Pain along and under rib-cage after flu
Posted , 23 users are following.
Hi folks.
I'd be interested to know if anyone has had something like this before. I had a pretty nasty case of flu about 2 weeks ago with high temperatures and all the usual symptoms. After that was about a week of uncontrollable dry-coughing. I could barely sleep as each breath caused me to cough.
I went to the doctorin the end and he gave me some prescription cough medicine, and some tablets with a bit of codeine in them to relax my throat. He said my lungs were fine, no problems with inflation etc, but my throat was very dry. Sure enough, the cough died down after a couple of days. It's got a little worse now, but nowhere near as bad as it was.
However, I am now left with a very sore rib-cage, mostly on my left side. It's worst about 6 inches below my left armpit (if I push there), and just under the bottom of my ribcage, slightly to the side, on the left if I poke it. It's not unbearable, and if I'm sitting still you can't really notice it. When I cough it hurts a little bit, but not crippling pain. There's a slight ache on the right-side too, but the left is way worse.
I am assuming that this is probably just some muscular damage from the excessive cough I've had over the past weeks. I've been taking some ibuprofen to help with any inflammation, so I hope it will go away on it's own in the end. I'm feeling a bit worse today though, cough seems to have come back a bit, and I feel generally tired and lethargic. I am due to fly home for Xmas on Monday, so I just want to make sure that this isn't something that mught jeapordise that.
Thanks for any advice!
1 like, 24 replies
UK-Ven-medicate Orias
Posted
Louisville1 Orias
Posted
MCR2120 Orias
Posted
My girlfriend and I are having the same symptoms after the flu.
We live the North East US.
I'm interested in what you find out. The pain in the rib cage is strange, can be quite severe and is kind of a cause for concern.
cepete MCR2120
Posted
Hello, I have been sick with the flu for five days now. I live in the Northeast US as well. I have had all the usual symptoms of the flu especially a severe dry cough, but sometimes stuff comes up on occasion. This cough is so painful... this morning when I woke my underside of my left side rib cage hurts excruciatingly when I cough... and that is quite often feel like I can't cough enough to clear to make breathing easier. I try to hold my left lower rib cage tightly with my hand to help reduce the pain but even that doesn't really help. This pain really hurts. I try not to cough to avoid having to feel the pain which is not good.
Was wondering did your rib pain go away and how did you and your girlfriend manage the pain? Mine is almost unbearable. Thanks
pammi77404 cepete
Posted
Hi there,
I have had a virus around Christmas and lost my voice and very bad cough,
I didn't go to the Gp and it re appeared again last month. I went to the Gp and was prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection.. the cough has gone now but am left with pain in the ribs which is there for the last 4 weeks. Especially the left side back to the front rib cage. It is uncomfortable, just taking an odd ibuprofen, before bed. I don't like going to the Gp, and will give it 4 weeks to heal naturally and see. Please keep updating, and hope you feel better soon.
Pammi
pammi77404 MCR2120
Posted
Is the rib pain any better as I have had a virus and cough a month or so ago. Rib pain still disturbing, worse on the left side. Thanks for any feedback.
Swifette313 Orias
Posted
You might suffer from costochondritis which is an inflammation of the cartilage around your ribs. This can be triggered by a virus and/or the repeated coughing
If not too advanced, you can ease the pain with anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen. Or Voltarol cream applied a couple of times during the day. Applying iced pack on the area might help too
However, if the pain continues and/or feels like spreading further, you might want to get it checked out by a doctor.
It took 6 months for me to have a diagnosis and it is got too a stage where I need to have corticosteroids injections each month now, hopefully I will be better in a couple of months
Hope it helps
kaboom Orias
Posted
Hello Well this might help if u cough to much and to hard u can
break some ribs I know really I know first hand I've done it and yes it can
take up to six months to settle down bc every time u cough ur bugging
it and every day life moving and other stuff can cause it not to heal right
Hope this helps
Cheers
boom
jennifer28386 Orias
Posted
Mmorales329 jennifer28386
Posted
elena64860 Orias
Posted
Had the same symptoms as described after bad flue and a lot of coughing, glad that I found this discussion board and some good answers, thank you to Swifette313 for id this condition and giving some medicine recommendation. I had acute but somewhat bearable pain on the left site in the area of liver and was afraid of golden bladder stones; went to ER, doctor did urine and blood tests, liver and golden bladder ultrasound and lung X-ray, all results were ok, doctor did not know what can be other reasons of the pain, suggested something related to muscles which can't be diagnosed. I was given diluted intravenous morphine (which I felt was unnecessary), it did not really helped with pain but probably decreased it. They found drops of blood in the urine test seen only under microscope though which probably not related to the pain (could be dehydration issue). I'm pretty sure I found good answer here and going to take Advil to release the pain, ER room helped to understand that there is no danger in my situation. Thank you for sharing the info!
elena64860
Posted
sheena54983 elena64860
Posted
abby04905 Orias
Posted
I am so happy to read your experiences as I thought I was going mad. I too had awful flu early January which kept me in bed for almost a week, followed by a dry irritating persistent cough and server pain in my left rib and mild in the right rib cage area, which really hurt when sitting or lying down (no sleep!). After a chest X-ray and two lots of antibiotics which finally cleared the cough but not the rib pain, I was told there was nothing wrong with me. Almost two months later my left rib still hurts (not as bad as before though). At least I know to sit it our and wait for it to pass. Its been awful as I normally exercise and I haven't been able to do anything for 2 months ; - (
cynthiagee57 Orias
Posted
Well, whatever all y'all had. I just got over it too - cough, sore throat, and I developed reactive airway disease on top of it, and had to do a run of steroids.... I'm better now, but my ribs are sore as all get-out.
Are there any health care professionals watching these boards, who could tell all of us here what the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks we had????