excessive computer use and costochondritis

[saturdayschild]

I was amazed that it just over a year since I last posted. It really helped then,just getting it down in writing. The HA has not gone away but I have been trying to fight it. I even plucked up the courgae to have a smear test done last summer and it came back clear, so nine years of worrying were wiped away in an instant.

Lately, the HA has come back. I have a load of issues which make me stressed - mother with dementia, have to work 600 miles away from husband. However, I thought that at last there was light at end of the tunnel and I had worked out a plan to join husband by the end of the year. Then I started to get anxiety attacks, convinced that I will never get to this target but have got some terrible disease which will stop it from happening.

I'm sure that one of my problems is that I work from home. I think it is very unhealthy as you spend all day alone with some site visits, hunched over a computer or driving rarely talking to anyone. But thats the way it goes for this job, everyone is doing it this way, the only jobs are working from home.

Since before christmas I have been having symptoms of RSI in my right elbow. I call it mouse elbow and I know it is due to the computer. The pain is not as bad now but my elbow clicks when I extend it and hurts when pressed on.

If I am not busy on site visits then I can spend five or six hours a day hunched over the laptop. Then about two weeks ago I agreed to do some extra freelance work - I thought it would help the long term plan - however I had to work in the evenings and at weekends so the four or five hours at the keyboard became more like eight or ten.

Last week I started to get weird pains all over my body. Not even sure if they were actual pains, more like twinges or feelings. They moved about, sometimes lower left pelvis, then behind shoulder blade then moved to the right. They went away with a couple of ibufrofen. Then sunday I noticed that the area where my ribs join, exactly where a bra fits round (being a female) was tender to touch. There are other tender spots too on the back of my ribs left side, my left shoulder blade and my right hand side ribs. In fact my ribs and shoulders are all tender and stiff. Still taking the ibuprofen but has not made much difference. It doesnt hurt to move or when sitting still,just if I press on it.

I did a brief search of Dr Google (i know..) but fortunately it led me to a few postings on NMP describing this condition - costochondritis. All my symptoms fit, but of course I am still convinced it is something much worse. Cant get a Dr appnt til next week so not sure what, if anything, I should do. Can excessive use of computer cause this?

[justbreathe1]

Hope your feeling better :) just wondering if you went to your doctor and that did they say?
I was told I had costochondritis by my gp too.. I'm not so sure though as I didn't have the classic tenderness. More of an ache..

[saturdayschild]

Hi Justbreathe - thanks for your interest.

I went to the Dr's this morning but didnt get anywhere really, or maybe I did :unsure:

I have recently moved house so this was a new Dr practice to me, not seen any of them before. I didnt mention anything about HA, as in fact i have never mentioned it to my previous Drs. I try to avoid going to Dr if i can possible avoid it ie. 6 years to get a smear done. However after xmas I was quite good and had an over-40 health check and 24 blood pressure monitor which was all fine.

anyway, to get back to today. I explained symptoms, he had a bit of a prod round. Quizzed me about any other symptoms, asked if eating food affected it (no). He concluded it was a muscular thing around my ribs, probably associated with using computer or the way I sit when on computer or the long periods of driving I do (like 6 hours today). No mention of costochondritis at all.

I didnt mention it myself as wanted to see what he said. I did say that I was very worried about the pains and twinges that move about, he asked why and I said well there are a lot of internal organs in that area so I was worried it was something serious and he said unlikely if no other symptoms. So he told me to take ibuprofen 3 times a day and see how it goes, but not to worry :roflmao:

So I have been trying to tell myself that is what I am going to do. have some holiday in a weeks time so I will try to stay off the computer and relax. i am due a nurse check-in on 20/5 for being a new patient so I have decided that if still have symptoms then I will mention to nurse. Generally I find the nurses are much more sympathetic than the Drs - who has now probably marked me down as a menopausal neurotic - they can usually tell you which is the best Dr in practice to see as well.

Hope you are feeling better yourself JB - do you have it all the time or does it come and go?