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Original poster

sharp pain in rib think its been caused by coughing hurts to breathe in deeply??

24 replies

mattysmum09 · 14/06/2012 14:23

Has anybody else had this its quite painful and am pretty sure its to do with the terrible cough I've had for a few weeks. cough is easing now but pain is stil there, is it muscular? when i breathe in deeply it hurts so the pain is actualy getting worse as it didn't do that before..?

OP posts:
MousyMouse · 14/06/2012 14:24

I once broke a rib coughing, do go and have it checked out.

JarethTheGoblinKing · 14/06/2012 14:25

Yep, same here. Have you taken painkillers?

Original poster
mattysmum09 · 15/06/2012 15:17

really?? i googled it and came to the conclusion breaking a rib was v rare most likely muscle strain, but so painful through the night...out of interest what was treatment for broken rib??

OP posts:
MousyMouse · 15/06/2012 15:22

no treatment, really. just painkillers and the advice to go to hospital immediately if I start coughing blood.
took a good couple of months to get better...

HaveALittleFaith · 15/06/2012 15:23

Could be a fracture, could be muscle strain. Get thee to a GP!

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 15/06/2012 15:23

See your GP asap, could be pluerisy.

GhouliaYelps · 15/06/2012 15:26

I had this in Jan it turned out to be an infection of the lining of the lungs. It can get pretty nasty if you don't take care of it.

tazzle22 · 15/06/2012 23:39

need see gp to diagnose ...... could be "just" a muscle strain ...... but as said could also be broken rib(s) and / or pleurisy. I broke three ribs plus had pleurisy at same time due to coughing so although rare is def can happen.

I got row from doc for walking to surgery with my two year old DS and I had to get taken home by car with strict orders not to lift her.

DeeDee1977 · 18/06/2012 19:47

Just googled and came across this thread, I'm currently curled up in a ball on the sofa in tears because I have exactly this and I'm in agony! I've worked out that I've been ill with a cold and bad cough for 5 weeks (!!) now. Last weds I started getting a bit of a pain in my left side, in my ribs sort of to the side of my boob. At first I thought maybe it was just that my bra had been digging in, but the pain has just got worse and is horrendous if I cough (which is constantly), sneeze or lie on my back or front, or do some movements. I have to practically sit on the floor to cough, clutching my side. I don't have a temp but do feel rough, but I think that's just from having been run down for bloody ages now (feeling utterly sorry for myself now). I'm coughing up a teeny bit of green but not much. Have I just pulled something? I can't get a drs app as they're chocka but they said if I call in the morning they'll try to get me on the emergency clinic thing. I did go a week and a half ago, they said there was no infection, just viral. Am I being pathetic? I feel pathetic and sorry for myself :(

DeeDee1977 · 18/06/2012 19:48

Oh my god sorry for the lack of paragraphs - am on my phone :(

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 18/06/2012 19:50

I had these symptoms a few months ago when I was heavily pregnant. Everyone here said it sounded like pleurisy, but I went to the emergency doctor who immediately sent me for tests including an x ray and nuclear scan to rule out a clot on the lung. Thankfully I was clear, but these are not symptoms to mess around with. Call the out of hours doc now.

DeeDee1977 · 18/06/2012 20:10

So what was it? Was it a pulled muscle?? Finally got some sympathy from DH once he saw the tears, he's running me a bath and I've taken some painkillers. If after an hour or so it's still bad, I'll call the out of hours.

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 18/06/2012 20:21

They never had a proper answer for me tbh. They said it was most likely an inflamation of the lung. I've never had pain like it, it was frightening.

Pozzled · 18/06/2012 20:31

I just came on to post something very similar. I've had a pain in my ribs for almost three weeks now, it started with a bad cough and I assumed I had pulled a muscle. I mentioned it to the GP 2 weeks ago when I saw him for something else, and he thought the same, but it just doesn't seem to be getting any better. I suppose I had better go back to them.

DeeDee I hope you're feeling better soon, it sounds horrible. Mine isn't nearly so bad, just a constant ache and worse if I'm moving around a lot.

lifeisfuckinggreat · 18/06/2012 20:31

Pleurisy, had it a couple of times when I was smoking, symptoms were just like it. It often comes with pneumonia so it definitely needs to be checked out deedee and mattysmum. Go to GP urgently.

DeeDee1977 · 18/06/2012 21:44

Ok after a bath, some sympathy and some painkillers (actually, flu tablets which have the added benefit of helping my cough and sending me a bit woozy and sleepy), I feel a bit better. Going to bed now but I promise in the morning I'll be on the phone to the docs. Sure I've just pulled something and am being pathetic as I don't have a temp and am not really coughing anything up.

Firsttimer78 · 18/06/2012 21:51

I knackered all the muscles round my ribs doing just this a few months back, fecking agony! Voltarol prescription-strength paineze tablets were the only thing that came close to easing the pain. Hope you all feel better soon!

Iamseeingstars · 19/06/2012 09:52

I had this, still have. Went to doctor who agreed to chest X-ray. Not only do I have serious lung infection, but have several cracks in my spine. So get it checked and get the worrying out of the way
..

DeeDee1977 · 19/06/2012 11:05

Oh dear, you poor thing! Wow seems quite common, this! Well I've got an appointment at 4. Feeling silly as I'm sure it's just muscle strain, but I will go and get checked.

DeeDee1977 · 19/06/2012 17:43

Just an update: the dr said the pain is muscle strain (from the coughing), and the cough is viral, BUT he'd give me antibiotics if I wanted. So I took them, I'm so sick of being unwell now!

Bexterw21 · 23/01/2018 10:34

After 3 weeks of feeling crap with a bad cold which triggered asthma I woke up one morning with a Sharpe pain under my right breast and side. As the day went on it for worst. I got into see gp within an hour. He said my chest had cleared and it was muscle strain I was given morphine.
Two weeks on I'm still struggling although pain is alot less. Left with a dry anoting cough.

Haych3904 · 26/01/2018 22:45

I had a car accident on Saturday but before this I've had an horrendous cough which just doesn't go away but since my accident I've got fractured ribs and a fractured cartlidge and everytime.i cough and my ribs expand it feels like I'm going to die as dramatic as it sounds thats exactly how i feel I've cried like a baby and made a fool out of myself what is the best thing to get rid of this cough??

Haych3904 · 26/01/2018 22:47

Also I was told to put my waist trainer on to put pressure on my ribs so when I cough they wouldn't hurt as much I've got it on now is it a bad idea to sleep in??

elouise1995 · 04/10/2018 01:09

I've had a cold for a while, but over the last 3 to 4 days when I've been coughing my left side is in agony. I have to hold my side when I'm coughing, everytime I cough I want to cry Sad it hurts so bad I've taken painkillers haven't done nothing! Can't shift this pain and still trying to get in to the doctors x

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