Costochondritis

[Wanda]

Sorry to hear about all the pain & suffering folk are going through. I haven't had anything this severe, but as long as I can remember If I bend a certain way, my ribs feel as if they have turned to rubber and folded in half. The pain is horrible, but only lasts a few minutes until my ribs pop out again. Is this related? When I was a kid I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritus for constant pain in my breastbone. I did "grow" out of it, but the bending pain still happens.

I just can't believe how much docs just don't get the whole picture.

xx

[moonstorm]

Does anyone know if you get costochondritis on one side only or can it change from right to left? A couple of months ago it was my left side and now I've had 3 attacks on my right side. :(

[Green Thistle]

Hi moonstorm,
Yes, I'm sure costochondritis can be on just one side. I have it mainly on my left side (related to my rib dislocations on that side), but sometimes I have it on the right side as well (or instead). I think it depends what I've been doing and which muscles I've been using the most.

[Kayzee]

Sorry to be stupid again, but could someone tell me what this is in laymens terms?

Thanks peeps:)

Kay x

[nonyanomemory]

Hi Kayzee,

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the junctions where the upper ribs join with the cartilage that holds them to the breastbone or sternum. The condition can cause localized chest pain that you can reproduce by pushing on the cartilage in the front of your ribcage.

Hope that helps hun,

nonya

[Kayzee]

Thanks Nonya,

Yes it makes sense now! I suffer terrible pain off and on there, but if I press where you say, its really sore. I've even been in hospital with the pain and they just said it seems to be your ribs your pointing at! I told them its not the ribs, its sort of inside them. Maybe its this? Maybe I'm a hypercondriac!!

Kay x

[Anne]

Hi . Just been diagnosed with costochondritis. I think maybe my 4 year old daughter Grace had it last week as we spent the day in 3 hospitals from 10.15am until 9pm with severe chest pains and palpatations. I don't have palpatations but I have severe pain and all my joints ache ... I'm asthmatic and I feel like I can't believe ... I feel like I'm dying but at least I know I'm not ... with family history of angina, heart attacks, the wrong heart valves etc ...
Very gentle hugs to anyone who has this. My son aged 6 has had a temperature for 24 hours and is starting to get pain too .... Thank heaven for the Internet !!!

Love Anne xxxx

[Blaadyblah]

Gah, I've been clear of this for a few months now, wish i could say I knew why! Still getting the palpitaions and so on but at least when I roll over in bed I'm only dislocating shoulders/hips!

[Hayley]

I've had pain and swelling in my right hand side (just slightly below the ribs on my back) for 18 months now and was originally told is was costo by the hospital but my GP reckons it isn't as my sternum isn't sore at all. None of my painkillers ease it although it does get a lot worse if I don't tke any pain meds. I've had x-rays, an ultrasound and a cat scan but nothing has showed up yet the swelling is definitely there, everyone can feel it. It's really painful during the night, especially when I try to turn over but it seems there's nothing my GP can do for me. In her own words, she's stumped!

Hayley

[lil_miffy]

iv had chest pains since i was 11. it was the only pain symptoms the docs looked into. i had chest xray and ecg but they daid everything was fine and its just growing pains. im now 27 and stil getting these 'growing pains'. it knocks my breath away, a sharp stab in my chest. sometimes near my heart other times on the right lower down.

theres no trigger to them or anything that helps ease them. sometiems i get one or town and thats it but sometimes it cna last for hours recurrent stabbing pains.

the only thing they did say as a kid was that i have quite a slow and iregular heartbeat and my blood pressure is real low but they werent concerned.

i might mention it when i see the rheumy.

[goddess]

hi,someone said on here that costo was linked to hms,but in fact medically speaking,costo is a totally different and standalone condition.People with hms can have rib issues though.

[Rosie]

Hi all

Costo is one of those conditions that having HMS can cause, like having IBS, tendonitus, POTS, FMS, prolapses, hernias, scoliosis etc etc
This doesn't mean that only people with HMS can get these conditions. Many conditions can have a variety of causes.

Rosie

[barkingmad]

Hi

Rosie is right about the costo. Unfortunately, a lot of the stand alone conditions have a higher rate of incidence in HMS.

I know that I get costo, as does my daughter and I get in particularly when on my bendy week. It can be unsufferable and restrict everything that a person does.

[cuddles]

Us Marf's have it too
I have known a few people that got rushed into A&E because the pain was so servere and they feared it was a dissection or Heart attack .
The thing is many doctors are not aware of Costochondritis and the link with CTD's , hence the suffer being sent away still unsure what has / is causing this pain

[everhopeful]

Doc not sure if I have a pulled muscle or costachondritis. It's my ribs in the middle. Had to wear a bra with no bone for last few days. Sharp pain when I lean forward or take a deep breath (which I feel the need to do from time to time, but then regret.) Doc says a muscle may take a few weeks but costachondritis could be shorter, more phase like. Is this what others experience? Been sitting up very straight for last few days which is making me soooo tired. Not sleeping well due to pain on movement which wakes me up time after time. Would be helpful to know which way this is going to go, but I guess time will tell.