Anyone get pain in sternum?

[Jontie]

Overall I'm feeling much better now I'm on 15mg pred but there are a few pains which, although considerably dulled, don't seem to disappear completely. The only one I'm slightly concerned about is a pain in the middle of my chest behind my sternum. I've had it for weeks and it's worse some times than others. It's a hard pain to describe. Not acute but tight and restrictive. Seems worse if I do something like look over my shoulder to reverse the car. My guess is that it's muscular but because it's in the chest area I'm a bit worried about the heart. I'll mention it to my consultant when I see him in 3 weeks but in the meantime I just wondered if anyone else had experienced this with PMR?

[Celtic PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Jontie, I experienced a couple of bouts of pain in my rib cage area which resolved of their own accord. Your pain does sound muscular from your description of experiencing it when stretching to reverse the car. Best to get it checked though just to rule out anything untoward.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Costochondritis might fit - inflammation of the cartilage joining the ribs to the sternum. It can vary from mild to severe - many people complain of really sharp pains.

[Hollyseden in reply to PMRpro]

I was initially diagnosed with Costochondritis but drugs I was given for that, Naproxen and Co-codamol, did nothing for the pain that was eventually called PMR. I did have loads of pain in ribcage and breastbone so can relate to this sternum pain. Been a bit greedy with the lurgies of late when I think about it.Still hoping to get a no to TAB.

[SheffieldJane]

I was taken to hospital with pain in that region and it turned out to be an oesophageal Spasm. Scary, and I think associated with the irritant effects of Prednisalone. It felt like I'd swallowed an egg and it was stuck - worryingly there was some associated jaw pain. Had all the heart checks.

Yours does sound more muscular. I have also had rib pain as if I was being hugged too hard. These weird symptoms just seem to pass off. Mention it to the doctor though maybe sooner than 3 weeks.

[Jontie]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like it's probably muscular then and associated with the pmr. Always reassuring to know I'm not the only one with these things. I'll get it checked out just to be on the safe side.

[billdmith64 in reply to Jontie]

Hi Jontie, I have exactly the same thing. Have been on pred. for almost exactly 3 years and for, say, 3-4 months have had a pain in the mid-chest area. So that turning the head when reversing the car can be a problem, with pain in the lower ribs too, or it can be painful to cough or sneeze.

On something unrelated, I also experience pain in mid-back when in bed. During the daytime there is no pain. In addition pain in the finger joints, esp. early morning.

Any thoughts/comments would be very much appreciated

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to billdmith64]

I'd suggest asking for a physiotherapist referral - all those symptoms can be due to myofascial pain syndrome and therapeutic massage techniques can help a lot.

[Jontie in reply to billdmith64]

Sounds very similar although I don't get the symptoms you listed in your second paragraph. Pmr pros suggestion is interesting. I'm going to try and find out more about myofascial pain syndrome.