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Intercostal Neuralgia
For the past 3 years I've had pain, basically under my upper rib cage & breastbone area & around to my back. It's very hard to explain. It started out hurting when I bent over & lifted something heavy. I went to a Dr & ended up having every heart test you can imagine. Then to the GI, where I had everything there tested. I've had blood work & chest xray. No one could seem to explain it. This year it's been worse, doesn't take much to make it hurt. I went to the pain Dr & had him look at my back MRIs to see if there was anything there causing it. When I explained everything to him, he reached around me & started pressing on certain areas of my ribs, some were very painful. He's of the opinion I have Intercostal Neuralgia. He suggested physical therapy & gabapentin. Since I was also going to PT for knee replacement, I took my order to them & asked what they could do. My therapist said there really isn't any special treatment for it, but he did have a few exercises that might help. Those exercises certainly pull on those muscles, but I'm not sure it's helping. So far, I don't see any benefits from the gabapentin, except weird dreams at night & it's been over 2 weeks. Has anyone else had any experience with this. I really don't know what else to do
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I was on prednisone for 18 months (for something else) and it did not help my intercostal rib pain.
Perhaps a nerve block of some sort that area?
@karenann01
Hi, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one going through the exact same thing that you have described, I have no idea what the problem is either,as of now I'm doing test after test to trying figure this problem out, if I find something out I'll for sure let you know, please do the same for me Thank You
I feel your pain. I have severe scoliosis and everything else wrong with my back. I get a massage once a month as the cost is high and insurance does not pay for it. I have been to PT so many times and it helps but the area in my ribs is different. My massage therapist has somewhat isolated the area and seems to help but once a month does not take care of the issue for good. I walk 2-4 miles every morning and I am usually good for 1-2 miles before the pain in the ribs hits. I usually crouch down for a few minutes and the stretch relieves the pain for a little longer. I just went through x rays and MRI's again. Saw a new back doctor who stated I had one of the worst backs he has seen but would not recommend surgery as the recoup would be over a year and I would have my whole back with rods and not be able to move much. At 71 I will deal with some pain. I do not like meds as I feel they just mask the problem. I was given gabapentin which I still have not taken and another muscle relaxer which I just started to take when needed. Trial and error I call it. I do recommend finding a good massage therapist if you can find one that understands the deep issues in your spine and ribs. If I find some other ways of dealing with this I will keep you informed.
@franky937
I have dealt with this for 3 years now. I take 600 mg of gabapentin every night. It took over a month for it to finally start working, but it does the job. I've tried a couple times to reduce the dosage, but it comes right back, then takes me several weeks to get it under control again. I also have really bad arthritis & scoliosis in my back & neck, so I see a pain Dr & receive cortisone injections & nerve ablation for that. The last time my Dr did cortisone injections for my neck, he said we should talk about some type of cortisone treatment for the Intercostal Neuralgia. I asked why, since the gabapentin does the job & he said they're starting to discover certain drugs, like gabapentin can contribute to dementia. Since I'm 77, I don't want that. I'm traveling until next spring, but when I return I told him we would discuss my other options. If you can see a pain Dr, I think you should discuss what options might be available for you. As I said, the 600 mg of gabapentin does work for me, but I will see what my Dr suggests when I return in the spring. Good luck to you. I know how painful & frustrating it can be.
I experienced similar pain for over two years after a fall and many bruised muscles and soft tissue. The diagnosis between the pain specialist and arthritis/rheumatologist with whom she consulted was that after the injury the nerves that send messages to the muscles never quit firing pain signals, causing chronic myofascial pain syndrome. They ruled out neuralgia. I am now on Lyrica, cymbalta (which is also used to treat fibromyalgia, a similar disease) and referred for aquatic therapy. It has helped immensely and was the first thing to really help, after 20 months of land therapy, which in many ways made the pain worse, and dry needling to relax trigger points. I would try and get a referral to aquatic therapy if there is anywhere in your area that offers it. Good luck to you. I can totally sympathize with your pain and frustration.