ulcerative colitis and tietze's syndrome

I've been dealing with my ulcerative colitis for years now. and have had lots of occurances of mono and other sicknesses in the past two years. I recently began eating very well and excercising 7 days a week, I got in very good shape and felt like I was in my prime, then out of nowhere my colitis started flaring up again. so I began taking asacol again, previously i stopped taking colazol or any other drug. I sustained what i believed was a tear in my intercostal muscles on my left side under my pectoral muscle. the pain never went away and actually got worse. it hurt to move my torso at all. and then the pain spread to my right side and all over my rib cage in the front of my body. in addition to this I always felt sick, like I had a cold. but no cold symptoms. just achey all over and my head hurt. my rib pain is still with me but it has begun to be a dull burning sensation instead of sharp shooting pain, I have alot more movement now too. I felt well for a few weeks, but now the faux cold symptoms have begun again. I can't make sense of it all. two months ago I got xrays of my chest to make sure it wasn't pneumonia, I knew better but they said I looke fine. and to get some rest, I was prescribed some codeine. didn't help at all. neither did the prednisone. I can't make much sense of my condition, doctor said it was tietzes and would just take time to go away, but I wonder how all this came about when I was getting plenty of sleep, and exercise, and eating very well balanced diet. Is there a possiblilty that all my symptoms are related to eachother? any input here is greatly appreciated. what kind of tests to I need to ask my doctor about?

Okay this is weird.  I had never heard of Teitze or Costochronditis until my son called me last week and told me he thinks he has one of these.  (I am a nurse and he is majoring in cell and molecular biology with a research emphasis in auto immune diseases).  He does not have IBD, I am the one with Ulcerative Colitis:(   The reason he thinks he has one of the one of the above is that he had a rash on his leg and abdomen that was present for a period of time, he complains of pain under his ribs and into his back- esp. when taking a deep breath, and he does not have cold symptoms but complains of not feeling well.  I thought maybe he had Pleurisy and told him to take Ibuprofen and see what happens.  He adamantly refuses to take any meds so has been toughing it out.  Today he calls me from college (he is 4 hours away) and states that he has been up coughing all night and had blood in his sputum.  Turns out he had 2 bloody noses yesterday so I am not worried about the blood.  No fever, no shortness of breath just states he doesn't feel good.   He had a full cardiac workup 5 years ago for a heart rate of 40.  This was prepuberty and he was not active in sports. Are these really an auto immune disease?  What is prescribed for them?  Is labeling everything as auto immune an escape goat? 

He had his cardiac workup at the Mayo Clinic and goes to college within an hour of there. He has consented to making an appt. with his Cardiologist but will not go to the local clinic for the other symptoms. He is still under my health insurance so that is not the issue. Did I mention that he adamantly refuses to take meds? He always says that the doctors prescribe meds way too fast and without justification. He frequently tells me that I ruined the good flora in my intestines by being a "germ freak" and using way too much antibacterial hand soaps and hand sanitizers. Umm maybe he is on to something?

Chef Patrick said...
I've been dealing with my ulcerative colitis for years now. and have had lots of occurances of mono and other sicknesses in the past two years. I recently began eating very well and excercising 7 days a week, I got in very good shape and felt like I was in my prime, then out of nowhere my colitis started flaring up again. so I began taking asacol again, previously i stopped taking colazol or any other drug. I sustained what i believed was a tear in my intercostal muscles on my left side under my pectoral muscle. the pain never went away and actually got worse. it hurt to move my torso at all. and then the pain spread to my right side and all over my rib cage in the front of my body. in addition to this I always felt sick, like I had a cold. but no cold symptoms. just achey all over and my head hurt. my rib pain is still with me but it has begun to be a dull burning sensation instead of sharp shooting pain, I have alot more movement now too. I felt well for a few weeks, but now the faux cold symptoms have begun again. I can't make sense of it all. two months ago I got xrays of my chest to make sure it wasn't pneumonia, I knew better but they said I looke fine. and to get some rest, I was prescribed some codeine. didn't help at all. neither did the prednisone. I can't make much sense of my condition, doctor said it was tietzes and would just take time to go away, but I wonder how all this came about when I was getting plenty of sleep, and exercise, and eating very well balanced diet. Is there a possiblilty that all my symptoms are related to eachother? any input here is greatly appreciated. what kind of tests to I need to ask my doctor about?

This rib pain start about the same time as taking Asacol again? Just wonder if maybe it's a side effect of Asacol. I am trying to figure out what is causing the tenderness around my side and back ribs. Going to get blood work done, I woke up this morning with like congested or shortness of breath feeling. I don't know what is going on. This side and rib tenderness started about the same time as this flare up and I started back on Asacol like you did.

I quit taking my asacol for a while. it wasn't doing any good anyhow. rib pain still there. it still comes and goes. its not nearly as bad as it used to be. I am on Apriso (same stuff as asacol) and steroid enema for now. still not doing any good. staring at my bottle of imuran. not wanting to start that stuff either.