Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Sudden crippling rib pain - doc baffled

Hi everybody. My doctor is baffled, I'm baffled . . . Friday morning (4:37 a.m.) I woke up gasping because of horrible pain in my back and ribs, on the left side. I hadn't been sleeping "wrong," I hadn't been injured . . . The pain persisted (NO way to sleep through it at all) and my Remicade doctor had me go in immediately, he was quite worried, so he ran tests and found that my ribs aren't broken, my kidneys are ok, and it's not pneumonia. My white cell count and my blood pressure are sky-high, but I'm not really running a fever, just 99 degrees. I'm under strict orders to go to the ER if anything worsens and whatnot.
The pain is mostly in my ribs on the left side, which I think is very odd. The doc is so worried about me that he gave me his personal cell number and pager number so I can contact him over the holiday weekend.

So, does this sound familiar to anyone? It hurts to breathe, lying down, bending down and twisting are torture, and so far Percoset and muscle relaxants are my only salvation. Sorry I'm not feeling very cheerful right now . . . =)

Thanks all,
-Bridget

Hi Bridget

Sounds the same as my recent experience. I've had pain on the left side for years. It takes my breath away but passes after a while. However, a few weeks ago, it came on very suddenly and very severely - far worse than ever before. It lasted for maybe a couple of weeks before it was finally done. Others posted about their rib pain coming from the sternum and the spine but I said mine didn't seem to be like that. It was just on one side. However, before it was done, it definatly switched and I had severe pain, originating from the spine and sternum, as others have said. It was really painful, even to lie down in bed was misery.
I also found out what others have meant about the " sneezing " dilema.

I sympatize with you. Rib pain is awful and very scary.

Hope it passes soon

Maggie

Dear Bridget

My guesstimate is that AS is doing its thing in your spine close to where the nerves for your left ribs exit the spinal cord. It would take only the tiniest bit of pressure on the wrong nerves to make your pain sensors 'think' there is something the matter.

One of my relatives with AS, thought on several occasions that he was having a heart attack, from where his chest pain was. It turned out to be false alarms, yet the pain was real and there. I think rest and muscle relaxants settled his pain down, but it was a real worry.

Maybe trying hot or cold packs on your back might settle down the aggravation? Hope you're better soon BN

Hi Bridget

Sorry to hear of your pain. I can sympathise, as I suffer the same thing at times, and always on the left. My post, if I continued would be much the same as Maggies.
I remember I did see a GP about the first time it happened, and he actually prodded me, and made me cry. He told me that the pain, he thought, was from nerve endings in the rib cage being irritated, and said 'people' dont realise how debiliating nerve pain can be. Didnt give me a reason as to why I had it though.

However, I have had the pain in the chest, where the 'heart' is, and once thought I may be having some sort of attack, as I could barely take a breath, let alone move. It was severe, and I had to get checked over by my GP. He just attributed it to my costochondritis, and said the inflammation was behind my chest wall. Didnt mention anything about AS.

Hope you start to feel better soon.

Hey thank you all so much! The pain started fading after about 48 hours, and after another day was just gone, as though it had never happened. I'm so glad to hear that this isn't some wonky bone infection or something! Thank you guys!

Hiya,

I can triggr that stuff in several ways......neck inflammed do normal stretches even turning my neck.....eating too much starch esp white bread and worse pizza...and that irritittates not just the neck but several levels of the spine inc my least favourite thoracis in a similar manner.

Has anyone looked at your rib joints...where they join the spine? I get mine loosened every now and again it can really help with those funnies. Heat massage (gentle) and with muscle spasms I've found that a TENS machine can help.

You sound like you are having a really active flare period, and the weird stuff that happens well....but I do appreciate what it's like and I hope the Dr.s can get it down quickly for you.

Good Luck

David

Hi Bridget - Can relate. My pain comes in on the right side. First happened about a couple of years ago now. Was leaning forward cleaning out critter cages, and, phew. Pain. Stopped me breathing...! Have had it almost coninually since and very apparant in 'stretches', but the stretching does help. The pain was relieved somewhat by a physio therapist, she found trapped nerves, got them untrapped and I have been tons better ever since. Before, lying down, especially when doing my Pilates floor exercises, would be a *very* gentle and 'slow' lie down on the floor, otherwise I was at the ooh-ooh-aaahhhhh point. Horrible. So much better now. Not nearly as painful and can do my stretches and lie down on the floor more comfortably.

For the high BP check out my post in the section headed drugs and hypersensitive people. Have *today posted a raft on the use of AAKG (L-Arginine)and Jiaogulam in bringing down BP. Won't clog up the files by re-posting here, but have brought my own BP down from highes of: systolic 191 and diastolic 114 to a respectable (!) systolic 125-143 and diastolic 74-94. In order to keep the BP on a even keel, need to continue taking the AAKG and 'Jia'. Please note the contraindications that I also posted. Might want to run it past your doctor first (he sounds a good one, best to him). The AAKG is a vasodilator. Interesting research work has been done in Canada (and elsewhere) on use in orthopaedic surgery, in healing and in nerve and tissue healing! Very interesting. But check out my post. The 'Jia' herb supports the AAKG in that healing process.

OK. Hope that is helpful - must go clean out those critters...

Molly c

Keeping on Keeping on (naturally)

Hi Bridget.
Rib pain is one of my most common pains.
What ever you do do not get hiccups, don't sneeze or cough.
I get it mostly on the left side as well, it works it way round from back to front. At least that's what it feels like. I find myself walking around the house on my tip toes, as if that will help the absorb the shock of walking around. It looks really strange, my wife tells me not to walk in front of the window in-case i scare the nab-ours. It looks like I am practising ballroom dancing. Sill if it helps use it and it does.
I also use a combination of head and ice, basically I have not found one thing that works all the time so I try everything. In fact I have had about 2 hours sleep for the past two nights because of it.
I hope yours does not last too long.
BI for now Hugh

In a randomized trial of 771 patients in Pennsylvania, reported in Presse Med 2001 Mar 31; volume 31 pages 610-613, chest pain was seen in 17% of patients receiving infliximab (remicade). In addition there are reports of myocardial infarction (heart attack) in patients treated with remicade. Published in the January February issue of the journal: Cardiology in Review. 2006 volume 14, page 50-52.

Hi Goddess,

I can definitly relate to those pains, and i think those are the worse of all. They stop you dead in your tracks, gasping for air. When the ribpains started for me i didn't know what to think. I never thought that sleeping could cause so much pain. Don't get too scared though, it's the AS way of letting you what new pains you can have.

I am not seeing a doctor right now because they haven't really helped me in the past. The last one just gave me Vioxx in that 10 minute doctors visit. I have found more useful information on this site than any doctor could provide me. Here are people that know that part of you, and they're quite the nice bunch.

I would wish you the best of luck, eventhough not very helpful, i wanted to show you my support, you hang in there.