Relieving Rib Pain

My asthma has flared up massively in the last few weeks. I work with kids, so I always have colds, and I start work at 7am, so I’m out in the morning cold, and several times a week I’m outside in the afternoon cold supervising the darlings.

I have the most disgusting, wet, hacking cough at the moment, and every time I cough my ribs hurt like anything. Then when I stop I get a burning/numbness for a while (oxymoron, but accurate)… And then the real fun starts and a dull ache sets in.

I’m no stranger to aches and pains, I’ve had Fibromyalgia for more than 10 years… But this is just nasty. While it’s not the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, it’s getting pretty high on the list of most distressing. Nothing seems to want to shift it.

I've had migraines that have less impact on my general well being than this.

I’m using celebrex and panadine for pain relief,  along with deep heat cream or a hot pack, but nothing’s even making a dent.

Any ideas?

The official diagnosis is Costochondritis, over worked, fatigued muscules... and a baddly pulled muscle.

I was starting to feel better, my asthma was getting back under control, the pain was settling down... Then someone sent their child to school sick, and the little darling coughed all over me. Now I have another cold that's hit my chest over night and I'm getting the uncontrolable coughing fits again.

Except this time the cough isn't actually clearing anything out, it just makes it rattle.

Some days I really do wonder why I work with children.