Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Tell me about your rib pain please

On and of for years I have had some rib pain but it has allways been in one area, at the front left side. Occaisionally, if I have been hunched over sewing or something for too long, it is on the same side at the back.
Also, once in a while, the front pain is a breath stopping pain which lasts for about 1/2 hour followed by a steady, lesser pain ( as above )
Last Friday I had this really stabbing pain at the front - worse than ever, for a few minutes. This has been followed by a steady pain front AND back which is still here and getting far worse than usual. To bend certain ways or lay certain ways + to breath too deeply, is very painful. This is exhausting.

I don't know if I've explained this very well. My question is - does this sound like anything that some of you suffer from ? On one side only ?

Oh - and I just found out why many of you dread sneezing

Thanks for any input
maggie

mine started on right back, now it is both sides back, sometimes even front.
comes at night 1-3 am and last for a few hours then goes away and i dont know about it during the day. the meds i usually take didnt help only ordinary painkillers so i figured it is something else than usual AS pain.i also went away completelly for a few months and then came back last week.

Hi Maggie, this sounds similar to me. Mine is mostly left rear thoracic where the ribs join up with spine. Like you, it is made worse by doing tasks that involve bending over. For me it is working on motorcycle or doing computer work. Lying flat on ground for 10 minutes helps. I suspect that the inflammation pain gets mixed up with the muscle pain (overusing muscle to lessen pain - then muscle starts spasming and/or aching). I have found in the past that massage and acupuncture helped break the cycle, at least for a while. Mostly i find myself busy with kids work and lifes chores and just let myself go too far before I do anything about it. I lack the disciple for the daily stretches and exercises which I know I should be doing, though I am sure they would also help. Try exercies, laying flat and get some serious sports massage into that area. I can talk all day. Beware. Scott J - Cairns, Australia.

Oh Maggie that sounds awful. Have you contacted your doc to let him know this is going on? He really needs to know.
I have never experience that before. The only rib pain I get is in the back where the ribs meet the spine and I can usually work that out in a couple days with stretching and exercise. Yours sounds like it is much much more than just AS fusing.
Call your doc today.
Cindy

Maggie, my rib pain (costochondritis) has been going on for many many years. It "may" not be the same thing that you have. It hurts from where they meet in the front all the way to the back. They hurt to touch and they hurt without touching. I shed my undies early in the evening just to get it off my ribs. Mine is inflammation in the connective tissue between the ribs. It was one of the first places that I started hurting along with my tailbone area. I just take my pain meds and lay down. Hubby gives me gentle massges. Hubby has the same pains and he has RA. I guess the rib area must be an easy place to get inflammed.

Hope you get some relief.

Blessings.
Possi

Maggie, my rib pain is generally in around the thoracic area of my spine. Thankfully, it rarely moves from there - just stays in the one area. Then, I get both the thoracics and the ribs acting up and taking a deep breath is possible, but not easy. It's like I'm wearing a stainless steel corset.

And I'm so sorry to hear that you've been initiated into the joys of sneezing. Egad, on a bad day it's like knives shooting out my spine.

I hope you're feeling better soon.

Many hugs,

Hi Maggie

My Costo is usually on the left only, about an inch or so under the bust line, and also in the lowest ribs deep in my upper abdo. That pain feels like its coming from inside my stomach. The upper ribs feel very painful; quite a sharp and stingy pain which hurts to breathe and move about. Sometimes you dont even know they hurt until you touch them which is shocking, literally.

If my upper back is inflamed, then naturally the ribs attatched there will be tender, into my shoulder blades, but it feels different to the costo.
My Dr tells me its the connective tissues that are inflamed, and can cause much discomfort, which is also hard to relieve.

Hope things improve for you soon

A

Hi Hana

Hope you and baby are both well.

Like you, I have allways thought this rib area business to be unrelated to AS. Now that it is much worse and I hear others talking about it - I'm not so sure.

I'm finding it just goes on and on and is exhausting. My beloved gardening is hard to do at the best of times but I have continued with as much gusto as possible. This rib pain however is really threatening to suck the joy right out of it. Like you, I have no meds that will touch this.
I know it will likely eventually pass so I'll just have to keep that in mind.
I am heartened to hear that you also have it on one side only. I was beginning to think that I maybe had something new and undiscovered to worry about. AS is more than enough.

Thanks Hana
Look after yourself,
Maggie

Hi Scott

Welcome to KA
My son is named Scott so I'm always rather partial to Scotty's. LOL.
Thankyou for your reply.
Good for you - sounds as if you don't allow all this to slow you down. I like to live that way too, as much as possible. I truly fear deteriorating to any point where that is not possible.
I'm sorry to hear this rib pain is also a problem for you but I'm glad to have your answers for it. Another one side person too. So, I guess I'm not odd at all. I will try laying on the floor when it's at it's worse, although I do find it hard to get a comfortable position when I lay down.
I have recently purchased some lavendar oil, perfect for massaging. While I'm not much of a person for massages, I do think I'll try to get my other half to have a gentle attempt at this for me.
If it continues, I must say, I find the accupunture idea very interesting too - certainly I will entertain that idea.

Thanks so much Scott,
Maggie

Hi Cindy

Thanks for you reply. I actually have been afraid this is more than AS. I really don't know what to think. I did try to talk about this with the last rheumy I went to but he gave a quick look ( as if that was going to tell him much )and looked at me as if I was a whining idiot.
I have built up a good relationship now with my family doctor. She remains convinced that her AS diagnosis is correct BUT she seems to have limited knowledge in this area. If this continues, I will pop in to discuss it with her. I have never mentioned it to her before. I find that my symptoms tend to constantly come and go, somewhat( except for morning stiffness), so by the time a doctor apointment finally arrives, the crisis is over. Very tricky.
This will have to be checked out at some point though. After us all telling you to speak up to you doctor, I'm thinking maybe I'll give her a call today. Never sure anymore though, what I expect the doctor to do for me. Maybe I'll have to go back to some meds just for times like this.

Thankyou Cindy for your reply
I hope your knee surgery goes perfectly.

Maggie