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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Costochondritis or something very serious??
Answered by
CO
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Costochondritis or something very serious??
by sb786, Nov 13, 2008 12:56PM
Hello.
I am 29 yrs old female and a recent ex smoker. (used to smoke about 6-7 cigarettes a day for almost 10-11 yrs)
A few weeks ago i had a chest infection that has now cleared up but now recently i have started experiencing a sharp stabbing pain in the top of my chest (right had side, between the sternum and breast) My gp listened to my chest and said it was nothing to worry about and that i had costochondritis .
The pain is now a dull aching pain but gets worse at times. Sometime it feels like a soar burning pain too. I can also feel it sometimes directly behind in my upper back too. It does get worse when i try to exercise or lean over and it is painful to press hard in that area.
I have no other symptoms such as coughing wheezing breathlessness etc but i am worried that because i am an ex smoker and the pain is still there 2 weeks later sometimes feeling worse that it maybe lung cancer misdiagnosed. What is your opinion based on my list of symptoms please? I am going to make another appointment in a weeks time but i just need some reassurance please as i have not been able to sleep or eat because of the anxiety.
Thank you in advance xx
I am 29 yrs old female and a recent ex smoker. (used to smoke about 6-7 cigarettes a day for almost 10-11 yrs)
A few weeks ago i had a chest infection that has now cleared up but now recently i have started experiencing a sharp stabbing pain in the top of my chest (right had side, between the sternum and breast) My gp listened to my chest and said it was nothing to worry about and that i had costochondritis .
The pain is now a dull aching pain but gets worse at times. Sometime it feels like a soar burning pain too. I can also feel it sometimes directly behind in my upper back too. It does get worse when i try to exercise or lean over and it is painful to press hard in that area.
I have no other symptoms such as coughing wheezing breathlessness etc but i am worried that because i am an ex smoker and the pain is still there 2 weeks later sometimes feeling worse that it maybe lung cancer misdiagnosed. What is your opinion based on my list of symptoms please? I am going to make another appointment in a weeks time but i just need some reassurance please as i have not been able to sleep or eat because of the anxiety.
Thank you in advance xx
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish Health, Nov 14, 2008 09:37AM
, Nov 14, 2008 09:37AM
It was appropriate for your GP to listen to your chest but a “clear chest” does not rule out lung disease. You should at least have a chest X-ray, with special attention to your ribs and possible rib fracture. The tenderness to touch and your pain are consistent with costochondritis, but that should not be assumed. The pain you have experienced could be pleurisy, secondary to a disease process that involves the pleura (the membrane that surrounds one’s lungs). If your doctor is convinced that the source of pain is costochondritis, you need a trial of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Good luck
Good luck
