I was just wondering if anyone who has/had costochondritis feels tenderness in there stomach sometimes.
When it first started my Dr said it was acid relux. I had pains right under my sternum to the left. All of a sudden that turned into hurting to breath in my lower left rib along with that one pain on my right rib. Then all of a sudden I felt sharp spikey feelings in my sternum whenever I touched it along with some parts of my stomach.
Mind you I have had ultrasound for the liver/gallbladder etc and nothing came up plus i dont have the typical symptoms
I changed doctors and he looked at my stomach pictures and concluded my stomach was fine and that I am suffering from a condition called costochondritis. He later sent me in for an ultrasound to confrim inflammation in my cartilage and sure enough there was a little.
My question to anyone is this started off really small with a little pain on the right side under my sterum then developed into a sharp pain and is now in a dull moment that seems to come and go during the day all over my ribs and not stay with me 24/7. The pains that I had when touching my stomach have gone and now but it makes me think that maybe i have some occult hernia, my ribs just feel achy and if i press to feel around a little it will hurt but in diffrent places and diffrent times.
Could costo give displaced pain when touching the stomach area?
I also beleive that my problem might also be a little pyschosymatic seeing as how my brother went thru something similair with his prostate and it turned out to be fine with a therapist and paxil. Me and him both have anxiety issues.
I experience this rib pain probably 3 hours after i wake up but during the night i hardly feel anything and when i do feel stuff it is always in a diffrent place. For example it will leave my lower ribs and then hurt my chest. Then it just goes away for a few hours. It doesnt make any sense really. Does anyone think this could be a pyschosymatic problem?
When I was on zoloft the pains seem to be going away faster but I had a bad reaction where I wanted to kill everyone when I was on it, it made me very aggressive.
It has been 10 months now and I am alot better I can now dance again with no pain and big sound systems in concerts dont bother my ribs anymore with the loud bass etc.
If anyone can give me any insight or ideas/suggestions it would greatly be apperciated
I have costro and get the stomach pain also, it waxes and wans. Most of my pain is in the bra strap area, collar bone and upper back. I never know how long I will have it or when it will come or leave. I did not know they could see the inflamation on a ultra sound, my DR. told me there is no test for costro other than pushing in on the sore spots.. Even my sed rate is fine when in a costro flare.
I recently went to the ER because I was getting harp shooing pains in my upper chest, from one side to the other, the pain was like a hard electrical shock. After 18 hours of this I could not take it any longer. I was checked out well and dxed wih costro again.
Hugs, Linda
__________________
pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
Hey Linda,
Thanks for replying, this has certainly been a weird condition for me. Sometimes I think i had an out of place rib or some type of hernia then I move to a gallbladder problem. Its bad how I think sometimes even though I have had some closure in the gallbladder case.
Nothing is ever consistant with this other then pain.
Do you get pains in areas regardless of touching them or not? All of my tenderness is going away and iam just left with this achy feeling.
I had chest pains almnost 2 years back once again my Dr thought it was acid reflux but then 2 weeks later I woke up with no pain. Its like it was in the chest then went into remission for a year and a half and now came back in the ribs.
But yes i did some research awhile ago and only one website mentioned ultrasound. But my new doctor insisted that I get one. While at the ultrasound place the tech/dr pointed out to me where the inflammation was and what was going on.
It seemed to come on after huge panic attacks but this time it stayed with me. I just gotta relax a little I guess. But let me know about the tenderness question i asked you.
Thanks a bunch for replying
Yes my ribs are all tender, sometimes I can barely stand clothing touching me.I cannot touch myself and sometimes the entire rib area front and back are so sore I cannot lay or sit against anything. It certainly is not a fun dd. Do you get the sharp shooting pains that come and go really quick, they sure make you take notice to them.
I woud say I am sore and tender 85% of the time, but when the pain kicks in, ouchie.
Hugs, Linda
__________________
pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
If you go back on the topics pages to page 5 there are a lot of questions and answers on costo, which may be of help to you. I recently posted quite a few times in response to a member.
I have had this condition for years, and I am at the moment having a full rib cage inflammation problem. I have never had stomach pains with it though.
I do hope you can get the information you need from scrolling back on the topics.
Take care.
goldenwings
__________________
I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
Last edited by goldenwings; 08-21-2005 at 10:21 AM.
I spent 10 years without any costo pain, but this Summer had 2 bouts that hurt like Hell for a couple weeks each.
It comes from the most insipid little turn or reach and tortures the sufferer and then, just as mysteriosly, disappears.
My worst attacks allowed for only a half breath...anything more was torture.
I found ONE correlation though. It attacks when we are sedentary and I got it both times when I took 2 "mini-vacations" from the gym. Maybe 3 weeks each.
I think regular stretching/traction-like excercises are best to keep it at bay. Maybe just as little as lying on one's back on the floor for 10 minutes each day with hands stretched as high overhead (touching floor) as possible is helpful. This gently stretches the rib cage.
But once the pain hits, all you can do is wait it out and use analgesics.
Hey guys thanks for all the info. The tenderness has gone away consideralbly I had it mostly on my sternum and on my sides. It seems like it is going away but really slowly to the point where i dont notice it leaving at all. But if i look back at all my symptoms then yes I am a hell of alot better. It doesnt hurt to breath anymore and I just did Bikram Yoga where they make you stretch in a 120 degree room and I had no problems at all. I really think my anxiety is playing a huge role in this pains from it do run in my family but we get it in diffrent plac. My mother gets migraines and my brother gets prostate pains I guess i get rib pains while my sister just passes out.
When I went to the bahammas 2 weeks ago I had virtually no pain and I was swimming in the ocean and pools aggressivly, then when I got off the plane in NYC again the pains were back.
Oh Lenin I was doing bodybuilding when this hit me. I was going really heavy for awhile with no rest. I would drink coffee when I was tired and would only get a few hours of sleep each night along with anxiety issues the coffee made it worst but kept me awake and alert.
After all these months I wonder if I slipped a rib or something but then again the pain didnt come right away from doing any certain excersize or movement. I was just sitting in a chair one day fixing a computer that went hay wire along with a cup of coffee and then I felt the pain along with a caffiene high that didnt seem to end.
Before that probably a month before all the pain, I had a little pain in the same place but only for 3 minutes or so but it always follow a cup of coffee and something happening that made my anxiety worst.
I stopped drinking the coffee during the winter and it didnt help at all, it seemed to be getting worst up until May where the breathing pains went away and I didnt feel any sharp pains at all.
Now Iam left with a dull ache sometimes it feels burny but I notice thats only when iam around alot of people!!!
I mean if I didnt hurt myself while doing yoga or swimming then could it be pyschosymatic? Either way they are both scary things to deal with. And coffee does make it worst I think its the sudden jolt I get with it. Sort of my old drug of choice.
On the other hand when I drink beer which is probably twice a month the pain goes away which I experiemented with last night.
Next time I get the burny sensation or it decides it wants to act like a tyrant I am going to take an adivan.
BTW does anyone know the diffrence between slipped rib syndrome and costo? Does slipped rib give the same pains?
One doesn't really "slip" a rib, it can crack or the tendons holding them together can be strained, sprained or torn...the latter of which result in inflammation called costochondritis.
Quote:
On the other hand when I drink beer which is probably twice a month the pain goes away which I experiemented with last night.
Question ,
Is this the same thing? I can move to look at someone or reach for something and I get this horrible sharp pain and like a knot in the muscle just under my boob. It is hard to breath forget moving at all. Does this sound like costochondrits?
Thanks for any help.
Very seldom does it hurt to breath does that mean I still have costo or should worry its something else.??????
As I said the tenderness is mostly gone and I havent had a breathing attach since March. Now I am left with a pain that dissapears when iam sleeping and comes on during the day with no consistancy. It also disappears in once place and goes to another
Iam starting to think alot of it is in my head now.
Its still scary though cuz the pains are real
Please do not get into thinking that you are imagining this pain. From what you have described it is a very real symptom. The thing is though, with costo it eases off and does go away gradually. Sometimes never to return. Other times it can recur. There is the pain there all of the time, it hurts to the touch and things like sneezing, coughing, stretching too far, moving suddenly can cause you extreme discomfort. By breathing what is meant is deep breathing hurts
It is definitely not in you head. One cannot imagine pain such as this. Go back toyour doctor and make him/her aware of what you are going through.
Take care.
goldenwings
__________________
I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
Last edited by goldenwings; 08-31-2005 at 09:20 AM.
My pain does the same, moves and comes and goes. I always lay my newspaper on the hassock to read and I think the leaning flares the costro or trigger points up. This A.M. I had pain in the shoulder into the upper chest and collar bone and than went down my back. I took a nap and when I woke up I had a stomachache, I leaned front and got a real hard pain that came from my stomach up the sterumn, now my entire upper chest is so sore that I cannot even touch it, I know I cannot put a heating pad on I am to sore.
Does anyone else have poor sitting habits as leaning front or on your arms?
My husband is in cardio rehab, he has cervical herniation and nerve damage in his shoulder, he gets this same pain, he had it at rehab today the pt person felt his shoulder toward the back and said he had spasms. she taught him some exercises to help. he told her I had the same pain from fm and costro and she suggested these exercises, she claims they stretch the muscles, chest and back.
1. As Lenin said laying on the floor and stretching above your head, if you cannot lay on the floor stand to do it.
2. Pull your shoulders back as far as you can for 10 seconds and repeat.
3. standing, Put your left arm up on your right shoulder, put your hand as far as you can down the blade. Take your right arm and push on your left elbow for about 4 seconds, 10 times in a row.
You should increase these exercises as you pain allows and also do them more times a day.
Someone try it, I am too sore, Let me know it works, lol.
Love, Linda
__________________
pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
I sure hope someone can try these exercises and report back. The thing is though, not to try them whilst you are having problems with costo. It will most definitely make the inflammation and tenderness worse.
I think they could well be of benefit as a day to day loosening up regime. Thanks for sharing these.
I devised an exercise programme for gentle stretching to help keep neck, shoulders, back and upper body supple. If anyone missed it and would like me to post it again, let me know.
Take care.
goldenwings
__________________
I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
Hey Goldenwings, yes post your exercises for me, my shoulders and back ache also most of the time. I do have severe arthistis in the thorastic spine.
Is that common with costro to come and go and the pain move throughout the day, also all these sore spots.
You may not be a DR. but I learn more from you than an Dr. all they keep telling me if you press on it and it hurts it is the costro or muscles not heart, so don't worry. I cannot take anti- flamatories, they do a number on my stomach and really do not help anyhow.
Can I be your DR. assit.?
Hugs, Linda
__________________
pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
That made me giggle he he !! Course you can be my assist. Seriously now though, we must behave.
With costo, the pain as such doesn't move, but unexpected jerking of the body, or a sudden twist of the body will bring on the pain and of course it feels as they it is moving about, when in fact you have pulled on an inflamed part of your ribs and surrounding area. The cartilege of the ribs is where the inflammation lies, and this gives rise to the horrid discomfort.
The pain is usually worsened by activity or exercise. This is why I said not to overdo any stretching or pushing and pulling of the upper body when you are having costo problems. One of the most common symptoms is that the pain is present when taking a deep breath. This stretches the inflamed cartilage and can cause tremendous pain. More often than not simply touching the area involved will be extremely painful.
I know from experience, as your husband does too - unfortunately - that the pain of a heart attack is not comparable with the pain of costo. So if you do hurt to the touch in your rib area or surrounding soft area, it is definitely costo.
If you sit and don't move too much, then you will not get any horrid pain. It is as soon as you forget to take it easy when moving, that it hits you. If you sneeze, cough, yawn anything that makes you use your upper body, then watch out. It doesn't actually come and go in the respect of being there one day and then not the next, then coming back the day after. It is normally an ongoing thing. When it clears up, it might not come back, or it may recur. Pot luck unfortunately.
At the moment, I have a full rib cage problem with costo, front and back. This was brought on by my latest surgery on my tummy. I, like you though can't take NSAID's so I have to take it easy, very difficult, and I use a topical analgesic spray foam to gently put on the skin so it soaks into the affected cartilege, supposedly anyway.
I am going to go onto a second post to give you the exercises.
Take care.
goldenwings
__________________
I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
Last edited by goldenwings; 08-31-2005 at 04:45 PM.
You will know how careful you must be because of your arthritis and that you must be gentle, especially in the spine area. So please be careful.
Here are the exercises. These are only my own way of doing them, so no law suits please if you end up on your backside he he !!
Thought I would do it this way for you. This as I say is only something I do and it does help me. I am not advising you in any way medically. I need to say this so that I don't get into any trouble. Again use these as a day to day workout to keep you supple. Do not force yourself to do any of them.
If you feel slightly dizzy, stop at once. Then if you feel like it, you can try again later. You will hear at first crunching, crackling and so on. Don't worry. This is because you are using parts of your body that are normally not used a lot. Gently is the keyword here.
All of these to be done - if you can - 5 times each, twice per day. Or failing that just as many as you can do without forcing yourself. Are you sitting comfortably, then we will begin he he !!
Slowly lower your chin onto your chest, and bring it back slowly so you are then looking slightly up.
Slowly turn your head to "look" over your left shoulder. Repeat looking over your right shoulder. I personally go from left to right, rather than 5 times each side.
Slowly lower your left ear to your left shoulder. Repeat on the right side. Again left to right.
Hunch your shoulders up to your ears, gently let them drop.
If you can, after all of that he he, rotate your shoulders to loosen them up.
I know this is a full workout for me, so I don't know how you will fare. As you do it more and more, you can definitely feel the looseness coming through. It gets easier in time.
I know I will try anything, so I hope that this might help in some small way.
Take care.
goldenwings
__________________
I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
Thanks for the advice, not you are PT specialist also.Will not try then now just too sore. What kind of a cream are you using? I have bought so many and nothing helps, just bought a big bottle of bio-freezt recommended by the chiro, what a waste of money.
You DRs. assit, Linda
__________________
pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
Funnily enough, my husband bought me a freezing type spray on thingummy. He took a weird, warped pleasure in spraying it on and listening to me scream. I soon put a stop to that and decided to visit the doctor instead and ask for his help with a presciption product.
The product I use now is really quite good. I am in the UK so no doubt the brand names will be different. It is called Traxam, it is a foam, just like mousse, and it dissolves on application. As I said it is an analgesic + antinflammatory product. It is on my bedside table upstairs so I cannot find the manufacturer name just now.
I am sat downstairs, half asleep, stiff as a board, perspiring heavily, with itchy bits all over, a headache and rigid muscles, but apart from that I am doing fine. Builders coming in the early morning, so I will be up with the lark and smiling - forced, painful smiling anyway, hair sticking up all over, no make up on, hastily put on clothes, normally back to front and inside out, and pretending I have been up for hours, letting them think that I have just cleaned the house all the way through, done the laundry, baked a pie and asking if they would like me to make them a coffee. When they go, I will just collapse in a heap and go back to bed.
Anyway it is 1.45 am here, so I must be off to my bed before my husband finds me up and awake when he gets home at around 3.00 am. Heads will roll.
I will bid you goodnight and will let you have more info tomorrow.
Take care.
goldenwings
__________________
I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
Last edited by goldenwings; 08-31-2005 at 05:49 PM.
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Re: Hi all ,costochondritis 
It is hard to breath forget moving at all. Does this sound like costochondrits?
Re: Hi all ,costochondritis 
could you please post them again? or email them to me. Thanks 
