My name is David and I a a 22 year old male who recently went to the hospital for chest pain. I figured it wasnt a heart attack because i never got pain in the center of my chest. It is down towards the sternum and up my right and left side of my inner breast. I had an EKG, Blood Test, and Xrays done while there and all they told me was chest wall inflamation. I was doing reading around and figure it is Costochondritis. I have a check up with my DR. this thursday but the pain is very irritating and anxiety isnt helping because i get all hot and sweaty, body weakness and a shaky feeling and pain in back,neck and sometimes arms. What are some ways to deal with it until i am maybe prescribed something because ibprofen only helps for so long. i am taking them every 4 hrs and have been applying ice. This is only the second day and my first time dealing with it so anything helps.
I have had this nightmaree since October last year and it is honestly the worst thing ever, I would see doctor about stronger ibuprofen such as naproxen to make it go away quicker, ice is good for it so keep using that, do not do any heavy lifting or weight lifting etc, using freeze gels also gives a small amount of relief but everyone is different. I have all the same symptoms as you and it also has brought on anxiety, depression for me and I sometimes also use rescue remedy, hope you are well
I have suffered from costochondritis for four years.It was pcked up by a pain specialist.I have tried over 20 different pain killers and now take co-codamol and ibprofen which does help .It is made worse when I am stressed.and I was told to avoid any upper body exercise.Just try and get some rest before you see your doctor and ask to be referred to a pain specialist.
I've only been diagnosed with costo for the last month but have had the pains for a couple of years, and have had all the usual tests including an angiogram.
Every doctor will tell you costo is only temporary and will pass in a few weeks but I think we are all living proof here to the contrary.
I'm currently on a mix of ibuprofen and co-codamol - not an ideal long term solution but it seems to be lessening the pain at the moment. I'm also taking Omega 3 fish oil capsules and a few drops of Olbas Oil at night.
Was prescribed naproxen on the day it was diagnosed but came off that within a week. Nasty stuff.
Stress=pain=stress
I'm even trying stuff like guided meditations and lemon balm tea bags to reduce stress levels. Happy to give anything a go. That said I have a 10 hour flight on Sunday and the thought of that with the costo is really getting the stress levels going.
Just avoid lifting or moving anything heavy as that can set you back to square one...voice of experience!
I was the same in recent flights it's weird how the Costo can more or less make you scared of flying like when I took off I had weird feelings in my chest must have just been the anxiety or something
For me ibuprofen didn't work, after much research and self-experimentation the following has been working for me (worth trying but I can't promise the same results as everyone is different and reacts differently to various substances) ... if you're taking a lot of supplements (not real food) stop all of them ... especially omega3's ....Excessive omega fatty acids supplementation has been found to make inflammation and heart health worse, not better: B.C. researchers ... also if you're a regular coffee/black tea drinker, stop drinking coffee and tea for a while ... I take a full dose aspirin every day before bed when the pain comes back and drink lots of chamomile (herbal) tea to calm my anxiety ... also eat healthy, go for daily walks and try to sleep minimum 8 hr to get a good sufficient rest ... I also got a new posturepedic mattress and I try to sleep flat on my back with a thin memory foam pillow, all of which allows my whole body to properly relax w/o causing any unnecessary pressure, squeezing or crushing on my chest ... occasionally I will also take Epsom salt bath with hot water to fully relax my whole body ... that's it that's all .. it's not 100% but it seems to work for the most part ... pain killers and various Dr. Google suggested supplements didn't do anything for me ... I hope you find your cure soon! Good luck!
Hi David, I was diagnosed with costochondritis last October. I was lucky enough that my doctor was familiar with this condition from the start. He started me out on a low dose Diclofenac which did absolutely nothing for me. I went back for a follow-up a couple months later and he put me on 500 mg of Naproxen twice a day he also prescribed a low-dose muscle relaxer to help me sleep at night as needed. Although the naproxen does not take all the pain away, I have noticed a difference after having a bad flare up I bounce back a little quicker. I always take the naproxen with a meal and it doesn't seem to bother my stomach. I have not been on or wanted to try any opiate pain relievers, my doctor said they just won't help this issue. I've also used and like Icy Hot with lidocaine to help calm the nerves when they are firing off. Like others have said try to reduce or not lift anything to aggravate it. I'd never heard of this condition before I got it. It does change your lifestyle and sometimes the anxiety is terrible. I wish you the best and hope we all have a speedy recovery. Take care.
I've had it for over a year now with no relief from any medications. So I started taking Jamieson Super Krill once a day, two Cranberry caps a day , two ginger caps and the most important thing I take Is Jamieson TURMERIC. This is the best thing ever. All of the combination has changed the way the Costco has taken over my life bc now it doesn't bc of the herbal supplements. Seriously worth a try for anyone looking for relief and it's all good health wise. Also a magnesium tablet works wonders for any anxiety you may have. :-)
Hello sorry that you are experiencing this pain, I was diagnosed with costochondritis a month ago, some days are better than others and it doesn't affect me everyday when I found out I had it , I started seeing a chiropractor which helped immediately as well as heat, (heating pad hot water bottle etc) and for my anxiety, I just really had to reassure myself that I'm ok once your mind starts racing you start thinking worse case scenario. Hope I can be of some help be blessed
Thank you everyone for replying this morning it hurt on both sides and sternum, just a constant burning pain. The ibprouben helps a little for now and ice and hot work as well. That is my next thing is controlling my anxiety. I have had it under control for so long and now going to the hospital has resurfaced that. I know I am okay and have tto continue telling myself that nothing is wrong.
The anxiety is just giving me pains everywhere because I am tense and getting random eyes twitches haha 😂 anxiety is just great isn't it. Hope everyone else is doing okay today as well
If you can call it a good thing at least it helps to know it is such a common problem and there are others who know exactly what you are going through. I think it's up to us to educate the doctors on the condition.
Was having leg cramps really bad today in my left calf, and of course i was using Dr. Google and got freaked out. So i ended up going to Urgent Care and was told i have a pinched nerve in my lower back so was prescribed flexeral so at least that will help my costo for now.
Google has its uses such as locating forums like this one, but yes easy to start tying yourself up in all the scare stories too. That said with the amount of time it takes to get an appointment with your GP these days is it any wonder we start self diagnosing
sorry to hear you are also in pain. Hope your apointment went well. I heve been diagnosed about two months now and I have had pain for about a year. I am glad to read about other peoples experiences, including yours. Hope you´ll feel better soon and have more manageable pain.
Appointment was good, was diagnosed with costochondritis and was told it will go away on its own. I am feeling alright today just need to control my anxiety so I dont worry. I am a healthy 23 year old who doesn't do drugs. I have also stopped drinking for a while until I get my anxiety under control again
Good tho hear your appointment went well. To control your anxiety is a task on its own I guess. What helps for me is to walk...and just keep on doing my daily routine. You´re young and healthy keep that in mind!