# Rib pain?



## crohnsinct (Feb 15, 2016)

My 12 year old is being evaluated by a rheumatologist for joint pain that her gi feels is running independent of her Crohns. Pretty classic. Ankle, knee, hip and lower back. Occasionally shoulder. Rheumy is thinking we will bump up her mtx to 25mg's or move to Remicade. Getting a pelvic mri before making that decision. 

She also has pretty bad rib pain. It is on her left side all the way on her side. Hurts more to push on ribs and sometimes breathing could hurt it. She didn't have a trauma to that area. She does play softball so there is a twisting motion when batting but this pain started on off season. Pain comes and goes. 

Rheumy doesn't think it is related to her joint issues. She said costrochondritis hurts in front more. Maybe referred pain?  Maybe muscular?  

I asked her if it could be an organ and she said pain wouldn't come and go and labs look good. 

Wondering if anyone here has had a pain like this and if you ever found out what it was and what made it feel better?


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## Jennifer (Feb 15, 2016)

One member that comes to mind is afidz. She has mentioned that it's sometimes painful there and to breathe as well but she was eventually diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The Rheumy should be able to test for that through blood work if they haven't already. She found steroids helped in the beginning but now she's being treated with Remicade. She was on Humira for a while which also helped a lot but unfortunately I believe she built up antibodies to it which can happen with biologics when you stop the medicine and then begin the medicine again later on (there was an issue with insurance so she wasn't able to get it covered for quite a while after she had already taken it). 

I hope that it's simply a pulled muscle though even if this was in the off season.

Edit: Sorry I forgot that she takes Cimzia now because she had an adverse reaction to Remicade not too long ago.


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## amyh (Feb 16, 2016)

I had the same rib pain, lasted for about a month, then my joints started flaring up.   The pain felt like a bruise, but i had no trauma.   It also showed up in hotspots on my thigh, and hip.


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## crohnsinct (Feb 17, 2016)

Thanks amyh.  So did you treat the joint pain?  Did the rib pain go away when you treated the joint pain?


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## amyh (Feb 17, 2016)

I tried some arthritis medications, but they didn't really help, so I did some research and since all of these symptoms are caused by inflammation, I just started treating myself for inflammation, by taking therapeutic doses of Turmeric supplements, magnesium, and eating a non-inflamitory diet.   all the symptoms were gone by three months time.


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## Cat-a-Tonic (Feb 17, 2016)

In addition to what the others have already said, I'd just like to add that GERD can cause rib/lung pain.  I'm not sure exactly why, I'm not sure if it's like a referred heartburn pain or if it's from aspirating refluxate or something else?  I have severe GERD, and sometimes when my GERD acts up, I will experience sharp pain in the rib/lung area.  My pain is extremely similar to what you described with your daughter - it's all the way on the left side like under my armpit, it's usually only on the left side (I tend to sleep on my left side so I presume that may have something to do with it), it's a sharp pain and sometimes even breathing does hurt.  I've found that simply taking some antacids basically eliminates the pain!  It took me awhile to figure this out, but one day on a whim I took a few Tums when I was experiencing the pain, and it almost immediately dissipated.  So, see if antacids help your daughter when she's experiencing this pain.  Good luck!


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## crohnsinct (Feb 17, 2016)

Cat-a-tonic  I actually just stumbled across that as an option today!  I am going to try that tomorrow!


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## crohnsinct (Feb 17, 2016)

amyh - interesting...I have been wondering if her joint pain really is independent of her Crohn's inflammation.  Her GI doesn't think we need to change her meds for her Crohn's.  So we will see what happens when Rheumy decides on meds.  In the meanwhile I agree anti inflammatory diet can't hurt.


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## Jennifer (Feb 17, 2016)

Cherries and tart cherry juice help to reduce joint inflammation.

"In a 2013 article inOsteoarthritis and Cartilage, researchers at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center reported that patients who consumed two 8-ounce bottles of tart cherry juice daily for 6 weeks experienced a significant improvement in pain, stiffness and physical function. Study participants also showed a marked decrease in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation Each bottle of juice equaled about 45 cherries."
http://blog.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/arthritis-diet-cherries/


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## Catherine (Feb 18, 2016)

Are you sure not pleurisy?


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## crohnsinct (Feb 18, 2016)

Thanks Jennifer...couldn't hurt! 

Catherine, no I am not sure but it generally doesn't hurt when breathing, only sometimes.  Also the pain comes and goes.  I will go look up pleurisy now. 

My obsessive google search yesterday also turned up an injury that baseball players and anyone with a torso twisting sport gets and that is a piece of cartilage breaking off and floating around. Pretty sure the pain started in the off season but maybe.....


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## Crohns and AS (Feb 22, 2016)

I was recently diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and was diagnosed with Crohns 23 years ago. I  was in remission with crohns but a little over a year ago started having   pain in my hips and butt that came and went but got worse over time and moved to my back from my spine to the left part of my back and ribs (painful ribs) I also had some neck stiffness and other joint pains. The back and hip were chronic and stiff. I was sent to a spine Specialist after a MRI and xrays showed inflamation and was told I had bone marrow edema do physical therapy and take ibuprohen. Classic bone marrow edema was injury and kept being asked if i had a car accident or injury and nope I had not. Not a real diagnoses or answer! That helped some but never gave me full relief bending over was very painful or bending side to side. I would wake every night stiff and in pain. Pain was especially worse after getting up from a resting position and would decrease after movement. I describe it as being locked up when I would try to stand. I was unable to fully stand straight due to being stiff and in chronic pain. A crohns relapse gave me hope finally after I gave up on ever feeling normal or being able to do day to day functions without pain. My GI specialist referred me to a RA specialist and I finally got a diagnoses and answers. Look at the Spondylitis website there is good information. On another note I was active in Volleyball when I was younger and also had same cartilage issue with ribs and it is painful and feels like a bruised rib.


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## luDena (Apr 25, 2016)

When I was 12 when I was hospitalized for pneumonia after I recovered I was left with rib pain called costalcondritis by the time I was 18 I hurt all sides of my ribs and it spread into my shoulder joints elbows and other joints were painful if pressed. The diagnoses changed to fibromyalgia .

I also had stomach and abdominal problems.  The doctor blamed everything on "female problems" then later without test I BS. 

My gastrointestinal Dr.  Figures I probably had crohns back then. 
Also what we didn't know was that I had Celiacs disease.  

I am 52.  I wish you and your daughter the best of luck keep advocating for your daughter.  Most medical research. Was done on men.  Just.  Because most CC. Is in the front coastals didn't mean that is where everyone's starts. 
CC is inflammation in the cartilage between the ribs. It's very painful.  The only relief I ever received was from seeing a chiropractor and yoga.


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## Lucky One (Apr 26, 2016)

I've had Crohns for nearly 20 years now, and just last month experienced rib pain for the first time. It was quite bad for a week, just under my right rib, and much worse when lying down and after meals. Didn't get it checked out as it subsided but my lower part of my rib still hurts to press on it, like a bruise but had no trauma. I read somewhere on Dr. Google that it could be inflammation in my intestine from Crohns so was just happy when it lessened.


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