Hi folks.
I'd be interested to know if anyone has had something like this before. I had a pretty nasty case of flu about 2 weeks ago with high temperatures and all the usual symptoms. After that was about a week of uncontrollable dry-coughing. I could barely sleep as each breath caused me to cough.
I went to the doctorin the end and he gave me some prescription cough medicine, and some tablets with a bit of codeine in them to relax my throat. He said my lungs were fine, no problems with inflation etc, but my throat was very dry. Sure enough, the cough died down after a couple of days. It's got a little worse now, but nowhere near as bad as it was.
However, I am now left with a very sore rib-cage, mostly on my left side. It's worst about 6 inches below my left armpit (if I push there), and just under the bottom of my ribcage, slightly to the side, on the left if I poke it. It's not unbearable, and if I'm sitting still you can't really notice it. When I cough it hurts a little bit, but not crippling pain. There's a slight ache on the right-side too, but the left is way worse.
I am assuming that this is probably just some muscular damage from the excessive cough I've had over the past weeks. I've been taking some ibuprofen to help with any inflammation, so I hope it will go away on it's own in the end. I'm feeling a bit worse today though, cough seems to have come back a bit, and I feel generally tired and lethargic. I am due to fly home for Xmas on Monday, so I just want to make sure that this isn't something that mught jeapordise that.
Thanks for any advice!
Sounds like you need to stick with ibrufren
Was wondering what you found out...I am having similar symptoms but going on pain for 3 months..xray and blood test neg...thought I had broke a rib from coughing. ..feel is muscle but would think it should be healed by now.
My girlfriend and I are having the same symptoms after the flu.
We live the North East US.
I'm interested in what you find out. The pain in the rib cage is strange, can be quite severe and is kind of a cause for concern.
Hello, I have been sick with the flu for five days now. I live in the Northeast US as well. I have had all the usual symptoms of the flu especially a severe dry cough, but sometimes stuff comes up on occasion. This cough is so painful... this morning when I woke my underside of my left side rib cage hurts excruciatingly when I cough... and that is quite often feel like I can't cough enough to clear to make breathing easier. I try to hold my left lower rib cage tightly with my hand to help reduce the pain but even that doesn't really help. This pain really hurts. I try not to cough to avoid having to feel the pain which is not good.
Was wondering did your rib pain go away and how did you and your girlfriend manage the pain? Mine is almost unbearable. Thanks
Hi Orias
You might suffer from costochondritis which is an inflammation of the cartilage around your ribs. This can be triggered by a virus and/or the repeated coughing
If not too advanced, you can ease the pain with anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen. Or Voltarol cream applied a couple of times during the day. Applying iced pack on the area might help too
However, if the pain continues and/or feels like spreading further, you might want to get it checked out by a doctor.
It took 6 months for me to have a diagnosis and it is got too a stage where I need to have corticosteroids injections each month now, hopefully I will be better in a couple of months
Hope it helps
Hello Well this might help if u cough to much and to hard u can
break some ribs I know really I know first hand I've done it and yes it can
take up to six months to settle down bc every time u cough ur bugging
it and every day life moving and other stuff can cause it not to heal right
Hope this helps
Cheers
boom
Hi there,
I have had a virus around Christmas and lost my voice and very bad cough,
I didn't go to the Gp and it re appeared again last month. I went to the Gp and was prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection.. the cough has gone now but am left with pain in the ribs which is there for the last 4 weeks. Especially the left side back to the front rib cage. It is uncomfortable, just taking an odd ibuprofen, before bed. I don't like going to the Gp, and will give it 4 weeks to heal naturally and see. Please keep updating, and hope you feel better soon.
Pammi
Hi there,
Is the rib pain any better as I have had a virus and cough a month or so ago. Rib pain still disturbing, worse on the left side. Thanks for any feedback.
Following!!! You have described my situation perfectly. I typically hardly ever get such and this cold has lasted almost 2 1/2 months. My cough is barely holding on with very lil sneezing but my ribs are sore and god forbid I cough.
Hi everyone and wow...I tested positive for the Flu B on January 28th 2018. It basically went to my chest but good thing I got everything checked out early. I finished a 10 day antibiotic and steroid treatment. My chest improved but Im noticing a mild soreness in the breast bone of my chest. I dont have ribcage pain. I hardly cough and when I do I dont have instant pain. I get this mild soreness in the center of my chest like if I would have pulled a muscle. Its a delayed reaction after I cough. Its Feb. 8th today so I cant expect to be 100% so soon but finding this thread helped me to be at ease. I am monitoring this now and really trying not to be so active. Rest is absolutely needed. This flu has been the most aggressive that I have ever seen. With all the technology and advanced systems and protocols we have...how can something like this just appear and get out of hand suddenly. Makes me think deeper. Ugh!
Had the same symptoms as described after bad flue and a lot of coughing, glad that I found this discussion board and some good answers, thank you to Swifette313 for id this condition and giving some medicine recommendation. I had acute but somewhat bearable pain on the left site in the area of liver and was afraid of golden bladder stones; went to ER, doctor did urine and blood tests, liver and golden bladder ultrasound and lung X-ray, all results were ok, doctor did not know what can be other reasons of the pain, suggested something related to muscles which can't be diagnosed. I was given diluted intravenous morphine (which I felt was unnecessary), it did not really helped with pain but probably decreased it. They found drops of blood in the urine test seen only under microscope though which probably not related to the pain (could be dehydration issue). I'm pretty sure I found good answer here and going to take Advil to release the pain, ER room helped to understand that there is no danger in my situation. Thank you for sharing the info!
I meant the pain on the right side.
I completely agree; been the worst flu I’ve ever had. I got sick 2 weeks ago and coughed my lungs out. The cough didn’t let me sleep and when I went to the ER, they send me back home with no medicine and $100 lighter. I was just asked me to take off the counter cold medicines. I got better slowly but then got this rib pain on my left side and it hurt when I coughed or moved around. Pain killers have helped and it’s getting better but now I have pain on the right side rib muscles. Not sure what’s happening and I don’t think visiting the doctor again would be helpful.
I am so happy to read your experiences as I thought I was going mad. I too had awful flu early January which kept me in bed for almost a week, followed by a dry irritating persistent cough and server pain in my left rib and mild in the right rib cage area, which really hurt when sitting or lying down (no sleep!). After a chest X-ray and two lots of antibiotics which finally cleared the cough but not the rib pain, I was told there was nothing wrong with me. Almost two months later my left rib still hurts (not as bad as before though). At least I know to sit it our and wait for it to pass. Its been awful as I normally exercise and I haven't been able to do anything for 2 months ; - (
Well, whatever all y'all had. I just got over it too - cough, sore throat, and I developed reactive airway disease on top of it, and had to do a run of steroids.... I'm better now, but my ribs are sore as all get-out.
Are there any health care professionals watching these boards, who could tell all of us here what the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks we had????
I’m so glad to read this. Same scenario. Had the worst flu ever. Coughing for 6 weeks. Excruciating pain on right side. Went to my doctor twice and ER once. All tests and x-rays clear, ultrasound clear. Thank God it wasn’t my gallbladder. But, this explosive pain is debilitating. I don’t know what to do. Taking Tyl #3 and steroids but doctor said that there is no clear reason why I’m hurting and it’s probably muscular. Does anyone know how I can get some relief? This pain is getting in the way of my life. Ugh!
I started the flu Valentine’s Day. It am still not well. It’s wreaked havoc on my immune system and my holistic doctor said my body is using all my energy to function. I too have the left side pain under my rib age and it’s an enlarged spleen due to the infection. No doctor could tell me this but it shows up on my holistic doctors scan. This has been horrible and moments I feel likes it going to take me out. I feel great but as soon as I do something as simple as housework it puts me back down.
I am 86 years old and have had the flu with a very bad cough for over a week. I now have a lot of pain in my ribs on the left side in the back every time I cough. I use a wide belt around my body covering the area of the pain. I make it real tight before I would cough. This helped to reduce the pain by 50% by holding the ribs tight.
Hi everyone, I thought I would update all my fellow sufferers as it looks like I could have an explanation for this pain. I saw a consultant at the hospital yesterday as I had a tumour in the past so they needed to make sure it’s not connected. I have been diagnosed with tietze syndrome which can be triggered by a virus which we have all had. The pain I have had for the past 3 months is in one rib which runs from under the breast bone all the way along the rib to the left side of my body and becomes very painful when exercising or when getting out of bed or moving from a seated position. The internet has a lot of information and advice regarding it. The diagnose has given me peace of mind and I hope it can give you some too.