Hi everyone…has anyone experienced a tightness or discomfort in the rib cage area. This started about a week ago. It is not ongoing …comes a couole of days…leaves…returns…
Dazedandconfused…I appreciate your response and yes I have been diagnosed with CIDP and I’m receiving IVIG. I was just inquiring if anyone else experienced the stated discomfort as many of us experience different issues. I wasnt seeking an analysis or diagnosis, just asked the question. I appreciate the group and the avenue for support not diagnosis. I depend on my medical team for such. I will keep you updated. Thanks for your concern. Blessings to you!
from what I've read the thoracic spine area is just as susceptible to demylinization as the cervical and lumbar-sacral areas are, but thoracic symptoms usually occur later in cidp.
i've had chest pains near/under the sternum and they were always related to shortness of breath, i.e., phrenic nerve. but i do remember other pains in the chest. When I looked them up they related to the muscles that connected the ribcage and the diaphragm in that nerve nexus. DO some research.
however, over the course of 20 years with CIDP ( I call it simmering CIDP) until 2011 when everything went crazy, I experienced little and big,mysterious pains everywhere, and not always symmetric. And, for that 20 years my symptoms were called diabetic neuropathy from Type 2 diabetes. However, i've never been over 190 pounds, and at 6', and based on my body -mass -index, I could not have had type 2 diabetes. K()&%er Medical got it wrong and constantly ignored my mysterious symptoms, because the PCPs were not trained to look for a rare disease and knew nothing about diabetes type 1.5.
I know why CIDP affects my body the way it does. I have an electrical engineering degree and CIDP is all about failed capacitance of the voltage-potential in the axon. And where do the axons go?— Everywhere.
On Easter Sunday a year ago, I developed a terrible pain around my entire rib cage. The pain felt like I had my gallbladder all over again. I went to my PA he ran a couple of tests and of course everything was fine. I ended up in the ER. I still have the pain. Sometimes really bad and sometimes barely noticeable .
Hi DazedandConfused. …you did not offend or upset me. I appreciated your concern. I have met with my neurologist and discussed my discomfort
I have an appt. With my cardiologist and will be doing follow up. Thanks again and God Bless You.
DazedandConfused said:
Ann,
I apologize if my words did not adequately describe my thoughts.
I was trying to express a sense of urgency and deep concern over your chest/rib cage discomfort, not “taking you to task” for seeking out other members’ experiences.
Such is the nature of messages and written communication…the lack of vocal intonation and body language can sometimes be misinterpreted. My sense of concern and urgency that your situation may be more than rib cage discomfort (such as a cardiac problem needing immediate treatment) may have caused my words to sound abrupt.
It was never my intent to sound in any way short or upsetting to you.
I do hope you are feeling better, and God bless you, as well.
Hi,
I am experiencing that tightness too. I am 45 and I don't have any heart problems ( My PCP checked) and my Neurologist said it wasn't from the IVIG, of which I've had 3 treatments. He also didn't seem that concerned. Like you said, it comes and goes especially when I get stressed. I would be interested to hear what your doctors say.
Stay Strong!
Hi I would like to hear more about pain in the rib cage. I have congestive heart problems and COPD. Whenever I am short of breath one or the other is blamed for the problem but when my oxygen levels are checked my O-2 level s are above 90 and my blood pressure is within the normal range along with my pulse rate. My lungs have deteriated at the normal rate for someone my age and so has my heart. But my disappearing nerves are never blamed for the pain I have in the rib cage or the shortness of breath. And forget stress problems, I have learned a long time ago to control stress.
estaban said:
from what I've read the thoracic spine area is just as susceptible to demylinization as the cervical and lumbar-sacral areas are, but thoracic symptoms usually occur later in cidp.
i've had chest pains near/under the sternum and they were always related to shortness of breath, i.e., phrenic nerve. but i do remember other pains in the chest. When I looked them up they related to the muscles that connected the ribcage and the diaphragm in that nerve nexus. DO some research
however, over the course of 20 years with CIDP ( I call it simmering CIDP) until 2011 when everything went crazy, I experienced little and big,mysterious pains everywhere, and not always symmetric. And, for that 20 years my symptoms were called diabetic neuropathy from Type 2 diabetes. However, i've never been over 190 pounds, and at 6', and based on my body -mass -index, I could not have had type 2 diabetes. K()&%er Medical got it wrong and constantly ignored my mysterious symptoms, because the PCPs were not trained to look for a rare disease and knew nothing about diabetes type 1.5.
I know why CIDP affects my body the way it does. I have an electrical engineering degree and CIDP is all about failed capacitance of the voltage-potential in the axon. And where do the axons go?— Everywhere.
Hi Estaban
I asked my neurologist about what you said in an earlier discussion and right away she said you assumptions were wrong. but I liked them as well as this. They make sense to me but then again I am not in the medical field. I am only a recipient of the disaster. Ethel
I hope what I am going to say won't frighten anyone, but when my dad had chest issues, it was b/c his breathing muscles had become involved, this eventually led to him getting on a home trilogy machine (non invasive ventilator). His oxygen sats were always normal, but his CO2 was very high, he was unable to expel it properly, due to weakened pulmonary function. PFTs, pulmonary function tests were what showed all of the impairment.
Hi Jenn What do you mean by "weakened pulmonary function"? Lack of breathing exercises, old age, some disease like COPD? I have COPD but I do breathing exercises. I have congestive heart problems which cause breathing problems. All my Pulse rates and O-2 levels (without O2 breathing apparatus) are normal. I know that someday I could suffocate. but I also know that my CIDP can affect any and all muscles in my body. And if it is CIDP contributing to my muscle weakness, I would like to do something to stop it.
I mean that his CIDP affected his ability to breath. His oxygen levels were normal, his pulmonary issues were diagnosed by PFTs, pulmonary function tests. He was having trouble taking a deep breath and felt short of breath. He never had oxygen level issues, it was the ability to take a deep breath and expel air. His CO2 would build up.
He did not have COPD or heart issues, those can also cause shortness or breath, so your issues could very well be related to either of those issues and likely not CIDP. His case was very rare, the doctors were confused by him the entire time.
HI Jenn I have been saying that CIDP is the reason I have shortness of breath for quite a while but was told that there is no way that is my problem. I know that I have gotten weaker. All my muscles have gotten weaker but I am told it is not because of CIDP it is because of my age. I exercise regularly. I am glad to hear that someone has finally said it is CIDP affecting the diaphragm. I hope more will speak up. Ethel
I'm sorry Ethel:( I hope that isn't the case for you. Maybe you can ask your doctor for some pulmonary function tests? It is rare, but it is a possible complication of CIDP, then again CIDP is rare in the first place!
dazedandconfused,
I apologize if I wasn't clear, it was my dad who had CIDP. He did have autonomic instability, but I honestly don't know if he had shortness of breath with that. I would ask your physician for PFTs, pulmonary function tests. Best of luck;)
I have checked my blood pressure and oxygen levels many times when I have shortness of breath and pressure in the rib cage area and the readings have always been normal I exercise and do special breathing exercises also. I use to need oxygen 24/7. Now I only use it when I experience this shortness of breath. I am looking for the cause of that because I believe that the diaphragm is weakening because of CIDP. Can't find anyone that agrees with me. BUT I am looking. The answer I get it is "YOUR AGE" I am also tired of carrying my O-2 bottle around with me when I go out.
I read about the autonomic functions when I was trying to find about the cause of the nerve "dis-functions" in CIDP. It is interesting to learn how the nerves function. I think our brain and nervous system is just one big computer with lots of sub programs controlling our body. {And it would be nice if we could find a computer geek to fix it.}
Left side ribs…I was told it’s the nerves that run around the rib cage