A Pain in the Rib

My first thought is - it is from Rads.

I hear people complaining about it all the time - I have even heard some people have had broken ribs - from radiation.

If it was me, I would give it a couple (OK 4!) weeks before I started thinking about a scan. Other people would say get a scan now, so you know either way. It all depends on the type of person you are.

Does Tylenol take care of it? I do find if I am obsessing about a pain somewhere, I take Tylenol for a couple of days, and it sort of switches off my obsessive mind, and I stop focusing on the pain, which then goes away (so far).

Sending you good thoughts.

Helena, I've had the same thing and attributed it to the rads. I'm 7 months out and it's not getting better - if anything a little bit worse.

Leah

i have a LOT of rib pain.  it's awful sometimes.  My onc. says its from radcs.

i just had a scan, so they didn't light up.

Yep, me too.  I have rib pain from time to time, and also a deep stabbing pain where rads were done.  It is a pretty infrequent pain, and comes and goes.  Try starting a pain journal to document when you have the pain, for how long, and if it responds to OTC meds. 

I have had rib pain for 8 years and sometimes it freaks me out still and I get a bone scan--never anything. There is a condition which is inflammation between the ribs in the tissue--it has a name, and I think that is what I have, more than actual pain from the rib bones. Can't recall the name of this condition. I have had  8 surgeries in and around my right rib cage, and with each surgery that pain seems to get more noticeable.

weesa, I think your're think of chondritis.

I have yet to have my surgery or radiation (although am "excited" to say I am finally in a place where I am scheduling surgery in the enxt few weeks) but I have the same type of pain you are describing.  I am still on chemo so that may be a factor.  I just had a completely clean PET scan.

Helena,

I'm a year out from radiation and I get all those weird pains too - the rib soreness and the weird stabbing pains around the whole breast area. I was also those weird pains could be some of the nerves which are regenerating - could be happening for an extended period of time.

we are so aware of every little ache and pain in our bodies aren't we? I have pain in my hip from time to time that i'm almost positive is hip bursitis but still one wonders....

Jackie

I hear you Helena! I go through my ups and downs, and just when I feel like I'm going through a bit of a rut and think of doing something about it, I have some good days and forget about it for a while (never completely forget though). But yes, this is a grieving process and like you, I had never been sick before and really dislike the hypochondriac that I've become. But I can see a light at the end of the tunnel for us - the more time goes by, the better we will feel for more extended periods of time.

About the hip pain, I'm on Tamoxifen, but I do hear some people experience hip pain with it. I'm comforted by the fact the pain goes away for days and sometimes weeks at a time...

And yes, all those pains are normal - the mastectomy severed all those little nerves around the breast area and some of them will slowly regenerate and cause twinges of pain - that's how my BS described it.  Very exciting that your reconstruction is coming up!

Jackie

I had a left side mastectomy and also experience pain at the edge of my rib cage if I poke around there.  I mentioned it to my oncologist and breast surgeon and they both agreed that it's likely a little scar tissue forming and possibly pulling on my rib cage and some nerves in there, but it's nothing to be alarmed about.  They both said once my body is fully healed from all the surgery and treatments, my body and the nerves in there will "re-set" and the pain will go away.