Costochondeitis pain and aches

I get how you are feeling! I seem to be having more frequent attacks of costo that last longer! I do have fibro also. I'm 66 and I wonder if my doctor just calls this costo because he doesn't

 know what else to say!The symptoms ARE weird, for sure. When the pain stops, I feel fine and forget i was ever in pain, then kabam, here I go again! My attacks have all begun when I am in a sitting position, today I was actually relaxing in a recliner with a heating pad on my shoulder blade when i felt it begin! I do stay pretty sore with fibro and my shoulder blade muscle was sore. It started moving into my breasts and armpits, and top of rib cage then back to shoulder blades, and round the mulberry bush we go!! It does not stay in one place, but won't leave until it is ready. I had gone for almost three weeks with no trouble, then I took a pill that didn't feel like it dissolved and set off an attack. A week later another one for no reason, lasted four days. Now it's been a week and here we are again. I am always able (so far) to keep moving, and at night, once I get to sleep it does not bother me!! But will return after I am up awhile. Does anyone else have costo that moves all around?? Never goes below my bra line. it's driving me nuts!! EKG, chest exrays bloodwork all came back fine. I haven't seen anyone else post about the pain stopping when they sleep, or having it move around. Am I the only one? My travelling pain.lol while I am writing this it left my shoulder blades and has moved into my breasts again. Someone tell me I am not totally bonkers!!

Hi.  sorry i can't say anything that would be of any help, just want to express sympathy and to express frustration that i recently came down with something my doctor says is costo chondritis, but i'm not sure it is, and i was hoping to find online discussions where other more experienced people could help me to find out, but i can't. All i've found so far have been forums or discussions were nobody has posted in years, and those 3ith more recent posts like this one, people will introduce themselves and ask questions, and nobody replies.  So, i'm replying but i don't know much.  i will write a separate post to introduce myself an my pain situation, but i do want to say to Pamie, my pain has not awakened me during sleep. i do wake up in the middle of the night, go pee, and then go back to sleep, but since i've had this, for the past 4 weeks or so, sometimes when i get up to pee, the moving is excruciating. My doctor prescribed hydrocodone, he knows i won't take it very much, and i have taken it on average about once every 3 days since i got the prescription a couple of weeks ago, but do need it sometimes.  So much pain.  i am disabled. i was not disabled and suddenly i am. Anyway, but i did want to say that i don't feel it while i'm sleeping and it doesn't wake me up.   unlike you Pamie, mine does not move around, it's very localized. It's not typical of costo, i don't think, but i don't really know and wish i could find a group of people who are actively discussing it. i tried about a week ago and not being able to just worsened my depressed feelings.  

Hi Teri,

Had it for years? You poor thing. I'm approaching the one year mark and have to say that it's probably been the worst year of my life (I'm 58). The pain is so unpredictable, and at times excruciating, isn't it? Like you say, it shifts about; when you try to explain to those who don't know you it appears that you're making things up. My pains are in exactly the same places as yours plus the top of my abdomen.

In the beginning not knowing what it was was so nerve wracking and I think that my anxiety added to the pain. Once I had a diagnosis (4 months in) I felt a tiny bit better because it enabled me to research into what could be done in order to recover.

You mentioned that the symptoms are worse for you between Oct - May. Just a thought, but maybe you get out and about less during this time. I do know that some sufferers say cold affects them, but so far, luckily that isn't the case for me. It was 0 degrees here yesterday and my pains were no worse or better.

Over the last few weeks, as well as daily walks x 2 for at least 30 mins and using my Backpod I have been doing doorway stretches, see YouTube. I stand with my arms holding either side of the doorway and GENTLY and SLOWLY lean forward - not very far. I reposition my arms up the doorway and repeat. Slackening off the chest area in this way seems to be helping.

I do feel that I am getting better when I think of how I was a year ago because the intensity of the pain has lessened, but unfortunately it still dictates my life at the moment. Outings are virtually impossible to arrange as I never know if I'm going to be well enough from one minute to the next. Sitting and driving are particularly uncomfortable, but getting a little more tolerable as the months pass by. I have also started to feel uncomfortable in crowded situations for fear that I could get knocked. Any of this ring a bell?

I've recently started painting purely for my own pleasure. I'm no artist - abstracts are easy! However, surprisingly when I'm absorbed in what I'm doing the pain diminishes. It's ideal, no lifting or big stretches involved. No great expense ... just a few tubes of cheap acrylics and pre-stretched canvases. I think the processes involved trick my brain away from sending pain signals. Sounds bonkers? Well it works for me. I just have to remember not to remain in the same position for more than 30mins and to get up and move about frequently. I'm taking far fewer painkillers, just occasional paracetamol, ibroprofen and when really bad prescription co-codamol. Do you do anything as a distraction?

Like you, I'd like to hear from people who have fully recovered, or at least nearly there and how long it took. I'd also like to know whether it gradually disappeared or whether they just woke one morning and .... hey presto, it had disappeared. Wouldn't that be great!

Take care, CC.

hi i have had costo for 5 long years, pains in my rib cage under my bust then in my back and shoulders after so many tests all clear they just dish out pain killers that upset my stomach so i had a chat with chiropractor and he assured me he could help, after 3 visits the pain is just a little discomfort, i am able to wear a bra again and feel so much better, it cost me £120 but worth every penny

Hi, thanks for this information. What did the chiropractor do? Was the problem in your spine? I feel that there could be something not OK with my spine on the left hand side, as I have intermittent pain there and I feel it could be the cause of pain on my front left rib cage.

I'm very pleased for you - 5 years is such a long time to have had to deal with Costo.