RA rib pain

[JustHereForGin]

Just wondering if anyone else has suffered this? I have had RA since 2018, but it has progressed over the last few years. Recently I've been getting a lot of pain in my rib cage, especially when sleeping. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I'm due to see my rheumatologist in a month and will raise it then.

[nomoreheels]

Hiya JHFG. If it's tender as well that sounds suspiciously like costochondritis. It's your joints within the chest (your breastbone & ribs), the cartilage becomes inflamed. It probably hurts more if you take a deep breath in or, as you state, when lying down. The latter is probably due to pressure, if it is costochondritis of course. Warmth may help, if you have a heated pad or hot water bottle try either. See what your Rheumy says. It can just ease off & go away but could take some time. If it's persistent a steroid injection (or two) is often recommended to dampen down the inflammation.

It's good you've not too long to wait to see your Rheumy as examination is the way to diagnose it.

[JustHereForGin in reply to nomoreheels]

Thanks Nomoreheels! I'd done a bit of "doctor google" and thought it might be that. Those pesky steroid injections rarely work for me, so hopefully it'll go away by itself.

[nomoreheels in reply to JustHereForGin]

I'm the same with general steroid injections, only one has ever worked & that was only for a day. Targeted ones however do, odd. Except that they've been different steroids so it could be that I respond to one & not the other.

[JenniferW]

I've had that in recent months, anti-inflammatories help for a while but then it comes back...

[JustHereForGin in reply to JenniferW]

Oh no!!! 😩

[Esmereld]

Yes. Horrible!. Very painful. Mine comes and goes. Luckily I just get the odd flare of it about four times a year and it lasts about a week. Maybe two. I take the odd pain killer as needed. Might try the heat thing next time. Sorry though. It’s all part of it I’m afraid.

[JustHereForGin in reply to Esmereld]

Let's hope mine does the same. It doesn't seem to be my sternum that is the origin of the pain - more like my spine. All very strange.

[Esmereld in reply to JustHereForGin]

Although I’m no expert, I don’t think it would hurt for you to do some gentle stretching. I’m sure you’d find something on YouTube. Pilates for beginners maybe. Or yoga. Do the ones you think might help. Also keep within your comfort zone. Don’t go too mad 😂😂. You never know. You might get a bit of relief. You might make it worse though. I’m sure you get a gut feeling about my suggestion and your guts are good. I follow mine and I’m usually right. Good luck. I hope you get some relief soon.

[JustHereForGin in reply to Esmereld]

I do love pilates and used to be an avid fan, but had a baby last year and she took over life, as they do! 😆

[Tired-fed-up]

I had this a couple of years ago. My GP didn’t have a clue and I forgot to mention it to my rheumy (so many other things to mention!). The good news is it went away 😁

[JustHereForGin in reply to Tired-fed-up]

Not bothered with the GP yet since I'm seeing mu consultant within a month. Will see what he says first I think. Hopefully it will have disappeared by then.

[Runrig01]

I have ankylosing spondylitis, and my ribs are fused to my spine, resulting in a chest expansion of 0.8cm. I have lots of areas tender to touch, where enthesis joins the tendon to the bone. It also causes the typical costochondritis pain where the sternum is inflamed. I found no heat pads help, and non wired bras like the flexifit range in M&S. Unfortunately mine is a permanent issue, which has resulted in lung problems. They can’t expand fully, so I have patches of Atelectasis throughout my lungs, and get breathless really easily. I also have a hiatus hernia due to the diaphragm being weak from not expanding, this has resulted in me aspirating acid into my lungs. All down to fused ribs causing lack of expansion. Hope it resolves soon for you.

[JustHereForGin in reply to Runrig01]

Oh gosh!!! Sounds like you're really going through the mill!