Thought I pulled a muscle from yardwork but seeing that it's been going on for about a month now thought I'd do some surfing.
Seeing this topic's been in Medical for awhile I'm glad I did a search and got some info.
I'm hoping this isn't from an infection cause I'm no longer under an LLMD's care and have no access to antibiotics.
Stupid me, thought I could make it better by massaging it! Course, all I've been doing is aggravating this condition.
Anyways, gang, any advice would be appreciated!
Posted by LittleLymie19 (Member # 15610) on :
Ugh, I feel your pain- literally! Costochondritis is awful. For me, mine feels exactly as I'd assume a heart attack would feel.
Basically I went to a regular, conventional doc...and of course they don't relate this condition to infectious disease, but they did diagnose me. All they told me to do though was take something like 800 mg of motrin (don't quote me on the amount, I'm sure you could easily look it up).
You're right though, massage definitely won't help. Sorry you learned that the hard way! Heat actually helps a lot. If you have two heating pads, try propping yourself up with pillows so you aren't putting pressure on your ribcage and then lean your back on one heating pad and rest the other over the front of your ribcage where it hurts.
Warm epsom salt baths also help. You can also kill two birds with one stone and add some baking soda to the mix and detox!
Hope you feel better soon.
Posted by jessie86 (Member # 20045) on :
ooh man, i feel for ya!! costo is no picnic.Pullin on stuff reaching high up will aggravate it for sure,the yard work probably started the ball rolling.
i clean houses, and let me tell you. when i mop & vacume, i am in some kinda pain by the evening.
little is right. Hot baths or showers & heating pads, ooh and 800 mg of Motrin ( a medical dose) will help.
try & take it easy til your over the hump, it's very Painful for sure. feel better. Kat
Posted by aklnwlf (Member # 5960) on :
Thanks Gang!
Heading for the tub and will have to buy some heating pads maybe tomorrow.
Posted by annxyzz (Member # 20404) on :
My doc and I believe it is caused by viral organisms infecting cartilage. I have had VERY good luck with golden seal ( two caps of each three times daily ) for about a week.
I believe the viruses inflame the tissue . Nothing else helps me, but this DOES .
Posted by annxyzz (Member # 20404) on :
Correction : Two capsules three times daily of olive leaf extract and golden seal EACH . They work well on colds and flu also !
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
i've had this for 20-30 years!!
last episode i went to ER for it and took my 3-4" LYME medical records with me; not needed.
what was worse was they hooked me up to heart monitor; took off monitors to take me for xrays and then hooked me up again.
they were pushing so hard to get the tubes attached to chest wall, they hurt me terribly; i left there in WORSE CONDTION than i came in.
our hospital sends feedback sheets, and you bet i had 1 whole page of complaints on this procedure and what they did to me.
later the supr. of er area spoke at health program; i got her afterwards and identified myself; yes, she remember reading my comments about that, and then someone cut into our conversation....
Posted by Gerifrog (Member # 17990) on :
- My son has ankylosing spondylitis and the costo is a constant for him. The only things that helped him were rest and heat (hot showers).
The rheumatologist tried Vioxx (since pulled), Celebrex and 800 mg ibuprofen (Motrin). Be careful with the Motrin as it can really do a number on your stomach.
Dan couldn't tolerate any of them. (They also tried prednesone but years of on & off steroid use gave him osteoporosis.)
The arthritis makes his life a misery. He has an IgA deficiency so he can't have any of the new arthritis drugs.
Yes, he's been tested for Lyme several times. He's going to be tested again this week.
Good luck, hope you feel better soon.
Geri -
Posted by Truthfinder (Member # 8512) on :
Costo pain can be almost as bad as broken ribs - that is based on my experience with both.
Apparently, I have exaggerated pain and inflammatory responses to every injury.
Before I discovered homeopathic medicine, what worked for me was rest and anti-inflammatories. (I used Feldene [piroxicam] which is a prescription NSAID similar to ibuprofen. Aleve is another option for pain and inflammation.)
A key element for me is to STOP doing whatever it was that got the costo fired up in the first place. Otherwise, the inflammation just seems to perpetuate itself. For me, that means taking meds, and lying around not doing much of anything for at least a couple of days to let my body calm down. No fun, but it beats dragging the problem on for weeks.
Heat can sometimes make inflammation worse, so if it does, then use ice (no more than 20 minutes at a time). Alternating heat/ice is good for improving circulation and getting the inflammation out.
Best of luck!
Posted by leogrl54 (Member # 10770) on :
Yes Chostro is extremely painful. I went to the Er x2 because i felt like i couldn't breathe,with this excrutiating pain in my chest. I had a terrrible viral pneumonia in Jan.-this was occuring in March!!! You can't see it on xrays,ct scans,MRI's. The er doc' thought I was having an anxiety attack and gace me Ativan. Finally got in to see mt family md-she took short history and barely touched my ribs and called it. Rest, 800 mg Ibuprofen, heat and time. It can last a long time and can move to different parts of your ribs. Finally doing OK. Hang in there
Posted by MY3BOYS (Member # 17830) on :
my mother in law has had this for YEARS. you can feel the lumps along her rib cage from it.
yrs ago she was on vioxx-- then the whole recall issue, she was one of those who did have a heart attack
so- goldenseal and oil leaf exctract. where can i get oil leaf exctract at for her??
heat helps- we have these rice/flax seed bags that hold heat well- is a moist heat and that helps. Flex Creame helps too. she used mine to give it a try and does help.
ill keep watching this thread for her
she recently tested + to RMSF IgG titers. ELISA was - (oh, such suprise there) unfortunetly her Dr's dont understand the lyme stuff. Me and hubby +, so she got tested.
She has high titers to EBV, CMV. i have wondered if this is not a bart thing??? anyone else info if this may be related to bart??
Posted by Starfall1969 (Member # 17353) on :
Hmmm.
My husband keeps getting bouts of chest, side and back pain that no one can figure out.
He has been to the ER for it (thought it was a heart attack), and everything checked out great.
He's been losing weight again lately and is having these pains again.
Been tested for Lyme--ELISA, I know worthless, but he won't pursue it further.
Posted by LittleLymie19 (Member # 15610) on :
I really believe mine might be viral related, so it's interesting that your mother in law has high viral markers MY3BOYS. My LLMD at the time also thought that there was a connection between the inflammation and viral infections. It's ALSO interesting annxxyz that you say olive leaf helped...because olive leaf is what dug up these symptoms for me. I couldn't even tolerate it. Olive leaf is highly antiviral.
Posted by aklnwlf (Member # 5960) on :
Thanks gang for all the wonderful responses. Am going to a GP tomorrow and will see what they suggest if anything. It's possible they won't know what it is.
Will try the goldenseal and olive leaf extract.
I'm positive for Myco, Lyme, EBV, Herpes and have Bart symptoms but tested negative for Henslae.
Will let you all know what I end up doing and if I can get some relief.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[bonk]](graemlins/bonk.gif)
Course, all I've been doing is aggravating this condition.![[hi]](graemlins/hi.gif)