I've been diagnosed with costochondritis and i'm terrified.

[little.miss.worry]

Hello, well the past week or so I've been suffering with extreme chest pain. I didn't know what was going on yesterday but I woke up screaming in pain it's been awful. Just the whole area aches and feels like someone is crushing me it's very scary.

I went the doctors today he felt around and he said it's definitely costochondritis because it's very tender and I jumped away when he felt the two key spots. He told me that it goes away eventually on it's own and I have to take anti inflammatory medication to take away the pain a bit.

What i'm terrified about is that I know I shouldn't have googled but, I was reading some people have never got rid of it and have had it for years. I've had it for a week and I can't even cope a week with it yet alone years!! I just want it to go because i'm so incredibly scared. I'm fed up with everything. I'm in constant pain with my urethral syndrome too. I can't handle this as well :( :weep::weep:

[sial72]

Hi there
I had costo last a couple of years ago. When people say it lasts for years, it is not years of permanent pain, costo comes in flares, it comes and goes.
I did 4 things and I haven't had any symptoms in over half a year, but because I did all at once I don't know what helped me or if it was the combination of all 4.
1. Went to an osteopath
2. Went swimming
3. Changed my diet (costo is inflamation, I have cut out gluten and sugar which cause inflamation).
4. Put a heat pad on the area whenever it hurt.
And remember costo is a pain but not dangerous xx

[sar123]

Hi Emily, I'm new to no more panic and I don't have much knowledge on your diagnosis. However I'm a worrier and I would have done the exact same silly thing and Google it! And now suddenly your doctors advice was invalid because of somoney indivisual experience.

All I can say is remember everyone dis different, I've tried to tackle my HA by adopting a new mind set, whatever will be will be, it has helped, I am looking at life in a more careless approach, to what it was. I still need a lot of help but it's a great way to start.

Try not to look on Google again, I never find success stories because most people on forums and sites don't express their good experience.

I hope everything goes okay!

[little.miss.worry]

Hi there
I had costo last a couple of years ago. When people say it lasts for years, it is not years of permanent pain, costo comes in flares, it comes and goes.
I did 4 things and I haven't had any symptoms in over half a year, but because I did all at once I don't know what helped me or if it was the combination of all 4.
1. Went to an osteopath
2. Went swimming
3. Changed my diet (costo is inflamation, I have cut out gluten and sugar which cause inflamation).
4. Put a heat pad on the area whenever it hurt.
And remember costo is a pain but not dangerous xx


I don't want to sound like i'm dumb but what exactly is a osteopath?

As for swimming, it's one of my main loves and i've been sitting here frightened I won't be able to do it again as daft as that sounds :(

and i'll definitely try the other two thank you!

It's just i'm fed up with everything at the moment, I keep thinnking that each diagnoses I get is going to to ruin my future and i'm just finding it hard to cope with everything right now :(

Thank you so much for the advise though it's greatly appreciated! xx

---------- Post added at 14:22 ---------- Previous post was at 14:21 ----------


Hi Emily, I'm new to no more panic and I don't have much knowledge on your diagnosis. However I'm a worrier and I would have done the exact same silly thing and Google it! And now suddenly your doctors advice was invalid because of somoney indivisual experience.

All I can say is remember everyone dis different, I've tried to tackle my HA by adopting a new mind set, whatever will be will be, it has helped, I am looking at life in a more careless approach, to what it was. I still need a lot of help but it's a great way to start.

Try not to look on Google again, I never find success stories because most people on forums and sites don't express their good experience.

I hope everything goes okay!

Thank you so much, reading that has made me realise, everyone is different. I'll try to get in that mind set and be positive :) It'll be hard but I've got to try and i'll try not to google, that's for sure! and than you, you too!

[countrygirl]

Osteopaths manipulate your spine etc when you go with for example a bad back so their treatment can affect your ribs etc.

I have had costo/intercostal muscle on and off for many many years. I find it comes in flares that last for a few weeks and then settle down. I can get it on and off for a couple of months and then not get it all for a year.

With me it causes severe stabbing pains in one spot, not always on your sternum ( the bone that runs down the middle of chest that ribs attach too)sometimes it inbetween the ribs as in the intercostal muscles.

Yes it freaked me out as well when I first had it and was so convinced it was my heart that the GP did the blood test to rule out a heart attack to reassure me!

[sial72]

As Countrygirl says the Osteopath manipulates bones. My costo got bad after a car accident, the hospital sent me for 7 months of physio 3 times a week with no improvement. Then I went to the osteopath, he manipulated my back and ribs and told me to swim and change diet. I have not had pain since.
Don't worry, of course you will be able to swim again :-) xxx

[Emilym80]

Hi there,

I have costochondritis too. It's annoying but I'm relieved that it isn't anything more serious as it's totally benign. For most people, it's gone within a couple of months and there's lots of things you can do to treat it.

All the best,
Emily

[MetalYeti]

I was diagnosed with costochondritis 5 or 6 years ago now, and I understand how horrible it is. Mine has never really gone away as such, but is absolutely no where near as bad as it was to begin with once the worst of the initial inflammation went down. Occasionally it flares up and I have to take it easy but it honestly doesn't bother me 95% of the time and it doesn't stop me playing a full contact sport either.:)

[little.miss.worry]

Osteopaths manipulate your spine etc when you go with for example a bad back so their treatment can affect your ribs etc.

I have had costo/intercostal muscle on and off for many many years. I find it comes in flares that last for a few weeks and then settle down. I can get it on and off for a couple of months and then not get it all for a year.

With me it causes severe stabbing pains in one spot, not always on your sternum ( the bone that runs down the middle of chest that ribs attach too)sometimes it inbetween the ribs as in the intercostal muscles.

Yes it freaked me out as well when I first had it and was so convinced it was my heart that the GP did the blood test to rule out a heart attack to reassure me!


If you don't mind me asking, do you cope with it well and does it stop you from doing things because I read loads of horrible things the other day and ive literally done nothing but cry the past day or so, I just feel so low about it :( and thank you for explaining what an osteopath is! That was very helpful :)

---------- Post added at 00:34 ---------- Previous post was at 00:33 ----------


As Countrygirl says the Osteopath manipulates bones. My costo got bad after a car accident, the hospital sent me for 7 months of physio 3 times a week with no improvement. Then I went to the osteopath, he manipulated my back and ribs and told me to swim and change diet. I have not had pain since.
Don't worry, of course you will be able to swim again :-) xxx


I really do hope so! I'm in so much pain and I can't stop panicking :(

---------- Post added at 00:43 ---------- Previous post was at 00:34 ----------


I was diagnosed with costochondritis 5 or 6 years ago now, and I understand how horrible it is. Mine has never really gone away as such, but is absolutely no where near as bad as it was to begin with once the worst of the initial inflammation went down. Occasionally it flares up and I have to take it easy but it honestly doesn't bother me 95% of the time and it doesn't stop me playing a full contact sport either.:)
That's reassured me a lot! I just hope I'm like you and it goes down and doesnt bother me :( I'm just fed up its like one thing after another. I'm just so frightened I have it chronically, that's my big fear about it :(

[NotCool]

I have this (self diagnosed), I suspect it was caused by stretching my chest too much, as I used to do it for years (arch my chest outwards until it made a popping sound), not to mention I sit waaay too much, and that my mattress at the time of a flare up was very hard.

I've had it since last December, and the pain is sporadic, and not really severe - it's manageable.

[little.miss.worry]

I have this (self diagnosed), I suspect it was caused by stretching my chest too much, as I used to do it for years (arch my chest outwards until it made a popping sound), not to mention I sit waaay too much, and that my mattress at the time of a flare up was very hard.

I've had it since last December, and the pain is sporadic, and not really severe - it's manageable.


So it doesn't stop you from working etc? Because I'm at university and I'm frightened I won't be able to carry on with my course or I'll be bed ridden and can't get a job and I don't want that because that's what I really want and its just like loads of things are settig me back. I just hope mine will be manageable :(

[MetalYeti]

From my own experiences I'm fairly sure it will significantly improve even if it doesn't go completely, however there are treatments available to manage it if takes a long time to go, I was told if it didn't improve by itself I could have steroid injections to help manage it so please don't worry, the likelihood is that it will improve rapidly by itself, if not there is help available. But you WILL be able to get on with your life, I still have it now and I don't let it stop me playing roller derby ;)

[GingerFish]

I get this a lot, maybe every month or 2 and its almost always caused by stress for me. The first few times I got it, I went running to the doctor because the pain was awful and any form of chest pain has me panicking. The doctor told me a quick way to test if it was costochondritis to help with any anxiety I might have the pain comes back - if it hurts to touch, especially at the joint of the rib to the sternum - its costochondritis, also if it hurts to move certain ways or breath, its costochondritis and if its sharp and only lasts a few seconds - its costochondritis or other chest muscle pain which isn't serious. So now I do that checklist before I got running to the doctor though it still creeps me out every single time I get it. The pain also radiates into my upper back too but that is probably from the stress on the muscles that caused costochondritis in the first place.

I find naproxen is the best painkiller for it. It works wonders for me. An hour after taking one, I feel like I can do somersalts lol.

[little.miss.worry]

From my own experiences I'm fairly sure it will significantly improve even if it doesn't go completely, however there are treatments available to manage it if takes a long time to go, I was told if it didn't improve by itself I could have steroid injections to help manage it so please don't worry, the likelihood is that it will improve rapidly by itself, if not there is help available. But you WILL be able to get on with your life, I still have it now and I don't let it stop me playing roller derby ;)

I really hope that will be the same for me then because I don't think I could cope with this horrible pain each and every day :( and that's really remeasuring to know! thanks! :)

---------- Post added at 14:40 ---------- Previous post was at 14:34 ----------


I get this a lot, maybe every month or 2 and its almost always caused by stress for me. The first few times I got it, I went running to the doctor because the pain was awful and any form of chest pain has me panicking. The doctor told me a quick way to test if it was costochondritis to help with any anxiety I might have the pain comes back - if it hurts to touch, especially at the joint of the rib to the sternum - its costochondritis, also if it hurts to move certain ways or breath, its costochondritis and if its sharp and only lasts a few seconds - its costochondritis or other chest muscle pain which isn't serious. So now I do that checklist before I got running to the doctor though it still creeps me out every single time I get it. The pain also radiates into my upper back too but that is probably from the stress on the muscles that caused costochondritis in the first place.

I find naproxen is the best painkiller for it. It works wonders for me. An hour after taking one, I feel like I can do somersalts lol.

I'm really glad I'm not the only one with this! I think mine may be caused by stress.. because recently I'm worse than I've ever been and my life has just been a complete and utter nightmare as of late :(
my back hurts too occasionally from it. Just fed up with it all :( And I think the next time I go the doctors I'll have to ask about this! :)

[.Poppy.]

I also used to get this. I got it in waves for a year or two (I'd have it for a couple of weeks, it would go away, then come back, etc.) but I haven't had it at all in the past few years. I do think stress is a factor.

Naproxen worked for me too, I believe. [I think that's the drug in Aleve, correct?] It's what my doc advised. Wet heat is helpful as well - you can buy heating pads that you can wet down and use, or you can take a hot bath. My doc also said he could do steroid shots, but only if absolutely necessary.

Feel better!

[little.miss.worry]

I also used to get this. I got it in waves for a year or two (I'd have it for a couple of weeks, it would go away, then come back, etc.) but I haven't had it at all in the past few years. I do think stress is a factor.

Naproxen worked for me too, I believe. [I think that's the drug in Aleve, correct?] It's what my doc advised. Wet heat is helpful as well - you can buy heating pads that you can wet down and use, or you can take a hot bath. My doc also said he could do steroid shots, but only if absolutely necessary.

Feel better!

Stress could be what's bringing mine on then! Because i've done nothing to injure the area or anything. It's very odd.

Naproxen seems really good, so I'll definitely discuss this at my next appointment! :) I've been taking hot baths and using a wheat bag/hot water bottle on my chest, so at least I'm doing one thing right :P

thank you very much! :)