anybody pick up costochondritis as a side dish from ra ?

[jimmy22]

had a introduction with it, and with having symtoms of a heart attack its a lot of fun! wondering if its a common thing and if there is half decent treatment.

[Dogrose]

I have had occasional pain on the left side of my sternum most of my life, it was so bad when I was 12 I made my mother take me to the doctor but he just said it was muscular. I went back to a GP in my 20's with the same pain and again was told it was just muscular. I wasn't diagnosed with RA until my mid 40's but I wonder if I always had it in the background - I get exactly the same pain when I get a flare up. I'm not sure about treatment, googling about it just says painkillers and anti-inflammatories.XXX

[Someonesmother]

Yes first time I thought I was having a heart attack. OMG so painful. It comes and goes and I am hoping once on treatment it will be more manageable. I have it at the moment and it is very hard to get comfy at my desk at work or lying in bed aghhh. I commiserate. I cannot take ibuprofen or NSAIDS so I just have to live with it.

[caroline777 in reply to Someonesmother]

Yep - and a nice lump at the top of my sternum where it meets my clavicle! Some nights it's really hard to turn over in bed or raise my head off the pillow. I'm on a very good anti inflammatory called celebrex which gives some temporary relief but it is very painful. Had mine for about three months this time with no sign of it letting up. Hope it gets better soon - might be worth asking for a depomedrone injection??

Take care

Caroline

x

[Someonesmother in reply to caroline777]

Yes I know what you mean I just don't want to move most of the time as it causes excruciating pain. So wish I could take anti inflammatories but I can't so I just have to suffer.

[oldtimer]

When I've had it, it's a "relief" to feel along both sides of the edges of my sternum and all the knobbles are painful, not just on one side. Then I know that it's costochondritis. The ends of the my clavicles tend to be affected quite often as well. And it hurts to breathe, lie in bed, turn over, reach up - everything seems to hurt when it's bad.

I'm pleased to say, I haven't got it at the moment, only my hands and feet are painful at present.

I do find NSAIs help to take the edge off the costochondritis, as well as the other painkillers I take.

[Hidden]

I just wish that I was more medically minded with all these medical terms! At least I have not come across what you are describing it sounds quite harsh. I think we ought to have diagrams that we can hit on so that we all know where each of us are referring to. Needless to say biology was not my fort-ay at school.

[earthwitch]

Join the club. I've had three ECGs now for it - twice when I was in hospital for something else and started complaining of chest pain. Mine is just another example of the widespread enthesitis that goes along with spondyloarthritis. Only time I am really free of it is when I am having adequate antiinflammatory treatment (which currently means steroids, as I can't take the usual NSAIDs for spondy any more, and I'm still waiting on anti-tnfs).

[francherry]

Yes, I get it in the middle of my chest. Before I knew what it was I ended up in A&E several times convinced I was having a heart attack. Have had various tests on my heart including ECG and ultrasound but they were ok (unlike one sister who has a heart murmur). However, I'd always attributed it to having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as my sisters also get costochondritis (and they don't have RA). I also can't take NSAIDs - what I've found helps for me is using a hot water bottle to relieve the pain.

[Hobbles]

I never heard of it until I had a nasty flare and found I couldn't breath in or out without pain,

I have suffered with it since.....oh the joys of RA

[bethf]

I wonder if I have costochondritis. I haven't been diagnosed with it, but 9 years ago I got pericarditis, which is inflammation of the pericardiem, the fluid-filled sac that holds your heart in place. That was the worst pain EVER. And since then sometimes I get a twinge in that area. Also - I have a lump above my left collarbone that scared me and I had an MRI of it and it didn't show anything. I'm always scared I'm going to get lymphoma because of taking these wicked RA drugs for the past 20 years.

[NBer55 in reply to bethf]

I had Pericarditis 10 times before I was finally diagnosed with RA at 45.

[Annielou]

I sympathise greatly, I have also been having the same pain in my chest for a year or more - I knew it was likely to be inflammation of muscle/cartilege as the doc, consultants and physios have told me so previously but it has never been too unbearable until this week when it has come on with a real vengeance (for no apparent reason). I spoke to the most senior rheumatology sister today and she has given me an urgent appointment early next week. I really just want reassurance that nothing more sinister is going on as it feels like I would imagine angina or a heart attack would be. The nurse sister told me to try not to shallow breathe, to fight the pain and breathe as normally as possible or it might cause a chest infection. Resting my warm lavender wheat bag against my chest has helped a little and am taking my 500g naproxen a twice a day plus paracetomol 4 hourly.

[jimmy22]

all blood tests come back normal, and ecg at 54bpm was good. already on steroids and nsaids. dew to another attack last night and no sleep lots of pain, temp changes and sever dizziness, went to see doc as it scared me and they simple said we don't know and no 1 else does. I feel for the rest of you as it is really is unbearable, a lot of help from your replys thankyou. x