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Calling all aunties (and uncles)

Posted , 7 users are following.

rachel24455
rachel24455

is all pain pmr?

since Wednesday I have had the worst pain in my right side (like the most hideous stitch), at the bottom of, and including my ribs.

paracetemol aren't touching the pain (sound familiar?), so I'm back to cocodamol at night. I left a message for the GP but he's not called back, and even went to a&e today, but the signs make it clear, quite rightly, that this is the place for life threatening problems only.

increase the pred?

aarghhhhhhhhhhj

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy rachel24455

    Posted

    I had similar symptoms a while back it was Costochondritis in my case. Absolute agony, I could hardly breathe. It went away eventually.
  • EileenH
    EileenH rachel24455

    Posted

    To me it sounds like either costochondritis as ptolemy says or possibly myofascial pain syndrome and the spasmed muscles are irritating the nerves that run round the body at about rib level.
    • EileenH
      EileenH

      Posted

      PS - are you mixing up the forums? No aunties here... lol
  • amkoffee
    amkoffee rachel24455

    Posted

    I have to disagree with ptoemy and Eileen. It is not costochondritis if it is on your side. Costochondritis is only in front and near thought your breastbone area. From your description it sounds like it's on your side right about where your ribs are and just below your ribs.

    The reason I know it's not costochondritis is because I just experienced this exact problem 2 to 3 months ago. Mine went on for 4 months and I went to every kind of doctor in the world including the emergency room and Immediate Care. I think I saw a total of six doctors before one finally diagnosed me. And I don't know about you but this was literally the worst pain I've ever felt in my life bar none. And I have two children that I gave birth to.

    It is a intercostal muscle strain that affect the intercostal nerves. Intercostal muscles are the muscles that hold the ribs together yet allow them to expand when you take a breath. And I'm betting when you taking a deep breath it hurts like hell. Whenever you have to breathe or cough put a pillow to that area and hold it tight it makes all the difference in the world .

    My pain management doctor is the one who finally came up with the diagnosis and a way of treating it. She scheduled me for a intercostal nerve block. (thoracic nerves) I did not end up getting this nerve block done because I'm on blood thinners and I had to stop taking them for 10 days so that they could do the injection. By the time the 10 days past I finally started to feel some relief from the pain. So I canceled the intercostal nerve block and did not end up having it done. It save me $50 to not do it.

    I hope this helps you. If you Google intercostal muscles and intercostal nerves you'll learn a lot about it.

    • rachel24455
      rachel24455 amkoffee

      Posted

      Yes! And can't even blow a whistle to get the dogs to come to me! Literally crying out in pain if I cough or sneeze! 

      So months to go then? 

      Im so fed up of all of this! I'm 52 and feel 102....

    • amkoffee
      amkoffee rachel24455

      Posted

      Try alternating heat and ice on it. I found a little more relief with heat. But I am always so hot it killed me to use a heating pad.

      I really hope yours does not last as long as mine did. And mine started out not as bad and then progressively got worse. I'll be thinking of you and hoping for a speedy recovery.

  • Elizamc
    Elizamc rachel24455

    Posted

    I had severe rib pain in my left side, nothing I did could relieve it and several GP visits didn’t lead to a right diagnosis or successful treatment. Eventually my GP diagnosed nerve pain from osteophytes on my spine. Two courses of naproxen sorted it.
    • amkoffee
      amkoffee Elizamc

      Posted

      I am really glad you got some relief Naproxen but I will tell you that when I had mine I was already taking two kinds of opiate pain medication for lower back pain and still was in so much pain I can barely move. A doctor put me on gabapentin and a 60 mg prednisone pack. I think after a few days that treatment is what helped me the most.
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