# Chest wall pain



## Angie01 (Aug 8, 2002)

Hi everyone,I am wondering how many poeple have chest wall pain? My entire body hurts from the ribs up, front and back, I cant sleep due to the pain. How and what do you do to help the pain. I have a history of IBS, fibromyalgia,and heart problems.The pain has been lasting for 3 days now, and tylenol isn't cutting it. Let me know.


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## south1234 (Jul 1, 2000)

Hi Angie,I have had pain in the ribs, mostly only in the front on one side. I can actually feel little nodules along my ribs. My doc says it's probably FMS/MFS/costochondritis (inflammation in the ribs!. I know what you mean about not being able to sleep. Cortisone helped me along with the pain med, Lortab. I know Cortisone isn't supposed to help FMS, but it definitely helped the rib pain and my IBS pain. I believe that there IS inflammation with FMS/IBS--it just doesn't show up on blood work. Hope you feel better soon.Blessings--South


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hmmmmm...you mentioned heart problems. Have you had that checked out to rule it out? I have chest and back and shoulder and neck pain that is a burning soreness all the time. Hurts like the dickens. Muscle Relaxer helps some, but I hate being dopey all the time. I am constantly doing stretching exercises. Slow-stretches.Went for a new kind of massage yesterday. It's called Asian Bodywork Therapy. I was really sore last night from all the muscles he worked on, and today it's much the same. Maybe I need a few more treatments to get at those rocks and release some of the tightness.


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## Angie01 (Aug 8, 2002)

HiI have congetive heart failure, and have to control that, but I am sure this is not from my heart problem. I stoped working due to all my medical problems, lost my medical insurance, now go to a county hospital where I hate my primary care doc. She doesn't understant fibro or IBS. She says to me " so you have a touch of IBS" LIKE a touch! Then she tells me she wont give me a refill on my zolot. Tells me I have to go to MHMR for that. I try to tell her that the Zoloft is for my fibro pain, but get nowhere. She didn't give me anything for pain, not even my celebrex, cause the hospital wont give it out unless you have a history of stomach bleeding. So now I am back to taking Tylenol Artheritis every 4 hours, which of course doesn't really help. I am sorry to ramble on, I just cant believe this sometimes.Thanks for listening. I am thinking about trying that cuddle-ewe, I miss sleeping.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Tom or someone---can you help Angie out here----is there some other type of agency she can go to to apply for medical assistance/health insurance that would give her better care than she's getting now? I know every state is different, but is there a Federal Program she might be eligible for?


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## Angie01 (Aug 8, 2002)

I just took a 3 hour nap and am feeling a little better. Hubby has gone to do the shopping and pay bills. I am so lucky to have found him. I was a single parent for 16 years. We got married in Febuary 14th of this year, after dating for a year. He is a vetren, and I just found out the other day, that we, hopefully, can get insurance for me and the kids from the VA. I am so excited! I have my fingers crossed. Things have been so hard. My daughter was recieving SSI for manic depression for 6 years, and she had medicare. Well when I got married, suddenly, my husbands VA pension was too high for her to get SSI or even be covered by Meidcaid. So she doesn't get checks anymore and We will have to pay for all her dr visits and medications ourselves. So I try to get the kids CHIPS, which here in TX covers children. They say my husband gets 37 dollars a month to much to quailify!!! Mow I pay 10 dollars to see a uncaring dr at the county hosp and then 20.00 for each of my 13 medications. We have been having a hard time making ends meet and it can be so frusterating. I long for the day I can see a doctor who will precribe me simple hydrocodone. Thanks for listening.


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Wishing you the best, Angie.  I hope it doesn't take the VA too long to get you all qualified for the benefits.Sounds like you have it pretty rough. Karen


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## Rocki (Aug 27, 2001)

Angie, so sorry you're having so much pain. I,too,have a lot of pain and stiffness in all of the muscles surrounding the ribs. My diaphragm gets really stiff and it's hard to breath. Physical therapy helps this type of pain through different massage techniques and stretching which a physical therapist at that county hospital should be able to help with. I know just what you mean about county hospitals. Here in Maryland we refer to them as "animal hospitals" meaning they don't know what to do with humans. Hopefully you'll get the VA insurance. I am on disability and have Medicare as my only source of medical insurance which doesn't cover drugs. Can you apply for Social Security Disability Insurance(federal program)? You say you lost your medical insurance. Did you get the COBRA on it? That's where after you leave a job you can still get the medical insurance for up to 18 months but you have to pay a premium(which i'm wondering if that wouldn't be covered by your state?). Sorry, just thinking outloud. Also, i don't mean to sound as if you're well enough to just go out and apply for all these programs as it takes a lot of time and energy and it sounds as if you need to get the pain flair under control. I would definitely recommend PT if you can get your doctor to write a prescription for it (usually they write for 8 treatments then it's reassessed to see how you're doing)so then you can have stretches and ideas of what to do since your doctor doesn't know enough to give you anything. Hope things steadily improve for you and your family. Gayle


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## Angie01 (Aug 8, 2002)

Thanks for writting. I have applied for SS. I was denied and am now appealing. Apparently having congestive heart failure, IBS and fibro just is not enough for them. I finnally stoped working last December, after numerous accidents at work. I also take 80 mg of Lasix twice a day for my CHF and spend most of the day in the bathroom from that too. I got a attorney and am waiting for my hearing in front of a judge. I am frusterated and cry alot of the time, it is like living in a nightmare some days. I am lucky for my kids and my hausband, who understands how bad I feel some days. I know he does get sick of me being sick, but he takes it one day at a time like I do. How long did it take you to get SS?


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## Susan Purry (Nov 6, 2001)

Angie, sorry to hear you are feeling so rotton with the chest pain and the appeal on the SS is difficult too. Perhaps you could purchase ($8) the handbook mentioned on this thread called 'A Practical Guide To Persevering & WinningYour Chronic Pain/Fatigue Disability Case'? It may have some pointers for you to follow up with your case? Best wishes,


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