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Mystery 'crossed' rib problem!

Posted , 4 users are following.

alice1815
alice1815

i woke up about three weeks ago now with some mild rib pain which I thought was caused by a lumpy mattress in my new place. Then the following day I woke up in complete agony, doing anything was incredibly painful, breathing, moving, crying!

i thought I might have somehow broken a rib and my GP agreed it was some kind of mystery chest wall injury and I was given pain killers. By the end of the week breathing was becoming more difficult so I went back to a different doctor who said it was costochondritis and gave me different painkillers.

The pain has largely subsided now when I'm at rest it's still incredibly uncomfortable and you can clearly see where the ribs have moved. It looks like I'm missing my 10th rib and if I feel it, the 11th it really sticking out forward of where it should be and the 10th is hidden away under it.

What have I done? And how?!

GP says there isn't anything to be done about rib injuries which I understand in terms of breaks, but these are clearly not in the right place. He also said some asymmetry in ribs is normal, which again is fine, but this wasn't there three weeks ago and now it feels like permanently having a broom handle poking in the liver!

 

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • GhostWriter
    GhostWriter alice1815

    Posted

    Were i you I would find a different doctor pronto. When they won't listen and they aren't able to help you, your problem is most likely beyond their area of expertise and knowledge base. Unfortunately, they are usually very reluctant to admit it and, instead, ignore the patient's complaints. I also want to say that you may do quite well to see a chiropractor because they can be excellent diagnosticians for anything skeletal. I often use sports injury clinics. Fast, cheaper than orthopedic surgeons, they require no referral from your GP or anyone else and they can do great tests these days, usually all in their own clinics with no wait times. There is something called slipped rib syndrome that describes your complaint. I'm not a doctor but I ghostwrite books for physicians.
  • hinky2949
    hinky2949 alice1815

    Posted

    Oh Alice I do understand your pain.  I have lived with Costochondritis for many many years. It can come and go and you never really know what causes the outbreak.  Did you move anything heavy, pick up anything heavy?  reach way beyond your shoulders that you can remember?  These things can pull all the ligaments attached to your ribs, they become inflammed and then the pain sets in. It can take me a month or more on anti inflamation pills (OTC) to begin to feel a difference, a heating pad is my savior. I get immediate relief but it comes back as soon as I'm off it.  I can tell you that what your DR. told you about there is no known treatment to cure this is true.   I've had that told to me many times by different Drs. I know you didn't want to hear that, but it is what it is. Try the heating pad and the anti inflamatorys and I hope you feel better soon!  I'll look here every nowand then to see how your coming along.  I hope I helped in some way if nothing more then letting you know your not alone with this condition.
  • eileen64__UK
    eileen64__UK alice1815

    Posted

    Hi,

    You dont by any chance have osteoporosis? or osteopinia? thats the forerunner to osteo osteoporosis. 

    I'm in the UK dont know where you are but could you ask for a test   DEXA Scan?

    I did have osteopinia, and fractured my greater trochanter bone doing NHS exercises after a hip replacement and various other sprains. Then it was osteoporosis and I find that my ribs crack/fracture whatever very easily.

    There is nothing they can do......pain killers {not a lot of help} but try those

    I would see if you can get a test for osteoporosis

    Love

    Eileen  UK

    • hinky2949
      hinky2949 eileen64__UK

      Posted

      Hi Eileen,

      Yes, I have Osteio. I do not think this pain I get is from that, I have been wrong before but I also have Fibromyalgia, have had that for about 25 yrs. I understand that Costoconditis and Fibromyalgia run together. Its not uncommon if you have Fibro. That you will be plagued with the other. Of course botg are extremely painfull.

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