I have had costo for like four months now and it has not gone away. My orthopedic doctor assured me after the anti-inflammatories he gave me it would go away. Well, it has not. My ortho is the kind of doctor that runs in the room and than runs out. No quality time so I thought I would turn to you guys for help!
My pain is only on my right side. It starts underneath my right breast, around the side and up to my underarm and than into my back. My pain does not stay in the same place, it moves around. But the entire area is always sore to the touch. Does that sound familiar to your symptoms?
Has yours gone away or has it been long term? Some days the pain is severe and other days I know its there but its not so bad. Are there any remedies out there you can get at like a health food store?
I've had tests and they came back normal but I am still scared. I'm 39. I just don't understand how I got it and why it won't go away.
I don't have a diagnosis yet of fibro but I do have costo. I have had it since the end of October. I was on Celebrex for awhile but I quit taking it after I realized it was not taking it away. The severe pain is gone but I have constant pain in my left mid rib cage and in my back by my shoulder blade. It just never goes away. When I get a fever from a virus, it gets so intense that you cannot even bump me in that area because it hurts so bad. I am afraid it may never go away...
Sometimes fibro pains mysteriously disappear as quickly as they arise. Always keep hope alive.
Generally, NSAIDs & painkillers & most of what conventional medicine has to offer, will not cure fibro. However, in some cases these meds can successfully treat the pain symptoms. But, if the Rxd med didn't help, no use continuing it.
Have you thought of going back to your doc for another round, or, if your doc kinda avoids you ... maybe looking for a health care provider who will be more of a partner in trying to relieve your pain.
Many people w/fibro have had more success working with a naturopath than with conventional med. Naturopathy tends to look more to contributors & causes of fibro, rather than at simply pouring painkillers on the fire. But having said that, not everyone has insurance that covers NDs, and, there's just as much variation in competency among NDs as there is among MDs. So, no guarantees.
I have been really helped by the books by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD: Pain Free 1 -2 -3, and From Fatigued to Fantastic. Dr. T. is himself a former fibro sufferer who has focused his medical career on research & treatment of fibro & chronic fatigue. The books I've mentioned contain info on many, many treatment modalities -- conventional meds, alternative med approaches, and self-help. While my costochodritis was never as severe as yours (I had more severe muscle, tendon & joint pain), I haven't been troubled by it for a long, long time. And I believe I owe the bulk of my healing to using treatments from the Teitelbaum books. And I got started by finding these books at my local public library.
I've had Costo for going on 2 years now but it varies in intensity. Right now it isn't bothering me too bad but I just had a horrible flare of it last month. I've heard the condition can be chronic.
Hi. Generally once you get Chosto, you get it for life. It is a common symptom of FM and can be triggered by various things, usually a viral or bacterial infection of some sort. I got Chosto after I contracted E-Coli. It seems to be at it's worse when you have an infection, like a virus (cold) etc. It will come and go and sometimes last for weeks, or just a few days. It is the swelling of the cartilagde(sp?) between your ribs, again having to do with the connective tissue we have all over our body. It's painful because of the area it's in. When you breathe in and out, you simply aggrevate it cuz it's inflamed. The best thing is really something warm. A heating pad helps me. Other's may have different "remedies" that will help with the pain because everyone is different. But for me, I just get my old heating pad out and wrap it around the side that's hurting. Oh and Peppermint Oil helps too!
Hope this gives you a little helpful ideas.
TK
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"We must be the change we wish to see in the world"
Mahatma Gandhi
There have been lots and lots of posts regarding costo. It seems we who have it have different ways of treating it. I personally have rib injections every so often, that is the only thing that works for me. I cannot take NSAID's, so this is the only way for me to go.
If you go to the search section at the top of the forum and type in "costochondritis" you will get lots of information about it.
Take care.
goldenwings
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I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
I sure wish it would go away, I think I had it a lot longer than the time I was dxed.
Anyone have it on both sides besides me, I use to get it on the left side but now it is on both sides. Sometimes I am so sore I can barely stand a top on.
Golden, I think I saw a post where you said you had angina, how do you know if it is costo or angina pain? This is interesting to me
Hugs, Linda
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pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
Just my angina symptoms here, but the top part of my chest - above the breasts - feels like it is in a clamp when I have angina pain. It goes through to the back of that area too. My neck feels very uncomfortable too, front and back. When you think of the stress on the heart though, no wonder. The pain radiates because I cannot get my breath when it happens. It isn't painful to the touch though. Once I take a spray of my heart medication under my tongue, then the angina pain eases off.
The costo pain envelops all of my chest and rib area, and the slightest touch is agony. No wearing of bras, nothing touching my skin at all. You know what I mean by this, if I could walk around without even a t-shirt on, I would at times.
Others with angina might experience it in a different way, but this is how it affects me. Hope this explains it a bit better.
Take care
goldenwings
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I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
My costo is the same, I swear sometimes clothes flare it, heat helps but the heating pad hurts. I get it mainly in thee upper chest above the boobs both sides, and sometimes I swear someone took a a peice of sandpaper and rubbed my chest. I get sore spots all over my chest area though and really get pain in the low ribs left side.
My Dr. wanted me to go for a nuclear stress test but I know so many people that had it done with false positives and negs, that I do not feel it is worth it. I talked to my husbands cardio about the test and he said it is not a good test by any means and you should only have it done if your are getting angina pain and a past or family history of heart disease. According to what he told me if your ejection fraction is good, you may have some blockages but nothing to be concerned about.
I just read a article that fm affects the upper chest, I never read that before only that it can cause chest pain.
I have a lot of junk going on in my neck and thorastic spine so one Dr. says the upper chest is from that, another fm, and my g/p says costo.But they all say if you press around and find those sore spots it not non- cardiac.
I thought angina would be more like pressure.
Hugs, Linda
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pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
Crossing my fingers for you Golden. Cliff thought he was getting angina pain but the cardio said no it is nerve and muscle pain. He gets the sore spots also. The other night he said now I know what you go through. He is 7 months post by-pass and feels he should not have any pain any longer. He has post polio syndrome and herniated cervical disc's so the surgery could have activated the chest soreness. Would you believe a freind of ours had 15 stents in the last 8 months.
Forgot the therapist I was seeing said she was sure I had TOS, Take your pick all I know if it is not one thing aching it is another.
Hugs, Linda
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pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
As I said in a previous post, I had my surgery - triple bypass - 3 1/2 years ago and I still have nerve ending problems in my chest and also pressure soreness. I had the arteries taken out of my chest though to use for the grafts. This might have a bearing on the prolonged discomfort I have.
Thing is though there are no hard and fast rules for these thing to go away. Because one person is lucky not to have pain after say 12 months, it doesnt mean everyone is the same.
The one thing I would suggest Cliff does if he can is to dogentle stretchng exercises in his upper chest, this will loosen the site up and not make it as rigid.
Sorry Linda, what is TOS ?
Take care
goldenwings
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I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.
You sure have been through a lot and than add the fm and costo, geesh.
Cliff just got finished with cardio rehab and is now going to the gym. it is owned by the hospital and there is a phsio (something) that sets up your program, he tells when to increase and decrease the different exercises. I did tell him to do the gentle stretches as you suggested, thanks for the advice. People who go through this trauma can be more helpful than anyone as they have been there. Cliff still has a 60% blockage that they are watching, they would have by-passed his other stent and the blockage but his was in very bad condition.
Tos is thorastic outlet syndrome, it is something around the upper chest at the collar bone where the nerves come out of, I think. I never really checked into it.
Four guys that were in rehab with Cliff all had nuclear stress tests done within a 2 month period and passed, the one guy had one every year for the last 5 years as part of his annual physical. All four had heart attacks and were either stented or by-pass.
Hope you are having a good day.
Have not seen Blue around for a few days, she must be busy playing cupid, lol.
HUgs, Linda
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pa235
Fibromyalgia
Myofascal pain syndrome
Costochondritis
Arthritis, cervical and thorastic
you called? giggle.
hi girls,
i have been helping a friend and adapting to a world without my nephew in it. it is peaceful now this world in which i dwell. i am gone alot staying on the mountain where my friend has gifted my homeless friend who just got ssi till her moneys come and she finds a home. so i go there alot to cook and help out and goof off and take bubble baths and lie on my heating pad.
costo is actually behaving, shhh! might hear me and come running, ya know? a bit of a rough go with joints. seeing a new bone doc in may or earlier if there is a cancellation.
linda would you tell cliff i am so proud of him. p.t is hard work. very hard work.
goldie old girl, good to see you here. i miss you kids. there is so much to do in service to others. often i would benefit from having a twin to help me. giggle. a new face has come. it takes much energy to initate the connection. she has hep c and her partner just died less than a year ago. many subjects to address.
love you all. always here in heart and mind.
blue
Does Costochondritis ever go away???? 
Re: Does Costochondritis ever go away???? 
Re: Does Costochondritis ever go away???? 
