Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group rib cage pain - Is it here to stay?

Hi fellow AS'ers,

I wonder if my rib cage/chest pain will ever ease or go away? My rheumy thinks some of my bouts of pleurisy over the last 7 or 8 years were perhaps misdiagnosed, but were the pain associated with AS instead. During those years it was intermittent. When it would occur it would be painful to breath, sneeze or cough. Then last December it became constant. That is when I sneezed, guaranteed pain. There have been a very few times that it wasn't significantly painful. Now it seems like it has progressively gotten worse, in that in addition to the sneezing pain, when I cough or breath deeper it usually hurts. A half hearted cough is ok, but if I get a dry throat or a real cough it feels like it is ripping something inside. AT times, it also feels like I can't quite catch my breath. On my last rheumy visit he told me how to hold myself for a sneeze, but it has gotten worse since then, even in spite of the remicade. My x-rays do show damage around the painful area according to my doc. Does this pain just not go away? I'm counting 6 constant months of this, with a gradual worsening. Does anyone have this experience with such a long term? Thanks, Wanda

hi wanda..
as a long sufferer of pleurisy bouts, pneumonia and rib pain...i can say from my point that the flares can last quite a long time...from days to weeks on end. my ribs and thoracic went into full throttle flare since the birth of my almost 3 yr old son and hadnt stopped except for my infusions. this past week it came at me with a vengeance. only reminding me off this awful rib pain.

i wish the remicade would help take it away soon. perhaps they might increase your dosage with the remicade? thats what my rheumy mentioned to me. i used to get costochondritis but it was more front rib and sternum pain..now its the wrap around feeling around my ribs where they meet the spine. eegad does it make me want to scream! i think steroids are out of the question when u are on remicade correct? what about pain meds to take the edge off? thats all that has helped me the last week...vicodin. hate the losing sleep due to it but it does help a wee bit.

my family doc has said pleurisy and my rheumy said it was spondy related..then last time it was really pleurisy..and the ER doc said it was basically because of the inflammation the chest has limited expansion...which can cause the pleurisy or move towards pneumonia which i had this past winter...blech!

you are ont alone on this one wanda...sadly i wish none of us ever had this sort of pain...it's maddening.

gentle hugs to you]]]

Hi Buggie,

Thanks for the hugs. I think you started your remicade just before I did, right? I guess I expected it to take care of this, but I might have been expecting too much. Are you saying that yours eases a little right around the time of your infusion?

As far as steroids, they put me on them during the week of my last infusion because of previous reactions. I wonder though about steroid shots? I also take Vicodin. When I told my rheumy about it keeping me awake, he gave me a script for Oxycodone. I haven't taken the Oxycodone yet. I still opt for the Vicodin. All of these meds make me nervous. I go back to the rheumy next month, I will definitely talk to him about it again. This will be my 4th visit to him since I was diagnosed in January. It seems like there is always so much to discuss with him.

Thanks for sharing your info with me. It helps to know I'm not alone with this. Hugs back, Wanda

hi
this is a condition that you get as the spine fusses.I will subside.keep you chin up
redeye

You mentioned shortness of breath, this can be a side effect of limited rib expansion due to the fact that you will be belly breathing more than chest breathing, I find that if I laugh to much i lose my breathing rythymor bent over I forget that I cant breathe until I straighten up. As to the pain my ribs have been locked for more than 6 years, still hurts to cough or sneeze.
Phil

I used to get terrible pain every time I sneezed, but since I started taking Enbrel it hasn't been a problem. In fact, I used to suppress nearly every sneeze, and now I sneeze probably half a dozen times a day--I suspect I'm developing allergies.

Good luck getting some relief.

Yes, mine started ?fusing coming up two years ago. Down the right side, and any stretching is rather painful. Also have chrondroitis, with the sternum sticking out! The pain in the ribs is very evident in all stretching modes so I try to keep stretched with exercises during the day. Fortunately, can sneeze, cough, and deep breath - still have a good chest expansion. But the rib cage pain is a constant, (even as I sit here at the keyboard...) like a dull ache.

Don't help anyone much, but possibly 'any' input on the darn condition is another piece of the jigsaw (how many pieces are there an today my neck has decided to go into play-up mode...!!! )

Molly C

Riding OUT'AS Keeping on Keeping on (you bet man)

Pre-Remicade I had the same pain and it lasted 9 months until I was introduced to Remicade. Now I have very little sternum, rib or scapula pain. To answer your question concerning it going away. I really don't think it will stay as inflammed as it is all of the time. Rather it may ease up a while then return periodically. I hope you find the relief your looking for.

Your Friend, Scotty...

Hi Wanda,

I have had terrible problems with this and the only thing that has ever helped me was steroids. For me the more steroids I took the better it felt, but that is not something I would recommend unless you have your Drs. ok.

Take Care,

Lisa

hi wanda!
i hope that your rib pain has subsided a bit by now...
long ago when i was a teen ..i would get spasms and lumbar pain..i thought that was horrible...then when i was preggers with my soon to be 3 yr old son..thoracic and neck took over painwise..in a way that tests me every single day it's here.

yes..the remicade helped subside it..i'm not sure if it was the remi by itself b/c my rheumy also has me on mobic. but it sure helped the combo of it. i havent had my 3rd infusion yet b/c i was on penicillin for a wisdom tooth and just finished another round of antibiotics..z pack..looks like it nipped it this time! i am calling them in a bit to find out if i can go in this friday for my infusion.

let me know how your next visit goes..and hope the remi helpes ease some of your pain with time...sooner or later...

hugs]]