Wierd pain between ribs (Frightend)

[miss_moose]

I'm finding it very difficult to describe, I don't know how to but i'll give it a go.

For the past 3 or 4 days i've been getting twinges or spasms of pain between my ribs on my right side, it's on the side/just to the back of my body about half way down my ribs, and when the pain (kind of like a "pulling" pain I think) happens I can sometimes feel it in the same place but at the front of my body.
And can also be accompanied by other chest pains all over my chest.

It hasn't been constant, but when it starts it can go on for a few hours, tonight it's been bad.
When it's going on for a few hours too it's not constant, it can be 10 minutes or so before it occurs again.

I'm really worried, as I do get alot of chest pains and aches, but this is new.
My fiance just puts it down to muscular, or anxiety and stress as i have anxiety everyday and have been extra stressful this past few weeks as we've been "trying" to make wedding plans (and since im agora and social phobic its been making me panic more. But i'm not sure im conviced.

Anyone able to shed light on this? I'm really scared.

Thank you

[Rhys1879SAFC]

Hi there.

Not sure this is anxiety related (it could be) but that doesn't mean its anything serious. :)

In Decemeber I had a bit of a cold and a sore throat, I coughed and immediately felt a side splitting pain between my ribs on my left hand side. This is what actually started my health anxiety off! I immediately thought the worst, I was sure I would go to the doctors and be told I may have cancer or something.

I went to the doctors and was told I'd tore an intercostal muscle which would heal itself, but see how easy it is to get worked up over nothing?

Take care.

[AlexandriaUK]

Cant spell but could quite easily be costochondritis, is that the right spelling? and I will allow you to google it because it want hurt you but can cause chest pain.

[janine85]

i had costochondritis last winter, it sounds like it

[TooWorried]

I have a couple of ideas. Have you had a cold or cough recently? I got sick last year and had such a bad cough that I actually pulled muscles in my ribs from coughing. Not fun. Also, I had a pain similar to what you describe another time, and the doctor sent me for an ultrasound the make sure I didn't have kidney stones or gallstones (both are uncomfortable but nothing to panic about). I didn't have either though, so the doctor blamed it on a pulled muscle, and it eventually went away.

[Groundhog]

Ok for a start costochondritis only affects the sternum – centre of the chest where the ribs connect – its inflammation of the soft tissue that connects the ribs to the sternum. Pain between the ribs is known as something else – intercostal something-or-other.
Some time back I had pain in my lumber region and round the side to my lower rib, the doc said they were connected in that the muscles in your side start in the lumber region and wrap around your side to the front so often the discomfort is referred. One should always remember as well that we have muscles and tendons all over our bodies including over and between the ribs.
I often find when I have life threatening pain, that is invariably muscular but which I convince myself is terminal, that a look on Google at one of the many excellent anatomy sites one can see where the muscles start, end and lay and to this end a better understanding of your body can help pacify.
As always though if you are particularly worried or it persists see your doc – but my money is on muscle strain :)

[miss_moose]

Thank you all so much for your reassurance. It hurt abit yesterday but no where near as much or for as long, and i havent felt it at all today, I suppose if it was something sinister I'd be in constant pain and discomfort. x