COSTOCHONDRITIS question

glouise · May 25, 2005, 3:30pm

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

oreo · May 26, 2005, 2:51pm

glouise, welcome to the forum. Could you have pulled a ligament in one of the intercostal spaces? I remember after having a bad cold and then doing something with a lot of twisting I hurt to breath for quite a few days. The pain was from in between my ribs. Over the course of the next few years everytime I got a cold or did too much heavy lifting I would get the pain back in the same spot. The only thing that I could do to help the pain was to wrap my chest and rest. Hard to do when you have to work but since you have to breath there is no way to really rest the area and allow for healing. It takes time. Sometimes a short course of anti-inflammatories or ASA is in order. Talk to your Dr. and get some tests done to see what is really going on. Don't be afraid to fight for what you feel is right.
Hope someone else comes along with something similar that can help you find some answers. Keep in touch.
Oreo

Worry not for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.

Remember healing comes one step at a time, sometimes it seems that its one forward and 2 back but ultimately, always in a forward direction!!!

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glouise · May 26, 2005, 5:11pm

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.

user11 · May 26, 2005, 11:50pm

yikes...the chostochondritis i deal with is outstanding! debilitating at some points where i can't take a breath in or talk even. a pulmonologist caught onto it before the rheumy. i use menthol, heat pad, darvocet and an advil and wait it out in silence. when it's very bad it takes about a complete day for it to be tolerable. so bad i can't wear a bra or even touch the chest area at all. it's such a nagging painful and torturous thing to go through.
wish you well with it
any good tips let me know!
sincerely,
erin

oreo · May 30, 2005, 4:01pm

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

Worry not for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.

Remember healing comes one step at a time, sometimes it seems that its one forward and 2 back but ultimately, always in a forward direction!!!

Help HealingWell continue to help people. Please donate today. Every little bit helps. To donate go to www.healingwell.com/donate

abnalexmom · June 5, 2005, 9:56pm

This caught my eye and I just wanted to let you know that on the Fibromyalgia board (really not trying to steal your member!!! lol) there is a great thread about Costo. I have it and have gleemed a lot of helpful info from others who have it as well through this thread.

Sincerely,

Beth

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

"The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory." Psalm 97:6

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1,2

~Co-Moderator, Fibromyalgia Forum

Diagnosed in 2004 with Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, bulging disc and pinched nerve (L4-S1), chronic Costochondritis, Endometriosis, IBS.

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user11 · June 9, 2005, 12:39am

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

oreo · June 15, 2005, 4:54pm

Hey guys, what's with stealing my members? LOL, LOL. The thing I like about HW is that so many of the diseases are linked that we can all share info and help each other. Do not be afraid to post info here or the point the way to answers. Thanks for taking care of art's. I appreciate it.
Oreo

Worry not for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.

Remember healing comes one step at a time, sometimes it seems that its one forward and 2 back but ultimately, always in a forward direction!!!

Help HealingWell continue to help people. Please donate today. Every little bit helps. To donate go to www.healingwell.com/donate

FamilyGuy · June 16, 2005, 4:35pm

You would almost think I would get a commission.

Jon

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user11 · June 17, 2005, 3:41am

are there finder's fees involved? :) LOL i'm in too!
about the chondritis: it's sad that there is no cure, just some stuff to help alleviate it or make it bearable. but i would say that enbrel has helped with the inflammation in that area somewhat. bonwagner do you have RA or autoimmune problems?
i know how you must be feeling. it's difficult.
erin

maura · June 19, 2005, 11:23pm

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

user11 · June 24, 2005, 4:11am

MAURA!!! YOU ARE GENIUS!!! i had such terrible costo chest pain today that i could not breath fully and talk and high dose pain relievers were just about helping.....but, i remembered what you had mentioned about spreading the ribs apart with the pillow under the arms....and boy WHAT A DIFFERENCE. i truly believe it helped! thank you. as i think anatomically about it... it makes a lot of sense in how the cartilage and joints and bones lay when you position that way. i did it while lying down cause i can't be upright too long. and also for some reason....i had a lot of ice cream and that strangely felt very nice as well! cooled the chest inside.
thanks again so so much, i will definitely suggest that to others. good thinking maura. you're the best!

maura · June 24, 2005, 10:47am

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

oreo · June 24, 2005, 2:38pm

My favorite is a pillow under my knees. Can't fall asleep without it. My back hurts and feels tight if I lay in bed without my bod in correct anatomical position. That includes sleeping on my side. I wake up when I turnover just so I can postion the pillow between my knees. Makes for a very restless night but atleast I very rarely wake up with my back really tight. Kind of nice.
Talk to you guys later.
Oreo

Worry not for tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself.

Remember healing comes one step at a time, sometimes it seems that its one forward and 2 back but ultimately, always in a forward direction!!!

Help HealingWell continue to help people. Please donate today. Every little bit helps. To donate go to www.healingwell.com/donate

amartin · June 24, 2005, 8:59pm

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.

maura · June 24, 2005, 10:44pm

Most rheumatologists are very knowledgeable regarding costochondritis and if you look it up on reliable sites like the Mayo clinic or the Johns Hopkins Hospital there are good explanations on what it is, the duration of pain and certain treatments.
Please dont just put it down to anxiety, as you may be missing some help out there.
Best of luck - Maura

user11 · June 27, 2005, 8:03pm

dear Amartin,

amartin · June 29, 2005, 4:40pm

hi, still in pain. No one has actually diagnosed it as costochondritis, but it sure feels like it. I am still having pain all day with acute pain once in a while. Last time was last night for two hours in the middle of the night. Couldn't stand, couldn't sit, couldn't lie down...I just had to wait it out. In my quest to get better I have seen 8 different practitioners. One acupuncturist (three times) and even a chirpopractor (i am not sure if that's helping or hurting more). I am finally taking prescription strength anti-inflammatories for ten days. I started yesterday. The pain has been around for two weeks as of yesterday. I have another appointment today with another PCP and hope that she has better news, or at least a diagnosis. I am extremely frustrated, I don't feel like myself, I am sad and tired all the time, and on top of it all, I am developing panic attacks when the pain comes. Anyone else with this combo?