Indigestion and costochondritis
Posted , 15 users are following.
I'm 66 ,female and have fibromyalgia. Off and on since February I have been having attacks of indigestion that are not food related. Starts usually between breasts or shoulder blades. My Dr. prescribed prilosec which I took faithfully till August and realized it was making me worse! He then said to take Zantac for my "heartburn", it's NOT heartburn! I digress, I have gone nearly three weeks with no prob and felt encouraged, then swallowed a Sudafed, which I often do, but felt the familiar pain start between breasts. Then the pain and aggravation spreads all through my breasts, top of rib cage, armpits, and between and across shoulder blades. sometimes it will last a few minutes, sometimes several hours. I alternate ice and heat,etc. and it eventually subsides. At no time am I doubled up in agony(so far), and I usually try and keep moving . Never happens at night-lying flat sometimes seems helpful. I just had bloodwork ekg chest exray and all came back fine. Pain never goes below braline and is on both sides.Dr, also says I have costochondritis. Does anyone else have their costo set off by indigestion?? Feels like muscle spasms and will stay sore to touch forever, it seems! I apologize for being so long winded, this is my first post. Glad to have found my tribe! Thank you in advance!
0 likes, 17 replies
donna_63014 pamie28299
Edited
pamie28299 donna_63014
Posted
It's definitely miserable! My stomach trouble started last winter when I had eaten more than I should. (I have IBS) but hadn't had a flare in months. Stupidly, I woke from a sound sleep needing to vomit and just kept swallowing, instead of getting up! there's no fool like an old fool! It hasn't bothered me for nearly three weeks until today. the stomach would be bad enough, but I start hurting in so many places it's hard to tell where the pain is! Honestly, if anyone had told me that my breasts and armpits would ache I would have called them nuts!! I have thought of trying to see a chiropractor, only prob is money as usual! fixed income and medicare will not pay for initial consultation or any exrays that might be needed. I guess we are all supposed to drop dead as soon as we hit medicare age! Well, I'm not ready to go yet! Thanks so much for your reply!
billie38069 pamie28299
Posted
In any of your flares do you feel like you are having heart palpitations? I was diagnosed with gerd, they also said they think I have esophageal spasms. I wore a heart monitor for a month and what I clicked the button as for heart palpitations was not. I have PVC on occasion which my doctor says is normal. I have pain in my chest that goes straight through to my back I feel like I can't breath, my arms hurt, my breasts hurt, my whole body hurts most days. I have yet to be diagnosed with anything other than Gerd and Anxiety. My doctor has told me every time I've been to see him that I have pulled intercostal muscles after 2 years there is no way they can keep using the same diagnosis right?
pamie28299 billie38069
Posted
I don't have palpatations as a rule, although I had them now and then when i was going through menopause. My diagnosis has pretty much stayed the same for years now: fibro, anxiety, and now gerd on my chart, which doesn't behave like any gerd I ever heard of-with the shoulder blade and breast pain! I knew breast could get sore, or course, but didn't know they could hurt like this! Sometimes it will start in my back and end up between my breasts at top of stomach, sometimes starts in front and moves to back, now and then starts under my arm!! As I said , this began in February, and this was the longest I have had between attacks, almost 3 weeks. It is in no way related to what I eat. I am having far more general pain since it was decided to stop opiates for chronic pain sufferers! It's been almost two months without Hydrocodone and all the fibro pain has returned along with some nasty withdrawals! I do know from age and experience that anxiety can cause many many things to mess up in your body, though! My Dr. did say I could see about having an upper endoscopy just to rule out ulcers, etc. but he didn't think it was crucial. If your heart tests have been good, you very well could be having anxiety, I mean who wouldn't?? I still hot flash, too after all these years!
billie38069 pamie28299
Posted
The palpitations come and go with stress for now they are gone. I do know that the barometric pressure changing causes my body aches, it's getting very cool here now so I'm suffering more. Nothing helps ! I'm going to have to find someone who will listen. Most days I can't wear a bra bc it makes it all hurt. But the constant is always sternum to back. I've done physical therapy and a chiropractor. It was suggested to try a massage. I have just learned to live through it and shut along. I'm only 36 and this is getting old!
pamie28299 billie38069
Posted
I agree! 36 is too young to deal with all this! 66 is too young, also lol I had to go to sports bras several years ago-me, the pretty underwear queen!!! Hard for me to go without one anymore, as gravity has lowered things quite a bit! but difficult finding comfort and support together. I have had two massages in my life, many years ago. the first girl was wonderful, and it really felt good. the second one made me come right up off the table! I kept telling her I had problems(hadn't even heard of fibro at that time) and told her repeatedly to lighten up! She rolled her eyes and said most people wanted her to dig in deeper-well, I'm NOT most people! I call it my "princess skin, as in princess and the pea". I agree with you that weather changes often make things worse. so, if you get a massage, lay down a few rules before they start!!Good luck.
kristy09459 billie38069
Posted
hi I'm new to this site I've seen all the responses to this problem I too am having these issues mine started two years ago started having chest pain all of a sudden and they diagnosed me with pleurisy which I don't think it was cuz I still have the same things today but I have a lot of the same issues that you all are talking about have every test in the world done nothing seems to come back to show anything lung doctor told me that it was costochondritis but my doctor seems to think it's indigestion GERD but I've treated Gerd with Omeprazole Nexium works for a little bit but the only thing that seems to help is the duexis which is a 800 mg Ibuprofen with famotidine but it also raises my blood pressure some days I can eat whatever I want and it won't bother me and then other days I eat the same thing and then I have pains but I think is it what I ate or what I did that day maybe I use my arms too much stretching pulling lifting causing the joints muscles in my chest to hurt I'm not sure so as of yesterday I have started to not use my arm muscles too much or bending to see if this cures that muscle joint area and continue taking Advil or Aleve to see what the outcome is if anyone else had found a cure let me know thank you I pray that you all are feeling better
Hyrules billie38069
Posted
I have a similar issue. Ever since I started my costochondritis I have been having attacks of indigestion. Maybe once a month. Normally starts after a meal. Get nauseous and sweaty, belching my meal every now and then. Not to the point of being sick but enough get get me really tired because of the fight with nausea. After that when I go to bed that night being very tired I have an episode of insomnia. I can only doze off and on but keep waking up as I am uncomfortable and feeling hotter than normal as well as not being hungry and disgusted by the thoughts of food (best I can describe) I can have many bowel movements. This might be related to anxiety but i'm not sure. Note that i'm a male 39yo. I never been that sick in my life. been tested for heart (ekg, holter , bloodwork) Only thing that came up was already suspected benign extrasystoles. During these flares I can get palpitations as well nothing beating really fast but around 90. From reading all users in this forum I don't believe that costo can be cured in a couple of weeks. Months and years is what I often see.
libralady13 pamie28299
Posted
Hello I was interested to read your post. So much of what you say rings true with me. I have various health problems but relevant here are degeneration of the spine,ibs and diverticular disease and anxiety.
About 8 weeks ago I started getting awful upper and mid back pain in fact it would move all over the place. Brought on by movement bending twisting and even walking. It did seem to be digestive related but like you no heartburn, just the feeling of discomfort down the breastbone and a lot of burping. I saw my gp you examined me and said that all the muscles in the back where tight and tender and when she pressed down the breastbone it was very sore and tender, She said I should try and relax and do some exercises. I mentioned about being digestive and she gave me Ranatidine as I can't take PPI's as they upset my IBS in the past. Not sure the ranatidine are helping that much. My gp did mentioned the possibility of fibromyalgia and she mentioned the costo as well. I have been referred to the gastro dept at the hospital with a view to having a camera down the throat to investigate any digestive problem. I asked about gallstones as I have a lot of bloating which could be the ibs. She said no as all my blood tests were fine. I wonder about ulcer or pancreatitis but can't understand this back pain as well. Anything you can add I would be grateful for your views. I intend to go back to gp next week as this back pain is stopping me doing much. The only thing that really helps to ease it or even take it away is a hot water bottle. Ps my doctor also tested for Gluten intolerance and the test they do for ovarian cancer both were negative.
pamie28299 libralady13
Posted
My bloodwork was all fine, too, for which I am grateful, but darn it why do I feel so awful! I rarely burp, and said my pain from indigestion or whatever it is seems like what my dad would have called "trapped gas". The ranitadine wasn't for me. The past few days, I have felt real well, today I hurt all over! Can't think of any special reason or anything I have done?? I do think, in my case, that anxiety plays a role in how I feel. Sadly, I am wired that way and have been all my life! It's been two months today since I was made to stop vicodin. So I have been having a lot of extra pain from withdrawals, etc. I use my hot water bottle and invested in a heating pad that feels pretty good, too! I would love to be able to do some light exercise again (other than housework!) I used to take a walk every day, but since stopping the pain meds, my legs ache a lot. I am 66, but I'm not 96!! It gets quite depressing. I hope you will be feeling better soon, or at least have goods days now and then! I try and tell myself that I am lucky because i am retired, at least and don't have to stress with a job anymore! glad to hear from you.
xmaryx pamie28299
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Had the same thing a couple of years ago, now I have it again. Last time I put a Salonpas patch on my rib just to the left of my sternum where it's tender, and also took Nexium. It resolved after about a week, but I'm not sure which one did the trick. Now I'm right back in the same place, because I've been eating too much fruit, and also did some strenuous things that could've stretched those ligaments again. Treating the heartburn helps a lot, but I can still feel some muscle soreness in my back that runs down my legs or arm sometimes. So the two must go hand-in-hand. I'm better when I stand or lay down, worse when I sit. I tend to hunch over, so that probably doesn't help. Guess I'll do the NSAIDs and Nexium again and see what happens.
pamie28299 xmaryx
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Yes! Mine isn't as bad when I stand or lie down, either, which goes against everything you hear about acid reflux and gerd! Hope you are feeling better soon!
roise pamie28299
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pamie28299 roise
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Mine seems to come and go almost constantly except when I lie down! Both breasts and under both arms! I am sick and tired of it, that's for sure. Hope you feel better before long!
j90605 pamie28299
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Help! This is really debilitating, going on my 7th / 8th week with no proper care or treatment and im just so tired of it. have had every test in the book, organs all good, im looking like a mere liar in ER VISITS etc i can gain temp relief at times lasting very short and im scared im just getting anxious and depression due to this keeping me bed ridden - the pain is intense and tylenol and advil no help, i need help with this o have 46 years old with 2 children 12 and 10 yrs old and they're so patient always trying to help me - im afraid this will consume me