INPUT PLEASE-CAN ANYONE HELP-RIGHT RIB PAIN

• By micheleb
• Posted October 10, 2008 at 11:45 am

That sounds really painful. Do the doctors give you any sort of explanation? Have you tried going to see a physical therapist or maybe a massage therapist or chiropractor might be able to help. I have had costochondritis but that pain really wasn't down by my ribs at all.

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• By BevB
• Posted October 10, 2008 at 12:50 pm

Hi Lori,
I too have experienced pain in upper right ribs. I was diagnosed with Costochondritis. I take 500 mg of Naproxin twice a day. You might want to ask your doc about it or some other anti inflamatory. The anti inflamatory won't just mask the pain like a pain killer. It has made all the difference to me. Take care, BevB

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• By lpavey
• Posted October 10, 2008 at 5:56 pm

Thanks guys. It so helps to have any input. They said it was probably fibromyalgia or they said a year ago probably costochondritis but it is in the lower part of my right ribs. It feels like something pushing up against my ribs. I have researched like crazy and cannot find anything. I used to take anti-inflammatory's but developed a terrible GI bleed so I stopped and am afraid to try again. I see my doc again on the 23rd and I am gonna talk to him again about this. This is daily and most of the time worse than my joint pain, which is terrible. Hope you are all having a good painless day. Thanks so much. Lori

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• By Cloudnine
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 1:37 am

If it is FM pain can you ask for a Lidoderm patch for that area? If so, put paper medical tape so it stays in place. They aren't sticky enough without it in such an area. There is also a Flector patch. It is an anti-inflammatory patch that goes into the skin and by-passes the GI. Your doctor would have to prescribe these. They both work for FM pain or I have found them to work.

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• By lpavey
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 8:15 am

I do have Lidoderm patches. They really don't help either. I will ask about the Flector patch. I will try anything. Thanks for the input. Lori

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• By ReenG
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 9:23 am

Heya Lori!
Sorry to hear about your pain...when you say right-side rib pain, is it toward your front, towards your spine, or somewhere in between, like in a line under your armpit towards your hip? Does it seem to get better or worse when you breathe in or out? Does laying any particular way make it better or worse? Sitting? Does it get worse with activity? I know that seems like a lot of questions - I'm sure your doctor will ask them as well.
If you can pinpoint the area, or give it a border, perhaps the cause will be easier to find. I had an achy sub-sternal pain for a while, and it turns out it was a hiatal hernia of all things, something I'd not considered.

I'm a huge champion of proactivity in health care. Ask questions, seek answers, don't give up!

Keeping you all in my prayers!

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• By hadenuf
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 10:27 am

Lpavey:
My rib pain was on the left side, nut just as you described your right-sided pain... I never got a clear diagnosis. (I suspected spleen, but no MD or test ever confirmed this). I am currently taking Plaquenil and librax. While on this combination of meds, the rib pain subsided.

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• By alifay
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 10:30 am

I'm another one to ask question. Have you had your gall bladder checked, or your colon checked?
For several years I went through pain in my side under my rib cage. I went to several drs. Then I was diagnosed with IBS, and gave meds for colon spasm. iI stopped having the pain.
Good luck,
Alice

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• By lpavey
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 6:46 pm

I have had my colon checked as about a year ago I had a really nasty GI bleed from all the meds. I believe I have had my gallbladder checked. I have had several CAT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Mayo clinic did nerve study testing and nothing. I had a bone scan. I really don't know what else they can do. The pain is in my lower right ribs. I told my pulmonologist at University of Michigan a year ago that it feels like there is a 40 pound tumor in there pushing on my ribs. Now if I touch the back of my ribs that really hurts also. I have been on so many meds including Prednisone, Imuran, Plaquenil, Methotrexate, CellCept, chemotherapy with Cytoxan IVs, Remicade infusions, pain pills, pain patches, probably others that I cannot remember right now. Nothing makes it feel better or worse. I just keep researching hoping for an answer. You guys are a lifesaver with your input. Thanks so much. Lori

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• By JR
• Posted October 11, 2008 at 8:48 pm

Not sure if this is of any help, but I too have had severe right side rib pain, to point of falling down it hurts so much, like a charlie horse in the ribs. I have had it off and on for ten years. Doctors are not sure what causes it, one said probably Pleurisy from the "lung biopsy" , maybe hit a nerve. I take 3 tablets of Tramadol 50mg. every 6 hours seems to keep it under control. But I do know how it hurts and takes all of your energy to control the hurt, so sorry .

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• By DEBORBEE
• Posted October 13, 2008 at 1:30 am

There is a good chance that your liver is swollen.
Fibrosis of liver from excess vitamin D is
a clear suspect...feels like a football stuck under the ribcage..right side worse thsn left.

Constipation is a clear signal that you are getting too much Vitamin D in your system. Vit D can cause sever damage to the liver for many sarcoids. It causes it to get fibrosis which some gastro doctor will try to convince you is cirrhosis! Find a good nutrition/food evaluation website and evaluate your diet intake of vitamin D,.

The most natural treatment for the constipation is to get some milk thistle(buy the liquid variety WITHOUT alcohol base suzanne.com health foods). The milk thistle also helps to heal the liver.
Your must avoid most dairy which has vitamin D added.

This first signal is a tight swelling beneath the ribs...miserable...mine has not improved in ten years and recently got worse when I took two 50,000 unit Vitamin D not knowing the effect it would have. I was totally constipated for 6 months. MIRALAX will work but is unnaturally expensive.

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• By BettyA
• Posted October 13, 2008 at 10:01 am

Deboree you suggested the same thing I was thinking - Liver sarcoidosis. I have the same thing and sometimes it feels like something is moving but it is sometimes very painful. Fortunately there is no cirrhosis, but the docs at one point (without a liver biopsy) tried to say it was. lpavey, just keep checking and praying you will make it through this espisode too.

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• By Lisalee
• Posted October 13, 2008 at 10:59 am

I suffer quite frequently with rib pains on both sides of my chest. The lower lobes of my lungs seems to be the most painful with inflammation and permanent scarring. I take percocet four times daily. When my symptoms are at their worst, that medication seems like a joke compared to the pain. Make sure that your doctor gets you an x-ray just to make sure the disease isn't further progressing. I will pray that you get relief soon. Are you going through a flare right now? That seems to be when that pain for me is more pronounced. I hope that you get better soon.

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• By lpavey
• Posted October 13, 2008 at 6:40 pm

That is exactly what it feels like, something swollen under my ribs. I joke about it being a 40 pound tumor, which is not funny, but thats what it feels like. I wonder why they can't find anything in all of the testing. They did find a cyst on my liver in April at Mayo Clinic but it was small and nothing to worry about and I have had this pain for 1 1/2 years. I take Lortab three times a day and it does not help and also pain patches. Just miserable. How do they check for liver sarcoidosis-a biopsy? I know I have sarcoidosis in my lungs, spine, brain, and spleen. Thanks so much everyone. Lots of love. Lori

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• By Armand
• Posted October 13, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Don't know if this will help. Was in the hospital for pulse of 150, being overly aggresive ,etc etc.End result had an open lung biopsy complained of chest pains from day one meds were not eliminating the pain. The doc gave me a number of shots calling it a pain block. still not feeling the pain been 5 days since left hospital. I will try and let you know in a few weeks if it is still working. Aggression was caused by 2 drugs changing the resultss - damned near killed me or someone else.
Good luck

If this doesnt work am going to look at the patches also

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• By lpavey
• Posted October 14, 2008 at 7:34 am

HI Armand, Hope you are doing better. Yes, let me know how it works for you. Thanks so much. Lori

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• By janepauline
• Posted October 19, 2008 at 7:36 am

I also have rib pain but cannot give any advice as to what to do about it, or what causes it. Janepauline

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• By cheermom1
• Posted November 12, 2008 at 11:32 am

I also am suffering with right pain under my ribs, several months ago I went to the doctor for this and they took out my gallbadder. It feel exactly like something huge stuck under my ribs and can go between painful and just irritating (had to sit still because it is so annoying). I really feel like it is my liver. I do have sarc only it seems on the right side and not in my lungs(mass by my aorta and junk in my chest). As far a vit D goes, I am one of those that has zero vit D in my body and cannot keep it. I am going soon for a checkup and repeat CT do hopefully the can figure out the pain under the ribs.

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• By minheard
• Posted November 12, 2008 at 1:21 pm

I DON'T KNOW BUT SOMETIMES MY LIVER SWELLS AND IT CAUSES MY RIBS TO HURT FOR A DAY OR TWO. AND SOMETIMES IT IS SWELLING OF THE SPLEEN.

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• By lpavey
• Posted November 12, 2008 at 6:16 pm

Well, last week they injected my ribs on the right in the front and back with steroids and it did not help. I saw the surgeon today and he thinks it may be pinched nerves. I will have a bone scan tomorrow and then a MRI of the spine and if all okay I need to see a neurologist anesthetist and he will do a block in my spine for those nerves to my ribs. Any input anyone? Thanks. Lori

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