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Costochondritis with Prednisone?

Posted , 11 users are following.

bob73443
bob73443

Hi wonderful people,

I'm on 12.5 mg of prednisone, going down to 10.0 mg slowly.  Ever since my journey with PMR began, I've been suspicious about the pain in my lower right rib cage and also in my sternum.

The pain in the sternum has been slowly getting worse over the last few weeks. When I sneeze the pain is indescribable.  It feels like I'm breaking something. The last doctor visit I had, the doc said is sounded like costochrondritis, but how can I have inflammation there when I've been on such high doses of prednisone since the summer?

Any ideas?

Thanks so much, and Happy New Year.

2 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • shawn99
    shawn99 bob73443

    Posted

    Hi Bob,

    What you are experiencing is what I have been going through for about a year now. My PMR started out with only my lower body being affected (6 months) and then spreading to my upper body (1 year now).

    I am currently on 14mgs of prednisone and reducing very slowly.

    I also take 50 mgs of azathioprine (twice daily), but no other prescribed medication.

    Sometimes I cannot sneeze period and when I can it always hurts. Some days the pain is mild and other days it is very strong. Coughing is only slightly discomforting. My chest area is always sore, varying in intensity from day to day. This applies to the ribs and surrounding area, stretching aroud my back to the rhomboid muscles. I still cannot take a real deep breath of air without experiencing pain.

    I keep a daily log of my execise and compare it to my pain on a daily basis. So far the pain hasn't been associated with the specific type of execise I do. I can work my upper body and not have pain in that area. Likewise for my lower body. It seems strange, but that's the way it is. All the pain I am going through floats around to dfferent parts of my body. Nothing is consistently strong in any location. 

    I hope this helps and best of luck.

    Shawn

    • tina-uk_cwall
      tina-uk_cwall shawn99

      Posted

      Hi Shawn, I hope you've read members replies on this thread as perhaps you could attribute what you are suffering from to one of them, there's also a syndrome called tietzes syndrome that is closely linked to costochondritis. Then as I said earlier PMR can effect the rib cage as like Eileen has said because of of the blood supply issue it will take longer to recover even when taking large doses of preds. Christina 
    • EileenH
      EileenH shawn99

      Posted

      Has myofascial pain syndrome been considered? Knots of muscle fibres in various positions in the back and shoulders irritate nerves and cause referred pain - the localisation of the pain depends on which nerves are affected, much like discs causing it. It is possible to use manual mobilisation to sort out the knots - or cortisone injections or a couple of other techniques including massage and Bowen therapy.
    • bob73443
      bob73443 shawn99

      Posted

      Shawn,

      You are I are experiencing the same thing.  I am beginning to wonder, however, if I ought to get my esophagus scoped.  My doc has always suspected that my condition is being triggered by some other thing, and although I know that's always true with PMR that nagging pain I've always had in my lower right rib cage just might be causing all this.

      My doc does not think so, but he's willing for meto undergo any test I desire.  I have a very sympathetic doc.

      Thanks!

  • joey2
    joey2 bob73443

    Posted

    There is another problem that can happen at the fibrous junction areas where ligaments meet bone. Those areas are rich in sensory nerves. The ligaments become too loose and it is called Global Laxity.  If you keep getting muscle pulls in areas such as shoulder, elbows, knees, toes, and yes, ribs (any area with a joint) be aware. This disease can cause pain all over.  I can see that this malady can be confused with PMR or Fibromyalgia or be with us in conjunctiion to the PMR with pain all over. Muscular control does not compensate for ligamentous laxity, joint instability may result. Ligament laxity will show up on an upright MRI, the only kind of MRI that will show soft tissue damage. It can only be inferred from a digital motion x-ray. Regular x-rays and MRIs do not show it.
  • prasanna_74
    prasanna_74 bob73443

    Posted

    Hi Bob,

    Since last one month I'm diagnosed have costochondraitis. Phisio, Osteo & Nurofen.. Nothing is working!!!same pain

    Just started "prednisolone"

    Do you think it works

    Please share your treatments

  • bob73443
    bob73443

    Posted

    Hi all,

    As the original poster of this Costochondritis thread, I thought I'd give everyone an update.

    First of all, I'm still on prednisone. I actually got down to 0.5 mg/day but experienced a severe flare at that level. I took 5 mg one day, 4 the next, and then started the slow taper again at 3.0 mg/day. I'm currently at 2.5 mg/day.

    The rather severe Costochondritis symptoms gradually subsided. In fact, they are currently non-existent. I can't remember when they disappeared -- I'd say maybe a year ago.

    The only reason I won't start tapering again is because of shoulder pain. It's not severe by any means, but it's always there.

    In summary, my symptoms have more-or-less travelled over the last 5 years. I have a doctor who is very open to reading anything I send him from this forum -- and he's perfectly okay for me to dwell at 2.5 mg the rest of my life if necessary.

    So hang in there everyone, and most importantly find a doctor that you can PARTNER with in this journey.

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