1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Costochondritis and Tietze's Syndrome

Costochondritis pain and discomfort

Posted , 177 users are following.

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

Prev Next
  • martina43
    martina43 sinead_34836

    Posted

    Hi I'm a suffer of costochondritis I got it when I got an infection.. I was 26 at the time I still get terrible bouts of this and I'm now 43..
  • Beekeeper3
    Beekeeper3 sinead_34836

    Posted

    Hello...I am so glad I found this forum.   I have had this for many years, proably 10 years at least.    My first doctor said it was just normal rib pain, even when I complained over and over again about it.     The 2nd doctor did so many tests on me, including an MRI, and still couldn't tell me why I was having these pains.    I thought they were caused by my cholesterol statins I was taking, but after I stopped taking them, the pain is still here.    It goes in cycles.    Sometimes I feel fine, other times miserable.     All the muscles in my chest area hurt when I push on them.   And when I don't puch on them, it a chronic pain.     Aleve helps but it doesn't cure it and it comes back the next day.   I finally have a name for it.    I thought I was the only person who had this.    Is there a cure?    Does anyone know what causes it?    I'm going to try the OLBAS Oil.    I already take Flax Seed Oil which my doctor advised for cholesterol control, but it doesn't help Costochondritis.    Why would Fish Oil help this?    I'm going to do more reading, but this is a good start.   Now I can go to my doctor and tell him this is what it is.    thanks everyone.    Send me your help.
  • terri60182
    terri60182 sinead_34836

    Posted

    Hi There

    Sorry to hear what your going through...beleive me I know I have had costochondritis since I was in my early teens and now I am 43 and still have it ...no one knew back then what it was ..so it kept getting put over ...till I turned 24 then they finally diagnosed it ....after years of going tio different Dr and kept going back to my GP she finally sent me to a cardiologist who did all the tests and told me that it was not my heart but costo ...and again 2 years ago I did all the test and thankfully all normal and just recently had ECG and blood work done and loop test all normal so I know it is costo ...but it is scary at times because no- one understands it unless they have experienced it .

    The pain veries ...sometimes in my arms and chest ..sometimes in my back like right now I have the tenderness and short sharp pains in my right chest to my sturnum and pain in my back between the shoulder blades ...very painful ...anxiety makes it worse sitting at my desk makes it worse ....the pain right now I havent felt in awhile so I have booked a message for this afternoon hoping it will ease my pain ....

    I am NOTa DR but speaking from my experience I usually take a hot epsem salt bath a tylnol or advil hot water bottles and just lie down for abit ...do some deep breathing and pray ....

    I hope this helps .

    • jules756
      jules756 terri60182

      Posted

      Thank you for your information. I was actually thinking I was on the mend a few weeks ago but alas not to be...

      I have and am pretty sure I still the initial infection rattling around in my system. My pain is as you say, very much in the shoukder blades and back but also terrible GI issues. My new drastic change of tack now is I'm off all meds completely as we think some of those those are creating GI problems. I will take Ativan when needed to calm me down. I am back to struggling with depression dealing with the constant pain and lack of diagnosis. I do believe I have CC but something else is fueling it I think. Not to mention nerve issues... That's a whole other mine-field!

    • terri60182
      terri60182 jules756

      Posted

      Hi There

      Yes the costo pain can be different for everyone but everyone I have spoken to has experienced one or the other if not all at the same time .

      The meds could be causing the GI problems as I had something similar and my GP and I decided to try to cut them out ...it has worked to some extent but I also have other issues. It is amazing how many ppl have the same issues but they still dont know much about this ...I also take adivan when needed ...let me know how you are doing I hope you get well soon .

    • terri60182
      terri60182 jules756

      Posted

      At first no one could figure it out or what it was but finally they told me since I suffered from Bronchitis alot and I did a lot of heavy weights ...now I cannot do to much on a good day I can stretch and move and actually rest on my side on bad days I cannot even turn a certain way ...

    • jules756
      jules756 terri60182

      Posted

      Interesting... I got it after two months of contact infection, sinus infection cold, acute bronchitis and who knows maybe a gym visit put me over the edge. All I know is 10 months later I'm barely better just different pain.
    • Beekeeper3
      Beekeeper3 terri60182

      Posted

      Terri

      Thanks for sharing.   Yes, this does help.   Just knowing finally what it is and seeing what others have gone through with this pain is very helpful.   Now I can go to my doctor and say I know what this pain is.   From there, hopefully, he will prescribe me with something, not sure what, but at least I won't look like I'm a big baby always complaining when all the tests say there is nothing wrong with me.    The pain is real and no matter how many tests they perform on you and find nothing wrong, finally I'll be able to tell me, yes, there IS something wrong.    No one knows how to explain it or why it's happening unless they can feel it for themselves.     Today it's not so bad, but 2 days ago it was unbearable.   Even when I don't feel it chronically, if I push on any muscle in the chest, under arms, ribs, or neck area, I feel a sharp pain.    Thank you all for reassuring me I'm not making this up or crazy...lol.    LOL

    • Hannah005
      Hannah005 terri60182

      Posted

      Hi There,

      I've recently just been diagnosed with this horrible condition and have not yet learnt how to manage the pain. I saw you mentioned you booked a massage and I just wondered if you feel like this helps? I have been thinking of getting one but at the moment as the pain is so bad I can't lie down flat for long enough to get a massage but am hoping once the pain begins to ease that maybe it would help. At the moment I'm willing to try anything!

      Thanks.

    • linda00569
      linda00569 Hannah005

      Posted

      Hi Hannah my recommendation is rub olbas oil in the affected area use ice as often as 3 times a day rest no lifting stretching or twisting chiropractor for Aqua puncture certainly is very good cured mine it's not painful to have use a chiropractor  that has been recommended or do some research on the one you choose hope this helps I know this is a very awful illness but rest is very important 
  • lloydon
    lloydon sinead_34836

    Posted

    I have had chest wall pain for 2 decades. Originally I was told it was from a hernia diagnosed from an MRI at T5-T6 (thoracic spine) causing the rib pain. I have had many heart tests and blood tests and nothing possitive. My highest rib does pertrude. Pain meds work a little. But over the years pain attacks get worse and last longer. I am going to have a blood test for Macroprolactin. I am a male of 72. 

    A possitive for Macroprolactin would indicate a chest wall lesion. If it is a chect wall tumor, I think after 20 years, I would be dead by now. We will see.

  • lloydon
    lloydon sinead_34836

    Posted

    I am a 72 year old male and have had the exact condition you are all talking about for 20 years. What I don't see is - anyone who has had an MRI. My MRI shows a thoracic hernia at T5-T6. My many doctors say "it is this that that rediates the pain to my ribs". I have had epidurals to my neck and back. I have tried many pain meds. Yes, sitting makes it worse because it puts pressure on the back. For me chiropractic makes it worse. Acupuncture does not work. Being up and about makes it better. The only exercise that does not make it worse is bike riding.
  • Hannah005
    Hannah005 sinead_34836

    Posted

    Hi Sinead,

    I have recently been diagnosed with this horrible condition after constant trips to my GP and then ending up in A&E as the pain was agonizing. Every time I took a deep breath I had stabbing pains in my chest. I can't lie flat on my back and can't go anywhere near being on my left hand side so sleeping is horrible. The docs have given me some pretty strong codeine to help with the pain as anti inflams are too strong on my stomach but I don't feel like the pain killers do much except make me drowsy. I feel like this condition has recently taken over my life as I've given up all exercise, can't sleep properly and have even had to take time off work as the pain is so bad. It's all fairly new to me so I haven't yet learnt how to manage the pain so was wondering if you had found anything that works well for you yet? I'm only 26 and I don't want this to take over my life! It's very frustrating and the doctors just tell you the same thing over and over about how the pain will ease in a few days and it's nothing major... Yet I don't think they realise how severe the pain can be. I don't know anyone else that has this so am hoping to get some advice by following this forum.

    Any advice would be much appreciated!

  • kiera29153
    kiera29153 sinead_34836

    Posted

    Your story has really helped tonight, being transgender and having small breasts over the past year I've been wearing 2 under wire bras that gave me a double lift on both and now it's really taken its turn on me. I first got it about a month ago and I thought I was having a panic attack I went into hospital the next night because I was still in pain I had ecg, chest x-Ray and blood test and was all fine then I went home and thought about it and it was Deffo the only conclusion to what was happening I get really sharp pains between my shoulder blades and feels like my heart is beating harder and I have to breathe with more effort and also when I drink fluid I have bad breathing after as if the tubes are tight. I'm really nervous that this is a lifetime thing and I'm stuck with it being only 17 it is really worrying I feel like I've lost my appetite and everything I can't go out anymore due to the pain and also I don't want to go to work even though our stories are really similar I still feel like it's something more serious. Sharing your story really helped thanks
Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.