Somebody please knock some sense into me

[ChocolateButton]

Hi folks, I'm needing some reassurance here, sorry to ask for yet more help.

Anyhoo, for the past few days I've had a pain near the bottom left side of my ribs. It hurts if I pull my body certain ways (e.g. if I reach across my body towards the right with my left arm, if that makes sense?) and also when bending down or stretching my left arm forwards.

Tonight I narrowed the pain down to a specific rib area directly below my left breast... and discovered that the rib actually hurts if I lightly press on it.

So I googled "rib sore to touch". (I know, I know, but I was convinced it would just say pulled muscle). :blush:

The first result was a site listing 6 causes of rib pain. The causes were:
-Costochondritis
-Pulled Muscle
-Fibromyalgia
-Lung Cancer
-Pulmonary Embolism
-Pleurisy

I'll leave y'all to guess which 3 of the above list I'm most worried about!


I will add that:
- I do have Fibromyalgia (diagnosed in 2012)
- I recently finished antibiotics for a chest infection (therefore worried about pleurisy)
- I am currently wearing very fetching compression stockings (and will do for the next few weeks) cos I recently had a small operation (therefore worried about pulmonary embolism)
- I'm worried about lung cancer because, cancer.


So... just to calm me down a bit - I know none of you are doctors etc and if it doesn't go away I will see my GP (although it's usually a 4-week wait for an appointment here :huh:)

But... can someone please help me look logically at the above list of possibilities?

I've recognised in the last few months that I do have some degree of Health Anxiety ("well duh, that's obvious" I hear you cry :D ) but I guess I'm just trying to find ways to reassure myself before it gets too far out of control. Let me state that I'm not sitting here in a mad panic, it's just more I'm slightly worried at the moment, like it's niggling at the back of my mind but that's all.

Ta very much in advance...

[pulisa]

Pulled muscle as a result of prolonged coughing from recent chest infection.

I had pleurisy in December and have recently been diagnosed with intercostal neuritis as a result of the infection. What you are experiencing sounds nothing like what I have so I hope this reassures you on the pleurisy front?

[ChocolateButton]

Thanks for replying pulisa - much appreciated.

You could be right about the pulled muscle - hubby has just reminded me that a few days ago (aka before this pain started) I did feel a sudden pulling/tearing pain in that sort of area during a particularly difficult cough.

I knew I just needed someone on here to make me think logically!


I quickly googled that intercostal neuritis to see what you are dealing with as I'd not heard of it before - it sounds very painful, I hope you are doing ok with that. :hugs:

[Carys]

It'll be a soft tissue injury or some other muscularskeletal thingy, I bet you, from your chest cough. You can get inflamed and tender cartilage in that area (had it myself only this week high up in ribs above breast area, from some heavy duty work I did erecting tents), and it hurt when I pushed it. We need to always remember that the human body has glitches and niggles often, especially the older we get, and jumping to the conclusion that it is something serious isn't the best thing to do. Pulled muscles, trapped nerves, gammy bits and bobs happen. Always give things a little time (unless it really IS serious and you are clutching your half hanging off finger or something after chopping onions :winks:) and work through the 'most likely' scenarios.

[pulisa]

Thanks for replying pulisa - much appreciated.

You could be right about the pulled muscle - hubby has just reminded me that a few days ago (aka before this pain started) I did feel a sudden pulling/tearing pain in that sort of area during a particularly difficult cough.

I knew I just needed someone on here to make me think logically!


I quickly googled that intercostal neuritis to see what you are dealing with as I'd not heard of it before - it sounds very painful, I hope you are doing ok with that. :hugs:

There you go! Your husband has sorted out your problem!
Thanks for your good wishes-I'm on low dose imipramine for it but it's difficult to get adequate prolonged pain relief
I hope you are feeling more comfortable soon xx

[ChocolateButton]

It'll be a soft tissue injury or some other muscularskeletal thingy, I bet you, from your chest cough. You can get inflamed and tender cartilage in that area (had it myself only this week high up in ribs above breast area, from some heavy duty work I did erecting tents), and it hurt when I pushed it. We need to always remember that the human body has glitches and niggles often, especially the older we get, and jumping to the conclusion that it is something serious isn't the best thing to do. Pulled muscles, trapped nerves, gammy bits and bobs happen. Always give things a little time.

Ah your pain sounds similar to mine, yep I'm really starting to veer toward the pulled muscle idea. That is what I'd suspected, really, (although I'd forgotten about the sudden pain that time I coughed) which is why I thought google would agree with me. (I should have known better :doh:) The google just got me a bit panicked.

I'm going to give it a couple of weeks (I don't heal particularly quickly so I'll allow enough time) and see GP if still sore then.



(unless it really IS serious and you are clutching your half hanging off finger or something after chopping onions :winks:) and work through the 'most likely' scenarios.

Just to clarify though - does the finger have to be as much as half hanging off? What about just slightly hanging? :winks: