Broken rib

[dazzlerdo]

Has anyone broken a rib before, how long did it take to heal, did you need time off work?

Messing around with DP and DDs last night they all jumped on me whilst I was laid in bed. I felt a sharp pain in my left side rib cage and heard a crack.
Woke up this morning and I'm so much pain getting out of bed, coughing, moving and have pain when I try to take a deep breath. Really don't know how im going to be able to work and look after the kids.

Should I call 111 today or ring my doctors in the morning and try and get some strong pain killers and a sick note for work?

Any tips or tricks to help the healing?

I broke a rib a few months ago. Nothing they can do to fix it (certainly not surgery! ) but the doctor gave me painkillers which helped a lot.

My DP managed to fracture his rib a few years ago. The main thing was pain management, as it’s important to be able to breath freely and cough without too much pain in order to avoid complications like chest infection. He’s a bit of a work horse, so didn’t have time off work (idiot!).

There can be other issues if the rib has damaged any internal organs, so you should definitely get checked out. Call 111 for advice.

Well I've spoke to 111 a doctor called me back. Advised me to take paracetamol and ibuprofen which I have but still in so much pain. Coughing is the worst.
I've just got over a bad cold and still have the lingering chesty cough.

The NHS website has some good information for self help when you're broken a rib
.

I’ve fractured my rib a couple of times: both times by coughing (it was a v bad cough!). Pain wasn’t so bad unless I breathed deeply but coughing was very, very painful. There’s not much Dr’s can prescribe. They won’t prescribe anything to suppress the cough as they want to avoid chest infections.

I found applying counter pressure with my hand or firm cushion to the area while coughing helped a little.

Seem to recall it also helped ‘support/protect’ my rib by turning my body and head away from the affected side when I coughed (ie left hand side of rib broke so would slightly twist body and neck to right hand side and cough over my right shoulder).

Sneezing really was excruciatingly painful, so I did suppress those as much as I was able (if you press firmly on the cartilage area at the bottom of your nose it can stop you sneezing!). I’m not sure this would be recommended by anyone in healthcare as sneezing I’m sure is an important bodily defence but i just couldn’t take sneezing with a broken rib!

Took 6-8 weeks to heal. I didn’t need to take any time off work (office job). It was very annoying, especially as normally with something broken you’d get some sympathy….with a broken rib there’s no cast to show so no sympathy!

I broke a rib coughing, this was pre covid, my gp sent me to hospital for X-rays as my cough was persistent and I’d had a previous diagnosis which gave concern. The X-ray showed up multiple fractures . However there was nothing which could be done other than take painkillers, and weep with agony any time I coughed.

Applying pressure to the side of the broken rib when coughing did help a wee bit but all in, it’s miserable and you just need to sit it out.

Might be this I've had it a couple of times

www.healthline.com/health/costochondral-separation

I've done this more times than I care to admit.

They won't x Ray or bandage you up. Ibuprofen and paracetamol alternated. Constant hot water bottle pressed to the area.

Do anything you can to avoid sneezing, coughing, laughing or breathing

Takes 6-8 weeks. What job do you do? Is it physical? Can you work from home?

Thanks everyone for your comments. I have been using a cushion whenever I need to cough, it's just getting the bottle up to do the cough when you feel it coming!
If I feel a sneeze come on then I have no idea how I will deal with it. Coughing makes me want to cry!

I work in catering, I'm a busy kitchen so lots of bending, lifting and twisting. I've told my area manager I need the week off just hoping I do t need longer!