If ever there existed a weird medical condition it would be multiple sclerosis. It is unpredictable. It is scary. It is ever changing and sneaky.
I don’t know about you, but I am constantly debating the difference between the MonSter and the side effects of life. When do we stop blaming multiple sclerosis for all of our aches and pains? Or, do we?
One major issue I suffer off and on is something called costochondritis. I cannot swear that this is directly related to MS, but it certainly sounds suspicious.
Chest pain is one of the main symptoms of costochondritis. This condition happens when your rib cage cartilage becomes inflamed. The pain can be severe or mild. Although the pain is typically felt on the left side of your chest, it may also occur on the right side.
Other symptoms include pain in your back and abdomen and pain that worsens when you cough or take a deep breath.
Chest pain caused by costochondritis may feel similar to a heart attack or other heart-related conditions, so you should seek emergency care. Your doctor can rule out any life-threatening conditions.
There really is no known cause for costrochondritis and, as in the past, I have succumbed to the prescribed 600 mg of ibuprofen, three times daily, for several weeks. That amount of ibuprofen consumption does not set well with my idea of healthy, but it is the only remedy that has been offered to me. Steroid injections are available, but have never been in my prescribed med plan. With the Gilenya and Ampyra, putting THAT much ibuprofen is scary. i do’t think I can drink enough water to rinse out my kidney’s and protect my liver from all those chemicals. But if I want a pain free day, I must. It is a never ending circle.
In my case costrochondritis always jumps at me out of nowhere. There is no warning, no muscular preliminary. I just suddenly am in pain. MAJOR pain. Treating this does not align with all that makes sense for addressing inflammation. Where we would normally apply an ice pack to the inflamed area, heat feels so much better to me. Pressure on the affected chest area is comforting as well.
Because my family has a history of heart conditions, this is what I always think of upon the onset of a costochondritis event. I have spent much money on assuring myself that this condition is not an impending heart attack, but each time it happens, my mind immediately goes to that possibility. Christine, my doctor’s PA, is constantly reminding me that women “present” differently in the wake of a heart attack, which s a red flag for any unusual or “different” ailment tor symptom.
As with MS, costochondritis is sneaky, unpredictable, and just plain annoying. The biggest irony of this ridiculous muscular/cartilage condition, is that the much needed exercise we all need is often the culprit in the onset of an “attack”. Yep, I felt fine until starting a new exercise routine last week; a video sponsored by the NMSS at that! And I didn’t even use weights! So, I’m back to gentle yoga for a while. Not that that is a bad thing. I just needed something new to spice up what can often be a tedious routine.
Oh, don’t get me wrong…there is nothing wrong with the video. It’s good stuff. It just wasn’t for me at the moment. By the way, NMSS has a wealth of exercise info, to include free videos and encouraging routines that can be altered to fit your ability level.
So, in a nut shell, we are still guinea pigs. Do you have any out of the box symptoms? Please share.
Have a great day,
Lisa, The Lady with Cane
- LisaAnnette McCombs@yahoo.com (I Pay Postage!)
- HeadlineBooks.org
- https://www.amazon.com/Have-Whats-Your-Super-Power/dp/1882658442/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523275367&sr=1-1&keywords=i+have+ms.+what%27s+your+superpower
I don’t know about you, but I am constantly debating the difference between the MonSter and the side effects of life. When do we stop blaming multiple sclerosis for all of our aches and pains? Or, do we?
One major issue I suffer off and on is something called costochondritis. I cannot swear that this is directly related to MS, but it certainly sounds suspicious.
- LisaAnnette McCombs@yahoo.com (I Pay Postage!)
- HeadlineBooks.org
- https://www.amazon.com/Have-Whats-Your-Super-Power/dp/1882658442/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1523275367&sr=1-1&keywords=i+have+ms.+what%27s+your+superpower
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