Long Term Costochondritus

[VLCos]

Hello anyone suffered with this long term and ever been referred to a specialist for further help ? Thank you

I hope you don't mind me asking but what symptoms do you have with costochondritis? I keep getting sharp pains in the sternum area and wondered if it could be this x

Hello of course not !! I had been getting pain in the bottom left ribs around the side to into the shoulders and intense chest pain . I have had CTs , numerous scans and many X-rays as bloods taken and they have found nothing else so this is the end diagnosis.

It has been constant eased then back after lifting . Sometimes hard to take deep breath .

Mid-July

Dd had this for ages. Never referred to a specialist, sobbing in pain most days, various painkillers, painful to breath. Gp uninterested.

A while later also found to be vit d defcient and started taking pills and the costochronditis seems to have cleared up. Might be a coincidence? Gp said no treatment available, just to take regular ibuprofen.

Before Christmas . I’ve had quite a few , three ultrasounds and 2 CT scans in that time . Numerous bloods, a colonoscopy And a gallbladder op all since July ! Physio seems to help but it’s lingering so wondered if pain clinic or such like might help

@Redehila did that fix things ? It’s difficult when they can’t see things

@MrsJoshDun that’s very interesting . Before Xmas my Vit D was 23 I’ve just finished an intense course and the pain had got better then my boss had me lift around a 100 bounds files heavy ones from one from to another

YOU have my sympathy. I had pregnancy induced/related costochondritis and it was awful.

@Isadora2007 thank you

@Redehila ouch that sounds a hell of a time . I am glad you are doing ok now .

Do I need to see a special type of consultant to gain one of those scans and would it have shown up on CTs do you think ? Thank you x

@Redehila thank you I’ll look into it !

Hi VLCos

The fact that treatment with vitamin D seemed to help , is probably a good indication that is where your problem could very well be . Low vitamin D can cause those symptoms.

I wonder if you have stopped taking it. ? At this time of year you cannot make vitamin D in your skin , ( our main source ) . From mid- Oct to mid - April, the sunlight does not contain UVB , so no Vit D can be made ( here in the UK ).

Your measured level  at  23 or below ,   is just about where rickets would be found in an infant . Adults do not get the same symptoms ,  but they do get bone pain , muscle aches etc as well as a multitude of other symptoms.  Vit D is associated with many bodily processes. It is involved in the expression of at least 2000 genes ,  for ongoing processes. Such as inflammation, viral and bacterial defence , cellular  functioning , hormone systems etc.   If you have a look over these threads here on mumsnet you will see all sorts of symptoms concerning vitamin d deficiency. 

It is only in the last few years that research has shown how critical Vitamin D is for good health. You really do need to keep your blood level at the higher end of normal. The NHS says that 50 - 160 is normal , some areas even say that as high as 200 is within the normal band. here in the UK , very many of us are either below normal , as you yourself , or just around the very bottom of those levels.

We now know , from the latest research , that these low levels ( 25 - 75 ) are not normal, they are likely to cause problems to many of us.

  IF  I were you I would get my level checked again  ,  and then supplement  with oral vit D capsules ,   such that my blood  level rises to around 120 - 140  nmol/L .   That is  a <strong>Human Normal</strong>  , found in many people living an outdoor healthy lifestyle. It is the level we evolved to have , over millions of years.  It is  our modern indoor lifestyle at high UK latitude  that causes our problem. 


 I have posted quite a bit about Vitamin D , here on mumsnet .  Search my username , lots of info . OR get back to me if you need any more info. 

Here are a couple of threads

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2878131-costchondritis

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2421492-Vitimin-D-can-it-have-this-effect

If you want to get a quick Vit D level check , go to this NHS lab , they will send a blood spot test , send it back to them , and they will email the result within a week.

www.vitamindtest.org.uk/vitamindbackground.html

If the test is not doctor ordered , they do charge £ 28 .

Best of luck,

I hope this is helpful.

BTBH

.

Hello ! I haven’t stopped I’m now taking drops which are 20,000 per 5ml . I will definitely get my levels tested again thank you

Yes! I have this so often...it seems to be getting worse over time! I had to have an emergency doctors appointment last week because the pain suddenly got so bad that my legs went from under me. As always, doctor prescribed naproxen and rest. Currently really struggling to do very much - interesting to read others experiences!

@SwarmOfCats *waves . Sorry to hear you are suffering to . I haven’t found naproxen to much use really does it take time to work ?

Have seen patients sent to pain clinic so would be worth asking for a referral.

Naproxen doesn't take time to work, it either does or it doesn't.

@AnnaMagnani thank you my doctor keeps saying it can take weeks to build up to working . I will ask for referral I think . I wondered if they ever referred to a rheumatologist for this sort of thing .

Well pain clinic waiting lists are usually weeks and weeks - so get a referral now and if you don't need it won't happen then you can cancel.