Blood Test Positive, Need Biopsy- Questions About Rib Pain/costochondritis

[SaraKat]

Hi All- I have been dealing with weird symptoms since Oct 09. I have been told I have costochondritis after having normal CT scan, XRAY, and ultrasounds. I've had some blood work done in the past and everything was mainly normal, but I was anemic. I went on iron and that seemed to help. I was feeling that my symptoms were getting worse and I kept being told it was just costochondritis, but last week I went to a new rheumatologist and they tested me for a bunch of things and I was told Friday that I was positive for celiac. I am kind of in shock, I really have never heard of this disease. I was told I need an endoscopy. I am pretty nervous.

I guess my question is- did anyone have rib pain or underarm pain with celiac? Also, how long did you have symptoms before you were diagnosed?

What type of symptoms do you have? I don't seem to have the symptoms listed on the celiac site except for the abdominal pain (mine is in the upper left side and is a dull ache, sometimes shaper).

Thanks so much!

[Wenmin]

Hi,

This was one of my major symptoms and I kept telling my GI doctor that something was causing my costocondritis. I suffered with this for about 3-4 years, not knowing what was causing it. I had other symptoms for about 10-12 years (milk intolerance, upset stomachs misdiagnosed as acid reflux, diahrrea, etc.) Other symptoms include stomach pains, diahrrea, nausea, heart palpatations, skin crawls, joint pain (especially in fingers), sleepless nights, etc. I was diagnosed by my OBGYN. He suggested I go home and look this up on the internet. I have been following the diet a little over 2 years now.

[SGWhiskers]

I've had the symptoms of costocondritis for several years before being diagnosed Celiac. The pain was lower on the list of bothersome symptoms and because I knew the docs felt I was a hypochondriac I never said anything about it. The pain left within the first 6 months or so after starting the diet, but will come back after a glutening at times.

[Looking for answers]

Welcome to this board. I've experienced this from time to time but I think my is related to heavy exercise, so it's different than what you're experiencing. Since you are new to Celiac, I can't recommend enough the book "Dangerous Grains." It will explain the disease in detail and what to avoid, etc. It was so helpful to me. In fact, I just re-read it yesterday on a long car ride because every time I do I learn something else new (or that I'd forgotten). Also, please remain active in this forum...you'll soon learn you have many friends with sympathetic ears.

[SweetTears]

Hi All- I have been dealing with weird symptoms since Oct 09. I have been told I have costochondritis after having normal CT scan, XRAY, and ultrasounds. I've had some blood work done in the past and everything was mainly normal, but I was anemic. I went on iron and that seemed to help. I was feeling that my symptoms were getting worse and I kept being told it was just costochondritis, but last week I went to a new rheumatologist and they tested me for a bunch of things and I was told Friday that I was positive for celiac. I am kind of in shock, I really have never heard of this disease. I was told I need an endoscopy. I am pretty nervous.

I guess my question is- did anyone have rib pain or underarm pain with celiac? Also, how long did you have symptoms before you were diagnosed?

What type of symptoms do you have? I don't seem to have the symptoms listed on the celiac site except for the abdominal pain (mine is in the upper left side and is a dull ache, sometimes shaper).

Thanks so much!

Yes, I have had this happen to me too! It all started with me having severe right shoulder pain for 4 months and countless shots and misdaignoses and nothing working on relieving pain. I was then diagnosed with a hi-atal hernia, and GERD early October. Then around Thanksgiving in '09 - I started having serious chest pains - they thought it was an alergic reaction to a red bell pepper which I am seriously allergic to. But it kept getting worse, within 1 week the pain in my chest radiated from the breastbone all the way across - it was hard and swollen and I felt like I was having a heart attack. My fiance put a heating pad on me one night and I lost it - I was in so much pain I screamed the whole way to the emergency room. Thus started my hellish month of December - which included 15 yes 15 that's $1500 in copays for the ER alone within a 24 day period - I had test, exam, procedure after another done and costo was tossed around amidst several others things. I lived in the ER - no joke. I actually was told not to come back unless I had a broken arm for them to fix - luckily for me I know someone on the Hospital board that knows I am not a freak or a drug seeking person. In fact I HATE taking medicine. Ok sorry, I digress! Finally I had two doctors convinced it was my gallbladder - they could feel my abdomen totally swollen and rock hard including severe pain when my upper ribcage area was touched. So started the process of getting my gall bladder removed. three general surgeon visits later I find one who can do it but not until I was cleared from another Endoscopy (2nd in 4 months) - I was cleared and then scheduled for surgery two weeks later but then I woke up one day in horrid pain I couldnt walk, move, talk - I was despondent. The whole day before my fiance made me homemade quesadilla's - had like 5. I went to ER they admitted me into the hospital immediately for three days thinking ohhh the cheese did it we need the gall bladder out - so I was prepped for surgery and then was and sent me home shortly thereafter. Nothing was wrong with my gallbladder - it was just severely inflamed. Odd, shoulder arm went away and about 4-5 days later I started eating per doctor's orders a high fiber diet. Sure enough soon after I was back with shoulder pain, ribcage pain, couldnt move more than 3 feet in 10 minutes - seriously horrible. Several appointments and referrals later I met a Rhuema doctor who decided to be very inquisitive and tested me for 4 months every two weeks to see how my inflamation was going in my body because since December my sed rate was off the charts but no medicine helped - admid more testing they found out I have the gene marker for Ankylosing Spondylitis although signs of the disease arent active in my body so i was sent back to my GI doctor. He tested my blood for celiac on a whim and it came back positive - my GI doctor was shocked and scheduled me immediately for another Endoscopy for a biopsy. I just had that done recently and am waiting for the results. I find that if I have any form of wheat, flour, corn flour, rye what have you I am running to the bathroom and feels like I have electric shocks running through my body that I usually am crying from the pain. Not only that but if I eat even the slightest bit my skin feels like it is boiling and I become flaming red like I have a bad rash or sunburn. It stinks! And yes, the shoulder pain comes back including under the arm in armpit area and I also get really hard in my ribcage from right to left and find it hard to move and breathe. So I hear ya and I feel your pain. Get tested soon - this is scary stuff but I am finding that there are people out there who can relate and help - just press onward and fight for what you believe is wrong with your body. Don't let anyone tell you that there is nothing wrong, ever! I hope people and doctors become more educated in regard to celiac because I ahve a feeling so many people are suffering needlessly.

[Foraist89]

i dont know if i am a celiac yet but i have costo and it doesnt ever show up in x-rays and mine didnt really show up in a radio-active scan thing either

good luck with the celiac stuuf, im trying to figure out if my costo is related to caliac if u learn how/why they r connected please post it!

[Pattywow]

Hi All

This is my first time on this wonderful site! I live in England, UK and hope I can buy the foods suggested on this site all the way from England!

I came across CELIAC.COM by typing in to Google 'costocondritis' and gluten! I was thrilled I must have been right by finding a connection as there were two other ladies who had the same experience! So nice to feel you are not going mad! I have had a pain in my left armpit since October 2011!! The Doctor sent my to have a mammogram initially and then my kidney's scanned (my Dad died of Kidney Cancer at just 57 in 2002)! He started off with pain under his arm. The mammogram was a logical step as the pain was constant, but I am worried they didn't do an ultrasound as well as I am 45 and apparently as the breast tissue is different you need both. Also at this moment in time my lovely cousin Sarah who is only 31 in a hospice right now with advanced breast cancer...so that was another basis.

However on seeing the Breast consultant who examined me...she pointed out it seemed to be rib cage inflammation once again, (which I first had in 2009)! She asked is there was bone thinning in the family...and then discounted it because of my age (as oestrogen should be protecting me)! So that's when I went home and put these two words gluten intolerance and costocondritis in to Google and found a thread link! I felt relieved as I have always thought it was this connection to gluten. FOR YEARS I HAVE MOANED TO THE DOCTORS ABOUT BEING BLOATED AND EXCESSIVELY THIRSTY AFTER EATING ANY GLUTEN PRODUCTS! they have always shrugged it off with IBS! I even had a colonoscopy due to a dull pain in my stomach which went on from for months. The consultant couldn't find anything "so it must have been MUST BE IBS"! That was when I took the matter in to my own hands and went on a 'gluten' free diet since March 11 to last December. I felt so much better, less tired, no bloating or wind! But then to be sure once and for all as I was dropping a bit of weight, my Doctor told me to go on gluten to expose my body to it just before Christmas and then have a blood test six weeks later to prove once and for all. I am currently waiting today for the result. I am positive it will come back as gluten intolerance though! I am also sure this led my Dad to his Kidney Cancer too! Dad and I used to joke who had the biggest belly after feeling bloated without any idea of what was really going on! I notice the Kidney Federation in USA is looking seriously at this connection now! Dad also used to love a pint of beer (something I have never liked as one sip would even make me bloat, since I was 18)!

Anyway, I was glad to have found the thread about armpit pain. I also have a 'bakers cyst' on the back of my right knee and wonder if this is all related. I read Bakers Cysts form to protect the knee joint...I am just over 5 ft and weigh (9 stone 7lbs) (USA 135 pounds) - so it is not pressure of weight causing it!

So that's me so far and I would love to know if anyone else is suffering with the same thing.......

Best wishes to you all

[nora-n]

interesting.

Cotochondritis is also connected to hypothyroid, which in turn is connected to celiac.