I feel the same thing right now and am 12weeks pregnant, so xrays are out of the question. Someone posted earlier about being 8 months pregnant with these symptoms...and resolution?
For some reason and for the first time, I get a severe sharp pain under my right rib cage when coughing, sneezing or just lifting myself up from a horizontal position. What I do to avoid pain when feeling a cough coming on (I have a head cold) is to put both arms around my upper knee with hands clasped, and pull my thigh as tightly as I can against my rib cage when coughing. That alleviates most of the pain.
I feel for everyone suffering with pain, including myself. I have had a bad cough and headcold for weeks now. I think it's bronchitis, but my doc was vague when it came to an actual diagnosis. I have been coughing so hard that I would hear a pop and was then in horrible pain in that area. As many of you described the feeling of seeing stars and for me I felt unable to catch my breath because of the pain. This happened several times, but the pain would lessen in a few days (maybe a pulled/bruised muscle, but man do those hurt)! Today, I did the same thing, but the pain this time is even more unbearable. When I walk, sit or even breath, I'm in pain. I'm 17 weeks pregnant so I have resisted taking any meds. Tylenol is safe so I've been taking those maybe once or twice a day, just to take the edge off the pain. If I could just get rid of this awful cough! Oh, what to do!
well these comments have really helped me, i have never been so ill. antibiotics have not worked on the cough. now i have these horrendous pains, pain killers are doing nothing. all movement is painful and i cannot sleep, i am at my wits end
Well I'm kinda glad in a way that I'm not the only one going through this. I also had a cough for about 2 weeks and went to the doctor for meds. While I was getting better & coughing that stuff up, I did something to my lower right side. It hurts to breathe, cough, sneeze, or laugh. Now I'm almost possitive I cracked or broke a rib. Everyones input has really helped! Guess I'll wait it out!
I second the suggestion of another poster - the pain from coughing is INTENSE unless I tuck my knees to my chest and hug them while coughing. Then it's just a dull pain and doesn't make the area hurt worse following the cough. If you need to give one of those bigger coughs to clear out some junk, do yourself a favor and give your knees a hug!
About a month ago I fell getting into a hot tub, went to ER, they took Xrays and didn't see anything cracked/broken, gave me pain meds and sent me home with "bruised ribs". Yesterday, I was coughing and heard a pop and my entire right size (injured before) seized up, I would barely breathe, and was crying like a baby from the pain (and I've had a kid natural). Went to ER, doc said I did crack a rib, it was a slight crack, but one none the less. So YES, it is possible. As for pain relief, if you can't go to dr., get Aleve and Ibuprofen. Take 2 aleve, then about an hour later, take 4 (800 mg) motrin. CAUTION - I think Aleve may be NSAID, so if you can't take that, use Tylenol instead if you can take that. Don't take more than 4 Aleve a day.
Thanks for the coughing suggestion - I'm a smoker so the morning is not pretty. :-( I have found that sitting on the toilet lid, and bending to my right also eases the pain of coughing.
Thanks for the coughing suggestion - I'm a smoker so the morning is not pretty. :-( I have found that sitting on the toilet lid, and bending to my right also eases the pain of coughing.
I have had some kind of chest problem for about two months now. Either way, persistant painful coughing fits all the time. My right side became very sore over the last week, I found the most painful spot is in the front in a certain rib. Last night as I was enduring yet another hacking fit, I felt a painful pop in my side around the same area. Since then I can barely sit up and there is no comfortable way to lay, etc. Applied heat but that did not help. Time to go to the doctor.
Wow - I feel better knowing how common this is. I am getting over a really bad cough due to asthma and the fact that I am allergic to the dog we had adopted. Had her for 2 months and now she is gone. I am feeling so much better but a couple of days ago I had a bad coughing fit and felt a pop on my lower left side just under the ribs and it still hurts like crazy! I am glad to know this is fairly common and so I am just going to wait it out and hopefully it won't last for too much longer.
Have had bronchitis for over a week and a half along with a persistent cough that has gotten worse. Woke up yesterday with my left side just under my ribs feeling sore, but nothing I couldn't handle, but by early afternoon it was getting pretty bad every time I coughed. This morning feels worse than it did all day yesterday and the third time I coughed I felt a "POP" and the pain intensified 3-fold.
Dull constant pain when not coughing and severe sharp pain when doing anything that uses the abdominal muscles...especially coughing.
All of you that responded should be fine by now, but maybe you should post a reply and say how long it ended up lasting for you, etc.
Dull constant pain when not coughing and severe sharp pain when doing anything that uses the abdominal muscles...especially coughing.
All of you that responded should be fine by now, but maybe you should post a reply and say how long it ended up lasting for you, etc.
I feel and have felt your pain and it is probably a broken rib. I had bilateral pneumonia and bronchitis for 5 weeks earlier this year and broke 2 ribs coughing. One on each side. Definately one of the more painful experiences of my life and took almost 8 weeks to heal completely. If it hurts to sit, stand, bend, breathe, roll over, sneeze or cough it is probably a rib. My doctor prescribed codiene as a cough suppressant as well as to work on the pain. Good luck and speedy recovery.
i felt a pop under my right lower rib a couple days ago evertime i cough its a severe pain i sneezed tonight and i couldnt move at all on my right side im heading to hospital now to see if i did break a rib but like you said if you do all you can check is to make sure its not going to stick something vital and deal with the pain im sorta grunting up the phlem and drinking alot to keep coughing in check but i feel better knowing im not the only one with this and that its common
I feel everyone's pain as well and after reading from most that this horrific pain is caused by coughing, there is much comfort. I was imagining such horrible things like having a hernia or a kidney infection and relieved to hear that it's not. I had a bad cold for about a week during which time, I coughed harder than I ever have before. The cough has gone away for the most part, but the back pain right under my right ribcage has persisted. It's difficult to move when walking or even trying to relax in bed. The sharp pain is scary, especially because I am also 8 1/2 months pregnant and feel completely disabled by this. I am going to call my doctor today and hope that she'll say that it's nothing a little rest won't get rid of. Good luck all!
message to anyone who thinks they broke a rib: DONT WASTE YOUR TIME or MONEY TRYING TO FIND OUT IF YOU DO because THERE IS BASICALLY NOTHING YOU CAN DO FOR A BROKEN RIB OR EVEN A PULLED RIB MUSCLE besides TAKE PAIN KILLERS. So if thats what your plan is go for it but if your not going to take pain killers for the pain then dont bother with x rays or doctor visit. DO however get checked up if you think if may have something to do with an infection or worse.
Well, I feel much better knowing this is a fairly common thing. I have much tenderness on both sides of my rib cage (mostly in front but also in back) but mainly on the right. I too, felt the snap during a late night coughing spell. I'll just wait it out like everyone else and hope we all get better soon! Take care!