye all the time.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply