Help!

Posted , 7 users are following.

please help, I'm so scared! I'm in so much pain. I went to the doctors 3 months ago with pain in my ribs, back, front, top, bottom... Everywhere! The pain I felt in my lower back made me think it might be a kidney infection. I aso felt like I was getting really hot. The doctor wasn't too helpful and told me I'd been under a lot of stress and that was probably causing it. I actually swore I was so angry and in pain. I kept saying, there is something really wrong and he just kept saying, I think you are under stress, you've  been through a lot, your anxious etc. He didn't bother to check my ribs which were black with bruises from pressing on them to try and relieve the pain. I left the surgery and cried in my car.  He did take a urine sample because I pushed but it ended up not showing anything. About two months into battling this pain and feeling things were getting worse I went back and saw my regular doctor, she had been on holiday before. She was much more understanding. She told me it could be Costochondritis but that we needed to do a chest X-ray to rule out anything nasty. Well, so much time had passed between first having the pain and it was so much worse I convinced myself it was something awful and I avoided the X-ray for about 3 weeks until a friend intervened and took me to the hospital. I was in a right state... Crying everyday, thinking this was it for me. I couldn't/ can't imagine so much pain without it being something more severe. I read about this condition but what worried me is that It never felt heart related like So many people seem to report. Anyway, the chest X-ray came back negative as well as the X-ray of the stomach... I'm now worried that something has spread from my breasts and they were checking the wrong place. I had a lump looked at a while back and they said it was nothing to worry about. I had mammograms and ultrasounds but I keep thinking what if they have missed something?! I was already taking an opiate based painkiller for a back condition but it's not touching the pain. I'm calling the doctors office tomorrow to tell them I can't take much more! I also forgot to add that I took a course of antibiotics and it seemed to improve for a couple of days but then it flared right back up... It seems worse... No, it is worse. I'm so worried. Anyone else have similar symptoms? I keep pressing on my ribs and now the bottom ones seem to pop/ crack very now and then.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Nick,

    So sorry you are going through this. This Costro really stinks. Today I had alot of pain..increased because of anxiety. A medicine I take for the pain is called Neurontin.. Def helps. Aslo cold soft compresses really help too. Or a TENS unit helps. I also take meds for anxiety..they help as well. The Costro seems to go in cycles. Good for a while bad for a while. Have you seen a rheumatologist? gotten your SED rate taken(Bloodwork). This will get  better. Hang in there

  • Posted

    Sorry u are in so much pain it's like it is never going to stop no matter what you do I've had this for over a year been to docs so many times hot bathes do help don't lift to much use a hot water bottle to ease pain I don't know what else to say to help just hang in there

  • Posted

    Hi Nick.

    i'm so sorry you're experiencing such pain.  an x-ray won't rule costochondritis in or out.  I think your Doctor should try treating you with one of ''nerve pain'' analgesics like ''nortripptyline''. if it's costochondritis this will sort it rather quickly.  I had it for 4 years before a diagnosis was made...................I was in agony and no-body believed me, implying it was stress/psychomatic etc.  I hope you get sorted soon as the pain can be excrusating. 

  • Posted

    Please calm down. This condition is made worse when you are stresed and worried. I have it too and it flares on me especislly when I am stressed. You need to trust your Dr. when the tests say there is nothing wrong. Going Dr. to Dr. does not help the situation. This condition is nothing more than inflammation of the rib cage area which involves inflammation in the muscles which causes pain all over the torso, I take Ibuprofan and use a moist heating pad when I get flare ups. Most importantly, you need to stop worrying so much,,,this only makes it worse.How old are you anyway? I dealt with severe pain with fibromyalgia and migraines for 18 years and Ithe pain I get from this condition is mild compared to this.  If you can stop your worrying so much, it will get better.
  • Posted

    Go to a Walmart or any store near you. But a electric heating pad. A frontal back brace that can go very tight. Also buy some stick on heating pads. Im guessing you took something for your pain, here's the thing you need anti inflammatory meds. Buy the strongest Advil you can find at the store. Go home stop going to the hospital doctor. They did the save to me for a few years. Call a private clinic doctor in your area. They will diagnose you in half an hour. Ask that doctor for tramadol.

    Now for the right now pain, stick the stick on heating pads where it hurts the most. Put on the frontal brace as tight as possible. Lay on a pillow on your bed and if your heating pads wear off put the electic heating pad in its place. What you're trying to do is push back your ribs into place it's called an episode your ribs are just pushed out and you'll you're like a little pop when they push out and you're just trying to pop them back in so laying and putting pressure back on your ribs will push them to pop back in and the heat will help you from stop bruising

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