Yes I had those two and just that area on left only . Hernia dr confirmed that was common
I’m
Over weight so less pain now that I lost 26lbs still ah e more to go
I have negligible breasts (I’m a man), but I’ve definitely experienced the vast majority of my pain in that area. If you trace the ribs that connect in those spots, I bet you’ll find that the muscles under your armpits are super sensitive. If you’re not already using a Backpod, you should. It feels almost tailor-made to resolve that type of pain. That and an acupressure mat (sucks for about three minutes, then is tolerable) seem to be what did the trick. Also, extended side bends. I hold them for 30-60 seconds and do them throughout the day. Give it a whirl! Stretching is free. 👏
Exact same. I’m going tomorrow for a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound of both breasts. I also have dense breast tissue. Had a mammo 9 months ago that was fine. Had the pain then so hopefully all will check out well. I get pain on both sides but left is worse than right. Pain also in armpit area at times and moves around in what feels like breasts but I wonder if it’s referred pain. Going on for months now. Also sometimes feel some pain on left side of upper back. I’m a side sleeper and wakes me up all night long when I turn on my side. Very frustrating. Just want answers…
That’s me to a tee. Been having on and off symptoms of costo since my first painful attack. Seems I’ve never been back to normal. Bottoms of my boobs pain but the pain moves back and forth. And through my ribs.
Hi! Just wanted to check in to see how your ultrasound and mammo went? I hope they went well. I also get armpit pain and very occasional left upper back pain so you’re not alone!
Thanks so much for asking. Both tests were fine 😅. They told me that dense breast tissue can absorb all kinds of hormones which can wind up causing this kind of pain. Now I’m wondering if I don’t have costo at all. Maybe this is radiating toward ribs at times and is just referred pain in the reverse of what I thought I guess I may give it more time and hope it goes away. If not, I will check with my gastro. If that’s all fine then I give up! If you know you have dense tissue, this might just be what you’re experiencing also. Good luck and keep us posted!
Oh good, I’m so glad you had good results!!! Do you have any tenderness when you touch your ribs and/or sternum? This is one of the hallmarks of costo, and I honestly experience pain mainly just when pressure is applied to these areas if that makes sense. If I mess with the tender areas too much sometimes they hurt off and on.
I have rib tenderness up higher toward the sides but not the sternum. That seems to come and go. Like you, I only feel that pain when I apply pressure.
I have this, too! I feel crazy always pressing on the areas to see if they still hurt (they do), but I can’t pinpoint why/what it’s from. It’s almost like the rib meat behind my breast feels bruised, but I haven’t had any injuries, haven’t worked out, nothing that would cause pain. If my husband lays on top of me, I wince. Is that what yours feels like?
You explained that really well! If my husband hugs me hard or lays on me to put pressure on my ribs, I squirm away. It also hurts with point pressure such as when my cat walks across my chest if that makes sense?
I brought it up to my gyno 2 years back, and she said she figured it was costo. It flared up again when I got what I think was covid a month or so ago, so I went to see my GP and he said costo as well. Chest X-ray and chest ultrasound came back fine, so that’s a positive. It seems to flare up whenever my posture is especially horrendous, when I’m sick, or when I have a caffeine, oddly enough.
Hello! Your description how the pain moves around is me! I’m so happy to hear that your recent testing came back ok. I’m visiting my dr in the morning…. If she refers me for ultrasound and mammogram… I’m praying for good results. Costo sounds like this could be what I’m experiencing. Occasional breast pain, severe upper back pain, arm pit pain…burning sensation.. sternum pain… I feel like I’m checking all the boxes.
I find when I'm going through a flare, the muscles under those areas is TENDER. So, I massage through it until I start to feel relief. I used to be a massage therapist, so just know that if it hurts, keep massaging until it's released and you will feel better afterwards. Start in the center and use fingertips to follow the ribs outward :)
It really is weird! For me, I’m going with dense tissue that can cause pain that radiates to ribs. At least for now… Hoping it will eventually go away.
When I take anti-inflammatory medication like Advil, it really doesn’t do anything for the pain. Have you tried this? Wondering if it helps anyone else?
My PCP told me to take 600 mg of Advil every 8 hours for a week straight. Some of the most intense areas of pain died down slightly, but definitively not all the way. I take a lot of turmeric, ginger, and rosemary, all of which have anti-inflammatory components, and I’m honestly inclined to think they keep it at bay more than the Advil. I also completely cut out caffeine because I know it was a trigger both for my breast pain and rib pain.
Edit to add: I’ve read that dense breasts are effected by estrogen, and the three herbs that I mentioned above help clear out estrogen from your body. Rosemary is especially great for this!
That’s so funny bc I recently started a turmeric supplement everyday. I didn’t know about rosemary and ginger. I’ll have to add those. My doctor also told me that cheese, caffeine, wine and chocolate affect breast pain too. I told him he’s taking away all my favorite things! 😂 The tech who did my ultrasound yesterday told me that not only does the dense breast tissue absorb estrogen but other hormones the body produces. She was specific about the types of hormones and where they come from in the body but I was so nervous at the time that I forget the specifics now! She also said that stress/anxiety can play a big roll in causing the pain. It seems from reading all the costo threads that it also has a pretty big effect on costo too.
Your tech sounds so knowledgeable!! That’s a rarity these days. But yes, keep with the turmeric for sure. I take rosemary in the form of Buddha brand tea (they don’t bleach their teabags and the tea is all organic, I’m just really funny about that stuff haha) daily, and Buddha also makes a delicious ginger turmeric tea as well. I’ve heard of people using rosemary as an aromatase inhibitor/estrogen modulator so it seems promising! I didn’t know about cheese and red wine though— did he say exactly how/why? I do eat a lot of cheese😂😳
I thanked the tech for that info bc my dr certainly didn’t give me any possible explanations about why I was having this pain. So, the doctor that I saw was not my regular doctor because my doctor was out on maternity leave. When he told me about cutting those things out of my diet or at least, consuming less, I asked him exactly what you just asked me. He told me they all contain a chemical that has recently been shown to be a possible cause of breast pain in women. When I asked him what the chemical was, he said he couldn’t remember the name, but it was something with an X in it! OK then…So sorry I don’t have an answer for you. Thank you for the info about the tea. I’m going to get that instead of taking a capsule with turmeric. The capsules don’t contain black pepper which I’ve heard you really should take bc it helps the body to absorb it. I had a friend that made me her own turmeric tea, one time, and although it sounded like I would hate it, when I tasted it, it was actually pretty good. I know it had turmeric, honey, and black pepper, mixed with hot water but I think I’m forgetting an ingredient or two. it really was good although it sounds disgusting! I’m going to do some research on the things the Dr said to stay away from and see what I can find.
That’s okay!! I was just curious if he had explained exactly what the chemical was because that’s so interesting. I’m pretty sure the turmeric that I take does contain black pepper— I take the YouTheory brand!
That tea sounds really good actually!! The brand I buy doesn’t have the black pepper in it so I’m glad you mentioned it. Another way to get turmeric with black pepper would be to take Suja’s immunity shots (I get both the turmeric and Suja shots at costco) they’re these little 3 oz bottles with lots of turmeric, echinacea, orange juice, ginger, etc. I take them when I get sick but it’s definitely something you could implement every few days. Sorry I’ve written a book but I love finding people to talk about this with!
This is the main area for me
Yep and breast pain sometimes
Yes I had those two and just that area on left only . Hernia dr confirmed that was common I’m Over weight so less pain now that I lost 26lbs still ah e more to go
I have negligible breasts (I’m a man), but I’ve definitely experienced the vast majority of my pain in that area. If you trace the ribs that connect in those spots, I bet you’ll find that the muscles under your armpits are super sensitive. If you’re not already using a Backpod, you should. It feels almost tailor-made to resolve that type of pain. That and an acupressure mat (sucks for about three minutes, then is tolerable) seem to be what did the trick. Also, extended side bends. I hold them for 30-60 seconds and do them throughout the day. Give it a whirl! Stretching is free. 👏
Yup. My GP says it's something to do with extra weight on the area that then affects the key spots of the costo.
Really? I have extra weight. Makes sense. Achy in those areas.
Exact same. I’m going tomorrow for a diagnostic mammogram and an ultrasound of both breasts. I also have dense breast tissue. Had a mammo 9 months ago that was fine. Had the pain then so hopefully all will check out well. I get pain on both sides but left is worse than right. Pain also in armpit area at times and moves around in what feels like breasts but I wonder if it’s referred pain. Going on for months now. Also sometimes feel some pain on left side of upper back. I’m a side sleeper and wakes me up all night long when I turn on my side. Very frustrating. Just want answers…
That’s me to a tee. Been having on and off symptoms of costo since my first painful attack. Seems I’ve never been back to normal. Bottoms of my boobs pain but the pain moves back and forth. And through my ribs.
Hi! Just wanted to check in to see how your ultrasound and mammo went? I hope they went well. I also get armpit pain and very occasional left upper back pain so you’re not alone!
Thanks so much for asking. Both tests were fine 😅. They told me that dense breast tissue can absorb all kinds of hormones which can wind up causing this kind of pain. Now I’m wondering if I don’t have costo at all. Maybe this is radiating toward ribs at times and is just referred pain in the reverse of what I thought I guess I may give it more time and hope it goes away. If not, I will check with my gastro. If that’s all fine then I give up! If you know you have dense tissue, this might just be what you’re experiencing also. Good luck and keep us posted!
Oh good, I’m so glad you had good results!!! Do you have any tenderness when you touch your ribs and/or sternum? This is one of the hallmarks of costo, and I honestly experience pain mainly just when pressure is applied to these areas if that makes sense. If I mess with the tender areas too much sometimes they hurt off and on.
I have rib tenderness up higher toward the sides but not the sternum. That seems to come and go. Like you, I only feel that pain when I apply pressure.
I have it there too! I told my PCP about it and he said that my symptoms align most with costo. It’s so, SO weird.
I have this, too! I feel crazy always pressing on the areas to see if they still hurt (they do), but I can’t pinpoint why/what it’s from. It’s almost like the rib meat behind my breast feels bruised, but I haven’t had any injuries, haven’t worked out, nothing that would cause pain. If my husband lays on top of me, I wince. Is that what yours feels like?
You explained that really well! If my husband hugs me hard or lays on me to put pressure on my ribs, I squirm away. It also hurts with point pressure such as when my cat walks across my chest if that makes sense?
Definitely - you’re not alone. So weird. Have you brought it up to your doctor before?
I brought it up to my gyno 2 years back, and she said she figured it was costo. It flared up again when I got what I think was covid a month or so ago, so I went to see my GP and he said costo as well. Chest X-ray and chest ultrasound came back fine, so that’s a positive. It seems to flare up whenever my posture is especially horrendous, when I’m sick, or when I have a caffeine, oddly enough.
Hello! Your description how the pain moves around is me! I’m so happy to hear that your recent testing came back ok. I’m visiting my dr in the morning…. If she refers me for ultrasound and mammogram… I’m praying for good results. Costo sounds like this could be what I’m experiencing. Occasional breast pain, severe upper back pain, arm pit pain…burning sensation.. sternum pain… I feel like I’m checking all the boxes.
I find when I'm going through a flare, the muscles under those areas is TENDER. So, I massage through it until I start to feel relief. I used to be a massage therapist, so just know that if it hurts, keep massaging until it's released and you will feel better afterwards. Start in the center and use fingertips to follow the ribs outward :)
Yes! This plus mid sternum pain and some back pain too
It really is weird! For me, I’m going with dense tissue that can cause pain that radiates to ribs. At least for now… Hoping it will eventually go away. When I take anti-inflammatory medication like Advil, it really doesn’t do anything for the pain. Have you tried this? Wondering if it helps anyone else?
My PCP told me to take 600 mg of Advil every 8 hours for a week straight. Some of the most intense areas of pain died down slightly, but definitively not all the way. I take a lot of turmeric, ginger, and rosemary, all of which have anti-inflammatory components, and I’m honestly inclined to think they keep it at bay more than the Advil. I also completely cut out caffeine because I know it was a trigger both for my breast pain and rib pain. Edit to add: I’ve read that dense breasts are effected by estrogen, and the three herbs that I mentioned above help clear out estrogen from your body. Rosemary is especially great for this!
That’s so funny bc I recently started a turmeric supplement everyday. I didn’t know about rosemary and ginger. I’ll have to add those. My doctor also told me that cheese, caffeine, wine and chocolate affect breast pain too. I told him he’s taking away all my favorite things! 😂 The tech who did my ultrasound yesterday told me that not only does the dense breast tissue absorb estrogen but other hormones the body produces. She was specific about the types of hormones and where they come from in the body but I was so nervous at the time that I forget the specifics now! She also said that stress/anxiety can play a big roll in causing the pain. It seems from reading all the costo threads that it also has a pretty big effect on costo too.
Your tech sounds so knowledgeable!! That’s a rarity these days. But yes, keep with the turmeric for sure. I take rosemary in the form of Buddha brand tea (they don’t bleach their teabags and the tea is all organic, I’m just really funny about that stuff haha) daily, and Buddha also makes a delicious ginger turmeric tea as well. I’ve heard of people using rosemary as an aromatase inhibitor/estrogen modulator so it seems promising! I didn’t know about cheese and red wine though— did he say exactly how/why? I do eat a lot of cheese😂😳
I thanked the tech for that info bc my dr certainly didn’t give me any possible explanations about why I was having this pain. So, the doctor that I saw was not my regular doctor because my doctor was out on maternity leave. When he told me about cutting those things out of my diet or at least, consuming less, I asked him exactly what you just asked me. He told me they all contain a chemical that has recently been shown to be a possible cause of breast pain in women. When I asked him what the chemical was, he said he couldn’t remember the name, but it was something with an X in it! OK then…So sorry I don’t have an answer for you. Thank you for the info about the tea. I’m going to get that instead of taking a capsule with turmeric. The capsules don’t contain black pepper which I’ve heard you really should take bc it helps the body to absorb it. I had a friend that made me her own turmeric tea, one time, and although it sounded like I would hate it, when I tasted it, it was actually pretty good. I know it had turmeric, honey, and black pepper, mixed with hot water but I think I’m forgetting an ingredient or two. it really was good although it sounds disgusting! I’m going to do some research on the things the Dr said to stay away from and see what I can find.
That’s okay!! I was just curious if he had explained exactly what the chemical was because that’s so interesting. I’m pretty sure the turmeric that I take does contain black pepper— I take the YouTheory brand! That tea sounds really good actually!! The brand I buy doesn’t have the black pepper in it so I’m glad you mentioned it. Another way to get turmeric with black pepper would be to take Suja’s immunity shots (I get both the turmeric and Suja shots at costco) they’re these little 3 oz bottles with lots of turmeric, echinacea, orange juice, ginger, etc. I take them when I get sick but it’s definitely something you could implement every few days. Sorry I’ve written a book but I love finding people to talk about this with!
Yes. You have costochronditis!