Rib problem

[Broughtonblue]

Got the cough from hell. Had it for two weeks now but the 1st lot of anti biotics didn't clear it. Now on stronger ones. But the biggest problem is pain in my ribs. Apparently I've torn muscles and ligaments from coughing so much. Given pain killers. Steroids and an inhaler. But the pain is immense. Anybody had similar and can give me an indication of how long till I move again without being creased up?

 

[screenman]

No idea of how long it will last, next time you need to cough squeeze a cushion to your chest, this they tell me helps ease the pain.

 

[fossyant]

I've broken enough ribs, and the pain from torn muscles in the rib area can be very similar to broken bones. The main thing is to breath as you can quickly develop chest infections. 4 to 6 weeks really for improvement.

 

[Broughtonblue]

I've broken enough ribs, and the pain from torn muscles in the rib area can be very similar to broken bones. The main thing is to breath as you can quickly develop chest infections. 4 to 6 weeks really for improvement.

Bugger. I got it from a chest infection!!

 

[bruce1530]

I’m recovering from a fall, which caused a cracked rib and some other problems. Was given fairly strong painkillers. After a few days, I cut back on the painkillers, and both the doc and the physio said that this was a bad idea.

The thinking is that if you don’t take the painkillers, you tend to “protect yourself” when coughing, so don’t cough properly, which makes you more liable to chest infection.

 

[fossyant]

That was one of the problems I had after breaking my spine, did 4 ribs also. Ribs were quite good after 6 weeks bed rest !!! Had to have huge amounts of pain killers to ensure I could breath (was also on oxygen first week).

 

[ColinJ]

I know people hate me going on about it, but your symptoms are horribly similar to what I suffered in 2012 ...

Is your cough definitely due to an infection? (Symptoms of chest infection.) If it IS, fair enough.

If there is some doubt about what is causing the coughing, then read on!

I had a really bad cough which would not go away. I coughed for a week, then I coughed for another week. I'm not a great one for doctors but when I started getting severe pain in my ribs from the coughing I finally went to see my GP.

He said that he thought I'd had a nasty chest infection, but I would probably get over it soon. Meanwhile, he prescribed some superstrong anti-inflammatories to reduce my rib pain.

The pills DID ease the pain of the knackered ribs, but I carried on coughing ...

Then I collapsed. And then my left leg went purple and it swelled up like a balloon. And then things got worse ...

A second GP was more on the ball and suspected the real cause of the problem. She sent me for tests but I collapsed again on the way to the health centre.

I had an emergency appointment with a third GP who immediately sent for an ambulance.

The first GP was wrong, and the second and third were right - I had blood clots in my lungs, not an infection. (Symptoms of pulmonary embolism)

Hopefully, you do just have an infection and will be getting over it soon!

As for my ribs ... once I started having treatment for the clots, I stopped coughing and the rib pain went away fairly quickly. I wasn't really much in the mood for laughing at that time, but on the odd occasion when I did laugh (or sneezed), I'd get a sharp pain in the back of my ribs but it soon receded.

 

[midlife]

Difficult to trash intercostal muscles, Bornholm's pleurodynia?

Shaun

 

[Broughtonblue]

Omg absolute agony this morning. Starting to affect the depth of my breathing. Might be a trip to the local hospital this afternoon if my pain killers don't kick in soon
The pain by the way is right hand side, where the front and back meet, in an area about 3 inch square above the bottom rib
Just came on literally overnight

 

[Drago]

Months, you'll still feel the odd twinge in a year or more. I've done my intercostals twice, broken ribs twice, including every rib down the left side.

There isn't much that can be done to accelerate healing. Pain relief isnwhere you're at. But as Colin rightly points out, I'm assuming the diagnosis you've been given is correct and you don't have a collapsed lung or something.

 

[Broughtonblue]

Back to docs today as hurting to breathe deeply now, also uncomfortable when reaching out. 3rd lot of anti biotics for chest. X rays booked. And still on 8 pain killers a day.
Biggest worry is in a months time my partner has booked a trip to Vegas for us two and my lads for my 50th. Worried if I will be allowed to fly,

 

[ColinJ]

Back to docs today as hurting to breathe deeply now, also uncomfortable when reaching out. 3rd lot of anti biotics for chest. X rays booked. And still on 8 pain killers a day.
Biggest worry is in a months time my partner has booked a trip to Vegas for us two and my lads for my 50th. Worried if I will be allowed to fly,

Is your resting pulse rate still fairly normal?

 

[jefmcg]

Back to docs today as hurting to breathe deeply now, also uncomfortable when reaching out. 3rd lot of anti biotics for chest. X rays booked. And still on 8 pain killers a day.
Biggest worry is in a months time my partner has booked a trip to Vegas for us two and my lads for my 50th. Worried if I will be allowed to fly,

Hopefully that stays your biggest worry. I too have a diffferent horror story about a nagging cough (not mine), but I won't share it now.

The chest x-ray should rule that out (or not )

Do you have travel insurance? If you can't fly, you should be able to get all the fares and accommodation back.

Good luck.

 

[ColinJ]

Hopefully that stays your biggest worry. I too have a diffferent horror story about a nagging cough (not mine), but I won't share it now.

The chest x-ray should rule that out (or not )

I had a chest x-ray the day that I ended up in hospital, but x-rays don't pick up clots so my chest looked fine on that. It WASN'T ...!

 

[jefmcg]

I had a chest x-ray the day that I ended up in hospital, but x-rays don't pick up clots so my chest looked fine on that. It WASN'T ...!

No, I meant the chest x-ray would rule out the different problem my friend had that could be causing the nagging cough not yours. My friend had a benign tumour growing inside his chest cavity.

(it's only a partial horror story: even though my friend took a year to get around to seeing a specialist and getting the x-ray, he recovered completely and is still ok 20 years later.)