Thanks Barb...I will look into that site to see what info I can glean. Besides the fibro, I also have bad scoliosis, osteoarthritis and have been trying to cope with the results of a botched back surgery several years ago. I have PTSD so anxiety is not new to me but the fibro flares makes it much worse.
I am on Elavil (helps me sleep a bit better) and OTC. My Dr. also prescribed medical mj for me which helps a lot with the pain...but I only 'use' it when the pains of fibro is getting to be too much for me to cope with.
I know that medical mj is controversial for some people but I'm most grateful that my Dr. finally found a med I could tolerate - albeit not the usual Rx.
I too get chest pain but has been dx as oesophageal spasm which mimics heart attack with pain radiating from chest to shoulder and down left arm. Needless to say every time I get this pain I have been advised must call 999 as unable to confirm not heart attack until ECG and blood test rule this out. I do know about costochondriasis and my advice would be if pain gets worse at any time you should attend ER as safety first. Hope you feel better soon.
I HAVE IT EVERYDAY ESPECIALLY IF I WORK I DO SYRETCHING EXERCISES SIT DOWN AND REST IF IM AT EORK STOP TO GET A DRINK OR JUST SIT OR STAND FOR A FEW MINUTES IF ITS BAD AFTER I WORK AT NIGHT ILL TAKE AMBIEN 2 HOURS LATER IM ASLEEP NO PAIN IF IN DOUBT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION
Have had exact pain, costochondritis as noted by others, intermittently for twenty years of fibro(never been on meds, tho). Pain is in center breastbone, also deep pain in front or side ribs, comes and goes like most fibro stuff (:-/. I stopped worrying about it once I figured it out.
Just part of the package, I’m afraid. The two nasty specific add ons to fibro I have are really loud tinnitus, only of two years duration but like being in back of runway near a jet 24/7 and arthritis in various places that I suspect is familial rather than a consequence of fibro, which has enuf really nasty symptoms.
Hi Cape - I also have arthritis as well. I feel for you with the Tinnitus. I had had it since I was first diagnosed with Fibro 30 years ago. One of the worse attacks of it I ever had was about 3 months ago. It lasted a month - a very bad flare-up in my right ear. I don't know HOW I made it through - but I did. I pretty much have very mild Tinnitus every day - but it doesn't bother me as much as the flare-ups do. I hear a HUGE roaring sound and also, when people are speaking to me - their voices are distorted - same as when I am on the phone as well. Awful! Laurie
Yes, I have had this! On and off for the last 10 years, although I was only recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. When it first happened I went to a GI specialist who put me on Prevacid. I had a full heart work- up and my heart was fine. Then it happened again, and still does, as infrequently as every year or 2. The pain is intense and scary and lasts for 4-5 days. I should have gone to ER a long time ago to get an x-ray, because by the time I can get in to see someone the pain is gone.
Some of the triggers have been strange things like: 5 minutes after getting a flu shot; doing push-ups; pregnancy.
I am interested to know how long your pain lasts. The only thing I have done is to take something for the pain until it has gone away.
So I guess I have chest wall spasms, and I have muscle spasms in other areas that can cause a lot of pain. Like my jaw for instance.
My costochondritis has never lasted more than few days. I’ve never founds acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help any fibro pain, like the research also found.
For me, spasms are the worst and scariest part of fibro, a symptom that really affects my behavior, like causing me to pull off of a freeway when my left foot spasms on the clutch pedal or when my calves or thighs suddenly cramp in public places…true agony, lasts for me for about 10 minutes. unlike regular cramps that you can undo by stretching in opposite direction. if I do that with fibro, it merely starts another cramp in an adjacent muscle group, a diabolical disorder. It is the only symptom that would eventually cause me to take meds and IDK if folks here have got spasm relief from the meds.
I’ve read quite afew of the replies you have been sent so far, I suffer from (chest) pain which gets severe during a flare of my fibro - which is quite often.
Personally I have always felt that its the intercostal muscles in between each rib that are affected in just the same way as every other muscle in my body.
My chest aches and I feel as if breathing is painful.
That’s my experience anyway. I hope you get sorted
Bev
I have to use a cane now because of that. I was falling everywhere. My neurologist prescribed the cane when he saw the bruises. These spasms just come out of nowhere
My sister had that problem (rescue was called a few times at her workplace) before she was diagnosed with Fibro...interesting, never thought of that in relation to Fibro.
Hi, I have been diagnosed with costochondritis which is very painful. My PCP diagnosed it but it was hurting so bad and wouldn’t go away so I went to the ER and they said same thing. I have had it several times since last year and it hurts enough to make me cry.
I had anxiety attacks in the past and the pain is completely different to me. The anxiety feels like a tightness but the costochondritis feels like something is punching from the inside and outside at the same time with the tightness but its in your chest, ribs,front and back. I hope I never have it again and hope no one else does either. It is scary and painful. I was given hydrocodone, muscle relaxants and steroids for the first episode and it did not touch the pain.
Now it seems like I am so used to pain I just suffer through it with heating pad or ice. I don’t know that anything really helps but you know I think it helps to just do something.
Wishing you well… Darlene
This may or may not help. It seemed silly at the time but...
Six years ago my inflammation was my ribs and inside my chest wall, and the Doc just told me to take Ibuprofen and it could take up to a year to get better. And it did. The big problem for me the inflammation was placing extra pressure on my heart.