Chronic Pain

I just stumbled across this website and thought I would pop in to say hello and tell a bit about my situation. I hope to find a lot of help and support here.

I was diagnosed with Costochronditis this past January and have been taking Nortriptyline for it since. I still have pain with it every single day, but some days are more intense and some days are dull aches but always constant. The degree of pain just varies from day to day.

But, for 15 months prior to being diagnosed I was in the severe end of the pain spectrum much more frequently. I used to be afraid to go to sleep some nights. Some nights I wouldn't even go to bed, I'd sit up on the couch watching tv and just fall asleep for my husband to find me the next morning. For a while he would wonder why I wasn't going to bed, we'd get in arguments, then finally I told him some nights the pain was so bad I'd be afraid to go to bed. Of course he can't actually understand but is sympathetic and understanding.

For those 15 months I ate Ibuprophin like it was candy for the pain. I didn't know why it helped but it did to a small degree, it took the edge off. Now I understand because the Costo is an inflamation. Also in those 15 months I went to the ER 3 times thinking I was having a heart attack. Every time I went all the test came back fine, EKG would be fine and they'd look at me like I was crazy and send me home. Eventually I started to feel like I WAS going crazy. The last time I was sent home from the ER I swear I had a nervous breakdown. I called my husband and started balling my eyes out. I wondered why they couldn't find anything and sent me home with nothing.

I finally found a Doctor that told me I had Costochronditis. Unfortunately, due to the huge Ibuprophin consumption over that time, I developed serious reflux issues. I didn't know the damage I was creating. I'm now on medicine for the reflux as well but it's pretty bad and they want to do a Gastroscopy on me, they think I might have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

I was told that it usually takes several weeks to several months to clear up. Here I am coming up on TWO years of dealing with this in October and I still have chronic pain. I have found on other google searches that some people have in fact had this for several years. I don't think I can keep dealing with this so I hope to find comfort soon.

So that's my story, sorry it went on so long.

I'm so happy to have found a place where others can possible understand and relate to what I'm going through. Because no matter how understanding friends and family are, they really have NO idea how painful this can be and what I deal with daily.

~ Michele ~

PS - somehow I posted this as a SharePost somewhere else when I thought I was posting here in the forum. I don't know how to get rid of that. haha

Hi Costocraze,

I have a question for you. I have never heard of costochronditis and was wondering if you could explain it to me. At first I thought it was a joke because the first word I picked up was cost and thought it had to do with your expensive medical bills, I am new to this site so forgive me for not understanding. Thanks much! I hope you have a great day....curlygirl2459

Costco:
don't worry bout posting at different areas, just continue to follow them, different people different areas