Costochondritis

[Caz14]

Hello there, newbie on here. Does anybody suffer from Costochondritis. I have suffered for 20 years, just started taking medication as can't cope with the pain anymore. What does anyone else do for the pain?? Really don't want to be on tablets all my life. Cheers looking forward to hearing from other sufferers.

[Don_in_midlands]

Hello!

Yeah, I'm with you with the costochondritis 😒 I take naproxen to help with this pain. I also take other pain meds, but they're for the degenerative spine & Fibro.

I also find that heat helps my pain - a hot water bottle or if I'm 'out and about' (once in a blue moon!) I use those heat patches that you stick on the skin/clothing to try to keep some sort of relief.

I've only had this for about 7-8 years, so I don't know how you've stayed sane having it for 20 years!!

I hope that you find something that helps soon,

Donna x

[Caz14 in reply to Don_in_midlands]

Hello Donna, it started when I broke my rib when I was 13. At first it was manageable, then painkiller and ibuprofen. Some of them made me very sleepy all the time. Started gym, ouch ouch and ouch. But started spreading all over my rib cage. It's a nightmare isn't it..it does get you so down.

So yesterday started taking tablets for life, this scares me as tablets do other things to your body xx

[Pepper86 in reply to Caz14]

I find that when my costochondritis plays up the only things that really help is rest, heat (use hot water bottle on chest) and ibuprofen based gels. I've tried naproxen plus on regular tramadol and gabapentin for my chronic condition but don't find these help with costochondritis.

Such a scary thing the first time felt like I had an elephant on my chest hurt so much I struggled to breathe.

[Don_in_midlands in reply to Caz14]

It does get you down, because you just have to wait it out & it's just so painful.

To be honest, I know that the meds can do things to my organs, but I just kinda put that to the back of my mind. I just want relief for what I have now & will just have to suffer whatever consequences come after. It's hard, but it's just how I deal with it x

[Blakejess in reply to Don_in_midlands]

Do u believe yr fibromyalgia contributes I believe mine does

[Don_in_midlands in reply to Blakejess]

I believe that the fibromyalgia is the cause of the costochondritis. There's so many people with the 2 conditions that it's too much to be a coincidence.

There's so many things that fibromyalgia can bring along, it's not funny. It's a shame we can't give it back for a refund x

[Philip]

HiHi there are lots and lots of us on here that suffer with this, personally i take tramadol or paracetamol, but they Dont always work Lol, just one of those things, i had this around 35/36 years and as you know its not nice especially when you need an ambulance Lol and they day, it wont kill you but it hurts Lol.

[Blakejess]

I've started to suffer more this last year but I also have fibromyalgia so the doctor s just put my pain down to that . I believe it's a combination

[Gigi71]

I had a bout of this in 2015 and my G P offered me a steroid injection. I didn't have it done as It Only lasted 6 weeks that time, I already take many meds for RA and other conditions. Might be an option for you though,cas a long term sufferer. My sympathies are with you. X

[Bennett1943]

What I mostly do is put a cold pad on each side of my ribs when sitting down and it does help. Alternatively you could use a heat pad.

[mason]

hi caz have had this pain in my chest for about a moth i was having pains just it seemed under my bust so i examined my bust to see if i could find a lump nothing thank god but as i pushed my bust further up and pressed on my chest the pain was so bad i was crying with pain i was unsure what it was as i have fibromyalgia perifual neuropathy in my feet legs and hands

calcafied tendonitus and bursitus in my shoulders and arms

osteoarthritus

osteophorisis

vertigo

overactive bladder

overactive thyroid

cataracts

tennis elbow

copd

asthma

needle phobia and now

costochondritis

i though it could be fibro

i cant sleep lying down or on my side i might try the recliner chair and a hot water bottle

have you tried an electric bed so you can be a bit upright i dont take pain releif as i get side affects if i take paracetamol i get heart palpatations .i am in so much pain ,