Coughing Creates Costochondritis

October 15, 2022 8:36 PM

I've been coughing ALL THE TIME for a month, which is a separate issue my dr has covered. It's caused really painful costoconditis and feels like my ribs are stabbing me all over.

There's especially pain on my right side; it's so painful around that breast and radiating from it.

I'm also still coughing despite being on the inhalers and meds (and, kindly, if there's one thing I don't need, it's well-meant unsolicited advice on cough remedies). That's just to say that I'm reinjuring myself all the time.

I talked to my dr and pharmacist, who said all I can do is take anti-inflammatories and rest.

I'm hoping that some of you here might have some citizen's advice (YANMD) or things that helped you deal with this strange and awful pain.

posted by mermaidcafe to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

Best answer: This developed into a chronic thing for my mother. When it flares up, one thing she finds helpful is to use the same advice you use with a broken rib - to hold a pillow tightly to your chest when you have to cough.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:01 PM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

I am sorry. The thing that helps me the most is, alas, anti inflammatories and rest. Also, about five years ago my physical anxiety seems to have changed from headaches to chest pain spasms in the right side (very helpful, brain!!) and as you can imagine dealing with costochondritis after a bad cold really did not help matters. When I finally got back on anxiety meds my chest pain mostly went away, with the occasional “oh god the world is on fire” obvious spasm. So, if your pain is ratcheting up your stress which is increasing your pain you might look into short term anxiety medication - be it an ssri like me or more of a jazz cigarette situation.

Make sure your sleeping position isn’t putting weird pressure on anything. Look into back supports and arm supports, body pillows to keep you from twisting in your sleep, stuff like that. Sometimes your arm resting on your chest can compress it pretty badly, for example.

Another thing that did help me a little was doing some breath control, where I focused on breathing deep into my abdomen first, and only into my chest last as I took slow deep breaths. Try to focus on your diaphragm and consciously control it as you pull air in and your stomach pushes out, and as you gently push air out as your stomach pulls in. This can help train your body a little to breathe using the whole of your torso and puts less stress on specific areas. It might also be good for recovering from internal muscle pain due to coughing. Everyone in my family sings so I’ve been doing diaphragm breathing since I was little; I don’t know how easily this comes to others.
posted by Mizu at 9:39 PM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

If anti-inflammatories help, avoiding things that give you inflammation may also help.

For me, mainly that would be refined sugars (this list is long and includes anything with the fiber processed out whether by humans (eg sugar) or nature (such as milk and honey)) and caffeine (including chocolate).
posted by aniola at 9:56 PM on October 15, 2022

Oh also if you have any sort of sensitivities to things in the air (such as pollen or fire season), air filtration in your airspace may help keep inflammation down, too.
posted by aniola at 9:57 PM on October 15, 2022

I get this too- it’s the worst! Pressing on the area with my hand or forearm before I cough helps a tiny bit. Otherwise, just Tylenol / Advil and trying to control the uncontrollable cough and sleep. Absolute misery!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 1:49 AM on October 16, 2022

Another thing beyond the pillow hug I was taught when healing broken ribs was to try variations of contractions to tense or gird your abdominal muscles and pelvic muscles before coughing or sneezing, to the extent possible. It's sort of like strengthening the other stabilizing zones so your diaphragm and muscles/tissues around your lungs aren't doing so much of the work. I would sometimes hold onto a door frame to lock my shoulder muscles, too, because you don't always have a pillow handy. It's not a panacea, and it doesn't help everyone, but it's worth trying a few times to see if you can find a sweet spot.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 3:23 AM on October 16, 2022

Last time I went to the doctor with what I thought was a flare up of chronic costochondritis it turned out to be gastritis/ so something to consider. If the former I found cbd sometimes helped.
posted by leslies at 4:31 AM on October 16, 2022

Yes, a pillow or just a hand against my sternums/ribs helps when coughing can't be avoided. I also just got really weirdly good at not allowing myself to cough. Also they sell these mastectomy pillows that you can wrap around your chest and help if wearing a seat belt increases your pain.

I also found those post surgery zip up mastectomy bras really helpful, to provide support without being painful, and also, easier to get on then a pull over bra (if you are someone who wears bras...)

I'm sorry, I've had costochondritis triggered by a series of bad asthma attacks, and it was not fun.
posted by litera scripta manet at 6:58 PM on October 16, 2022

Pillow cough- definitely. I've also used tight ace bandages wrapped around my rib cage. Heating pads to the area when I'm flat help quite a bit with the general ache of it all.
posted by shesaysgo at 7:57 PM on October 16, 2022

I've never experienced a herbal supplement definitively working, but there is an outlier to my experience.

I'm convinced powdered Cordyceps capsules are working super well for whatever cough I've had for 5 years. Less coughing, less rib/chest pain. I take it daily. results may vary but maybe worth a try.
posted by couchdive at 2:14 PM on October 18, 2022