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Costochondritis pain and discomfort

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sinead_34836
sinead_34836

I am a 39 yr old mother of a 5yr old daughter. I live in Newry, northern Ireland.

I was diagnosed with costochondritis 2 years ago this month. Like everyone elses case I have read on here I was totally convinced there was something more serious wrong with me and argued with my Doctor for a long time about it.

It started when I got a flu while on holidays and the only thing that I can think may

have brought it on was the coughing. It comes and goes every couple of months but there isn't a day that I don't get some kind of pain in my back or chest area. Just

before Christmas last year while driving to work I took really sharp chest pain and

felt like my heart was jumping around in my chest. This panicked me as I thought I

was having a heart attack. I pulled into the hard shoulder as I had my little girl in the car with me and I was finding it difficult to breath. The panic stopped after a while and I went straight to A&E. They did numerous tests, ECG, chest Xrays, blood tests, you name it and in the end they said they agreed with my GP that it was

costochondritis. They put me in Diclofenic tabs, which are anti inflammatory. They did help and the condition eased up after a few days but it wasn't long til it reared its ugly head again. so for me its 2 weeks of severe pain and maybe 4-5 weeks of bearable pain then back to severe pain again.

I am down at minute but this time its really bad, it seems each time I get it It is more severe. I am now on naproxin which to be honest I find useless. Pain killers are not working and even the hot water bottle which I found great is no use this time.

The majority of my pain in in my back between my shoulder blades and travels up into my neck and shoulders, sometimes down my arms. Although I have chest pain the worst is in my back, though if I were to press on my ribs at the front I could scream with pain.

I find this time with it being worse it is affecting my moods. I am snapping at my little girl all the time which I feel terrible about, and I just dont want to do anything. Work is just a nightmare recently. I am normally an upbeat person and very little gets me down, but it is really taking its toll. I have had this condition now for 2 years and it really in not understood. Most people I talk to have never heard of it, so when I found this forum and so many people suffering like myself it was a God send. So hopefully I can gain some knowledge from other people and anyone panicking about the pain they are feeling and thinking its something bad, can take some reassurance from my story.

Does anyone feel the pain is in their back more then their chest area. And if anyone has any advice or anything, please do share with me.

Sinead

11 likes, 604 replies

604 Replies

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  • loretta48774
    loretta48774 sinead_34836

    Posted

    Hi sinead 34836,

    I have had the same pain as you for the last 10 years. I am at my wits end sometimes, as I find it hard to breathe. I am not on any pain meds for this. I have a super sensitive stomach and pain killers hurt my stomach so badly that I refuse to take them. The heating pad or hot water bottle really feels good, but it is just a temporary fix. I just joined this group, so I haven't really read all of the posts. I will and hope that I read something beneficial to me. I feel sometimes like someone is putting a knife in the middle of my back. The pain in my chest goes right through to my back. If I press on my breastbone or ribs, I could scream out with the pain. I wish I had more to say to you, but I will get back to you a.s.a.p. 

  • QueenMo
    QueenMo sinead_34836

    Posted

    I keep hoping when I get a "break" it will be gone for good! Was in the hospital last week (diagnosed with bronchitis)! When the Costro raised its ugly head one morning I went into full blown panic attack ... I could not breathe and my BP was 220/160 (stroke level)! The nurses witnessed exactly how I went from getting ready to go home to a hot mess of crying and hurting and being kept in 1 more day! I wish I had answers 😩! Hoping for relief for you!

  • wendy35090
    wendy35090 sinead_34836

    Posted

    hi Sinead  I have had pain in my sternum for the past 45 years when I was younger I used to carry very heavy items as my job  at the time it did not bothe me,  but all of a sudden I was unable to lift a lot  Now I ony have t hoover, carry my shopping, make pastry and it sets of the pain,  It feels it goes into my throat, My ribs hurt, my bust hurts and if I sit with my back on a chair this will bring the pain right throught from the front to the back  I have tried so many painkillers but nothing works  I even had morphine patches but I could not do anything as they made me very slow  Unfortunately I am unable to take anti inflammatory tablets as they give me side affects.  Has anyone else experiended the pain gets worse when you rest yur back on  a chair  Cheers

      

  • ray63269
    ray63269 sinead_34836

    Posted

    I have same symptoms, lately more pain in Upper back between shoulder blades and up into neck and sometimes pain in arms, my ribs and sternum are very tender too
    • wendy35090
      wendy35090 ray63269

      Posted

      Hi Ray   If you sit in a chair do you get the pain radiating  from  your back (spine)  which then goes to the front (sternum)  I can take the pain in my arms and legs but I cannot tolerate the pain in my chest.  the only way I can get rid of this pain for a while is to lay on my side.  My doctor tells me that there is no cure for this I do not think they have any idea how painful it is.  I am hoping that hemp oil will one day be legal over here as it illegal at the moment.  If you find anything that works please let me know.  Hope you feel better soon .  
    • ray63269
      ray63269 wendy35090

      Posted

      Hi Wendy yes that does happen to me, sometimes even when I'm walking I get pain in middle of shoulder blades in the spine, earlier it started in left side of rib cage and into shoulder, it's all so tender and sternum is tender but not crushing, I get this sort of thing all the time even when I don't get the crushing pains, I'm on painkillers and creams but nothing really helps, I can only lay on my side, I'm thinking of trying olbas oil , I sometimes have steroid injections directly into sternum which can help for a little while but at moment in alot of discomfort, do you get the same as me

    • wendy35090
      wendy35090 ray63269

      Posted

      Hi Ray  I am so sorry that ypu suffer as much, but I must admit that to talk to someone who has the same problem makes me feel a little better as I had not met anyone before with the same symptoms.  The doctor has told me that I have to cut down on the amount of things that I do,  I am luky that I have retired so I am trying this.  As soon as the pain starts I stop  doing whatever I am doing, take a couple of tablets have a cup of tea and wait for them to kick in .  It doesnot last for long, but even half an hour without pain is a blessing. keep in contact as it is good to know I am not on my own.  Cheers. ~Wendy .  
    • Kamatsu
      Kamatsu wendy35090

      Posted

      Wendy, you are so right.....having someone who experiences similar issues can be so helpful.  Through this site, we can support and help each other cope with our symptoms and at times offer suggestions that may help.
    • ray63269
      ray63269 wendy35090

      Posted

      Hi Wendy of course I will stay in contact, and you are certainly not alone, I'm on holiday at the moment and trying to enjoy it as much as possible but it's very difficult, I'm in pain now with back pain in spine area and shoulders, poxy condition this is, I think I'm right in saying that the symptoms I put in last message you have the same

    • ray63269
      ray63269 Kamatsu

      Posted

      That is very true, hope you are OK, what type of symptoms do you have
    • Kamatsu
      Kamatsu ray63269

      Posted

      My symptoms are mainly pain in the rib areas and chest.  Sometimes my chest feels like there is a weight sitting on it.  I get pain in my shoulders as well.  I have fibromyalgia and I think that the two conditions interact so I don't know which is causing what some days.

    • ray63269
      ray63269 wendy35090

      Posted

      Really annoying at the moment, not full blown episode but really aching in back and ribs and now in shoulders and neck, do you get all these too
    • wendy35090
      wendy35090 ray63269

      Posted

      Hi  I hurt all over all day, when I cannot stand it I take a couple of Co-codamol 15/500 mg  this helps the chest pain for a while.  Hope you feel better soon Wendy
    • wendy35090
      wendy35090 ray63269

      Posted

      Hi   Neck pain not too bad  my worst is the sternum and my ribs and spine.  I only have to make a bed  carry a bag of shopping and the sternum hurts like mad.  cheers wendy
    • ray63269
      ray63269 wendy35090

      Posted

      Hi Wendy me too, always left side ribs hurt the most, spine started to ache then straight into ribs at left back then into left front and into sternum and that was from walking too far, thanks ray
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