Ribcage pain/ diaphragm pain with deep breathing upon waking

[annie36]

had this pain for years.Every morning when waking it is very painful to deep breathe,ribcage hurts to touch from breastbone all the way around to last ribs in my back. pain is directly under my ribcage as well, as if to be my diaphragm with noticable pain upper left side near breast bone area. I feel as if i cannot get a full complete breath.I also have a bloated stomache with these symtoms.It feels as if my lung capacity is diminished somewhat in the mornings until I do some deepbreathing ,i'll deep breathe for a while until the pain seems to subside, the bloating usually goes down later in the day, diaphragm pain subsides to a dull ache in the upper left side, but my ribs still hurt to touch.Would a broken rib(leftside back area) 15 years ago(1990) cause these problems? I also had a traditonal c-section (1988 )I noticed these problems about a year after these occured.My doctor says I'm fine, I've had a bone scan, chest xrays, kidney ultrsound, we can't seem to find an answer.If i'm fine why am I in pain everyday of mylife? I have anxiety around bedtime, because I know i'll wakeup to the pain...I don't want anymore antidepressants or sleeping meds...can you give some information? I appreciate your help!

[National Jewish]

A pain that worsens with breathing, but is always in the same area of the chest, can be due to either a problem in the:  

[EROS]

Hi,
I have had these exact pains in the morning for 18 months now. I was a smoker also have a cough and a little sputum. I sometimes get the pain after excersize. I think my lungs have enlarged (hyperinflation) and they my diaphragm pushes down on my lower ribs! I can see my stomach being forced out when I breathe deeply!

I have pain on the left and try to sleep on my right, it seems to help. I have had all the lung tests incl bronchoscopy, CT and PFT. They couldnt find anything. One Pulmo said it could be spleen problems, I have lost some weight and its not as bad.

Iwould be interested to hear how you get on with this elusive problem.
Bye for now,
E.

[annie36]

thanks for the info, sounds similar to my pain. I only have it in the morning, sometimes after i've been lying down.  Not a smoker,could be spleen related..I do yoga to try to relax daily, that's how I cope with it (pain)..bye for now

[jg2001]

I also have been experiencing the same pain.  It is the worst when I am sleeping.  I awake during the night and it hurts to move (from back pain) and it hurts to breathe.  I too have been through the tests.  Actually, I went for a mid/upper back MRI a couple weeks ago and a spot was found on my left upper lung.  I asked my doctor if that could be what is causing the problems when I am sleeping and he said "no".  As of now, I am in physical therapy where I just started electralysis and it is helping.  I didn't wake this morning in any pain! The therapist seems a little mystified that the pain is the worst while I am sleeping or "at rest" as she says.  I take Flexoril, Elavil and Restoril to help with the pain and, I suppose, to sleep through it.  I do have emphysema and asthma, but it has just been recently (about 8 months or so) that I have been experiencing this sleeping/breathing pain.  But, like I said, the electalysis, which I went for one session on Monday for my mid/upper back and then again Wednesday (yesterday) for my mid/lower back and I didn't wake up in pain during the night or this morning!

I will be watching this thread to see how it is answered. I wish you and eros both good luck.

jg

[annie36]

I'm really glad to hear from other people like yourselves, it is great to have someone understand this strange pain. I have had many tests myself, but, I have not had a CT scan. I'm considering asking my doctor to send me for one.  I too was on Elavil, although I would sleep through the pain, I always felt like a zombie on those pills..I had to stop taking them....I hope all is well for everyone, thanks for the support..see ya later

[Duchess47]

I have been experiencing the same type of pain as you all.  My doctor believes it is an inflammaion of the chest wall and put me on anti-inflammatory meds.  He also believes it is from my acid reflux disease.  Especially if ir is happening while lying down.  I said I never experienced any acid reflux but there is something called asymptomatic acid reflux disease.  It usually happen while sleeping the acid backs up into your esophegus and throat.  So I am on meds for that also.

[annie36]

Thanks for your speedy reply. I really appreciate your input, mabe now I can get my doctor to try another avenue with me.  Thanks for your help....will let you know.  bye for now

[newboy]

ok i had the same problem but let me get somthing straight

is this dangeruos ?
and how dangerous  can it be ?

[brysaug]

Hello I also have this pain if I lay on my side for any amount of time when i get up i feel pain in the center of my chest but the bone of my chest also i have always been a great sleeper and i once could sleep 12 hrs no prob and this past month i cant sleep more than 5 hrs waking of extreme pain in my back and ribs i usually wake up take a scolding hot shower and it helps a little but once i wake up and start moving it goes away i only get the pain when sleeping or laying on my sides i do have acid reflux wich i take meds for and went to the er and said chest pain and spent 2 days there being tested for everything i saw a heart dr lung dr they checked my liver galbladder etc the nurse said i had million dollar tests done but they found nothing one thing i think of is im very bad for cracking my bones im 30 now and have done that since a kid maybe thats the cause im 6'6 265 lbs or maybe its the weight? im like 50 lbs over weight any recomendations email me at ***@****

[redtxn]

I have had this exact pain for a number of years, starting after a hysterectomy. My doctor determined that I had pelvic/abdominal adhesions...directly related to my surgery. My organs had adhered to each other which pulled them "out of place". When I laid down to sleep, the organs went wherever the adhesions pulled them. But, when I got up/out of bed in the morning, gravity would attempt to "pull" the organs back into their correct position...causing the pain. I had a number of laparoscopic procedures to "cut" the adhesions (adhesiolysis). Each procedure brought a few months worth of relief. Finally, 2 years ago, I had an open abdominal procedure to allow the doctor to literally cut away the adhesions & wrap my organs in a protective barrier. I have been completely without the morning pain until the last month or so. Needless to say, I will be going back for another look. Good luck to you!

[t.sue]

Hi,
This is my first time posting on a site, but I am just baffeled.  About 2 weeks ago, and out of nowhere, I started having upper back/rib pain during sleep.  If I want to turn over in the night it is horribly painful.  It keeps getting worse night after night.  Now in the night, I have spasms on the right side of my ribcage in front.  Generally after I am awake for a few hours, and I take an anti-inflammatory, I begin to feel better.  It is excruciating in the morning.  I can't bend, lean, or sit up straight.  I have seen a medical doctor, and today a chiropractor...both baffled. I feel  a little tired, and my chest hurts a tiny bit when I breath...Any Suggestions??
Thanks in advance for any help...

[eh9]

Hi, I'm having the same pain every morning for the last year were in the last month it's getting better but not gone yet!!.. It's started when it's wakes me up with a sharp pain around the rib cage all the way to the back, sometime more painful in the back then in the front (after about 5hr or more of sleep).. very strong pain! after taking pain killer and other remedies I notice that the pain will go away by itself after about 30 min or so.. of seating or just standing! I went to the doctors and got CT scan, urine test, blood test.. ect.. with noting coming up.. I was given pain killer and Nexium for acid however I don't think that it's doing anything!! some days are better but overall the worst is that you aware that you are going to wakeup with this pain and you can't do anything about it while the rest of the day it's all normal with no pain at all so you leave it alone till next day!!

[jayh]

wow - I cant believe it! Finally - people who understand me! going on for about 7 months now. predictably EVERY morning - regardless of location, bed, activity, exercise or stopping exercise. I do sleep on my side mostly. I try to sleep on my back but hard to control subconciously.

my symptoms:
when I wake up, my pain is maximum when I pull my shoulders down (and slightly back). another interesting thing - if i take a deep breath and hold my breath and move shoulders down - much less pain! chest pain diminishes exponentially fast after I wake up and get going. seems like the 'epicenter' is just barely to the left of dead center of chest/sterenum, also - in the back mostly i feel it on the inside-top part of my left shoulder blade I think - but deeep inside - not surface. when i wake up - EVERY morning - if I move my left shoulder gently back and forth - it makes aweful cracking noises - but not from the shoulder joint - from the same deep inside poistion of the entire shoulder. but then goes away during the day. I also have some form of sciatica in right hip. comes and goes. can manage it well by yoga and general conciousness now. also occsaional neck stiffness in the back right side. lately - I also get pain in my mid back muscles on both sides!

I do NOT have diaphragm pain though unlike original post.


went to a doc few months ago - she made me feel like I was lying. terrible feeling. wtf! then went to my primary doc 2 wks ago - she was as baffled. xray (not bone, but below the ribs xray) was fine. my lungs she said sound incredible. put me on neproxin - its the end of 2nd week now - no major change, just maybe a little less intense.

a friend mentioned something about - i forget the name - some form of arthritis of the ribs/chest?... my doc said that's usually an infection and wouldnt last months.

chiro - no change. changed mattress - nothing. got the swedish neck pillow - did not change chest pain but I must say it has done wonders to my neck stiffness and pain!!

here's some more data points, maybe something will jibe somewhere to someone...

- fairly balanced diet, drink max 2 coffees and 1 soda (if at all) a day, maybe 3-4 alc drinks a week (weekend casual beers and a drink here and there during the week)
- desk job
- have extremely flexible body otherwise.
- play electric guitar (7 lbs weight)
- age 40, decent ht,wt balance.
- I do yoga daily and swim and light weights 3 times a wk
- no history of acid reflux, heart issues
- i did develop some form of asthma called cough ashtma over last 2 yrs. when i get a cold - goes quickly to my lungs and gets congested real bad. so now I take (like my daughter) pulmicort puffs every night during winter months starting about now.

[ironwkr/nyc]

glad to see i'm not a crazy hypochondriac(hope i spelled that right)but i too have rib pain and also suffer from lower back pain. The lower back pain is from 2 herniated discs i sustained in a 35 ft fall from a job i was doing on the iron(june 90). I have since been pretty healthy with staying fit and trying not to go overweight 6'2'' 225....this is key with any back injury. In 2001 i watched in horror from the top of a high rise bldg. at the planes crash into the trade centers. Well long story short i wound up working down on the site (on top of the rubble pile) cutting huge hunks of iron and disasemmbling the remains of the towers. this was a hostile envoirment both mentally ad physically. Needless to say i have suffered many strnge side effects and unknown illnesses. The back of my ribs have started aching, and this is not a common place for me to experience pain. It is kind of scary im always thinking some kind of bone disease....well anyway im going for a physical next week nov 1 and im sure my doctor will try to blow it off as something not realevent,but im not letting this one go. I just buried my 45 yr old brother...and i have kids to raise!!! so i will visit back and share any information that i can until then stay well everyone and enjoy every moment of your life...

[donalson]

Hello to all. This is my first post here so I ask you to bear with me.
About one year ago I took a flanking pain in my lower left side radiating to my back. While having this pain I found it difficult to get complete breaths, sometimes becoming breathless if I over exerted myself.
Upon many tests for pancreatitis nothing showed up.Then a chest xray ruled out any complications there. But still the shortness of breath worried me. I might add that I had no problem jumping on a bike and cycling up hills for long distances with only heavy breathing which one would expect.
The doctor eventually said it was inflamation muscular or cartilage .But I cannot help myself with worry that it may be something else. The breathing improves but at time gets worse when I try to take deep breaths but not all the time this happens. Idont have a cough but sometimes i have to clear my throat to force up clear phlegm
I myself was worried it might be emphazema as i use to smoke but give them up.Any one else shed light on this or im I just to accept that it is what my doctor says.

[DaveDoesDallas]

I have had breathing problems for about 10 years now. I have a pain in my shoulder blade that feels like it is pinching...it feels like it takes my breath out...not the best feeling in the world..I also get like stopped up in my throat and you can hear a weezing from me breathing to the other side of the house! it makes sleeping very difficult. It makes life a living hell....lemme know what i need to do! lemme know whats wrong with me!





21 years old david from texas.

[tab8226]

A real "wow" moment!  I am a 45 year old woman with what I consider a pretty stressful life (two kids, 10 & 6, and a full-time job.)  About a year and a half ago, I all of a sudden had this pain in my upper right back ribcage area.  I don't REALLY feel it during the day.  But anytime I'm laying down on my back (but not on my side) it hurts only on that side to breathe in. It seems like I can only take a shallow breath until I breathe in a few times and it then feels normal.  It totally feels like I stretch out the muscle and then everthing is ok.

My father is a Dr. and after about six months of this,I told him about it and I had an x-ray. The only reason I waited is because I was convinced and still am really that it's muscular.  I figured it would just run it's course.  The x-ray was normal.  I do also sometimes have some dull pain on my right side when I sleep on my right side that's just in my waist area.  None of this pain is particularly debilitating and I rarely feel it during the day whether I'm standing, walking, or sitting.  This is another reason for not looking into it more thoroughly.  I feel much better knowing you all have basically the same symptoms and all tests have been negative (because at this point I have started to imagine all types of serious disorders.)  

But what the heck is this?  I have a check-up scheduled for Dec. 6th so I'll probably go through a bunch of tests for this as well just to rule other things out.

[uncomfortable4621]

I have a problem off and on where I have trouble getting a deep breath during the day while I'm awake. It usually gets worse as the day goes on and makes it a little harder to fall asleep.  I have a hyenial hernia and I'm over weight, however this only happens every so often and usually last for about a week or so.  I believe it's probably stress but I'm not sure.  By the end of the day my chest and ribs start to hurt when I try to take a deep breath, probably from straining it all day to get a deep breath.

[BIG_O]

Well.. if this is a club someone started.. I guess having the same symptoms is the secret handshake..?  I Have similar symptoms except intense pain when inhaling. I had an MI 2 years ago. Pain slowly developed over two years. Had stress echos and been in the cath lab too. Everthing looks great.. Had an EP study..nothing.. Does anyone have tingling in feet and hands as well. That just started 6 weeks ago.. as always (this sucks)

[DaveDoesDallas]

ANYONE know?! or did i come to the wrong site?

[cinezen53]

I feel I have developed something like all are describing, but am not yet convinced.
This started for me this past Monday.  If symptoms persist into mid next week i will post details of situation.  I must say that some of the posts indicating that problem
has been running for six months or more than a year are frightening to me.  This is no fun.
  Like many of you when I awaken with pain and unable to breathe deeply I get up and walk around and things seem to stabilize.  I then can go back to sleep for a couple of hours before awakening again with pain.  One night it was so bad I had to get what sleep I could seated in a chair with a large pillow propped aginst the wall.

For the most past I feel fine during the day.

Here is my idea.  I am surprised that the intense pain and breathing difficulty will usually subside with 30 minutes of standing and or sitting.
What if we were to sleep in a more vertical position, I dont mean sitting upright in bed.
I've tried that with propped pillows, does'nt seem to work.  But what if you were to literally set up a sleeping platform (plywood with a cushion on it) at an approx. 120 to 145 degree angle.  I know that may sound nuts but I don't think I could live with this for as long as some of you have.  Don't really know anything about them but has anyone tried a Craftmatic adjustable bed?

Good luck to all and God Bless.

[ariammae]

just wanted to add my name to the list of those suffering with these same symptoms. It only happens in the morning for me-- and like someone wrote above, it goes away after a hot shower/afterI've been up and breathing for awhile. I too used to be able to sleep for 12 hours without interuption. Now I'm lucky if I get 6 hours before the pain wakes me up.

[Wooosa]

It's Nov 18, 2005 and just this week I have been having the same pains and I see you all have noted:
1.  Sleep about 4-5 hours (no particular position)
2.  Wake up with pains in ribcage/back area
3.  Try to turn over, and sharp pain in ribcage
4.  Take whatever medication is available (haha)
5.  Lay down for about 30 min, and try NOT to lay on your back
6.  Feels like sharp pains from the lower back up to your shoulder blade
7.  Fall back to sleep
8.  Wake up in the morning, and stand, get in the shower, and sure enough, pain is gone...until that night sleep comes again.

As another person wrote, I'm glad to hear that it's nothing "serious", but I guess it would be nice to know if there is a name for this.  
I'm 37, non-smoker, social drinker, don't exercise often, but consider myself fairly healthy.  What is causing this? For you that have been to the doctors, they say it's nothing "serious", but did they tell you what may be causing it?

[eh11]

I have very similar symptoms -- 38y.o female, long-time smoker, ugh -- starting abruptly about five days ago, very very sharp pain in right side under ribcage, shoots when breathe in, and particularly with trying to get a deep breath, very sharp.  Was constantly painful first two days (pain ~"7-8"), now subsiding during the day ("4-5") but getting worse in evening or after a reclining position (pain "8-10") -- wakes me up, so sharp, tears popping to eyes and need help moving or getting back into a situp or vertical position, cannot breathe, must stand up to take a deep painful breath.  Mild light-headedness coincides with pain.  No fever, no initial coughing, tho coughing seems to be starting in, very painful...please, any ideas?