Costochondritis

[hc1987uk]

New to the community. Just wondering if any has had Costochondritis before?

[Sasical]

Hi, yes, I have had it. In fact I think that is what started my health anxiety as I just didn't know what was happening to me. What is it you want to know about it?

[hc1987uk in reply to Sasical]

Yeah it’s what has made my anxiety worse. Because of it causing chest pains I started thinking I was gonna have a heart attack 😞 just wanted to know how people have coped with it and did it give you other symptoms or pain in other places

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer]

🤔 It is possible for pain to travel, and there are ways you can alleviate symptoms.

Chest pain linked to costochondritis usually comes on after exercise, minor trauma, or an upper respiratory infection.

Sharp pain in the front of your chest, near where your breastbone and ribs meet, typically on the left side. It may spread to your back or belly.

Pain when you take a deep breath or cough. It gets better when you stop moving or your breathing is quieter.

Tenderness when you press on your rib joints. If you don’t have this tenderness, you probably don’t have costochondritis.

If costochondritis happens because of an infection after surgery, you’ll have redness, swelling, or pus discharge at the site of the surgery.

Copied from webmed.com search Costochondritis

[hc1987uk in reply to wobblybee]

Thanks. I’ve got tenderness when I touch certain parts of my chest. Been examined by a doctor and been given naproxen for it.

[Sasical in reply to hc1987uk]

Mine was caused (can you believe it) by a bad movement during a yoga class but then having anxiety about it makes it worse because when we are anxious we tense our whole body. I was given Ibuprofen for it. And to help me relax about it the doctor said that if when I pressed on it with my fingers it hurt it meant it was on the outside, not my heart. So after endlessly stabbing at it with my fingers, which of coutse made it worse lol, I believed it wasn't heart related and relaxed about it, even then it did take some time to go.

[hc1987uk in reply to Sasical]

In yoga class oh dear. It’s horrible isn’t it. I might try that pressing on it thing ha. When I went to the doctors with it when I showed him were the pain was he said that’s not were you’d feel anything to do with your heart. He showed me where I’d feel it if it was heart related. It did help but sometimes when im really panicky I trick myself into thinking that’s where I feel the pain. I’ve been given naproxen which has seemed to help a little and I put a hot water bottle on it when I feel it a lot.

[Sasical in reply to hc1987uk]

I know what you mean about tricking yourself into thinking the pain is where the doctor said you would feel the pain if heart related.

It did take me a while to believe it was costo but if the doctor has said so you need to believe it to let go of the brace position that anxiety causes because if not it takes a long time for the pain to calm down.

[hc1987uk in reply to Sasical]

Yeah I feel like I’ve lived in a&e recently 😞 once I get too panicky i get all worried. Had loads of blood tests and ecgs I feel ok for a couple of days after it then it comes back. Hopefully the anxiety gets less soon

[hc1987uk]

It’s just when I’m sitting there and feel it, it sends my anxiety through the roof

[Sasical]

I hear ya'

I've just downloaded a book about Health Anxiety from Amazon, hoping it might help

[hc1987uk in reply to Sasical]

Have to let me know what it’s like? I had anxiety a lot when my dad passed away. Had counselling and she told me to write things down. I’ve been doing it a lot recently helps a little

[wilj91]

I had costochondritis last year and funnily enough, it was brought on by me having panic attacks. Stress can raise inflammation in the body and exacerbate symptoms. I found doing some mindfulness via YouTube helped a lot.