Shortness of breath with Costochondritis?

Thank you for your reply, it helps a great deal.

Dear JuditD.

I was very interested to read about how your costo developed. I have been suffering with shortness of breath and difficulty filling my lungs (tight chest) for over 2 years now. I have no pain at all but was recently made aware by a physiotherapist that my costochondral joints are inflamed as they were sore when he put pressure on them. Like yourself, I've had every test under the sun to try and determine the cause of my breathing trouble but every one comes up clear. Reassuring but frustrating!

Does it sound to you as if we have the same problem and that it has developed in the same way? 

I'd be very grateful to hear from you. Thank you.

My costo turned slowly from being poorly with cold/flu to beint weak to being breathless to having chest pain within three months or so. It did not stop at tight chest. But reading posts on here (other threads as well) it appears that costo comes with breathlesnesness more often than doctors like to recognise. There are other symptoms as well that go hand in hand (racing heart, palpitations, anxiety, headaches) that are not strictly costo symptoms per textbooks.

Two years on I am happy to say that I am better, not much breathlesness or pain, just the occasional bad spell, but generally manageable. That after a year on meloxicam for pain and inflammation. Good luck!

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I wish you all the best.

Hi JuditD

I am so relieved to read this thread, esp your comment. After ECGs and CT scans and MRIs and mammograms, my GP couldn't find anything wrong with me. I came across costochondritis in trying to figure out what was up with me and she thinks that could be it. Am relieved to hear your symptoms sound the same as mine and you are doing well.

All the best,

Radhika

Hi Guvvo,

I think I'm in the same boat as you!

After ECGs and CT scans and MRIs and mammograms, my GP couldn't find anything wrong with me. I came across costochondritis in trying to figure out what was up with me and she thinks that could be it. But I don't get stabbing pain (maybe twice or three times over the past year) but discomfort, weird just wrong feeling in my chest, tenderness near my breast bone and def shortness of breath that feels like pressure that i just don't have as much room to breathe. Which def brings on the anxiety and makes breathing harder, and so it goes. 

What action have you taken with your condition? Hoping it has improved. I'm just over a year of feeling these symptoms and am very grateful they are not as bad as so many people but also feel disconcerted to not know clearly what's up with me.

All the best,

Radhika

Hi. I have costochondritis and I also do not have stabbing pains in my chest. Mine are more like what you are describing. I also go very warm for a short time sometimes and sometimes feels like the ache goes into my jaw. Classic heart symptoms but have had all the checks like everyone else. 

All the same here too! Over a year now with it. The breathing is the worst. I feel like I am 100. I have to say that accupubcture had helped me a lot. And also a good quality calcium magnesium vitimin k vitimin d supplement has helped a lot too!

Hang in there it is an awful illness and totally changes your life. I feel like I am disabled because of it and quality of life is awful but it's so invisible people don't see it.

Hello Sally

I had costco for approximately 6 months.  Anything you can do to reduce inflammation & stress in you body will help. Due to my multiple medical issues my Rheumatologist increased my prednisolone for 2 months, which worked for me. Everyone is different & constantly letting it distract you from daily activity is lethal. 

See your GP first & ask about vitamins that can help improve your immune system & small exercises to reduce the pain.  I do know it can be very painful.  At this time I'm recovering from triple spinal fractures & doing exceedingly well. Now that's mega pain. 

Hope me this helps a wee bit.

Keep your chin up & good luck with costa.  It does go away but it can take a short or a long time, so the more you can help yourself the better. 

Chris

Hello Sally

Forgot to let you know what helped with Shortness of breath.  I have severe asthma & copd as a couple of my complaints so getting extra breathless was scary.  One of the best things was the Buteyko breathing method.  Pleas give it a go. I've been practicing for a number of years. Never thought it would help but it did. 

Look up on Buteyko.com.  I believe the NHS recommend it now.

Good luck. 

Regards 

Chris

Great thank you! That's really awful for you but I am glad you are on the mend!

Yea I am doing everything right! I am miles further than last year so keep up and try my hardest to keep it going that way. I found since I forced myself out of my comfort zone i started to get improvements. Also accupuncture is amazing. And of course all the vitimins I mention before.

Have a good day!

hi christine i hope that u dont mind me contacting u i hve been to see my lung specialist today as i also have fibromyalgia and cos and asthma one lung and throat cancers i have been suffering shortness of breath too very scary i wondered if u would have any advice please as im in such pain and my breathing is very bad many thanks and hope that u dnt mind me contacting u  jane x

Do you get pain in your armpit as well? I think that combined with the tightness and pain behind my breast makes me think I'm having a heart attack.

Hello sally

how it goes with the shortness of breath?

I am not diagnosed with costco but i think i have it from what i saw on internet. I am having constant shortness of breath 24 days in a row now

I really can't take it anymore some days its better some other is worse. The stabbing pain left me 2 weeks ago but the shortness of breath it's just here...i really hope there is some relief from the shortness of breath..

Getting a lot better! I am1.5 years in so I don't have any answers for a quick fix but read all the posts i am sure you will be ahead of the game. Voltaren cream helped a lot, over the sternum and ribs, vitimins ive said before and accupuncture. That was my relief plan. Hang in there. The breathing is the worst part for me too.

how did you deal with the breathlessness sometimes I find it really hard to breath and It stresses me out a bit.

Cheers 😁