My Costrochondritis journey started in 2008 went to the Emergency room on base they told me it was most likely acid reflux, so they gave me a gi cocktail and called it a night. That was the tip of the ice berg I was back in the er within 5 hours telling them it damn sure was not “acid reflux” even though I currently have a medium hiatal hernia I know what heartburn feels like and having a new stabbing chest pain. After months of pleading with dr.s in the navy (All military Docs treat every known illness with Ibuprofen) to try a different path it was time for my discharge to reserve duty since then I’d bet I’ve been in the ER 20 times since 2012 for excruciating chest pain. Finally after all the gastologist and 5 different cardiologists clearing me of heart problems and countless other test the DR’s ran out of ideas so like most of yall I took matters into my own hands and resorted to Google and self diagnosed myself with extreme costrochondritis and chest pain. After I brought this condition up with Dr’s they were like well that seems to make the most sense and It took all those er trips and countless docs and I’m the person to bust the mystery. I can tell yall what has and has not worked for me. I have been fighting costro for years it seems to come alive when winter rolls around but this winter it was worse than ever spent 3 days inpatient in va hospital and they sent me home with extreme pain pills. Once again took matters into my own hands and the only person besides a witch Dr I hadn’t consulted was a Chiropractor and pain management specialist, after a brief bio of me they noticed my t6 rim from my thoracic area was out of place a little, that rib sublexation from it being out causes that rib meeting in the sternum to cause costro to increase 20X, once they popped it back in it was like heaven but very short lived. Then we began a pain regimen and routine chiro visits for the ribs and sternum.
1.Anything warm “Sauna,Steam room, Heating pad, shower aimed directly at sternum
2. Loose clothing don’t wear tight clothes that naturally pull your shoulders forward . Posture is a very big deal with costro when you slouch forward at a computer chair or watching tv you tend to pull your shoulders forward and more pressure on the sternum, plus that extra strain pulls on those thoracic ribs that connect to the sternum ( So try your hardest to correct yourself or buy a brace online)
3. Voltagren gel is a good anti inflammatory gel and Blue emu gel has worked for me when applied regulary and neither one of them stink. Havent had much luck at all with the menthol gels like icy hot and Biofreeze.
4. Gabapentin and Amytriptiline , Etolac, Naproxen, and Hydrocodone with Tylenol, have not worked one bit for myself
5. Meloxicam and other stronger anti inflam drugs such as celebrex work best in my opinion that way you don’t have to rely on narcotics for pain.
6. Best of all consult a chiropractor and see how bad you are mis aligned all this pain could be from a out of place rib. The pain management specialist can insert corticoid steroids like prednisone or synthetic stronger versions of it into the intercostal region in sternum and usually helps me for weeks at a time and if you choose they can do cortisone in the sternum as well.
As far as anxiety for the SEVERE PAIN the costro causes and the movement of my hiatal hernia when It feels like I cant breathe or the hernia rubs on the pericardial sac and causes heart palps which send you into very extreme and quick panic attacks.
1. What to do.. I usually on the onset of feeling extreme chest pain as bad as I can try and fight it sometimes that demon wins that battle and anxiety is a comin, so I will take clorazapam or lorazapam for a quicker realease along which my pain killers and anti inflams for the pain and in flammation.
2. When you are having a panic attack try and open your chest wide and keep your sternum up, keep those ribs sublexed and doing deep breathing excercises you can google them on you tube. And talk and try and be around someone. There is seriously nothing worse than feeling like you are dying and no one there to help you. Sometimes just talking to some one on the phone like a friend or relative or thumping your self on your other hand, any thing that takes your mind off the situation tends to help me and hopefully can help someone reading this.
Hope this has really helped a few of you, especially the ones that know there is something wrong with your body causing all the extreme pain and anxiety telling yourself it’s a dang heart attack! You just have to try and relax and find a good regimine and learn to live with it. Try and stay warm