Rib cage pain and sleep

Rib cage pain wakes me about 2 to 3 hours after I go to bed.  
With a trial auto-PAP, I can only get about 3 hours before
waking short of breath and with rib cage pain.

Driving a car more than 5 hours causes worse rib cage pain at night.

As an infant in 1942, I was diagnosed as having rickets;

last of the depression era babies...

[PaulMD]

Hi.

The pain is most likely from the deficiency in bone mineralization.  Additional stress of any form, even driving can cause intensified pain.  Anxiety and some form of depression may also intensify pain perception (so I believe your pain has lots of dimensions involved).

To address this, I believe it would require a multidisciplinary team.  A pain specialist may be able to do nerve blocks to increase the pain threshold.  Psychological counselling along with some form of anti-depressant medications may help lower the perception of pain.  I suggest you discuss these options with your doctors.

Regards.