Costochondritis getting worse

[Westie2012]

I was diagnosed with costochondritis about a year ago , it’s getting worse as the months go by . Last weekend we were away and as I wasn’t doing all the usual housework I had a lovely pain free weekend . Since getting home and back to all the usual chores my pain has returned worse than ever . My bra strap feels so painful . It’s getting to me , being in pain every day is making me feel very low as I’m struggling to cope just doing normal housework . I don't know what to do . I’m on naproxen , tramadol , paracetamol and I use a deep freeze gel . Today when I was walking to my daughters school I was feeling pain by my left ribs with every step , I’m at the point I could cry with the pain , there’s just no reprieve 😥

[Hidden]

Hello

I know other members relate to your condition and I have not got the same but I just wanted to say I had read your post , I feel for you and I know when you get so low how it feels that you could just sit and cry , I get like that often

I hope you get some helpful replies regarding your condition x

[Westie2012 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you so much for your reply and kind words xx

[Hidden in reply to Westie2012]

x

[Dazza11]

Hi WestieI suffered badly with Costochondritis a couple of years back and I can fully testify to the pain ( plus the fear as I genuinely believed it was a HA)

There is no solution as it’s effectively means there is little cartilage running alongside your chest bone and therefore the area becomes inflamed so it’s a condition you just have to manage. I was offered an injection directly into the area which helped greatly, it reduced the inflammation very quickly, have you spoken to anyone about this?

[Westie2012 in reply to Dazza11]

Thank you for your reply , are you now free from costochondritis ? The only mention of the infection was from one of the nurses that was looking after me when I was in the cardiac assessment unit , she could see I was in pain and asked what was wrong , when I said it was costochondritis she says they used to give injections to help but wasn’t sure if it was still carried out today , I have a pacemaker and ongoing heart problems so sadly I’m quite a frequent visitor to the cardiac departments . I will consider any treatment that will offer some relief from the pain as I’m struggling to cope with it the longer it continues . Really helpful., thanks again x

[marypw]

I have costochondritis, although mine is related to lupus - in fact it was my first symptom. And yes, that bra strap on tender ribs is horrible.I find very gentle stretching and arm opening exercises do help (the sort you might do in yoga or Pilates.)

I would go back to your GP to discuss further - best wishes.

[Westie2012 in reply to marypw]

Thank you so much x

[h-1234]

I was diagnosed with this condition a few weeks ago. I too had went to A n E with chest pains thinking it was a heart attack as I already have angina. I stopped wearing my bra as it was too small and cutting in. I wore vest tops instead and now it has gone. I have no rib pain at all when I press it. I’m going to go and get properly fitted into a comfortable bra and if it flares up again I’ll be back wearing vests as I can’t help but think my bra was the trigger for me. Good luck x x

[Mentdent]

I have severe psoriatic arthritis and one of its problems is costochondritis. The immunosuppressants I take do help but I discovered recently that having a weekly “deep tissue” massage makes an enormous difference to me. It’s not a cheap option but it might be worth a try.

[AlfredV]

I believe I had that almost every day for 18 months following my HA, having never had it before. It is disconcerting because it is hard to be paranoid that something isn't going on with the heart, but I learned to tell the difference.

I can say that it improved a little once I came off one of my antiplatelets, but did not go away. It was frustrating because any upper body exercise would seem to result in pain that would flare up for several days. A bit of research suggested this was like DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) which everyone gets after a workout but this seemed like it was multiplied by a factor of 10. I think aspirin probably wasn't helping as it is said that NSAIDS have a negative effect on DOMS, but I also noticed I spent a lot of time seemingly dehydrated, implying some electrolyte imbalances. Through some experimentation I sorted this out and the incidents of chest pain improved dramatically. I just wish I'd figured it out a little quicker. Hopefully that offers some food for thought.

[Westie2012]

Just to update everyone kind enough to reply , I had a gp phone appointment , he wants me to try taking codeine instead of tramadol as I’ve been on tramadol for over a year so gp said it could be I’m too used to it so it’s not as effective , i have to try the codeine for a few days and I have my cardiology follow up appointment Tuesday so if my mri scan results don’t show up any problems then I’ll be referred to a pain clinic