Or could I actually have broken a rib?!

[toomuchmashaandthebear]

Had a chest infection all week, started with a bit of rib pain from the constant coughing on Tuesday which has just slowly got rose as the week has gone on. However last night I coughed and felt such an intense pain in my side, since getting up with morning the pain is unbearable, I can't move, breathing hurts, the pain is now radiating in to my stomach and it literally feels like my side is about to pop open. Could it just be a pulled muscle or could I have done something worse? Has anyone else ever had this?

I had something similar, could barely move with the pain, and it was just a torn intercostal muscle. But it's impossible to say if that's the case for you.

I think you should get it checked out.

Oh, paracetamol or ibuprofen (I can't remember which) was miraculous for me, so might be worth trying if you can/haven't already.

It could be costochondritis or as Fluffy mentioned, a torn intercostal muscle. You absolutely need to get to A&E and get an x-ray though, OP.

My mama broke a rib coughing about forty years ago - it’s definitely possible. It could be intercostal muscles, but if it’s that bad I’d get checked out.

Pleurisy?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pleurisy/

When a man broke my ribs the hospital didn't x ray - they said the treatment is the same regardless so they weren't going to waste resources doing an x ray. Painkillers and rest. I hope you feel better soon OP its such a horrible pain.

Thanks all, the pain is so severe I honestly can't move much at all. Just managed to get in the bath to see if that helps and then our local minor injuries opens at 9 so I'm going to go straight there

Sounds exactly like me in October. Had chest infection from kids, ignored it as I had two under two unwell. Ended up with pleurisy and dislocated two ribs from coughing. Painkillers, antibiotics and bed rest for the first day was my only way of avoiding hospital. Don't think i have ever been so sore or unwell.

I have broken 2 ribs as a result of coughing.
Was extremely unwell with bronchitis. My ribs broke outwards, and I used to press on them in order to breathe because of the pain.

A friend took me to a&e, xray confirmed it. I was lucky not to puncture my lung by pressing them, but the pain was immense.

Oh man, you poor thing that sounds awful.

I would go to A&E and get it checked, in case it's something else.

They're fairly easy to crack, and bloody painful! Alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen, hot water bottles can help too. And don't sneeze. Or laugh. Or breathe

Definitely possible and you need checking out asap so glad you’re going to the out of hours. Good luck

Yes. Many years ago I had a chest infection, I pulled a muscle coughing, the muscle went into spasm and during my next coughing fit I heard a rib break, it was excruciating. Although the acute phase of the pain only lasted about a week I'm sorry to report it took about 4 months for me to be able to roll over in bed without wincing.

It's worth getting it checked out just in case it's something else but I'm afraid pain relief is usually the only treatment they can offer for a broken rib.

It's rubbish, I hope you find a way to get relief from the pain soon.

Costochondritis

That's what I was told when taken to hospital. Felt like a heart attack. Treatment is simply painkillers and rest. Hope you feel better soon.

Just to update I saw a nurse and she said it sounds like I've done something to the muscles near the ribs so I've got some co codamol and just got to rest

When that happened to me, it healed really quickly. I hope that's the case for you too. Thanks for the update, and make sure you take it easy.

Ah co-codamol! Heaven sent magic bullet! It is many years ago, but that has saved me in the past from the pain of costochondritis (and you get a break from the coughing!). May you sleep like a dream and heal quickly, OP.

more likely to be costochondritis or a pulled muscle than a broken rib but not impossible.

I broke a rib coughing once. it's awful especially if you keep coughing. it really affected my posture and walking too. all those core muscles that are connected.

good that you have seen someone.
cocodamol should help with the coughing impulse as well.

@TheVanguardSix

It could be costochondritis or as Fluffy mentioned, a torn intercostal muscle. You absolutely need to get to A&E and get an x-ray though, OP.

I had this, coughing so hard I was nearly sick. GPdiagnosed costochondritis and advised lots of anti-inflammatories. I’m not sure an x-ray has a point, they won’t do anything for broken ribs. They don’t strap them or anything.

As you haven't had an x-ray, if breathing becomes even more painful, or difficult please go to A&E, as you could anything from pneumonia to a pierced lung! Another reason to go to A&E is if the painkillers don't seem to be working. I presume that the nurse checked your oxygen levels, and that they were above 93%? If you have pneumonia or similar, you may need intravenous antibiotics, or if you have actually broken a rib (and a nurse wouldn't know that you definitely hadn't without an x-ray), the rib could have pierced your lung, and a damaged lung is an emergency. With severe breathing problems you would need an ambulance - because they can give you oxygen straight away, and blue light you. However, if you are told that you would be waiting for an ambulance a lot longer than the trip to hospital by car, someone you know could drive you to the hospital, but only if it is not very far away. You would need oxygen, and your lung treating ASAP.

Good Luck OP, I hope your pain eases very quickly whatever the cause 💐

Anything involving intercostals is excruciating. I find anti inflammatory meds more effective so alternate cocodamol and ibuprofen. And only take the cocodamol for three days. I hope you feel better soon.

I had a chest infection once and coughed so hard I pulled all the muscles around my eyes balls. One of the weirdest and most painful injuries ever. I couldn’t move my eyes. 🥺 sorry, it’s not about me. I just never get to tell that story.

@TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek A nurse wouldn't need an oximeter to check if OPs oxygen sats were above 93%, because most people would have turned blue by then. And a rib that is broken by coughing will be perfectly adequately splinted by the other ribs and will not pierce a lung. OP does not describe trauma, which would cause violent displacement.

OP, please don't be worried by this nonsense and scaremongering. Feeling unable to breathe is a distinct sensation that people tend to ring ambulances for anyway - so trust your own good sense, and the medical professional who examined you.

A handy hint is to get a towel to help with coughing - A long thin one is best. Wrap it around you at the level of your pain, and pull it tight, and then cough. This supports the rib cage and so is often less painful - but if it isn't, don't bother with it. Sometimes the bruising means it can be more painful.

Oh OP, I had the same two years ago. It was hell on Earth.

A&E said it might be pluerisy- but they didn’t x-ray as I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time. Just sent me off with painkillers.

I’d had a chest infection which I was violently coughing for hours a day. During one fit, It felt like my chest had ripped in half. I could only say one word at a time on a breath. Hospital couldn’t have been any less concerned though!

The pain lasted 6 weeks. I found a bit of relief by laying on my front with a hot water bottle between the rib and a mattress.

[quote ChristmasFluff]@TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek A nurse wouldn't need an oximeter to check if OPs oxygen sats were above 93%, because most people would have turned blue by then. And a rib that is broken by coughing will be perfectly adequately splinted by the other ribs and will not pierce a lung. OP does not describe trauma, which would cause violent displacement.

OP, please don't be worried by this nonsense and scaremongering. Feeling unable to breathe is a distinct sensation that people tend to ring ambulances for anyway - so trust your own good sense, and the medical professional who examined you.

A handy hint is to get a towel to help with coughing - A long thin one is best. Wrap it around you at the level of your pain, and pull it tight, and then cough. This supports the rib cage and so is often less painful - but if it isn't, don't bother with it. Sometimes the bruising means it can be more painful.[/quote]
ChristmasFluff I hope you are not a nurse? That really made me laugh when you said most people turn blue by the time the pulse oximeter reaches the level of 93% oxygen. My oxygen levels go to that quite often and I haven't turned blue yet! As the oxygen level decreases, ones lips, and fingernail beds, will start to take on a bluey tinge, but I am not going to give you an oxygen level reading for that because it depends very much on all sorts of different things about the 'patient'. I have seen quite a few dead people in my time ChristmasFluff, but not having ever been to Smurfland I have never seen anyone who has actually turned blue.

ChristmasFluff, violent coughing can easily cause trauma, and the OP could have cracked a rib that broke at an angle and pierced her lung, I'm sorry but you cannot possibly know how any bone will crack.

OP, I am not scaremongering, I haven't said that what the nurse told you was rubbish, or told you to go to A&E anyway. I presumed that because you posted about your condition that you were open to suggestions/advice. However, if I have scared you OP, I apologise, but if your symptoms did get worse then the treatments you could be given in hospital would most likely see you fighting fit again in a few days. I hope, and expect that you are already feeling a lot better - but please if you are not, don't wait until you turn blue xx

I had similar a few years ago. Dr said it was due to an infection, but it later turned out that I'd displaced a rib through coughing. Chiropractor popped it back into place and the relief was instant.