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Tender spot under left ribs

Posted , 15 users are following.

Handbrake
Handbrake

has anyone experienced tenderness on left side under ribs ? I noticed a tender spot under my ribs at the start of my PMR journey but it comes and goes so didn't think much of it at the time and severe PMR pain seemed to take over everything else however it seems to have returned. Any thoughts welcome x

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  • whitefishbay
    whitefishbay Handbrake

    Posted

    Pain in shoulders calves hamstrings elbows neck but not in ribs. Check it out w doctor. Sorry to hear it.
    • Handbrake
      Handbrake whitefishbay

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply,sorry to here about your pains. I have a follow up appointment with my Gp next week so will ask him to check it out. Thank you 
  • Tastyron
    Tastyron Handbrake

    Posted

    Had pain in ribs (amongst the rest of pain in the body) at the start before the Pred. I have now just finished a slow taper from 20 mg to 17.5 mg but have caught a cold and the painful ribs and shoulders, neck and especially my collar bones are back. Will leave it a few days to see if it settles or not before I decide whether to return to 20mg. I suspect that it is just the cold virus which is doing its thing and will return to my normal level of pain.

    Hope you are not in too much pain but having painful areas in the body is just something we all have to get used to I suppose.

    Ron

    • Handbrake
      Handbrake Tastyron

      Posted

      Hi Ron,sounds like your having a tough time! Colds and flu always feel worse with PMR and seem to last longer. touch wood I've been OK after having a flu jab. Your right about painful areas in the body we just don't know what's coming next! Thanks for your reply and hope you feel better soon 
  • margaret22251
    margaret22251 Handbrake

    Posted

    Hi Handrake i have pain in left and right side of my ribs just put it down to steroids, never told doctor, maybe it would be worth mentioning it to her. 
    • Handbrake
      Handbrake margaret22251

      Posted

      Hi Margaret,strange one isn't it mines not so much a pain but more of a tender spot...like a bruise soreness rather than an actual pain, but I can't see anything just feel it. I was just hoping it wasn't me preparing for a flare ! Otherwise I'm feeling really well at the moment. Hope your pains soon settle
    • margaret22251
      margaret22251 Handbrake

      Posted

      Hi Handbrake, i dont think its a flare as i have gone from 10mg to 6.5mg of pred and i still have it, i noticed after looking in my diary this started when i had reduced to 8.5mg, BUT as the jury is out as to i have PMR/GCA at the moment, go see them in May, but i do have faith in them, the sad part-my lovely rhymi has left so i dont know who i will have.

      Take care

    • Handbrake
      Handbrake margaret22251

      Posted

      Hi Margaret, yes I first experienced it prior to starting prednisolone for PMR then didn't notice it again until I'm at  low dose again so perhaps as Eileen said it disappeared with the higher dose of prednisolone. If it is going to manifest into a flare at least I'll find out in a couple of days 😫😫😫
    • margaret22251
      margaret22251 Handbrake

      Posted

       Hi Handbrake, i also find when i lower my does i get strange new feelings, really i should be used to it, but it helps to talk to people who have gone through this.

      Hope you are well. Take carecool

  • EileenH
    EileenH Handbrake

    Posted

    My rib pain was due to myofascial pain syndrome - it often appears alongside PMR and often responds to the higher doses of pred but can return as you lower the dose.

    MPS is caused by the same inflammatory substances that cause PMR - except they are concentrated in trigger points in the form of hardened spasmed muscle fibres in the muscles which can be felt as hard knots. In PMR the inflammatory substances are systemic, that means throughout the body. The trigger points occur in pairs, on either side of the spine, in the shoulder muscles, about rib level and in the low back. In all of them there are nerves running close by and the inflammation/hardened muscle fibres can irritate the nerves or the spasmed muscles can pinch them leading to referred pain - into upper arms and neck, into the ribs or in the low back and legs (as sciatica there). It doesn't have to be both sides, often one side is worse than the other. 

    Good physiotherapists and sports massage therapists can identify them and use a manual mobilisation technique to disperse the hard areas - which for us may make us feel as if we are having a flare as the inflammatory substances are released into the blood stream by the technique but it usually subsides after a few days. It is also possible to inject steroids into the area of the trigger spot which combats the inflammatory substances more directly.

    I, and a few others, have found Bowen therapy can help a lot (doesn't help the PMR itself) and a few of us have also benefitted from a technique called needling but how easy it is to find in the UK I don't know. It is available in the US.

    • Handbrake
      Handbrake EileenH

      Posted

      Hi Eileen yes I have had several lumps and bumps in this journey and as you say they have responded well to light massage my friend doing the massage said it was like popping bubble wrap haha! I did get quite a big swelling on my left shoulder dr sent me for a scan but although they didn't know what it was said it was nothing serious, This tenderness is different in that it is tender rather than painful if that makes sense and I notice it if I catch that spot or certain movements. The spleen is in that area which fits in with the PMR picture or perhaps a lymph node? thanks for your welcome advice x
    • marthatidbit
      marthatidbit Handbrake

      Posted

      I was raised to "ignore it, it'll go away", so I'm now having to learn how to pay attention and describe pain and symptoms. I kind of suck.at it! smile

      So, yes, tenderness. Almost like a bruise, except I have no visible bruising. Just tender to the touch. Across my ribs. Tues and Wed of this week the tenderness was base of skull, neck, shoulders, upper back and ribs. That has mostly disappeared, now just ribs. Although I'm also having achiness in the rib area. I'll be interested to see what Dr says.

    • Handbrake
      Handbrake marthatidbit

      Posted

      Ha ha yes Martha pain is not always easy to describe but we live and learn and sounds like you're mastering the descriptions very well . Will let you know what the doctor thinks x
    • EileenH
      EileenH marthatidbit

      Posted

      My mother-in-law always said she waited 3 days about anything before going to the doctor - so I pointed out I hoped she wouldn't do that for a heart attack or a stroke...
    • margaret22251
      margaret22251 EileenH

      Posted

      im sorry but i had to laugh at this, as its just what my mum would have said, its the war you know makes em strong.!!!!!!! god love em.
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