Severe Rib Cage Pain and Clostridium Difficile

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tleggett
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Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:52 am

Severe Rib Cage Pain and Clostridium Difficile

Postby tleggett » Fri Sep 28, 2018 10:29 am

Hi all:
I’m a 32 year old female still suffering from severe chest pain post infection. I started out with watery diarrhea and severe chest pain which turned out to be costochondritis. It consists of intense rib cage throbbing that is incredibly painful and debilitating. I was positive for clostridium difficile starting with my visit to the ER for chest pain in November of 2017 until August of 2018. I have had a long, painful road. I started with 2 weeks of Flagyl, then 2 weeks of Vancomycin. Then, I was hospitalized and given a 2 month long taper of Vancomycin. I was negative for one week and had a reoccurance. Finically, I was given 10 days of Dificid which took it away very fast. My chest pain has been worse than anything I have ever experienced. I feel constant throbbing 24 hours a day, every second, for 11 months now. I had c diff for 9.5 of those months. I had a swollen right knee, which is still sore as well. My right foot is still sore but only with use. My chest feels like a giant is trying to snap my sternum in half. I wear an ice pack 24/7 because the intensity of the throbbing makes me want to jump out of my own body so the ice burns I’ve suffered are menial compared to this agony. I have chemical burns from IcyHot, BioFreeze, abd Ted’s Pain Cream. I’m taking Diclofenac for inflammation and when I stop to try to resume my life, I have to go to the ER because I feel like I’d rather die than fight this anymore. Sadly, costochondritis won’t kill me but will keep me constantly feeling on the verge of death. I take Lyrica, Protonix, and Bacloden. Occaissionally, my doctor will prescribe about 15 hydrocodone per month. I need help because I am being tortured by these chest pains. I’m feeling like I want to die. I feel like the only way to stop this is when I die. I just got engaged, I missed my bar exam for a year now being sick, and we were ready to try and conceive. I’m writing because it’s 7:00am and I haven’t slept because my entire center ribcage, all of the costo cartilage is throbbing so intensely. It feels like a sore thumb getting hit with a hammer but your whole rib cage having that intense pain. I was laying here crying alone, I can’t sleep in our bed bc it hurts and I feel like my movement is too loud for my fiancé to sleep comfortably and decided to make one last ditch effort to talk to others. I’m so tired of hearing my doctor tell me to wait while I watch my life go by and I lay here in agony. Is there anyone else that experienced this chest pain? What treatment(s) helped? Did you ever fully recover from the chest pain? I’m 11 months from the start of the pain and c diff. I am 1.5 months negative for c diff. I’ve been tested every week to make sure, yesterday being the last negative result. I really see no end to. If you can relate, please share because I’m out of hope.

NanciT
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Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2014 12:01 pm

Re: Severe Rib Cage Pain and Clostridium Difficile

Postby NanciT » Fri Sep 28, 2018 10:52 am

Hello and Welcome to the site Please read the first thread for all new posters

Sorry you had to find out and that you continue to have such difficulties. CDIFF can flare up other conditions, Costocondrtitis can be a chronic illness but it's something you need to work with your doctors on. You may consider another opinion if they can't get the pain under control.

It sounds like you beat the CDIFF which is fantastic especially after so many relapses, but a chronic pain issue can be very debilitating. There is no reason to continue testing for CDIFF, most never tests post treatment unless the severe D starts again.

Have you tried PT? I will also send you a private message

Sorry you are going through this

NanciT

roy
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Re: Severe Rib Cage Pain and Clostridium Difficile

Postby roy » Fri Sep 28, 2018 1:31 pm

Diclofenac can cause chest pain, heartburn, gut irriation etc.
If you keep testing to see if it's gone the chances are that a test will come back positive, then you wont know if you should treat or not.
The only indication that c.diff is gone is the lack of D.
NO TEST is accurate enough to use as a proof of cure.
If you have been treating only because of the test results you might be overtreating.
Has your Dr suggested anti anxiety meds?
A lot of your symptoms including costochondritis can sometimes be relieved by them.

tleggett
Brand New Poster
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:52 am

Re: Severe Rib Cage Pain and Clostridium Difficile

Postby tleggett » Sat Sep 29, 2018 12:26 am

I still have diarrhea. I don’t take anxiety meds but the lyrica rids anxiety. When I don’t take the diclofenac I end up at the ER bc the throbbing is too intense to manage. Have you ever had steroid injections for this? They were still testing me because I still have the diarrhea associated with it.

MKW
Regular Contributor
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Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:49 am

Re: Severe Rib Cage Pain and Clostridium Difficile

Postby MKW » Sat Sep 29, 2018 4:42 pm

Hi, I am so sorry you are going through this. I am a 47 year old female that was perfectly healthy before Clindamycin from my dentist.
First, try to think about that you have beat c Diff. This is good! I had three relapses and was cured with a FMT.
However, thereafter over about 6 months I developed SIBO and mixed IBS symptoms and lots of food intolerances.
I have tried varying treatments that help short term then fail.
For whatever reason, as is the case with many ibs sufferers my most debilitating symptom is pain. I have severe painful abdominal cramping that will last for hours and up to a few days as episodes. My new GI doc insisted I try florastor. I took it for a week and a half and ended up in pain that would not stop for two weeks straight.
My point is, I know nothing about your chest condition. What I do know is chronic pain that does not let up can start to make you desperate, hopeless, suicidal, and have thoughts that shock your own self.
I have considered suicide and buying heroin when I have been suffering. I have never done street drugs- it is absurd for me to consider that! It’s maybe like how a person that is starving to death changes their thinking. Pain can make you have severe mental stress and irrational thoughts.
Due to the opioid epidemic no one can get pain meds now that legitimately need it. It’s ridiculous.
If you even get hydrocodone you are lucky.
I don’t have any answers... all I can say to you is you are not alone in suffering.
I have a hard time relating to healthy people now.
I do go on reddit and talk to a lot of people with varying GI problems. It helps me to feel not alone and more normal and be able to freely vent my frustrations. You should try to see if there is a sub reddit on there for anything like your chest condition. Take care, Melanie


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