Chest Pain, Breathing Problems, diagnosed with Chostochondritis...Does anyone know anything?

[mominpain]

Hi,

About 8 weeks ago, I started having probs breathing.  I thought it was new med I was taking "Aciphex", so I discontinued.  About 2 weeks later, I began having a really bad constant pain between my breasts, that radiated to under the breasts, sides, and sometimes to the back.  I suffered for 7 days, before I couldnt handle the "breathing through a coffee stir effect"  went to e.r, that was a joke, then to follow-up with a new primary care doc, and was diagnosed with costochondritis.  He gave me Celebrex and said it should get better.  2 weeks later, I have no relief, doc says the breathing is anxiety from the pain...well I would buy that, however the breathing issue came first?  EKG, Chest x-ray, and 0-2 saturation all normal!!!  by the way, I'm 30 yr old female, with reflux and IBS.

[Truthfinder]

Well, I have chronic costochondritis, and I have never had trouble breathing.  If I do, it is only because of the pain from my ribs.

Mom, your diagnosis doesn't sound quite right to me, and especially if you have had no relief from anti-inflammatories.

Technically speaking you may have costo, but costo can be caused by an infection, which puts it in a different category than what most of us with costo have.

Most costo is a result of sports injuries or a rib getting displaced - some physical event.

I think you are right to question this, but I don't want to speculate on what it could be, other than a possible infection.

(I'm sure my costo is a consequence of having Lyme Disease - many with Lyme have costo problems.  Lyme attacks all kinds of organs and tissues, and loves to destroy collagen.)

You deserve some more answers!

Tracy

[mominpain]

Hello again,

Went to Pulmonary Doc today and had that terribel function test. Results were mainly normal, but my airways are a lttie tight and there is air getting stuck behind the lungs????  Costo pain is pretty bad tonight.  I decided to follow Dr. orders and try xanx to see if this eases the breathing.  Wearing a Bra...I never thought that would be sooo unbearable..  HELP, Help...I feel like everyone thinks I am making this stuff up.  

[mominpain]

One More thing,  does anyone else have the heavy chest and shallow breating with the costo?  Mine does not seem to be anxiety and in fact started before the pain did.

[ShawnP]

I know this might sound crazy to you, but have you been evaluated by a gastroenterologist? I recently was diagnosed with stomach ulcers.  When the pain was at it's worst, I felt like I couldn't breathe right or something, not anything like I thought ulcer pain would be.  Plus, I had been taking tons of NSAIDs (for another ache) which in turn made the ucler pain worse.  I stopped all NSAIDs and the doc put me on Protonix and voila, that pain is gone.

It might be worth looking into.

[Truthfinder]

What Shawn said makes sense.  I think there is a CAUSE for you costo problems that is not just common inflammation of the rib tissues.

Tracy

[timbo1956]

i have had costo for 10 years. over period of years breathing cold air has gotten almost unbearable. and yes have shortness of breath and pain causes blood pressure to rise.i have tries xanax and antiiinflammorties
but the only thing that helps somewhat is pain reliefers like hydrocodone
if any one out there has found what works best please let me know.
Tim  Thanks
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[joeyjude]

I have costocondritis since I was 33 years old. I am now 55 years old. You need to go see a specialist.  Don't monkey around with a regular MD. (I did and got no where fast with that. Just a bunch of tests that cost lots of money) they honeslty don't know what to do for you. From the first time I saw the specialist he knew exactly what was wrong with me.  Did a few tests to be sure.  I have pain in my knee, ribs and chest at first I saw specialist just about every other week.  Now I see him once a year to make sure I am not getting ulsers from med and to get a check up to see if pain has changed. .  Sometimes I have to take ibroprohen to help in between taking pain medicine.  My doctor gave me pain medicine to help me sleep at night because my body would hurt so much during the night.  I had a hard time finding out what chosto was until the web.  You might want to check into what you are eating. I know when I eat too much junk food, my pain flares up.