Costochondiritis Questions - Fibromyalgia Message Board

Kaye2003 · 02-09-2007, 11:50 PM

Dx with Fibro 5 years ago. Dx with costo a few weeks ago after a head on car accident Dec 1, 2006. Sternum, chest, shoulders and ribs just will not heal. My doctor has not been very informative or comforting about my problems and I hope someone can help me.

My questions are:
1. I have a sharp knife like pain in my sternum when I sneeze, cough and a small pain when I even hiccup. This pain does radiate slightly to the right when this happens. Is this normal?

2. Sitting down on the floor and shaving my puppy causes extreme burning and pain across my shoulders and chest, almost like I can't breath? Normal?

3. My left rib cage (I was the passenger and did have on my seat belt at the tme of the accident) seems to have different degrees of soreness. Sometimes it is only slightly sore to the touch and other times I want to scream when any pressure is applied. This happens at different places on the rib cage. Sometiimes I have more pain in the front right under my breast (that area is always pretty tender). Other times it seems worse on the side of my rib cage. It has even hurt a few different days on my back on the rib cage. Is this normal?

4. This is the part that really worries me. The front of my rib cage, right under my beast is swollen. Some days more so than others. I can feel the difference in it and the right side. You can even visually see the swelling on the left side. Normal?

5. One last thing. Is it normal to be sore right between my breast but low where my bra strap is located. This area is pretty sore to the touch towards the left side.

What do you take for the pain. Sometimes it just drives me crazy and my doctor doesn't believe in anything but otc meds for this type of pain.

Thank you all for any help and answers you can give me. Like I said, my doctor only dx me but doesn't seem to really be able to answer these questions with anything other than "yes, and it will heal in time".

Thanks,
Kaye

pa235 · 02-10-2007, 07:58 AM

I have costo also and it is awful. I get everything you say you get. My upper chest especally is sore all the time but than goes into pain. I get the sharp shooting pains, I call them zappers they can come from just reachng for something, scare the heck out of me they are so hard and quick. Some days I cannot stand clothing on I have to find a light cotton top to wear, even a hot pack hurts but I still use them as they do help. The pain can come on so quick and you never know when.

When I started with this it was in the bra strap area on the left now it is both sides front and back every rib and collar bone. I get breast pain also. the sore spots I sometimes do not know they are there until I shower or stretch to hard and they sure let me know they have not left.In fact pick any rib ad it is sore.

I think the swelling part is called tietzie, I know I spelled this wrong, just another name for costo with swelling. I had a large swollen area on the ribs in my back that went down but never completely away. I get days where my entire rib cage hurts, front and back .

Anti- inflammatories help but I cannot handle them they really affect my stomach. Heat helps me but some people repond to ice better.

Go into the advanced search and search costochondritis n the all open boards, there are a lot of posts from different boards about costo.

Over a year ago I was getting the sharp shooting pains from shoulder to shoulder in my upper chest, one after another, after 18 hours I went to the Er I could not stand it anymore. They did lots of tests and said costo.

It is miserable thing to have.

Hugs,Linda

laura3377 · 02-10-2007, 06:18 PM

I have Costo too and it is by far my worst symptom. My whole chest is sore. You can press anywhere on my ribs and it hurts. Mine has now gone into my upper back - oh joy! Mine is a constant dull ache and soreness but then I get some sharp, shooting pains as well. In addition to the pain, I also constantly feel short of breath which I guess is due to the inflammation. The worst thing about all of this for me is even after 2 years I am still paranoid that I could have heart problems. I've had all the heart tests except a cath as well as pulmonary function tests, and a ct scan of my chest and none have showed anything. Despite everything being normal, I'd still rather have pain anywhere than my chest - it keeps me constantly on edge and greatly affects my quality of life.