LizzyBee Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I am having some pretty intense pain on my left side, in my rib cage area. If my unmedicated childbirth was a 10, this is probably a 6 right now. Dh thinks I should go to ER, but I don't think it's bad enough to justify going to the ER. I'm not shaking, throwing up, or any of that from the pain. Background info: Sunday evening my dd12 was watching Irish dance videos online, and one of them was on warm ups and stretches. I walked in the room when the video was showing side stretches (bending at the waist to the side while keeping shoulders back). I stretched to the left... no big deal. I stretched to the right, and it felt like I pulled a muscle on my left side. So weird because I've done those recently without any issues. Since then, my left side has been sore, particularly when I move in ways that stretch that area. But it wasn't terrible. I didn't take any pain meds until Monday night, so I could sleep. Today the pain wasn't bad until I got into the car after work. (At work, it hurt if I sneezed, coughed, or laughed, but it was tolerable and not constant.) After I got in the car, it felt like the pain moved around to the side of my back instead of my side, and it was so intense I thought I might have kidney stones. But it subsided somewhat and moved back over to the side. Right now, I'm sitting in a chair, and the pain is constant. It got pretty intense for a bit and I could feel a rolling movement inside my left upper abdomen. As I'm typing, the feeling of movement is gone, and movement doesn't hurt as bad. I might lower the rating from a 6 to a 5 now. It's definitely there, and I'm sure I will need motrin to get comfortable enough to sleep, but I think it's tolerable enough to wait and see the doctor tomorrow. I don't have a fever. So should I listen to dh and go to ER, or wait and go to the doctor tomorrow? Thanks for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Motrin and HEAT. Dr. tomorrow unless you hit 7+, then ER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 Motrin and HEAT. Dr. tomorrow unless you hit 7+, then ER. Going to plug in the heating pad now. Thanks for reminding me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 My initial reaction was that it sounds like a pulled muscle/rib issue and could probably wait (my husband had similar recently) until I noticed your sig. That makes me inclined to err on the side of caution and suggest the ER - spleen issues would be my concern with your history and the location of the pain. At the very least, they can give you some good pain meds to tide you over and peace of mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 My initial reaction was that it sounds like a pulled muscle/rib issue and could probably wait (my husband had similar recently) until I noticed your sig. That makes me inclined to err on the side of caution and suggest the ER - spleen issues would be my concern with your history and the location of the pain. At the very least, they can give you some good pain meds to tide you over and peace of mind. We've talked about whether it could be my spleen, but the pain is not really in quite the right place; and my white blood cells have been normal for a long time. In October my pcr (measures % of leukemia cells) was the lowest it's ever been, so it would be weird for my spleen to be swollen now. The leukemia I have is slow-growing, so it is unlikely it spiraled out of control in a month's time. I took some motrin and the pain level is pretty low now. If it didn't respond to motrin, that would concern me a little more. What did they do for your husband's muscle/rib issue? I just finished physical therapy for lower back pain, and I really don't want to go back, so I'm hoping that's not the recommended treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 What did they do for your husband's muscle/rib issue? I just finished physical therapy for lower back pain, and I really don't want to go back, so I'm hoping that's not the recommended treatment. Tramadol, rest, and time. He honestly could probably have used something stronger for the first week or so, but going conservative seemed like the best option for being taken seriously (he's allergic to ibuprofen, so that wasn't an option). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 Tramadol, rest, and time. He honestly could probably have used something stronger for the first week or so, but going conservative seemed like the best option for being taken seriously (he's allergic to ibuprofen, so that wasn't an option). I figured rest and time, assuming it really is a pulled muscle and not something internal. I try to avoid motrin as much as possible because of the bleeding risk, and tylenol/percocet because they're hard on the liver. My leukemia medicine increases bleeding risk and is hard on the liver, so I try to avoid anything that increases those risks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamzanne Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I had something similar earlier this year and was on my way to the Dr. when a friend mentioned she thought it could be a slipped rib. I had also injured it doing some side stretches. My physical therapist friend gave me an exercise that helped: find something shoulder height on both sides of my body that I could stretch my arms out onto and would be stable. I used a bookshelf and then stacked heavy books on another shelf to make it the correct height. You want your arms to be as perfectly perpendicular to your body as possible. Press down with both arms towards the floor as hard as you can. You are kind of lifting your upper torso and hoping the slipped rib will work its way back into place. Or at least that is what it felt like to me. I did this several times a day for a day and a half and then felt no pain any longer. I didn't feel it "click" back in or anything like that but it definitely did the trick. Your pain may be caused by something completely different, but it might be worth a try. I used a maximum dose of ibuprofin for those days as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 I had something similar earlier this year and was on my way to the Dr. when a friend mentioned she thought it could be a slipped rib. I had also injured it doing some side stretches. My physical therapist friend gave me an exercise that helped: find something shoulder height on both sides of my body that I could stretch my arms out onto and would be stable. I used a bookshelf and then stacked heavy books on another shelf to make it the correct height. You want your arms to be as perfectly perpendicular to your body as possible. Press down with both arms towards the floor as hard as you can. You are kind of lifting your upper torso and hoping the slipped rib will work its way back into place. Or at least that is what it felt like to me. I did this several times a day for a day and a half and then felt no pain any longer. I didn't feel it "click" back in or anything like that but it definitely did the trick. Your pain may be caused by something completely different, but it might be worth a try. I used a maximum dose of ibuprofin for those days as well. Thanks! I'll give that a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtoamiracle Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Just wondering how you are doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 Just wondering how you are doing? Feeling so much better today! I ended up not going to the doctor because it was so much better. I think it's just a pulled muscle and it will be okay with time. Driving is still pretty painful, but I got through the day without any meds. I'll take some motrin tonight to make sure I'm comfortable enough to sleep, but at this rate I'm guessing that I won't need meds even at night within a couple days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momtoamiracle Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 I'm so glad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 Oh my word. I have been getting better every day, so I was comfortable with "self-diagnosing" a pulled muscle and waiting for it to heal. I was getting by with no meds except 600 mg of motrin at night so I could sleep. Last evening, I *very slowly* stretched to the right just to see how far I could go, to check the progress of my healing. Within less than an hour, my pain was a 10/10. I took 800 mg of motrin and 2 percocet (5-325mg) and still had pain. I was finally able to fall asleep, but every time I moved, I could feel the pain. I talked to my sister who is an ER nurse with >30 yrs of experience this morning. She thinks I probably have a cracked rib and should have x-rays. I asked her whether I should go to the ER if my pain goes back up to 8-10, but she said there's not anything they can do. Just wait and go to the doctor tomorrow, and if I do have a cracked rib, get an updated bone density test. (I have pre-menopausal osteoporosis.) I have a dentist appt first thing Monday morning and a client appointment Monday afternoon. But I will have to cancel them because my dh is about ready to tie me up and drag me to the dr. He is very upset with me for not going sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 24, 2013 Author Share Posted November 24, 2013 Your regular dr. or an urgent care dr. could give you prescriptions for a muscle relaxer and a strong pain med. With the bone density issue it would be wise to see your reg. dr. I am definitely going in on Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted November 25, 2013 Share Posted November 25, 2013 Oh my word. I have been getting better every day, so I was comfortable with "self-diagnosing" a pulled muscle and waiting for it to heal. I was getting by with no meds except 600 mg of motrin at night so I could sleep. Last evening, I *very slowly* stretched to the right just to see how far I could go, to check the progress of my healing. Within less than an hour, my pain was a 10/10. I took 800 mg of motrin and 2 percocet (5-325mg) and still had pain. I was finally able to fall asleep, but every time I moved, I could feel the pain. I talked to my sister who is an ER nurse with >30 yrs of experience this morning. She thinks I probably have a cracked rib and should have x-rays. I asked her whether I should go to the ER if my pain goes back up to 8-10, but she said there's not anything they can do. Just wait and go to the doctor tomorrow, and if I do have a cracked rib, get an updated bone density test. (I have pre-menopausal osteoporosis.) I have a dentist appt first thing Monday morning and a client appointment Monday afternoon. But I will have to cancel them because my dh is about ready to tie me up and drag me to the dr. He is very upset with me for not going sooner. Oh no! Praying you feel better soon & hope your dr. appointment reveals what's going on. Ribs can be so painful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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