Costochondritis

[Suet3942]

Can this be linked to pmr.?? I’ve had mild pain intermittently for a couple of years but the last couple of days my breastbone is really sore and radiates through to my back slightly. It really hurt when I was lying in bed last night. Coughing is really painful.

[Hidden]

I've also had this problem over the last few years, it sometimes goes away but usually comes back to bite a few weeks later as of now.

[Suet3942 in reply to Hidden]

It’s really painful isn’t it?

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I think quite a lot of people have experienced it at some time or other. Whether there is a link between the two I don't know.

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. X

[Mrsd12f in reply to Suet3942]

It’s what made me go to the GP, initially, when I was diagnosed with PMR. It flares up, from time to time.

[Suet3942 in reply to Mrsd12f]

So I'm not alone ! It's so painful.

[Bronni]

Yup. Mine is much better after 4 mos, but if I fall off the wagon and eat sugar, it returns!! What the. . . .?

[Suet3942 in reply to Bronni]

Really? That's interesting. Must admit that I felt a lot better last year when I was on a diet

X

[Bronni in reply to Suet3942]

Works for me, anyway. Initially I gave up all sugar and alcohol. I was able to stick to no sugar, but givIng up my evening glass of wine 🍷 - not quite 😊

[HeronNS]

I believe I have had it, although I was told by my old doctor that I'd dislocated a rib. It's possible that's what triggered it as something snapped when I was doing yoga. But it took at least four years to clear up and I had all the symptoms people describe. Used to cross my arms in front of my chest if I coughed or sneezed because it was so painful, hard to find ways to sleep which didn't make it worse, etc. Never mentioned it to doctor who diagnosed the PMR as I thought it was unrelated (dislocated rib, right!) and to this day I don't know if there's any treatment.

[Suet3942 in reply to HeronNS]

Don't think there is heron. Just have to grin and bear it . 😣

[markbenjamin57]

Hi Sue. Yep, I've had it too, a couple of times during my PMR Adventure and never previously. Either way, yes - OUCH!! My (amateur) theory is that the PMR inflammatory stuff washes around in the system generally but sometimes decides to niggle away at a particular part of it. A bit like Hip Bursitis too? Assuming it's Costo.., at least it's not dangerous - just uncomfortable! From experience, dunno how best to treat it but I found that keeping warm helps. Electric blanket etc? And it often does pass of its own accord..

[Suet3942 in reply to markbenjamin57]

Thanks Mark. Xx

[SheffieldJane]

You seem to be like me at the moment Sue, with a number of worrying odd things going wrong. I have had the symptoms of Costocondritis in the distant past. It was so painful I sat up all night. Eventually I was hospitalised and they almost removed my gallbladder. At the last moment they told me that the tests were all clear and I didn’t need the op. The interesting part is that the pain eased with the hefty dose of Valium given as a pre-med. This was never explained. I think that I had strained my ribs by carrying heavy shopping. The symptoms fit Costocondritis though. Given that our muscles are weakened, could even a minor exertion have caused this?

[Bronni in reply to SheffieldJane]

Awful prolonged cough started it for me ☹️

[Suet3942 in reply to SheffieldJane]

Could have done Jane. I work in a charity shop and even though I try and be careful it's not always possible . But I love it so don't want to give it up. X

[SheffieldJane in reply to Suet3942]

Happiness is so important. Maybe explain to your co-workers that lugging heavy boxes is not for you? 🌼

[Suet3942 in reply to SheffieldJane]

I have Jane. But sometimes it can’t be helped. X

[SheffieldJane in reply to Suet3942]

🤷🏼‍♀️

[Purplecrow in reply to Suet3942]

I simply unload the too-heavy box into manageable bags and proceed😄

[PMRCanada]

I just started getting these type of symptoms in the last week. I was sick to my stomach the other evening before I went to bed, heaving and my shoulders tensing as I vomited. I went to bed laying on my side and woke up extremely sore. My breastbone area along with pectoral muscles on my chest and up the front of my neck very sore. This made it difficult to sleep at night. Even when I would breath in deeply it would hurt.

Today I have some relief but I also had a Bowen Therapy session that addressed it and a sore neck, back of my head and shoulders. Almost like magic, drank lots of water after my session and now can rotate my head and roll it around without any pain (ahhhhhhh).

It is strange the odd symptoms that emerge. My PMR started overnight in my knees and thighs, moved up into my hips, 4 months later, while still not diagnosed, my shoulders became involved overnight while on vacation and sleeping on a firm bed. Even after I started pred last May 1st, I’ve felt the inflammation climbing to my neck, back of head and under ears at times (as my knees seem to be getting better). When I get niggles or new soreness, it seems to be from my chest upwards as of lates.

I do hope you get some relief soon from this painful condition.

[Bronni in reply to PMRCanada]

Same here. Any current twinges/aches are from neck up, which is scary. Always worried gca is lurking somewhere, but I don’t know if that’s possible after 4+ yrs and on very low pred maintenance dose.

[PMRCanada in reply to Bronni]

I too worry about GCA!!

[Bronni in reply to PMRCanada]

Fingers crossed 🤞

[Suet3942 in reply to PMRCanada]

Mines now in my sternum and tops of thighs / groin

[Emerlad_70]

I have had it for two years had scans for gallstone or to find a reason nothing could be found and was diagnosed with pmr December

I am reducing my steroids and the first thing that comes back is my rib and chest pain. I sometimes feel I can’t breathe

[Suet3942 in reply to Emerlad_70]

Me too. It's horrible isn't it!

[Emerlad_70 in reply to Suet3942]

Yes it is

[Nerak12]

Morning! You have my empathy. I developed pain like a knife in my rib cage out of the blue on New Years Eve. No pain killers relieved it. It’s come and gone ever since. The pain levels track my PMR pains. Sometimes it’s in the sternum, sometimes it feels like it’s the surface of the ribs and sometimes the muscles between. It definitely gets worse if I am very active with my upper body. Right now I’m suffering because of a very foolish extra hour spent clearing all the thatch out of a pampas grass last Sunday. I know, I know, why on earth did I do that? Because it was a lovely day, I was feeling good, I was desperate to get out and do some gardening and there was nobody else to do it. Will I never learn???? Yet another reminder that how ever good you feel, PMR is chugging away under the surface just waiting to get you when you ignore all the great advice that’s on this forum. A few weeks before I had begun to reduce my Pred from 10 to 9.5 having gone back up to 10 from 8.5 because of a flare. How stupid am I??? So be reassured that you are not alone and PMR pains can be very mobile. Hope you feel better soon xx

[Suet3942 in reply to Nerak12]

Thanks. Pmr , the gift that keeps on giving!!

[alangg]

Yes - me too! It came with the PMR nearly 2 years ago and the 15mg pred relieved it but now that I'm down to 2mg it has come back to pretty much the same level although the PMR is nothing like as bad as it was at the start.

GP recently sent me to the physio who observed that I had reduced bulk in my latissimus dorsi muscles on that side and that my rotator cuff was not as active as it should be - I was using the wrong muscles to do things that my shoulder and back should have been doing and she thought that might be the cause. I've been given various exercises to do in order to strengthen the various muscles but if anything, the rib/sternum pain has got worse. I hope it's a John Major/Maggie Thatcher cure... 'if it's not hurting, it's not working'.

[Lochy]

I have fairly regular sternum chest pain since diagnosed three years ago. Worst when I sneeze or cough! Luckily or oddly I’ve never had a cold in these three years despite the warnings that steroids increase chances of infection etc. Thank goodness as my sternum pain would be horrible. Sometimes when I lie back at Pilates or yoga I have to hold my sternum as it’s too sore.

It comes and goes and I’ve not connected it with dose or activity. I think it’s the first symptom that reappears on a taper though and then usually subsides. Think I’ve just got used to it. Sometimes it appears in right shoulder blade area, always that side.

I’ve mentioned it regularly to GP and rheumy but it’s never commented on. It’s probably the lesser of my PMR pains!

Having read on here that many suffer similar symptoms has given me comfort that I’m ‘normal’ 🤗

[Suet3942 in reply to Lochy]

Me too. Whatever normal is 😂😂

[stacybila]

I suffered with that for a few months. Excruciating chest pain couldn't cough, use my chest muscle or even lay in bed. Finally went away.

[Suet3942 in reply to stacybila]

Hope mine does. X

[animalactivist]

Yes i too get this. Think it is related

[Manchild]

I was just in the hospital for exact same thing! Pains under left ribs and up lateral back. Was also slightly nauseous and shaky. Scans showed nothing and I was released with painkillers. My GP now thinks it is mid-back related but I disagree. I feel a little better today but still have pains in that area. This also coincides with my current attempt to reduce.

[Suet3942 in reply to Manchild]

Yeah I’m trying to reduce as well Manchild. I have had it on and off for a couple of years but not a bad.

[Blearyeyed]

Hi Suet

Sorry to hear about your pain , I have it off and on . Costochondritis is a very painful inflammation of the area were the cartilage meet the joints in the ribcage especially around the breastbone / sternum area , although sometimes it can only present in the lower right area , 5/6 , which is why sometimes , just as it is often confused with heart pain , it also gets confused with gall bladder issues , pancreatitis or stomach issues.

It can happen as a trigger from AI inflammation and because of PMR or osteoarthritis etc even though it's separate from it.

With steroid use and other drugs and the inactivity caused by joint related illness chest muscle weakness increases , and if you have had recent infections of the chest , heavy colds or coughs that can cause it.

You can also have it as part of other infections which is why GPs usually do extra blood tests to rule them out.

Heat therapy with a mini hot water bottle or heat blanket is highly recommended , especially using it on pain points. About 15-20 minutes on each part of the chest that hurts.

Sitting in a comfortable position , or lying down .

Doing deep slow breathing exercises at the same time is good. Breath in through your nose to fill the chest hold for 5 slowly breath out through a slightly open mouth.

The exercise is recommended to do through the day to rebuild the muscle slowly and relieve the pain of the muscle on bone before trying other exercises.

If you get spots that sufferers hot burning feeling of inflammation it is recommended to use an ice pack on them for five minutes each , before then doing heat therapy . The combination of both brings relief.

Putting a cooling gel with menthol on hot spots or an Arnica cream on the areas of bruised like pain before doing other therapies also helps.

After alot of body rest ( in bed really!) and a build up of breathing exercises you can use some light stretching exercises to help relieve the pain.

If they have ruled out infection as a cause it's just painkillers then to help.

If you are allowed them they suggest ibuprofen or a prescription NSAID for the claim.

Increasing your fluids also help if dehydration from other inflammation has dried out the lubricants between your tissues and ribs.

Unfortunately it can take months to be totally free of the pain , but the heat and breathing can reduce its intensity within a week or two.

It can come back , especially if you have a disease like ours with inflammatory nature. But you know the warning signs now , so when you feel that pressing on your chest or bruise like pain start the therapy again.

And always get it checked if throwing builds up in your chest at the GP to make sure it isn't something else.

It's a pain to have this with PMR but hopefully it will go quickly for you.

Take care , Bee xx

[Suet3942 in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you Bee. I will follow what you said. How are you? Xx

[Blearyeyed in reply to Suet3942]

Muddling on as usual , and thankfully being distracted from the gloom by the chat and discussions going on on my post from yesterday , every little helps doesn't it.😘😘😘

[Cyclegirl54 in reply to Blearyeyed]

I’ve got this at the moment so interested in your solutions for pain relief. 🙂

[Blearyeyed in reply to Cyclegirl54]

Hope they help you .

They can take time to work , unfortunately this type of muscle / cartilage inflammation can go on for some time as a dull bruised like ache until the inflammation is fully gone and the nerves stop responding to the recent damage in the area.

And it can come and go , the breathing and heat when you feel it coming is key to getting it in hand .

It was originally something I overheard in my youth ( ha!ha! , feels so long ago !!) from my old Sports Physiotherapist . His old tips and tricks to cope with muscle damage and pain have served me well over the years.

Good luck with it , hugs xx

[Suet3942]

Yes it does Bee. Love this site. X

[Hollyseden]

I've just come across your post and I'm another victim of costochdritis. It reared it's ugly head again this week. I have a cough which is not helping. At least I know what it is now. When I first had it, I was in agony. Went on holiday with an extra pillow in my case because I needed it to try to get slightly comfortable on holiday. That and PMR before steroids did not make a good holiday 😨 Hope your bout of costo is long gone.

[Suet3942]

Hi Hollyseden

It’s a lot better than it was thanks, still lurking but I’m back to 10mg pred. Suppose that’s helping. Hope yours disappears soon. X