Do Any of You FCers Have Costocondritis....

[loulizlee]

...or have you ever heard of it?  I think it is relatively rare.  I am now 72 and I had my first experience when I was in my 20s, although I didn't know what it was for years.  While I was doing floor exercises, I had a severe pain in what I thought was my stomach.  After many years of researching and even asking doctors, who had never heard of the symptom, I found that it is much like arthritis, which I have.  When bending at a severe angle, the cartilage between my ribs will feel like my ribs are overlapping each other.  Then I have to slowly unbend.  Talk about excruciating pain!!  The cartilage is wearing away just like in arthritis.  I have learned not to bend over like that, for the most part.  (I occasionally forget.)

I have found that ER doctors know more about it than regular doctors, because many times patients will come in thinking they are having a heart attack, as the pain usually starts out higher than mine did - in the upper chest.