Sitting in my recliner with the heat pad on my upper back again - this is getting so boring, not to mention painful. Seems like I have had sore ribs and back for all but about three weeks of at least the last three months, and I am totally fed up. I'm back on the "starting the day with codeine for breakfast" routine, and then several times more in the day, and if I leave it a bit long before I take the next lot, then it almost gets beyond relief for the rest of the day. Probably at least 6 hours of the day is spent with the heat pad on my upper back. I've had to come home from work at lunchtime some days to put the heat pad on again for an hour. I can't even sing in church because even tummy breathing stretches my ribs too much. Also wish I was male, so I could deal with heat or ice on the front ribs too, but rather difficult when a reasonably well-endowed female.

Its also three months (almost exactly) till I can get to see a rheumatologist again, and GP has totally given up on me - even basically telling me to give up work, and not being at all understanding when I told her that I can work fine and don't get anywhere near as bad as this if I am getting effective antiinflammatory treatment.

Sorry, rant over. Time for more codeine and heat pad back on "2".

Strewth - It's an absolute run around up there gal. Three months to seeing rheumy and then, won't know if he is going to take all this on board and 'do' summat for you this time round... Unenviable medical position to be in.

Hope heat trips in soon -

Yeah, bummer, but can't do owt but wait.

Just out of interest - where do folk get pain with costo? Do you just get it at the junction of ribs to breastbone or spine, or do you get pain between all the ribs, and further around the ribcage?

I'm getting it worst at the breastbone and spine, but definitely quite bad in other areas, particularly the lower floating ribs, and the lower ribs at my side. Also fairly bad in the front top ribs (along towards shoulders).

If it keeps on like this or gets any worse, I'm tempted to call into ED next time I am in town for work - at least I might get some better pain relief and the problem recorded accurately in my file (GP just sees it as "chronic pain" so not particularly important.

Go into ED - yr GP needs circumnavigating...

I get pain in sternum, then on right side, down to floating rib and just around into thoracic area (been bugging me past two days). When had attack, couldn't breath properly, walking was agony as the movement aggravated the pain. Then whole chest was in pain, including to collar bones. Have given up Qi-Gong(sp?) as think that is what aggravated to a vile flare.

I took anti-inflams and pain killers. Then ended up in hospital as they thought it was a heart attack. Such fun, AS

I hate Costo! The only thing that gets me out of a costo flare is a Medrol pack (A prednisone taper here). I get it everywhere but only on the left side. Sometimes it is in the front, sometimes the sternum and now the fusion is felt in the back.

I can relate to the pain pill breakfast and the heating pad. Thats daily for me for even just for my back. I feel for you. Hope you can get some relief soon.

Hi

I had costo pain only at night for about 15 years. Once I got moving in the day it much improoved. I can now say at 50 it has stopped being flared in my ribs and I can still breathe, but my chest expansion isn't good so my rheumy tells me. I can't take narcotics, so I would sleep in a laxyboy recliner with lots of pillows around my ribcage. Mine was always the entire ribcage and sternum.

Janet

Just wondering why you are using heat? In my experience ice packs on my SI's work wonders (seriously). I thought inflammation is heat, so by throwing ice on it it makes the inflammation go away? I was under the impression heat helps relax muscles, and ice combats inflammation...

i do find that although heat is "soothing" (for the muscle spasms), ice is much more effective for me. when things are really flared, the heat even makes it feel worse for me, but that's me.

my ribs got to the point that i almost lost my career due to the ribs (didn't know at the time that was what it was). for me the worst of it was in the rhomboid area where the ribs were where they didn't belong. the following year when it flared the same way, my chiro helped it. since then, only the chiro gently pressing when they subluxate or where things are rotated on the spine.

one time i was at a dinner party, turned for a period of time to talk to someone, and i had pain in my mid thoracic and in those lower floating ribs, something awful. a few days later when i saw the chiro, he fixed where the bones were stuck in rotation and just like that, not only did the spine feel better, but those lower floating ribs in the front were better too.

when its the higher ribs, it will hurt along the spine, in the rhomboid area, and at the sternum up high. again, the chiro is the only thing that helps me with it these days. ice on the sternum helped there.

rolling on a foam roller helps me.

laying on a foam roller face up can help me.

ultrasound is temporarily helpful to me.

KIP (ketoprofen, ibuprofen, piroxicam) cream helps at the spine since i can't ultrasound there.

walking and swinging my arms can help "unstick" things.

but ultimately a steroid 6 day pack makes all the rest unnecessary.

Oh, I'm so sorry cemc! Those pains are awful, and there just isnt any motion that gives relief either.

Mine has followed the breastbone on both sides, about 3-5 cm to each side, all the way down mostly. And it would follow a few of the ribs out to the sides. Nothing at the back so far.

Do you get small muscle cramps around there too? -Almost like electricity at low level.

Love
gilth

Sorry you going through this Cemc, I stand in the shower in the morning and point the hot water at my chest becaude lately I have sternum pain. I was wondering about the ice thing too like Lauren said. I was thinking ice may help with some inflammation during the day.

I hope you feel better soon and have productive appt with your new rheumy.
take care!