Costochondritis pain and discomfort
Posted , 202 users are following.
Im 31 and was diagnosed with costochondritis about a year ago. Its kinda lasted the whole year, but recently, over the past few months its been really bad....went back to my gp twice in the last 2 weeks because was convinced it was something more serious.
The main tenderness has been on my left lower rib cage, just under my breast, but now I have pains on my upper right breast plate. My gp has requested ecg/chest xray and blood test to reassure me that there is nothing seriously wrong (still awaiting to have these tests done, but should be anytime soon) hence the reason im on this forum as even tho my gp actually said to me 'I will fall off the back of my chair ifit is anything more serious...I still can't stop worrying as the pain is so bad.
Im getting so anxious about it too, especially at night just before bed, then find it so difficult to sleep, the more anxious I get the worse the pains seems.
Does anyone else find themselves pushing onto the pain when it hurts? This is probably making it worse I know, but can't help wanting to hold the pain!
Im really glad to have read all the discussions on this forum, it really is giving me some reassurance that it isn't just me and that something that isnt life threatening can be so uncomfortable and painful 
19 likes, 370 replies
sean1973 shelle7belle
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Over the past 5 months or so I have been experiencing mild to quite severe pains in the left side of my chest 3rd and 4th ribs about middle just about where my heart is. At first I was very worried as the pain would come and go, worse on some days than others. I visited my doctors 9 times in total with another visit to my A&E department convinced that the pain I was experiencing was a heart attack. 5 ECG's, 6 blood tests, echo cardiogram, 6 different pain killers (Including nerve pain killers) and the doctors were still puzzled because as far as they were concerned I was fit and healthy with everything coming up negative!!. I was convinced myself that what I was experiencing was diet/ food related in that when I eat indian or chinese takeaways/ fast foods / unhealthier foods such as fried, oily, fatty, red meats etc it gets worse and after doing some research still think that this is the case. What I wanted to come on here and say is that anyone suffering in this way may have Costochondritis and although it can be painful should ease your minds with some knowledge that what you have is not life threatening, it is just uncomfortable but should go away eventually (I hope mine does) an anti inflammatory Diet can help reduce inflammation in some cases and may take a little time for your body to adjust but hopefully you should see results. Eat more of things like oily fish (good oils - omega3) bell peppers, garlic, turmeric, leafy greens, Matcha green tea, shitake mushrooms etc, and avoid fatty, red meats, fried anything, refined sugar, some dairy and wheat products, processed foods etc. the latter are known to add to an inflammatory problem and can make it worse. So to wrap up, yes it is uncomforatble, yes it can give you worries (its not your heart) and yes it a pain to change diet but we are alive, we are not having a heart attack and we can resume our daily lives as soon as we get to a point that it an be managed. Look after yourself. Eat well and dont worry! as the age old saying goes we are what we eat! ~(eat unhealthy foods and we will be unhealthy) I hope this helps someone else like me
trina86274 shelle7belle
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lI've been having this issue on and off for 4 years. It began by a pulled muscle in ball hockey. I couldn't raise my left arm or breath deeply in or out. I thought I was having a heart attack. I rushed to the hospital and they couldn't find anything wrong. I'm 37 now and it still comes back occasionally. I have a rib that goes out of place that the chiropractor puts back in and I get a massage on my upper peck muscles that are pulling which causes the pain under my breast. So over the years I have discovered the following things:
carrying heavy purses aggravate it (I carry on my left) ,leaning on my left elbow watching tv scrunching up the area, tight bras with heavy underwire, lifting heavy objects with arms wide, and sleeping on my left side too much.
It is really quite simple. I carry everything on my left shoulder lean on my left side and am a left sided sleeper. Just incase I get mammograms every year and get an ECG every year. The doctor doesn't want to take any chances. But it all stems back to the one injury in ball hockey. Thankfully it has never been that painful since. Try seing a chiropractor it does wonders for me. Also working out and good posture in the long run is the most preventative medicine.
I hope this helps
Trina :D
jules756 shelle7belle
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sean1973 jules756
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sie1212 jules756
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debbie84914 shelle7belle
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anne11005 debbie84914
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margaret08503 shelle7belle
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what was the results? i am dyng to hear as i am going to tru the same pain even worse
can4484 shelle7belle
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jules756 can4484
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I've been battling this now for 8-months and the pain goes from 2nd/3rd rib under my breasts around the sides, mid-back and badly in the shoulder blades. I have abdomen swelling and pain too but this seems to be rare from what I read... I've had every scan done. Thoratic MRI shows disc herniation at T6-T7 which would cause similar symptoms but doc don't think that's the issue. So hard to tell the origin when the pain moves around constantly! Sounds like you have classic pain symptoms. I get chest tightness when ribs restricted or anxious.
stevie14 jules756
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I ended up back in the Er last night because the pain was so bad. They took xrays and all is fine there. I do have 3 herniated discs, C4 C5 &C6 which are inflammed now which attributes to some of the pain but not the horrible rib and back pain! I got a shot of a steroid, was put on an oral steroid for 5 days to reduce inflammation and also a muscle relaxant. The shot gave me afew hours releif but the pain came roaring back in the middle of the night! No wonder we are all stressed by this condition.
can4484 jules756
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can4484
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Loo_pulpy can4484
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Still can't get my head round it lol because all I know is it's a pain and it bloody hurts!!
jules756 Loo_pulpy
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But, yes you're right it just bloody hurts no matter what!!
For this reason I finally broke down and starting taking Amitryptyline to help with that nerve pain we're talking of. And it has helped quite a lot actually... I've been on it nearly 4-wks now.
Unfortunately the docs don't know much about the extent of CC/Tietzes. As we know until you experience the pain and associated sensations, you'll never understand or fully appreciate the desperation is causes...
Hang in there and keep using this forum!
jules756
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can4484 Loo_pulpy
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can4484 jules756
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can4484
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Loo_pulpy jules756
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He said let me examine you and he pressed between the breast area and I jumped and then he pressed the back and I nearly hit him!!
He said omg you nearly hit me, to which I said oh it must of been one of those brain signals you were on about , he didn't laugh but I chuckled a bit!
Straight away he said right I can help you with injections .
They worked for 6 months but to be fair he did say the pain I was in it was unusual to get such a good result with one lot, so now it's worse than last year so I may need 2 lots , I will let you know what he says next week, so fingers crossed everyone 😃
jules756 Loo_pulpy
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Where exactly did they inject you and how many injections?
sean1973 jules756
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jules756 can4484
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Like I mentioned until you experience this personally you'll never understand.
I do know now how anyone with Fibromalgia feels. And even bone cancer... Many times my entire body, joints and bones felt riddled with infection. But in my case I did have some kind of infection which went untreated for too long.
Loo_pulpy jules756
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As you look down to your breast area they started in the middle of breast area and followed down ribs then the same the other side.
He said before he did it it hurts like hell and you will not like me for at least 3/4 days. He was right I felt like I had been hit by a bus!!
I must be mad as I'm looking forward to having them done again 😁
jules756 stevie14
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You have company as I was back in the ER 4-wks ago with worst shortness of breath I've experienced yet.., Blood pressure 179/138! They moved fast thinking I was about to have a heart attack but after "another" normal EKG all slowed down. Then of course when they read my history and humored me a little before discharging me with the usual form.
Oh it's awful what this does to our system...!
Inherently I am a very controlled person over both my mind and my emotions and very methodical in my thinking... Being an airline pilot, this is what the job requires and one subconsciously perfects this after 20 yrs of it. So suddenly coming down with an illness that makes no sense and with no known conclusion is just as bad as the pain itself. When it kicked in to gear with me I remember telling my boyfriend through my disbelief, I have completely lost control of my body and mind, which I should probably now refer to as 'nervous system.' We're all in unknown territory here which is what frightens us... I am thankful for this forum.
stevie14 jules756
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jules756 stevie14
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I was still that way a couple of months ago to the point I took a course of antibiotics still being convinced I have the bacteria in my system. I won't talk about my conspiracy theory too much but that aside my body has gradually got stronger. I'm not as weak as I was before, after even a walk... I am taking Amytriptyline and Diclofenac which are helping significantly. In my case any rib constriction from clothing, bra etc. sets it all off... But I am adamant to wear a bra of some kind because not wearing one is just as bad on my sternum I've now figured out... I'm a chesty girl!
Tramadol is doing ok for now but I'm learning my limits now. (Very important!) If I do too much then the recovery is slow and miserable. But I AM better than I was. I have to tell myself that when I feel despair kicking in.... 1Sean1973 has some uplifting posts. His story 6-months ago was the same as mine but I believe he is coming out the other side now as we will. Eventually...
stevie14 jules756
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jules756 stevie14
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I've tried it all now... I'm letting my current med-plan kick in and taking it easy. Have you thought about something like Amytriptyline?
can4484 jules756
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stevie14 jules756
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can4484 stevie14
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can4484 jules756
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can4484 jules756
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can4484 jules756
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stevie14 can4484
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can4484 stevie14
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jules756 can4484
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What is your Osteopath recommending?
jules756 can4484
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jules756 stevie14
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stevie14 jules756
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jules756 stevie14
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I feel for you with so much back pain. Late last year I went to two spinal experts and they both sent me away saying that's not the problem. Yet I couldn't sit back in a chair when it was really bad because it pushes the rib cage forward and out. Unfortunately what is happening at the front is relaying to the back and vice-versa it sucks!! Did you have PT lately or something that triggered the back more so...?
What are you taking for an anti-inflammatory?
can4484 jules756
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stevie14 jules756
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jules756 stevie14
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cathhorts79 jules756
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I have tried PT and acupuncture also….
I am new here, have had costo for 1 year now, I am pretty certain mine was triggered by stress, refused to believe this to start with but research of journals does nickname it the 'bracing disease'; i.e. brace upper body to the point of being too tense which in turn impacts the intercostals - thinking about it mine started when I moved into a new job in my company which I am still not happy in - trying to work on it.
The most distressing thing I find is restricted activity to the point of zilch, I miss my social clubs playing badminton/squash, to do some pilates but I guess this is just tensing muscles further and even yogastretches hurt. I did rest completely for about 11 months, only to find my left side and ribcage had locked up and my left rib cage was only moving a fraction of what it should when i was breathing! So I have stretched all that out and worked through the pain as I can't have it locked again - I have tried both resting and slight exertion and neither has helped cure anything. If this is a stress related condition (for some), you would think that light exercise would aid you to relax the mind and get better but it doesn't even allow you to implement a stress relieving measure to do that!
jules756 cathhorts79
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I just had my first appointment with an Osteopath and I'm really really hoping he can straighten me out. Literally! I don't know what else to try... He recommended Arnica Gel too which I just purchased at the local pharmacy. It's homeopathic and does bring some relief so far... It may be the same as Fastum Gel but that is not available here in the US.
laura32704 jules756
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debwestmids can4484
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