Comments on: Costochondritis (Tietze’s syndrome)

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 21:29:22 +0000

11/06
I have had costochondritis on my right side now for about 2 weeks. It started after a severe cold where I had horrible coughing spells. I thought I broke a few ribs. It hurts to breath. I have been taking Motrin around the clock and this helps, but if I miss a dose, the pain restarts again. Also I now have to use Icy Hot patches, which help me for 8 hours. Any type of movement seems to agrivate the condition. Also, to make matters worse, I have to sit at my computer for 8 hours straight a day, which I think is making it worse. I have decided to start doing some exercising today, nothing too strenuous, but I think this may have helped somewhat. I am a 50 year old female. I hope this goes away soon, as it is very debilitating.

By: daniella

daniella — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 01:13:19 +0000

It can happen in women of all ages. I’m 23 and thought I was having a heart attack @ work one day. After xrays, ekg, blood work they ruled the rest out and this is it. I’m worried because i’m currently on the ortho evra patch, nexium, and klonopin. The ortho evra is what scares me most. After hearing all those things on the news, i’m ready to take it off. It’s on to day 2 now of feeling this horrid chest pain and the asprin and ice applied to my chest is working (i’m cold but it’s working) I can’t say i’ll be able to go pick up boxes but it did hurt to drive this morning so i’ve spent the day in bed. It hurts when I get up from bed. ARGH

By: Anne

Anne — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:42:51 +0000

I hope the Doc will answer this…..
Hi There…I’ll keep this brief as I know how busy you must be. Had been having some funny feelings in my chest since week 28 of my pregnancy. Feelings felt like a vibration or buzzing…drove me insane. This morped into pain that got so bad one night my husband took me to E.R. where they did ekg and echo…heart is fine. Diagnosed costo.
I use haet and ice alternately, but they don’t do much. I am suffering so badly, most nights I am just in tears from the pain, and my Docs keep brushing it off…I think they think I’m being dramatic, which I am not. I have never even been to a hospital before this.
I am 36, in perfect health even with the pregnancy (no anemia, b.p. is great) and have excercised every day up until this started. I am now 31 weeks pregnant and am beside myself with how much this hurts…I can’t lie down, as that makes the pain so much worse, and that buzzing too, which is maddening.
Incidentally, I am a hairstylist, a very booked one! This is so sudden, but Dr. says he’s not sure if it is pregnancy related (upward push of baby on ribs?) The pain is so bad today that I wouldn’t have been able to go to work, but luckily I don’t work anyway on Tuesdays.
What are your feelings on trying to push through the pain when I’m able to? I have not yet missed work, and feel I’m going to be in pain no matter where I am, so might as well be with people and take my mind off it. Pain is normally not that bad during the day, anyway.
Any advice? I am so scared to give birth…if I had to do it right now I’d be incapable….pain in my chest too great, plus I cannot breathe very well most of the time.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Anne

By: Priscilla

Priscilla — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:43:06 +0000

Is this just a once a month exercise to answer the things posted on this sight? (Or maybe even longer?)

By: Marci

Marci — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 06:24:17 +0000

I’m glad I came across this thread. At about age 24, I was dx with Costochondritis in 2001. It began as occasional flares and has since become permanent these past couple of years. Swelling is present (for at least 2 years now) and the pain flares and receeds almost depending on the weather. Winter is the worst for me. The location of pain/swelling is in the upper sternum- about rib 2-3. Having not found much relief other than what is already mentioned by the good doctor, I recommend to Priscilla and others to try to rest and to heal completely, if possible. I believe having to lift and carry my children as a young mother has caused my continual trauma, thus leading to a chronic condition. It really is debilitating…

By: Priscilla

Priscilla — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:41:53 +0000

What is this disease???? It is causing difficulty breathing and seems to get slightly better and then flares up worse than ever! I am concerned about the Army’s response to this situation because their latest response to breathing difficulties (from the pressure from the ribs on the lungs) was to prescribe an inhaler. Does anyone really have a clue how to battle this or is my daughter just doomed to poor medical care because she chose to protect the other 94 % of the population? Perhaps i could find some help at curezone.com, as time keeps ticking and things aren’t getting back to normal. She did have problems with a stomach ulcer in the month or so before this happened. From reading this page there seems to be a fairly strong suspicion on my part that there is a link between the two. Is there a way to treat this or is this just one more of those “mystery diseases” that has a name, but no effective treatment?

By: Serena

Serena — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 01:29:04 +0000

Hi Doctor,

Thanks for all of this information. I believe I have an undiagnosed thyroid condition, which has also added to many anxiety symptoms I now have. I have been doing intense computer work for about 4 months which wasn’t entirely ergonomically correct and seemed to have pulled by shoulder and neck. I also paint houses about 3 times a month. My question is this. Recently I feel as though my upper sternum and 2nd right rib is bigger, sticking out more. I don’t have pain, but I do have chest tightness (especially after eating) and burning in my chest and arms at times, seems like that occurs more when I’m anxious. I know that you said that tumors are not common in this area. But if I’m not really having pain, is that a sign that it could be a mass? I don’t feel a mass, I just feel like the area is sticking out more. Thank you.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:18:30 +0000

Hi,

Just a quick question, I have had minor pain right under my right breast, where my underwire bra sits, and the pain seems to come and go when I breath. Sometimes the pain is worse then others. I have been to the doctor several times and he diagnosed me with inlfammation. This was a year ago, should I still be grappling with this. I was told to take a muscle relaxer and motrin three times a day, but I have two small children to take care of. When I do take the motrin and muscle relaxers at night, I do feel a little relief but to take them three times a day is impossible. Should I go back to the doctors, or just stop wearing bras? The pain really seems to get irriated when I wear the bras though.
Your thoughts,
Thank you

By: clinton crews

clinton crews — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:27:46 +0000

Hello again doctor the gerd is now under complete control the erosions are healed. The chest pain still is there but i hope that tens will help this god willing

By: Traci

Traci — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:27:42 +0000

Hi Jon! This is a follow up to the previous post. The GI doc said the bloat was caused by the acid reflux. The chest pain is caused by a moderate sized sliding hiatal hernia. He said basically the hernia is sliding in and out of the chest wall cavity which is causing the pressure of the chest as well as the costocondritis (localized to the breastbone), and some breathing difficulty.

He did prescribe reglan (sp?) but that hasnt worked. He also prescribed donnatol to mix w/ the maloox but I am only to take it when all means have been exhausted. He wants to do the manometer (sp?) and the pH 24 hr test on Monday but I see a surgeon tomorrow which he has recommended (surgery).

For the scope results: No yeast, virus, nor fungi was found. Barrette’s and pre Barrette’s have been ruled out! There is none!! BUT the small sliding hiatal turned out to be a ‘moderate sized’ instead.

I will keep you posted on what the surgeon has said. What kind of surgery is done to correct sliding hiatals?

TY so much for the reassurance during this time. You gave me a peace of mind. I can honestly say I am not as scared as I was prior to everything. I had stopped smoking and was 6 weeks free but then getting all the run around caused a lot of stress so I had gone back to smoking. However, I am 4 weeks free from smoking and I am very comfortable in this final quit. Thank you!!

By: Priscilla

Priscilla — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:29:49 +0000

Hi,
Looking for some guidance concerning my 19 year old. She has been suffering with pain on the left side of her chest and has gone to sick call and UCC due to breathing difficulties. The right side is somewhat tender, but not severe. The left side seems to hurt weather she does or does not do PT although PT does deem to aggravate it. The pain begins under the breast (left) and continues to the bottom of the rib cage it wraps around from the breast bone to the back. The most recent visit to sick call came back as a diagnosis of costocondritis. Just want to know if this seems consistent to someone with a more extensive knowledge of the disease. She is also currently having nausea and vomiting along with diarrhea, but this could be food related and has only been 24 – 48 hours. She did pull a muscle, but that was after the awelling existed and she says that pain is gone. Says there is some pain in the breast (left) but it is deep and unlike the breast tenderness one experiences during the menestral cycle. (i had also found info about IBC in my search and am trying to rule things out, but don’t wish to ignore any possibility.) In the three months that she has been in the armed forces things have been mostly denied and sometimes miadiagnosed so i’d appreciate another opinion.

By: JonMikel, M.D.

JonMikel, M.D. — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:12:17 +0000

Kimberly: Definitively stressful situations increase the onset of synptoms of costochondritis. However, my advice is that you go to the doctor and to discard other possible causes.

KT: Costochondritis may be due to radiation (even though it was radiated the left side). You could have costochondritis, but only your doctor can assure you that.

ruth: There is no correlation between GERD and costochondritis. if lab works are ok I think you should ask for a referral to a rheumatologist (mainly due to low grade fever).

Tracy: In fact, your symptoms doesn’t seem like costochondritis, are more likely to anxiety (excrutiating chest pain & shortness of breath). I would recommend you to ask for a referral to a psych.

Wallace E. Mack: Why don’t you see a rheumatologist? I’m sure that he can help you.

By: Wallace E. Mack

Wallace E. Mack — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:43:15 +0000

I have suffered with a nagging pain in my chest since 2004 and gone thru extensive different test and treatments with now relief an I really need some good advice as to what to do. I am currently taking celebrix and aciphex and local heat and donot get any relief for more than a few hours. I wear heat patches and take aspirin and still have now relief. I don’t know what to do. Can you help.

Yours Sincerely
Wallace Mack

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 02:08:28 +0000

about six months ago I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis, which also caused Pleursy a few months later. In June I started experiencing extreme pain in my left arm and shoulder and also in my left side and middle of my chest and ribs. I had all the tests for possible heart problems done over and over again, which came out ok.I also had a very low pttasium count. Two days ago I went back to the emergency room with excrutiating pain and shortness of breath again, this time the doctor told me I had tietze’s disease. My question to you is how long does this usually last, can it reoccur, and can high anxiety bring it on. and how is it treated? this is very painful and very scary for me{I just turned 40} It feels just like a heart attack. Please reply thank you Tracy

By: KT

KT — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 23:16:34 +0000

Is anyone going to answer me?