Costocondritis ruining my life

[Catscat]

For as long as I can remember I've been plagued with upper back and once in a blue moon my chest would feel tight and a stretch would make it crack.

For 10 years I've now suffered with my chest cracking every single day and it hurts along with my back cracking with a simplr stretch.

Some days I feel like ending my life ( I would never do it)

The time Im not it pain is went Im in bed laying down, I can't wait for the day to be gone just so I can sleep.

My constant taking of anti Inflammation meds and pain killers has caused my tummy problems. I dont like taki g them anymore.

Im under 30 and Im terrified of getting old as I don't want to be In more pain.

As an experiment and as my last resort I smoked weed and my pain seemed to disappear.
3 years ago a doctor mentioned costocondritis but how can it Last 10 years?

Any advice
What can I do?
Help

I have chronic costochondritis. My muscles in my back and sides are so tight now from pain simply reaching up to brush my hair can trigger what I call an acute attack. I have the daily ache in my upper back and chest and particularly a pain under my right breast.

Unfortunately for me my pain is worse in evenings and nights. Some nights I am in the foetal position for hours trying not to take deep breaths. Other times I pace the house for hours or actually rock back and forth in a chair trying to wait out the acute attack (generally 3-5 hours). I am so tired now. I am early 30s and had this 4 years now.

I take naproxen 500mg daily and a further 2X 30mg codeine when in an acute attack and 2 paracetamol. I used to smother myself in deep heat too but for just over a year I've been using a Med-fit tens machine a lot, it's really helped. Not helped in that it takes it away, but almost the sensation of the tens machine makes the pain a tiny bit more bearable. Sometimes I think I deliberately hurt myself with the tens machine too high in order to just feel a relief from the costochondritis pain.

I don't think the GP has ever taken me seriously. A musculoskeletal clinic referral just got me a place on the pain clinic list (been waiting 17 months so far) and a psychiatry appointment as they thought I was looking for problems not help. I used the word 'scared' when I said the condition affected me because I was scared to organise expensive trips as an acute attack could ruin it all and that apparently meant I was depressed not just in pain.

I'm not being helpful am I. Well except that truly I think a tens machine would help (I got a med fit on, about 30-40 quid on amazon but have own website too).

I just want to say I totally understand. I am tired, I am in pain and just fed up with it.

Oh my god that sounds awful, your comment scares me, I hope I don't get that bad.
Ive used a tens machine on my neck and it's helped.

As much as the NHS is a god send its sad to see people with invisible disabilitys are ignored or not believed.
I've had so many problems recently they will probably think I'm a hypochondriac.

I had a bladder problem that required a camera up there and just before it was done the doctor said I probably won't find a thing and I don't think you sound have this.
Low and behold he found somthing!.

I get called lazy every day and it makes me cry because I'm in pain and I just want to lay down..

Thanks for your comment, I hope one day you and me are pain free