Ok so on top of my fibro I also have asthma. My worst place for pain with my fibro is around my chest, like in my rib cage. Sometimes when I breath I cannot take a full breath cause I get sharp, stabbing pains in my ribs, like one is broken and stabbing my lungs. Sometimes its in the front, sometime on the side or towards the back. The only thing I can do is sit and wait for it to pass. Sucks when it happens cause I can't breath properly. I'm not sure if this is a symptom of my fibro or my asthma. My docs don't seam to know what I mean when I told them or just kinda pass it off. Has anyone else had this happen to them? Thanks.
I think it is IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. Try taking a Prilosec and see if it’s better. It can also be pleurisy which is easy to treat but very painful.
Good luck
i have asthma along with the fibro and i know exactly what u r talking about. its very possiable that the pain is asthma related i say that cause there r alot of things that can cause the pain most of which could b from your asthma not being treated properly. while it could b the fibro it sounds more like an asthma problem. u need to b careful cause if u go a long time like days only taking shallow breaths u can cause an infection to start in your lungs. i do see how this might b something like acid relux and taking an acid reducer for a few days might give u the answer on if that is the cause or not. if u can try to see a dr thats specilaty is asthma. a dr who treats asthma might b able to b of great help instead of just seeing your primary dr. i hope that u can get this all figured out soon good luck. hugs
It sounds like pleurisy (inflammation of the lining of the lungs), which I get a lot. That pain is arounf the ribs. If the pain is more near the center, it's could be costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilidge attached to the ribs.) Mention those to your Dr. so he gets an idea of what to hceck for and how to treat it.
i am glad u thought mentioning those i wanted too but couldnt think of the names. i have had both of those so i know about them but tring to remember the name to things seems to b hard. sorry to hear u get pleurisy a lot that is very painful.
Hi Rebecca,
It is also related to Psoriatic Arthritis. You do not always have to have psoriasis to have that type of arthritis. Sometimes there are pitted fingernails, sometimes not. It can get to the point where the ribs actually fuse. A blood test to check your HLA-B27 should tell you more. This is the genetic marker for PsA. Hope you don't have it but is worth mentioning to your doctor.
Feel better,
SK
A doctor some years ago told me it was costochondritis. He said it was common with fibromayalgia. google fibromyalgia and costochondritis
I was diagnosed with costocondrotis before but that doesn’t last. I went to my doc today and told him about it and he told me it defiantly was not my asthma and he thinks it is part of my fibro. He gave me some other meds to try and if they don’t help then I will pro ably have to go for another chest X-ray. I just had one last year and they never seam to show anything. Hopefully they help and I don’t have to start going through tests that never show anything
Wishing you best of luck with new medications. I know what u mean about having multiple tests that don’t give a diagnosis and it’s so frustrating. In my previous post I mentioned IBS and I meant to say acid reflux. I must have been tired when I wrote that post. Anyway, keep us posted and I’m really hoping the medication provides you some relief.
X
Sunflower
That's good that your Dr. had some idea. Yes it can also be fibro. I hope the meds work.
what meds t they having u try if i may ask? i hope whatever they r they help. i guess i am wondering what meds the dr thinks will help if he seems convinced its not your asthma. if u dont get better in the next few days i would seek a second opinion from and asthma dr.
Agree on getting a second opinion if it doesn’t get better. Take care of yourself!!
Also, ask for a pulmonary function test-
He put me on an anti-inflamitory, its called nabutone or close to that. He said its like alieve but better and last longer. I have vicoden but can't always take it cause sometimes it makes me sick and I have my 2 little ones to take care of. I have been tested for acid reflux and they found nothing but I do occasionally take meds for it. My old inhaler used to give me reflux and then in turn would make my asthma bad. I have an asthma doc and he has never seamed to think that the pain is related to asthma either, cause asthma is an overall tightening and these are localized satbbing pains. I had 2 pulmonary function test when my asthma got really bad. Both of course were fine. If the pain doesn't go back to normal or the stabbing pain doesn't go away I am supossed to call him back and we will go from there. I told him about this site and he was glad to hear about it and was going to tell another paitent that has been struggling with pain for a year, I think he can't get the meds he needs do to insurance. Thanks everyone and I will try to keep you all posted.
Hi Rebecca,
Sometimes if they cannot see anything on xrays they use cat scans. I had those and they were able to see 3 different things that could not be seen by xrays. Ask your doctor what he thinks
Thanks I may do that
Hi Rebecca,
Ask the Doc to try Phenergan, I take it before (30-60 minutes) taking narcotics to keep me from throwing them up. It may make you a little sleepy, but better than the nausea. See what Doc thinks. If you have ever been given a shot of Demerol, it is in with it, to prevent the nausea, not sure why it's not in with all of it. I also have to eat a cracker when I take the pain pill.
I also have some very sore spots on my ribs, sore to the touch, never did figure out what they are, always the same place, sometimes I wonder if they are from my bra, being as sensitive as I am sometimes anything is possible!
Let me know if they decide what has caused yours, please.
Good luck to you, hope you feel better very soon!
SK
You might want to try genie bras. They are wonderful and have no wires. The rib pain was the first sign of my fibro it just hasn’t always been the shooting and stabbing pain though.
Thanks for the tip, had never talked to anyone who actually wore them, will give them a try!
Do you go to a Rheumatologist or just a GP?
Just a GP. He is new for my fibro though. I always saw his partner but she had to leave the practice. He seems to know about fibro and has other fibro paitents so I will stick with him for the time being.
Hey, good Doctors are hard to come by, if you like him, stick with him for sure, if he feels like you need to add a specialist, he will surely tell you! I would be lost without my GP!