Costochondritis

[Paleowoman]

18 months post surgery. I saw my cardiologist today for check up and ECG. Everything fine with my heart and valve but I will have an echocardiogram again in six months when it will be two years since AVR. The only problem I have, apart from continuing visual disturbances (sparkles of light, occular migraines and double vision) which many of us seem to get post heart surgery, is that I have costochondritis. For the past two months I've been getting pains along the lower right hand edge of the sternal incision on breathing in, sneezing, coughing and weight lifting, not bad enough that it incapacitates me in any way, but certainly makes me very aware of its presence. The cardiologist found specific points along the incision which indicate it's due to costochondritis. He said if it gets worse to come back and I can get some treatment for it. Very strange. Has anyone else had this post surgery ?

 

[Seaton]

Good to hear all’s well with your valve and heart. Encouraging to read.

Activity that places stress on your chest area, such as strenuous exercise, can apparently aggravate costochondritis – so I was just reading. Was wondering if you’d recently begun any particularly new type of weight lifting exercises, ones you wouldn't normally do? If so, could that be an aggravation?

Here’s hoping it resolves soon.

*Was intrigued by what you said about ocular migraines and post surgery incidence. I’ve had aura migraines (with pervasive visual disturbance) since childhood – sometimes two a week. My record is two in one day. They always last thirty minutes or so and initiate a thumping headache that can remain for days. I see them as passing electrical storms in my head and have learned to live with them. The migraines seem to be a family characteristic, as my mother and father both suffered from them. I’ve had less this year than at any other time in my life.

Was wondering about this possible association with post heart surgery that you mentioned. Would it be the heart/lung machine? Was also wondering how those who suffered from aura migraines, or non-aura migraines, prior to surgery fared post surgery, and whether their migraines increased (or lessened!) in frequency as a consequence?

Sorry, realised this has gone off topic. I will do an archive search.

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Seaton - I haven't started any new exercise, no. I'm doing the same exercises that I've been doing since I was able to get back into exercise following surgery. It's true I have increased the amount of weight that I lift during exercises, but that has been a very, very, gradual thing and I haven't increased much over the last four months, yet this costochondirits started approximately two months ago. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Re the occular migraines. I used to get migraines with typical visual aura and headaches for a short time in my 40's when I was pre-menstrual so that was associated with hormone fluctations. These current occular migraines, which are without any headache at all, started the day after cardiac surgery. They are the typical zigzaging pattern of light which starts in the centre of vision and expands to fill the vision and lasts about 20 minutes with me. All those visual symtpoms the surgeon said were to do with the heart lung machine. I even found a report of a study which said this is something that can happen as a result of cardiac surgery. There's a thread about visual disturbances last year which several forum members contributed to who all had simialr visual disturbances which I think would interest you: http://www.valvereplacement.org/foru...ardiac-surgery

 

[Seaton]

Hi Paleogirl ...

Thank you for the link. What an amazing thread. Questions answered. A treasure trove of words in forum form. Seek, and ye will find.

Best with your costochondritis.

 

[rufus]

Hi,

I constantly suffer with this and have done on and off since my first ohs in 2007. It can be the most horrendous pain can't it ??!!
although I'm on warfarin my GP prescribed Feldene Gel which although an anti-inflammatory doesn't interact very much - it does the job and really reduces the pain ...... Maybe as your doctor if they could possibly prescribe for you - give it a go and keep us updated.

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Rufus - Feldene sounds a good idea if it gets very bad. So far I can tolerate it fine. Cardiologist suggested steroid injection but I wouldn't want something like that having had them for tennis elbow and found they delay healing somewhat, though they 'cover' pain. I've been looking on the net trying to find if there is an association with having had heart surgery and it would appear to be the case which makes sense. I suppose the part where it happens is 'weaker' ? Do you know of any triggers which set yours off ?