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Original poster

Please help - costochondritis?

21 replies

Cakeandslippers · 16/12/2022 10:10

Hi all. I've recently had a nasty virus but getting better now. I now have what I think is costochondritis, I think it's this because I've had it before, about 20 years ago (though it came and went for 10 years). It is not in the middle of my chest, it is on the right hand side, under my breast and into my side.

I've never been in as much pain, it's genuinely worse than most of labour and 2 broken bones I've had. Breathing is making me cry and I consider myself pretty hardy normally. I can barely move. I've managed to get the inlaws round for childcare today but I don't know what to do. I was at the GP for another reason yesterday and mentioned it to her and she wouldn't even discuss it just said "oh yeah it'll last ages and ages".

Ibuprofen has been taking the edge off but it's not helping much at all this morning. I'm alternating with paracetamol but I'm just not sure how I'm going to cope if this goes on for weeks and weeks.

Please any advice on how to manage this or cope would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:

user1471525031 · 16/12/2022 19:22

Poor you, I know how you feel as I’ve had costochondritis for 2 weeks now - so painful and miserable. I’ve now been prescribed Naproxen alongside paracetamol. I also find heat helps a little with the pain and I’m using the self-heating pads (the ones you stick on your clothing for back/shoulder pain) and a hot water bottle on the painful area when I’m sitting down and when in bed. I feel I’m now getting the pain under better control. Hope this helps and you feel better very soon.

justcallmebozo · 16/12/2022 23:11

Maybe try co-codamol? It works much better for me than paracetamol/ibuprofen. It's over-the-counter, the leaflet says that you shouldn't use it for more than a few days, codeine can be addictive if used permanently, but pharmacist said as I was taking low dose only once or maybe twice a day then it would be ok to use for longer periods. (Best to check this first if you take any other medication/have other health problems)

Thighdentitycrisis · 16/12/2022 23:24

Sounds painful. GP response sounds rubbish. I was told 7 years ago I had piriformis syndrome and when I asked what caused it I was told it was “something that happens to middle aged women”
no guidance on how to treat it myself either.

Stylinson · 16/12/2022 23:28

I had it a few months ago. I had a session of acupuncture (I was hugely sceptical but desperate to get rid of the pain) and it cured it almost entirely over night

Sleepeazie · 16/12/2022 23:32

@Cakeandslippers sounds like you can’t be sure it’s costochondriris? Could it be something else.. chest infection etc that requires other treatment?

Original poster

Cakeandslippers · 17/12/2022 13:42

@Sleepeazie oh no I'm sorry you have it too, it's awful isn't it. I seem to remember last time it lasted ages, then it recurred less severely for years.

Gp sent me to a&e yesterday which I wasn't pleased about but they did find I have an infection of some kind so hoping treating that helps along with the pain relief. I've only got ibuprofen, I've had naproxen before so I might ring on Monday and ask for that.

I hope you feel better soon

OP posts:

Original poster

Cakeandslippers · 17/12/2022 13:47

Something has gone very funny with my reply! No idea why is formatted that way.

Sorry to user1471525031 that you have it. Sorry Sleepeazie I didn't mean to tag you there, site is glitching a lot again.

Cocodamol didn't touch it yesterday, so much so I ended up on the floor in A&E at one point but the ibuprofen seems to take the edge of at least.

I'm so lucky that my kids have been really good today, they're normally very hard work but some kind of miracle has occurred and they're being pretty chilled. I've forfeited parenting duties though so I'm just a bystander today.

Thanks all, I've been ill for weeks tbh (as have many of us) so I'm taking it as my body forcing me to stop and rest.

OP posts:

Bepis · 17/12/2022 13:53

Have you actually been diagnosed with costochondritis? What did they say when you attended A&E?

LetUsPonce · 17/12/2022 14:04

Poor you. I used to get CC nearly every winter and it's very painful. I used to treat it with painkillers and a hot water bottle against my sternum, but I would really have to second @Stylinson's recommendation since mine was also cured virtually overnight by acupuncture. That was two years ago and I haven't had it again since.

Original poster

Cakeandslippers · 17/12/2022 17:09

Bepis · 17/12/2022 13:53

Have you actually been diagnosed with costochondritis? What did they say when you attended A&E?

They said it's most likely to be costochondritis either caused by or with an infection.

This afternoon the antibiotics seem to have kicked in and whilst it's still very very painful I can actually move around now which is such a relief.

I feel like the level of pain now is what I remember from last time I had it rather than the all encompassing agony I was in yesterday.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cakeandslippers · 17/12/2022 17:14

Thanks for the acupuncture recommendations, I'm a fan of acupuncture so I'll look into it in the new year. Last time I had this, 20 years ago, it came back every now and then for about 10 years so I'd like to avoid that if possible.

OP posts:

lurchermummy · 17/12/2022 17:22

Can you see an osteopath? Helped me a lot.

Lanaa · 17/12/2022 17:26

Watch all the YouTube videos by this guy. You don't need to buy a back pod - I just folded a firm cushion. I'd visited A&E several times and had various nsaids before finding this guy. The first time I stretched my back like this, I felt it click and the pain just went!

Original poster

Cakeandslippers · 17/12/2022 18:50

Lanaa · 17/12/2022 17:26

These look great, thanks so much I'll have a watch.

And yes I had thought about an osteopath, I'll look at these videos then investigate my options

Thanks all

OP posts:

Lanaa · 17/12/2022 19:40

I hope it works for you Cakes. It's a horrible condition.

Badger1970 · 17/12/2022 19:56

DH took me into A & E when I had my first flare up of this... I was kept in for days and had all sorts of tests. They were convinced it was cardiac due to the pain, but after 3 months and lots of outpatient appointments, they said my heart was fine and bounced me back to my GP. Luckily, the GP knew straightaway that it was costochondritis and in fact mine was tietze syndrome as I had swelling/inflammation with it.

What helped was an osteopath although the first session was brutal and I ached for days afterwards; and lidocaine patches from the GP. I had it for the best part of 12 months, I hate to say, and still get the odd flare up if I'm run down or stressed.

Bepis · 17/12/2022 20:08

Can I just ask, does costrochondritis cause pain in the sternum and just to the right a little bit? Also, can it feel like a burning pain?

Does anyone also get it in the upper back and back ribs?

AlwaysOneMissing · 17/12/2022 20:12

@Bepis I think that could be acid reflux.

Bepis · 17/12/2022 20:14

AlwaysOneMissing · 17/12/2022 20:12

@Bepis I think that could be acid reflux.

I was just curious cos I've had it for months on end. Hurts when I press on my ribs, mostly around the joints. If I press on the right spot, I can practically jump off the seat in pain haha

AlwaysOneMissing · 18/12/2022 08:41

@Bepis oh maybe not then, it sounded like some acid reflux pain I get, but not if it hurts to press etc.

PatriceRoe · 17/09/2023 10:11

Hey there, for those with acupuncture recommendations, can you confirm if your practitioner already knew what Costochondritis was (and are already experts in curing it) or were they unfamiliar but managed to treat it from your description of it? I'm just apprehensive about booking myself in with a random acupuncturist who has no clue and it not being effective.

Also, are all of these UK based acupuncturists and if so, could you possibly share the practice? I just need movement on this after having it over a year now and feeling incredibly depressed from it all.

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