Posted , 15 users are following.
Hi, wondered if those suffering with Costo could describe for me (as best you can) exactly what your pain feels like and where in the chest are it is situated and/or radiates to?
Thanks
0 likes, 23 replies
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julia70715 sarah77498
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sarah77498 julia70715
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Thanks Julia. Are you able to describe at all what this pain feels like? I know it's hard to decribe pain, but is it a take you breath away kind of pain, sharp stabbing, etc?
lachastity04089 sarah77498
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Hello, my pain is in the center of the chest area, top left breast area and under both breast. When I have a really bad flare up the pain rotates down both arms. And I also get neck and back pain with it. I've had everything checked out dealing with my heart from over a dozen EKGs to echos and stress test, and treadmill test and blood work. Everything came back clear. I was diagnosed with chest wall pain/ Costochondritis and anxiety.
sarah77498 lachastity04089
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lachastity04089 sarah77498
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My pain feels like pressure sometimes and other times it's feels like something is stabbing me. My ribs are often very sore and I did have some swelling associated with mine..
lachastity04089 sarah77498
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sarah77498 lachastity04089
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simone_40974 lachastity04089
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Hello I too have palpitations with this condition as well . Am seriously
At my wits end . It's causing anxiety which leads to panic. We need a cure from this dreadful condition .
AMK1968 sarah77498
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I am in my 2nd flare in 6 weeks. So, another round of steroids. I feel like I have something sitting on my chest because I can't take good deep breaths - it causes shallow breathing. I also have swelling in my left rib cage. When I'm in a severe flare when I move it feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife in my rib area and under my breast. Mine is always on my left side. My hand also gets numb and tingles on and off. I do get heart palpitations too. I think those may come from the extreme pain I experience while in a flare.
While at my doctor's office on Thursday they checked my oxygen saturation while I was sitting then had me get up and walk to see if it drops and mine started falling as soon as I stood up and continued to fall as long as I was up moving. Once I sat back down it started to rise and returned to 100%. I was sent straight to the ER to have a CT scan with contrast to make sure I didn't have a blood clot in my lungs. Thankfully, I did not. Just good 'ole Costo! The ER doctor said it does cause a drop in oxygen saturation because it causes shallow breathing due to the pain we have if we breath normally.
My first flare landed me in the hospital for 3 days because I seriously thought I was having a heart attack (just like so many others here experience). I had a full cardiac work up and all was ok. The cardiologist who saw me in the hospital said "this is your 3rd day of pain, if it were your heart you would be dead by now!". Yes, he was a jerk but he did give me perspective on it. I get a little concerned that one day I will just brush something serious off thinking it's Costo because I don't want to go thru the whole doctor or ER thing just to be given another round of steroids and muscle relaxers. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. All of us on here understand your pain, anxiety, and confusion this condition causes.
lachastity04089 AMK1968
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stella26579 sarah77498
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Hi Sarah
I was diagnosed a year ago, I went to the hospital because the doctor thought I was having a heart attack, it felt like someone was standing on my chest, I had trouble breathing and I had pains in my arms. My sternum was also very tender and swelled up. Told it was costo and it would go away all by itself. Well it hasn't. I have a desk job and towards the end of the day I can't wait to get home and take my bra off as it feels like a tight band on my chest - awful. If I am at home and no restricted clothing, I am fine. I find a hot bath and lying down to get my breathing steady helps as my heart seems to race. But I wish it would go. I still have to have inhalers to help my breathing. Other people seem to have really bad pains with it and thankfully I don't get those. My sternum is still swelled up and has never gone down. Ibuprofen help but nothing else.
lachastity04089 stella26579
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Hello Stella,
Our stories are all so similar!!! My sternum is also swollen and has been for months and at the end of my sternum the cartilage is wrapped around my xploide process is swollen which causes it to protrude out that you can actually see it through the skin. It scared me because the knot had gotten so big my gp sent me to have an ultrasound and I was told everything was ok it was only inflammed cartilage. The swelling has went down a bit. I've been on steroids for 5 days and was giving a trammdol shot for pain because of previous stomach problems so I can't take ibuprofen. I take fish oil capsules because I heard it helps but I want something that will knock the pain out all together. I feel like this condition is ruining my life. I now make to take medicine for anxiety because every time I was a flare I think it's my last day on earth because I'm about to have a heart attack. My blood pressure has been through the roof so I have to take something for that also. I originally thought I had breast cancer because my left breast would swell and my gp sent me for a mammogram which came back clear. I lost 50 pounds because I was scared to eat and the stress and anxiety didn't help. I was perfectly healthy before all of this which started 8 months ago. I'm so depressed because I just want to be normal again. I miss being able to do the simplest things.
So with all of that being said I'm sorry that we are all going through this. I'm going to pray for you and I know that God will heal each and everyone of us!!
lachastity04089 stella26579
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Oh and I also can't wait to get home and take my bra off!!! I wish I could go without wearing one lol
simone_40974 lachastity04089
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Hang in there ! We should all have a prayer avanlanche and just come together in agreement ! It's like everyone is suffering it's altered our lives in a short time span , and doctors have no answers . To me
It's weird , and so many doctors like mine seem to have no clue . We have to be positive ! We have kids and families we can't give up or we will really be " not well".
stella26579 lachastity04089
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I don't eat much during the day but after dinner each evening, it seems to be worse. I am conciously trying to avoid sugar, have tried fish oil but didn't see a significant improvement. I sometimes feel my chest area has swelled up so much and this makes me feel fat so not a good feeling. I went back to the gym after 6 months away but regretted it as it triggered it all off again. It's so depressing. I so wish someone could come up with a cure
kara11720 stella26579
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I agree, I feel worse after eating, like my chest swells up more after I eat. It's also only on my left side, so I freak myself out, thinking I'm having a heart attack or something. This all started like 4ish years ago, but I had asthma as a baby and actually had this specific breathing problem as a kid every now and then. It didn't last, but a few years ago, one day, I had trouble getting a full breath, it ended up lasting for like a year even though I didn't smoke (which I had for years when I was younger). Every single day was an extreme struggle, then after I had tried everything, it went away randomly for years, then the last like 6 months, it came back!! It's unbearable and last time, the doc just said it was costochondritis and there's no cure, just put ice on your chest, take Aleve, and don't work out 😡 Sorry for the novel lol
Meganm1245 stella26579
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Hi stella, I just wanted to to tell you that you’re not alone for the past three years I’ve been dealing with extreme chronic upper body pain. it started off just in my ribs and it felt like they were bruised, and then it started feeling like they were needles and then I started to notice a huge bump right at the top of my breastbone my right breast bone and it’s now been three years gone by and this bump is all I can feel when I put my hand on my chest my right shoulder blade every time I move it all of my ribs cracked and they hurt very bad every time I cough it feels like something is squeezing my lungs or are just choking me and away. my mom finally got me into the doctors because I am only 17 years old and I was just diagnosed with epilepsy are year ago and I’m pretty sure I have been having seizures my entire life and that would be why I have costochondritis, but I wouldn’t know because my doctor has only pushed on my ribs super hard and looked at an x-ray that was falsely looked at. they also told me it would go away and to take ibuprofen but I have been telling them that nothing has been helping. I grew up thinking that the doctors were there to help not to sit there and say that they’ve seen worse. I hope you have gotten better.
deirdrie31680 stella26579
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Hey Sarah, I can absolutely relate to the bra feeling very constricting, and the racing heart (I don't think having a Fitbit here helps as I constantly check the heart rate and it freaks me out more). And yes to the hot baths and meditation to calm everything down, but lying down seems to make it all worse.