Anyone been diagnosed with costochondritis and/or tietze syndrome

[Purrrrfecta]

I am wondering if anyone out there is suffering from this. I believe this is what I have.

I am just wondering how long it has lasted. I went to my doctor, and he said my pain was a result of my muscles and tendons on the right-side of my chest. It is not heart/or lung related.

What symptoms do you have if you do or have had it, and how long did it last?

Thanks,

Connie

 

[sandy6879]

I was diagnosed when I was young. It will come in spurts, and as time goes on you'll either build up a tolerance to it and not feel it as much or ignore it. I still get the spasms from time to time but much less often now. Stress tends to make it worse, at least for me.

 

[Purrrrfecta]

I was diagnosed when I was young. It will come in spurts, and as time goes on you'll either build up a tolerance to it and not feel it as much or ignore it. I still get the spasms from time to time but much less often now. Stress tends to make it worse, at least for me.

Thanks, Sandy!!!

I was wondering if people get spasms. What do they feel like?

Are they on only one side of your chest?
Does it feel like a squeezing pain?
How abou a sharp pain?
or a pain that goes radiates to the neck or arm?

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I was DX with costochondritis a few years ago after a trip to WDW. I thought for sure I broke a rib on a ride

Every once in awhile, maybe every 2-3 months I get a flare up, sometimes its bad enough that I call the doc and she gives me some pain meds and other times I just load up on Advil.

For me it feels like a severe sharp pain in my chest... never fun

 

[Tiggeroo]

My dd had costochondritis. Before it was dx she swore she was having a heart attack. We were in the er several times with it. While she was recovering she was on xanax because it would trigger panic attacks. High doses of advil for awhile will eventually heal it. But my dr said it can take years before it is fully gone.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I've had costochondritis and it's extremely painful. I thought I was having a heartattack. The doctor said that there was not much I could do other than to take pain killers and take it easy, which is what I did. The severe pain lasted about a week, but the lingering pain laster longer. The hardest thing was sleeping (plus getting in/out of bed) because I couldn't get comfortable in a reclined position.

Since my initial diagnosis, I've had it come back but then it was much, much milder than the first time I described. That initial experience was the only big flare up I've had.

I hope you feel better soon!!

 

[LadyyRedd]

I was dx with costcochondritis earlier this year. I was in the ER a few times thinking I was having a heart attack before my dr. dx me. It was such a relief to know that I was not crazy. I think my family was ready to commit me because there was nothing wrong with my heart or lungs!

NSAIDs help it, but the NSAIDs also bother my stomach. The pain comes and goes. Sometimes it's very painful, other times mild, then I can go a while without having any.

Kimya

 

[Purrrrfecta]

Thanks for your replies. I thought I had a clot in my artery or something!!

I then realized that if I moved my neck or sneezed I could feel the pain. I can not tell that my tendon around my sternum is sensitive, but my shoulder is painful as well.

 

[sandy6879]

Thanks, Sandy!!!

I was wondering if people get spasms. What do they feel like?

Are they on only one side of your chest?
Does it feel like a squeezing pain?
How abou a sharp pain?
or a pain that goes radiates to the neck or arm?

Mine tends to be concentrated at the center of my rib cage. It does feel like squeezing, and as others have mentioned, could feel what I would imagine a heart attack feels like. I don't get it in the neck or the arm at all, just in the chest. Pain meds can alleviate it or just soaking in a hot tub can ease it up for me as well.

 

[RNMOM]

I too have had it for years. I go many months and it doesn't bother me then wham, it starts up. I usually only have it for a day or two. I also was dx with psoriatic arthritis 2 yrs. ago and that is similar but all over your body.

I find if I sit say in a car or plane and my bra band is sitting just right it puts pressure on my rib and that seems to trigger it. I have to be careful to pull the band a little lower when I will be sitting in one spot for long. It has helped that I wear sport type bras now. The stretchy band helps a bit. I can't get the hooks fastened due to the weakness in my hands so the sport bras help lots of issues.

Try ice or heat, whichever feels better and an anti-inflammatory like motrin or naprosyn (aleve). Mine usually clears up quickly, thank goodness.