Tietze's Syndrome for 7 years, what can I do?

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I've had tietze's syndrome now for 7 years, it effects one of my lower ribs rather than the upper which is the norm for tietze's. Over the years I have tried steroid injection, lidocaine patches, captsan patches, numerous medications and have had 3 operations to remove cartilage that has fallen off. Does anyone have any advice on what else to try? Does anyone else have this syndrome effecting the lower ribs? Has anyone else needed operations to remove cartilage thats floating around? My GP isn't particuarly helpful as noone at the surgery have a clue what tietze's syndrome is or expect it to get better by itself within a few weeks of diagnosis.

Thanks for reading, hope someone can help!

Gemma

2

Hi

im about to have a breast scan to follow  chest X-rays, blood tests and an ECG, none of which have shown anything. The trouble is the pain keeps moving around. The most constant is at the top of my left breast and my left shoulder blade but other than that it can be anywhere in my top torso. 

I had a haemotoma where the constant pain is in my top breast , after a really bad fall but that was m18 months ago ago now and this all started about 10 months ago,

I have a feeling I will just have to put up,with it! 

3

Hi Gemma I'm called mark I've got tietze syndrome and I have had it for three years. I had the steroid injection but my body reacted to it really badly. Im on alot of morphine for the pain. Im under the pain clinic now at my local hospital. I've got an operation next month so they can give me an injection under an x-ray. They gave me a choice of four injections three of them go into the spine and the other one goes either side of the spine that's the one I'm having. But mine is in my chest as well as my back the pain is that back I've been out of work since I've had tietze syndrome. The pain is that bad I find it so had to describe the pain. My pain feels like my chest is getting ripped out of my body and the same with my back. How does your pain feel!!

4

Hi Mark, my pain is just in my lower left ribs, it can be sharp stabbing pains which are excruciating or a heavy ache sort of pain. It often feels like someone is continuously kicking me in the ribs and nothing seems to make it better. Please let me know how you get on with the injections, I hope they work for you so you can get back to normal.

Gemma

5

You shouldn't have to out up with the pain, although I often feel like there isn't any other options. It's strange that your pain keeps moving around, is there anything you've found a that makes it better?

6

No, not at all. I've tried all sorts of things and gone mad trying to work out if anything I am doing, eating, wearing, makes any difference. It just pleases itself. I'm hoping the breast specialist I'm seeing later this week might have some ideas. My GP thinks it might be nerve damage from the fall which would explain how it jumps around I guess. 

Referred pain is like that apparently. 

I do hope you get some re.ief soon too. Xx

7

I hope they have some answers for you. My Drs can't decide whether it's neuropathic pain or tietzes syndrome pain that's causing me issues, each Dr I see says something different!