Anyone Have This?

[Guest Viola]

I've recently been diagnosed with Tietze's syndrome ... Tietze's Disease. We are trying to find out if it is fairly common amoung Celiac's.

Tietze's syndrome is an advanced form of Costocontritis. The difference between Tietze's syndrome and Costocontritis is .. with Costoncontritis there is only pain in the rib cage near the Costo (breast bone) region. It's an inflamation of the cartiledge.

In Tietze's syndrome you have inflamation of the cartiledge, but there is also swelling of the ligaments inbetween the ribs. It can be seen and is very tender when touched.

[bluelotus]

Can you describe this pain some more? I have never heard of either condition, but, recently, I noticed once in a while it hurts to take deep breaths. The pain will last for a few days and go away. I had a doctor listen to my chest and heart and they found nothing wrong and suggested just that - an inflammation in my chest wall (not sure what they were implying - muscle or cartilege). When I told them that I work out regularly, they brushed it off as an injury - though I think I would have noticed doing something that would result in that pain. I have been working out for years and never noticed this problem. Is this something like what you have? Wow, if I have yet another thing wrong with me, I'll be like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons (he had so many diseases/health problems, they all canceled each other out and he's living to a ripe old age!).

[Guest Viola]

In most people Costocontritis is started with a sports injury ... or sports like injury where you hyper-extend your upper body. Mine started a few years back when I caught myself on a tree branch while slipping down a cliff. It's simmiliar to a rib separation. "pulling the ribs away from the breast bone ... or stretching the cartiledge and ligaments." In most people it goes away with rest and hot, or cold compresses. It could also be caused by dogs pulling their owners around .. a horse bolting while your leading it or perhaps slipping while you are lifting weights.

In rare cases it becomes cronic and Tietze's syndrome crops up when the ligaments swell and push between the ribs. It's believed that this happens when the person having cronic Costocontritis doesn't let it 'rest' enough. Mostly in more hyper-active, small framed people. It's a toss up as to whether more men than women have Tietze's syndrome, or more women than men have it. That seems to depend on which medical article you read. I suspect it's about even.

[Guest nini]

I suspect this is probably what is going on with me too... but I brushed it off as an injury sustained at work while lifting a heavy patient. But it's been going on for over 2 years now. I've had the heart monitors and all that jazz and it appears to be muscular...

It's very annoying anyway you look at it.

[skbird]

Wow, if I have yet another thing wrong with me, I'll be like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons (he had so many diseases/health problems, they all canceled each other out and he's living to a ripe old age!).

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That totally made me laugh! I'm with you on this one... Ehhxxxcellent.....

I have wondered about this condition, too, because I get chest pains. I have what I was beginning to think were pleurisy pains, mainly on the left side. But the rheumatologist didn't think much of them. I also have a pain on my lower left side between two ribs that started after I had a bad cold. Every so often it goes out of whack now and the pain can be crippling. Really uncomfortable. I have had massage and chiropractic work done but they haven't helped. Posture is important and when I am doing more crunches, etc, I seem to do better with it.

Anyway, thanks for the laugh!

Stephanie

[julie5914]

I get pain on the left when breathing in sometimes too, bottom of the rib cage. I haven't had any pain relating to the breast bone though. I have had injuries that refuse to heal, likely because of the malabsorption. Probably on my body's "to do" list once all the little villi are happy.

Haha, "To do:"

1. Have digestive system act normal, whatever that is.

2. Fix constantly hurting leg.

3. Stop hurting in abdomen.

4. Make hair shiny and pretty again.

5. Put color back in skin.

6. Have energy to go shopping (v. important).

7. Get rid of excess weight I stored in outfreakage of malabsorption while training for marathon.

8. Maintain body temp. and not fluctuate like reptile.

9. Sleep through night without waking up between 2-4 or having massive headache.

[FaithInScienceToo]

I am SO glad that I decided to read this post - to find out what 'this' referred to in your subject line...

Two months ago now I woke in the morning with bad pain on one side only in my rib cage - upper left - my family physician said it was most probably either a broken rib (not displaced, as he felt around) or the beginning of a first episode of Shingle's - so he put me on Valtrex (in case it was the prodrome of Shingle's) and ibuprofen (in case it was a broken rib or 'just' an inflamed rib cage)...and he said come back if it doesn't go away...

4 weeks later, I was better...it went away slowly...2 weeks of bad pain...

At first, it hurt to turn to one side, or pick up heavy things...took 2-3 weeks for that part of it to go away.

Also, I had been moving boxes the days before the pain arrived...

Mine was also tender to the touch.

Not sure if I may or may not have one of those 2 'labeled' disorders you described, but it's interesting to read that another Celiac had similar symptoms and that your doc said to ask us if we've had them....

So, I've answered best I could - hope it helps him/her advance Celiac knowledge in some way -

Thanks for sharing -

Gina

[Guest Viola]

Thanks everyone for checking into this subject. Dealing with this has been pretty much trial and error as not enough is known about it.

Right now I'm on an anti-inflamatory (Mobicox) to get rid of the inflamation and a muscle relaxant called cyclobenzarine. That is to help relax the ligaments and the muscles around the rib cage. I take 1/2 a cyclobenzarine in the morn. and 1/2 at bed time and it does seem to be helping quite a bit. So hopefully it will help both myself and others who are suffering from this problem.

My doctor is very interested in continuing to learn, both about this problem and anything else connected to Celiac. He's very open minded and I'm very fortunate to have him

[zakismom]

I have what was diagnosed as a herniated muscle just under my lowest left rib. Don't know if its related but it makes it hard to to sit ups . If it gets moved the wrong way it will hurt for a week.

[happygirl]

I have been reading this and it sounds exactly like my symptoms...I've had it on and off for over a year and a half and lately it's been getting worse. At one point I was on Prednisone (it started after I had a bad case of mono...the infectious disease dr. said my rib cartilage was inflammed) but that was the least of my symptoms at the time (undiagnosed Celiac). Now its bothering me a lot, lately. Would you go to a General Practioner for this, or who would you recommend?

[julie5914]

I would actually recommend a DO or MD (but preferably DO) who practices functional medicine for all people with Celiac. They look at the whole picture and what all your Celiac is causing. I had never heard of functional medicine or DOs until lately, but the DO I just saw was right on the nose with everything. You can find doctors at www.functionalmedicine.com. It sounded homeopathic to me at first, and I am not really into that - but I really don't think that is the case - it is just another approach to medicine from people who went to same medical schools as the allopathic MDs.

[mommida]

I have never been diagnosed with that, but I have had the chest pain since 1997. The doctors just kept saying I had a viral infection. Now I have a rib that just sticks out. If it gets too far out of place I go to a chiropractor, because I have difficluty breathing.

L.

[Guest Viola]

My doctor is a GP and Surgeon. He's the one that diagnosed me. I would suggest that you go to your family doctor if you have one, armed with some information on Costocontritis. There is lots on the web, although some say that Costocontritis and Teitze's syndrome is the same thing, as there is only the one difference and that is the swelling with Teitze's syndrome.

[happygirl]

Thanks ladies. Our new insurance kicks in Oct 1st so hopefully I will have some luck.....Do you have any advice on pain-management? Advil etc doesn't seem to make a difference...

[Guest Viola]

The only thing that I have found that works is the combination of anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxant (low dose twice a day), both are perscriptions from the doctor. That's after experimenting with various things for sever years.

[tiredofdoctors]

Hi Shirley -- I have inflammation of the Costal Cartilages in my first three ribs on both sides. It hasn't been diagnosed as Tietze's disease, though. I have just been told that I have ligamentous laxity, and that it allows the ribs to move too far through range of motion, which causes the cartilage to inflame. I have a friend who's really knowledgeable about disease processes, so I'll ask her and get back to you.

I agree about going to the DO -- I'm a physical therapist who was trained in the osteopathic model -- and I think that's a good idea. If you have a physical therapist in your area that is a manual therapist, they may be able to help you, as well. They can teach you what to do when the ribs are "out of place" (usually due to a rotation in the thoracic vertebrae). There are exercises that you can do to expand your rib cage and strengthen the intercostal muscles, but also to help pull your ribs downward -- especially if you have had kids and carried them high -- your ribs get scrunched upward and the muscles in between them get shortened. Then, between breast-feeding and bending down to talk to them, pick them up, etc, you keep them shortened -- is it any wonder that women end up bent over much more than men??????

Good luck with your treatment -- keep me "posted"

[EvilGut]

Hmm, I don't know about costochondritis and Celiac Disease specifically, but I know costochondritis is common in other autoimmune diseases such as lupus.

Sharp pains in the lower ribcage can be bowel pain--gas or otherwise. I get left sided pain in this area and have for years. It's definitely my evil gut at work because it's accompanied by other intestinal symptoms--I'll spare you the gory details. :-)

[Guest Viola]

We don't have a physical therapist in the area anymore. Unfortunately the one we had developed breast cancer and could no longer work. We really miss her. However several years ago when this first started she did show me pressure points to help loosen the muscle and relieve some of the pain. I still use that method and it does help.

I have been having good luck with the med. combination that my doctor is trying. It does seem to keep it enough under control that I can do a few things that I enjoy. Strangely enough, driving seems to be one of the most uncomfortable things to do. We have an hour drive into town, and I think because you are scrunching up the rib cage while sitting behind the wheel it really can get uncomfortable. Being a passenger isn't quite so bad because you can move a little even in the seat belt.

[Karina]

My doctor told me a couple of years ago that I have costochondritis--this dx came before my celiac disease dx. It has been really unnerving as I'll start having chest pain and have to remind myself, I am probably NOT having a heart attack! Mine is usually on the left but migrates sometimes to the right, and I don't have it all the time. It's like it will get irritated or something and be around for awhile. I pick up my kiddos all the time (who are three and five), and I am a very tiny person (5'4", and 105 lbs). I am pretty active and need to pay better attention to body mechanics. Prevention, prevention.

[Claire]

I've recently been diagnosed with Tietze's syndrome ... Tietze's Disease. We are trying to find out if it is fairly common amoung Celiac's.

Tietze's syndrome is an advanced form of Costocontritis. The difference between Tietze's syndrome and Costocontritis is .. with Costoncontritis there is only pain in the rib cage near the Costo (breast bone) region. It's an inflamation of the cartiledge.

In Tietze's syndrome you have inflamation of the cartiledge, but there is also swelling of the ligaments inbetween the ribs. It can be seen and is very tender when touched.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No ecperience with this at all but I do know that a connection is made in medical literature. Claire

[Jenn2005]

My husband gets a pain in his chest area on the right side (near the center of the breast bone) kind of on his peck mucscle (what's left of it ). It gets worse when he's doing something and lets up if he goes & lays down. I was worried at first that he was having heart trouble but that was ruled out with the full cardiac work up. He said it feels like it goes all the way thru to his back. (It's not his gallbladder either or billary trouble - gallbladder removed & billary/pancreas/liver all checked). Does your pain with this let up with rest? Sorry so many people are having this problem but glad to hear it might go along with all of this.

Jennifer

[Guest Viola]

Most of mine is on the left side, and does go around to the back as well. The right side seems to be involved if I'm doing something really physical with weight involved, like digging up a plant, or raking, or pulling something. The sharp pain goes away with rest, but a dull soreness is always there. But then I have the more advanced form of Costocontritis where ligaments are swollen.

Each person seems to be slightly different ... as it should be, as we are not all exactly clones, and perhaps even men would be slightly different than women, as they are for other ailments like heart disease etc.

[Guest BERNESES]

shirley- I don't know anything about either but I'm wondering if acupuncture might help. I tried it after my ski accident last winter and it helped a lot. Especially since you don't have a physical therapist where you are. Just a thought. Hope you figure this out and get better.

PS The Mr. Burns comment is hysterical.

[Guest Viola]

Acupunture might help .. I really hadn't thought about that. Probably because I don't think we have one in the valley and tend not to drive too far with the gas prices being so high. But will maybe phone around and try and arrange something when we are going to town, or maybe someone out here knows of one that goes to Slocan or Winlaw once in awhile.

That is a good thought, thank you

[Anastasiya]

On 9/24/2005 at 6:58 PM, Guest Viola said:

I've recently been diagnosed with Tietze's syndrome ... Tietze's Disease. We are trying to find out if it is fairly common amoung Celiac's.

Tietze's syndrome is an advanced form of Costocontritis. The difference between Tietze's syndrome and Costocontritis is .. with Costoncontritis there is only pain in the rib cage near the Costo (breast bone) region. It's an inflamation of the cartiledge.

In Tietze's syndrome you have inflamation of the cartiledge, but there is also swelling of the ligaments inbetween the ribs. It can be seen and is very tender when touched.

I have the same thing, it appeared out of nowhere, my mom has celiac I haven't been tested yet but the only difference is the fact I was in a car accident and 2 years later this surfaced