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Diagnosed with tietze a few months ago, now having huge flare up! And don't know what to do! 😩

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Guest

I was diagnosed with tietze two months ago after several trips to the doctors and a&e, and being diagnosed with all sorts! At one point I was told I needed to get my whole rib cage realigned!! So glad I didn't!! to begin with it was the odd sharp chest pain, some tightness in the chest and occasional palpatations ( I put the palpatations down to my high anxiety) but a week before Christmas I had just finished a long shift at work was waiting for my taxi and boom an intense pain in my chest, it became hrs to breath I was sweating and went weak at the knees! I honestly though I might collapse! Or worse die! Extreme I know but that's how bad the pain was, well needless to say I see my doctor and I was signed off work with a flare up, nearly a month later and I'm still not able to work! The pain is so bad in my chest it terrifies me! I honestly feel like I'm going to have heart attack and die alone at home!! Add to that anxiety and depression and you have one big mess of a once happy girl!! I just wish the pain would ease up!! I know I have written a lot but I don't really have anyone to talk to about this no one seems to understand, I feel like everyone thinks I'm lying when I'm really suffering bad, sometimes I don't leave the house for days! In only 25 this shouldn't be my life! can anyone offer any advice for the pain?? I sleep with a hot water bottle on my chest which helps a bit and I take amytriptyline at night, as well as propanalol for the palpatations, but I have heard yoga may be good for stretching out the ribs? Please any advice would help! 😖

1 like, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • HavenStreet
    HavenStreet Guest

    Posted

    Kayleigh I sent you a pm. Go to the top right and click on the envelope, or you can go to your profile
  • pheath85
    pheath85 Guest

    Posted

    Whose photo is that with the mask on? Do they have Costo or a breathing issue?
    • HavenStreet
      HavenStreet pheath85

      Posted

      It's me, and it's a drawing smile I have costo for two years today, and it also hurts to breathe when the pleurisy flared up.
    • HavenStreet
      HavenStreet pheath85

      Posted

      Hmmm, my reply disappeared. The masked image is me. It's a drawing. I have costochondritis- two years now. Representing a gas mask because it hurts to breathe with that and pleurisy
    • HavenStreet
      HavenStreet Guest

      Posted

      Well, it kinda looks like me. What I would like post apocalypse, lol :P
  • Grahamsc
    Grahamsc Guest

    Posted

    Hi there does seem to be a link between Costachondritis and anxiety.

    From the 'forum' I am paraphrasing something that is helping me...

    Breathe

    The breathing must soft and gentle into belly. Lie on your back and keep 2 pillows under knees. Small pillow under head. Hands

    on belly. You want to be ultra relaxed. Try not to tense up your body. Put hands on tummy. Learn how to fill up your belly with air. Breath in and feel the belly rise.. ( like dough under a cloth).. breathe in SLOWLY to the count of 3 or 4 and let the air sip out through your lips to the count of 8 or 10. The more you stay

    relaxed and let the belly relax, the more beneficial. You dont want to to do lateral breathing as this sort of breath expands the ribcage. The belly must rise up..NOT your chest. Practise practise..Do this kind of breathing for abput 10 min per day.

    Good luck.I

    • Guest
      Guest Grahamsc

      Posted

      Hey grahamsc,

      Thank you for the advice I shall try this although after years of dealing with this the breathing techniques have ceased to work as well, I'm going to start trying yoga again! As I feel this would perhaps help with the positioning of my ribs, I'll learn good breathing, it will calm my mind, correct my posture and help me loose the weight I'm gaining from meds me not working!! Wow I think I just sold the idea to myself ha ha I'm wishing myself good luck as I hope I don't do more damage than good!

      Take care

  • sarah1107
    sarah1107 Guest

    Posted

    Hi Kayleigh. I've suffered with Tietze for just over a year now, and have been on high doses of anti inflammatory and amptryptaline (muscle relaxant, night time only), and found them to be a massive help, the amptryptaline also helped me to get a relatively decent nights sleep too. I also found myself in hot baths in the middle of many nights when the pain was too bad to sleep, which also helped as it meant all the muscles relaxed.

    With the above, my Tietze relieved to a point where I hardly even noticed it, unless I done an awkward or too quick of a movement with my arms. However, since finding out I'm pregnant, it's flared up to an extent where I'm unsure how I'm going to cope. As I lay here at 05.15am having yet been blessed with sleep, I wonder how much worse it can get. I am now unable to take any of the previous medication, or take hot baths due to the pregnancy, and I know they crying makes it worse, but I can't seem to help myself and therefore creating a vicious circle.

    If anyone has any relief, even the smallest, that is safe for pregnancy, then please please please let me know!

    Thank you.

    • sarah1107
      sarah1107

      Posted

      I should add, I've had an X-Ray, which my doctor informed me that Tietze would NOT show up on, and they do it to simply rule out any other possible issue. I've also had acupuncture which I didn't really notice a difference with, other than my bank balance rapidly declining.

      I got referred to a physio, who have me exercises, which resulted in a&e.. The exercises were only doable if a flare up hadn't occurred, and fherefore in attempt to stop a future flare up.

      I then self referred to a Physiotherapist who specialises in Rhuematology who was excellent!! Although she had no answers, she sat with me for over an hour telling me things to avoid, the movements and shapes of my shoulders that would trigger it etc, and his since referrered me to a Rhuematology Consultant at the hospital, although this appointment isn't until the end of Feb, so some time to wait!

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