costochondritis

[Josephine2010]

Hi guys can anyone give me any info on this please! was diagnosed with it today, hoping im just not being fobbed off (anxiety thinking i suppose):)

[Fly away Katie]

I Have chest pain RIGHT NOW.Im hoping its just that :'( scared x x x

[Josephine2010]

its so scary......makes me panic more, ive had mine for a month now xxx

[allergyphobia]

hi josephine! i was diagnosed with costochondritis this time last year. it was very painful i just couldn't work out why they couldn't do anything for it! i ordered a wheatbag off of the internet and this helped me loads, heat really seemed to help.

basically, from what i know, costochondritis is the inflamation of the middle chest bone, known as the sternum, and this can sometimes go round to your top rib too. there is nothing that will 'cure' it so to speak, it is usually the result of a virus or sometimes of an impact on your chest. if you have it persistently they can give you an injection to try and reduce the inflammation. Mine is gone now, but when it is cold or when i am run down or stressed the pain comes back. I have to be honest with you and say that it did last some months, but when the summer approached it seemed to lift, and im not sure if my anxiety made it a lot worse than it would have been.

Hope this helps, take care x

[Josephine2010]

Ah thank you
yeah i have had it about a month now, but only diagnosed today! mine is very painful on the left breastbone which sometimes shoots round to the back!
ive been worrying so much which has added stress and i think its been making it worse! seems like ive had it for ages
thanks for the advice, ive started a course of anti inflammatories!

[allergyphobia]

don't worry i felt exactly the same. i would say i had it about 4-5 months, but it got less and less, and i actually felt like when i didn't think about it it got a lot better. my problem was i was stupid and did some exercise whilst i had it which made it like 10 times worse. they say lots of rest, nice warm baths and all the usual help - mine was on the leftside too, its very uncomfortable :'(... i hope you feell better soon, try and keep your chin up hun! x

[Josephine2010]

How did they diagnose yours?
i really hope it doesnt last that long, but im happy i know what it is! thanks

[Fly away Katie]

I had it for 6 months. Went, and It came back TODAY. Is it normal for my chest to be feeling tight too? Im really scared here ;'(x x x x

[Josephine2010]

Mine feels kind of tight and sharp pains!
it comes and goes but it always constantly in my mind!

[Fly away Katie]

Its SO TIGHT right now. Im on the edge of breaking down

[Groundhog]

Yep I get this, it’s not down to the anxiety its real. The way it was described to me was that where your ribs join your sternum there is a cartilage type of soft tissue and it’s this that gets inflamed. I can find where mine is sore by feeling for it. Apparently it normally affects a pacific rib and I can’t remember which one now...I think it’s the third one up. My doc told me to take anti-inflammatory tabs.

[Josephine2010]

Ive just started anti inflams
its so bloody painful, how did they diagnose yours!
i cant pin point the pain with pressure it just feels sore x

[Groundhog]

Bizarrely enough the first time I got it I went my surgery and sat in front my doc and told him I had a pain and generally pointed to the area, he looked at me and said something like ‘ you look to healthy to have had a heart attack....its costochondritis’ never laid a finger on me. When it re-occured a couple of years later I saw a different doctor at the surgery and she said the same. Well this time I politely asked how they can diagnose without examining and she said years of experience and laughed. To humour me she found the joint and gave it a sharp prod which made me jump and then with another laugh said ‘that’ll teach you to doubt a doctor’.

Any doctor does half of his or her diagnosis based on the way you enter the surgery door, sit down and say hello, most of the rest is done on their experience of seeing the same symptoms to the same problems week in week out. The other month I saw a locum at my surgery and as part of the examination I took my shirt off and just by sight he said’ you have quite a few cysts there’ no examination, no touching just a quick glance over his specs....clever aren’t they:)

[dodo]

I was undercthe impression it was inflammation of the space between the ribs and can cause pain in breathing. If you press in the space between the ribs and it hurts then this us what it is?

[Josephine2010]

I have the pain between the ribs! its horrible! i have no pain on pressure tho! the doc says not every body gets that x

[Groundhog]

Costochondritis (Tietze's syndrome)

Written by Dr John Pillinger (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/whoisnd.htm),
What is costochondritis?

Costochondritis is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects the inner end of each rib with the breastbone (sternum).
It can occur in any age group and is most common in young adults.
Exactly how common it is in the UK is not known. But in the US, costochondritis has been shown to account for 10 per cent of chest pain episodes in the community and 30 per cent of people with chest pain presenting as an emergency to hospital.