huge discomfort blow left rib

I think their blocking programmes for weblinks are just too basic to differentiate between spam and legitimate links.  It's annoying isn't it because often people have gone to the trouble of doing all the hard work researching stuff and found valuable info and pasting the link is the most efficient way of us going to see that info.  Oh well, luckly people like Chris are patient enough to put it all into text for us.

I so agree with you Chris.  I detemined for myself that my under rib pain was food/digestion based but it was purely by accident.  All my doctor would do was to say take painkillers or indigestion remedies.  I have a range of low level but debilitating health issues now and my doctors will never look at it holisticly and see if there's one overriding problem causing all the little niggles.  I get a four minute appointment and am only allowed to talk about one issue at a time but I really think they're all related.  I'm slogging away trying to find info online etc to see if I can find a 'source' for all these symptoms.  I am looking into adrenal gland issues, as excess cortisol can mimic other problems, and also be the cause of dysfunction in other areas such as thyroid (tests on thyroid function do not take into account that the thyroid may be working correctly but the body isn't able to absorb what's produced - so you get a 'normal' reading but it still may be causing problems).  My GP group surgery is so overworked, they really just want to write a prescription, or fill in a form for a test and get you out of the chair and door as quickly as possible.  Oh for the chance to sit and actually talk through all the little issues to see if they link together and find the REAL seat of the problem. So fed up with being unwell and being told there's nothing wrong even though its getting worse.

Hi Loxie, yes you are quite correct, thyroid tests are to simple and never address the key issue on -the adrenal glands are part of a complex system that help regulate the endocrine system. The correct test is a ACTH , but its only valid if the cortisol level is not supressed first with a Cortiside . ACTH is drawn in a Hospital not a GP's surgery. The issue you could have is the GP wont like the ACTH tested, as it leads back to them not following the correct diagnostic pathway. You would need a Endorinologist appt. Conditions like Hashimoto Thyroid are well know to link to IBD, chrones disease and costochondritis. A gut hormone panel blood screen helps and  that tests VIP, PP, GASTRIN, GLUCAGON, SOMASTATIN, NEUROTENSIN, all endocrine.

A well known neurologist worked on children with autism and found a diet to help them and its now widely used for other conditions. the Diet is called "Gaps" . a book to look at is called the Paleo approach to reverse autoimunne disease and heal your body.  Try reseaching healthtap for informed help, you will be surprised. I had a brilliant Gastro Doctor who had me on a liquid diet to help and he helps anyone, as its is passion in life, he got my gut working first and then progressed from there.

I agree with Nicknames Dr's write presriptions and assume there job is done, what they never realise is they dont take the prescriptions or have the condition. Another thing that may help, blood pressure tablets can cause conditions that give terrible pain under the ribs, most blood pressure tablets are ACE inhibitors, and can cause angoendema and intestinal angioendema. Drugs like Ramipril can affect people, but the GP's rely on simple kindey function tests, but should do ACE blood tests as ACE is a product of the lungs as well as kidneys. Good luck

Thank you so much Chris for all your information.  It really helps to have someone like you who has done so much hard work and research.  I am more aware now I can find info out myself and not just rely on a hard pushed GP but sometimes it's a minefield and one link leads to another and so on until i'm lost in unhelpful techie info.  You've given me some great references to go off and look at.  Really appreciate your guidance. thank you.

Your welcome Loxie. I have been round in circles many times without help and trying to link the symptoms, and as I made one part of my condition better another would flare, and with no help early on , it was a minefield as the internet is full of information.

After seeing 4 neurologists, 2 ents, 3 cardiologists, 4 gastoenterologists, and a immnuologist, dozens of scans I was lost. I had one person who helped and was insistent I was been lead up the garden path with numerous tests when the answer were not being disclosed. Everyone can doubt your condition, anxiety, stressed, pyschiatric, and so on. 

I had one brillaint Doctor overseases who had me list every prescription drug I was given, and each time he said dont take it. He made me work some issues out and said if I studied the medications, I would find answeers , and virtuallly all antichollingeric drugs, he then said look at the burden on the autonomic nerve and the dysregulation they cause.  "Anticholinergic Burden" One neurologist was speechless when I refused more of his drugs and when I said why, the look on his face told a story. I did the same with a gastroenterologist and that caused an issue. The cardiologist was dumstruck when I explained my heart condition and what was making it worse with the drugs I was being fed like most betablockers,  3 of them never even examined me or did the basic tests of listening and ascultation tests. The GP's avoided the autoimunne/rheumatologist at all costs and it was that refusal that made the Gastro overseas Doctor tell me what to do and not to keep putting up with issues like I was. He stopped the Salicylate drugs, aspirn and Ibufprofen I was being givenand he knew I could not tolerate wheat based foods.  The relief I got from stopping them only took  2 days, as they had caused my stomach terrible problems. My BP came back to normal without all the drugs, that does not mean it suits all.  When the mixed connective tissue was indentified , my condtion had progessed sa far there was no reversal, but with help I learnt about biova and its biovaflex and astaxanthin in certain holistic health supplements like "jointformula" that helps the ligaments, tendons and muscles , for the pain I started on DLPA as the gastro doc knew this indside out and had been a leading light in its pharmokentics proertys which showed you could not over dose, how it was not toxic and it worked better tham morphine. I was off the NSAIDs and using every intergrative type of medicine, holsitic, diet, therapys .  The answer were there , but I was never going to be given them as autimmune disease costs to much involves different medical doctors. I found the internet overwhelming at times, but knew the USA had dcotors who would help and be straight saying you cant cure everything, but you can manage conditions better and take control when you understand. My views and opinions have always been the same never dismiss a persons condition, dont throw drugs at them, look at the underlying condition dont treat the symptoms find the cause.  Years of heartache and even family doubting my health cuased headches , and when a GP does not take the time and listen, its not good. The asy rout is to note everything and work together, so the person does not keep comming back to the GP, and I have met a couple of UK Doctors high up in medicne who disagree with GP's holding the keys to a persons health, as they have lost some of there referring onto other sections of medicine powers they had. One told me most cases these days on serious illness and long standing conditions are diagnosed in A/E. 

Best wishes and hope I did not overload with info

Quite a few things in there struck a chord Chris.  I've never been able tolerate NSAIDs at all, nor paracetamol and my GPs have become frustrated and annoyed at me that I refuse to take them for my arthritis pain.  They do work on the pain/inflammation, however they wreck my body not just acid reflux but exhaustion, diarrhoea, sleep problems etc.  They just wouldnt believe I had such an adverse reaction to anti inflamms and one said I was being silly as Ibuprofen was 'harmless' - I gave up arguing.  I also ditched my statins as they were wrecking my muscles and aggravating the arthritis - again I got short shrift from the GP who actually said I'd be lucky if I didnt have a stroke that day as my cholesterol was so high.  I take joint formula supplements like biotin, hyularonic acid and MSM and they help amazingly with the joint problems but some of those also give me gut discomfort and the under rib pain occasionally comes back.  As you've said, years of battle with local doctors causes untold stress and anxiety, yes and headaches, which is why I now think all that stress has caused adrenal problems which are making me ill all over again.  Vicious circule it sure is.  I'll spend some quiet time googling all the info you've given and see if I can find a 'simple' straightforward data link to go shove up my doctor's nostrils!

I had a look at UK based specialists.  One thing you said may  help with your GP, Sleep distrubance . That can easily be OSA (Obstructive sleep apnea) caused by connective tissue cartlidge, ear inflamtion, sore throat through muscles. It would pay you get ask your GP for a complete copy of your medical file, that way you can spend time and identify drugs given that have not helped.

A paitent as the right to ask for a consultant of there choice with arthritis, as some forms are not indentfied properly. Here are two specilaists in this area and both are there on choose and book from a GP.  Dr Ellie Korendowych MA BM BCh PhD MRCP

Consultant rheumatologist, medical director

Dr Ellie Korendowych  or Professor Neil McHugh MBChB MD  both at Bath royal nation hospital for  rheumatic disease including connective tissue. The first also practices privately at BATH if you look, you could explain to your GP everything has been tried, now lets ask a specilaist who actually coveres your conditions, and make the case the first also works with immunologists.

Adrenal dysfunction is one a GP wont like, but you are correct.. I found even when I was young I could not stand alcohol, which was another indicator of connective tissue and bone.. Acidosis is not nice and causes damage to the intercostal muscles in the rib gage where the pain is.  I was fortunate with the doc who helped me, as he had my diet down to liquids and completey alkaline to reduce the inflammation in my chest muscles and I took Nexium Gradual release as its better than any other if you use acid reflux meds as its a  gradual release pill and works 24 hours , not like others that are short term fixes. 7 days of this can  combat the acid, which means the pain  in the ribs cage subsides.

There are many theories on statins, and I took them , but I was given simvastatin in the UK, in the US, I was put on low dose Crestor daily (rosuvastatin calcium) it helped and then after a month, I was switched to Vit B3 and coenzyem Q10, Despite what most people think American Doctors are not keen on long term statin use and wont prescribe simvastatin . Vit B3 can give a flush, so I was taking mine in small doses 50 mg daily.  My cholestrol levels fell and I was taught diet is the best way, exercise was out due to my condition.

Adrenal dysfunction, just ask for a endocrinolgy appt sighting the Thyroid blood test is not useful, as some conditions are hypothalmus, pituitary gland, parathyroid gland all are afected by arthritis, as it does affect the cervical spine and face bones, similar to the thymus, pineal glands.. The Gut hormone I referred to previously is linked to the endocrine system. 

One of my key issues was vision and pain behind the eyes and eventually in the US I saw a Ophthalmologist , its standard when you have arthritis to see a Ophthalmologist as it does affect the eyes and give headaches . 

 

Loxie,

I am wondering if this a common issue with Doctors in the UK? I'm in the US and while there are definitely some crappy docs here, our appointments last much longer than 4 minutes. And that's crazy that you can't go through all of your symptoms at one time to find the underlying issue. I hope you've gotten some relief since this post.