It started 5 years ago, had a series of 4 or 5 attacks whereby I would suddenly get such horrific pain in my chest that I simply couldn't move, sometimes couldn't get my breath as this would cause the pain to strike so sharply. Unlike any pain I have known, hard to describe, but very very frightening.
Over the next 4 years it was gone. I completely forgot about it. Until a year ago. I was in the shower and that same pain "threatened" again in my chest. I remembered it instantly and immediately got out the shower whereby an attack happened in the bedroom and I just had to keep really still. Again, 4 or 5 more attacks occurred over the next 6 weeks and they really took it out of me. One time I went to the hospital because the pain just wouldnt subside and the the attack went on for 8 hours on and off, striking as I moved or breathed too deeply.
Again, it went away, but this time, not for 4 years, but for just 1 year, and now it has come back again, my worry is that this time it seems more persistant.
this time my doctor has given me a very strong anti inflammatory which I take daily and I think I am supposed to do so for a few weeks. I thought it had things in hand but I have just returned from a walk in the park because an attack happened while I was there. not a full blown "knock me sideways" attack, but a painful one nevertheless that nearly stopped me being able to make it home.
I don't know what I will do if its here to stay. I am due a chest x ray next week although I dont know what this is to look for??? this time I have had blood tests but not the trace on my heart as i presume the doctor just thinks i had that a year ago with the last attacks. I was told it was likely i had a virus this time which has triggered it, but this was 3 weeks ago and i no longer have a fever so i am rather down about the fact i am still getting attacks. If anyone can tell me how to beat this i would be so grateful, or even how to manage it, because its the kind of thing that stops you leading your life how you want for fear of an attack. Like i said, i wasnt even sure i was going to be able to get home a few hundred yards from the park and that was only a minor attack.
I read a couple of threads and a lady was recommending cleansing and so I wondered if I should start that, I also read somewhere about certain massage....but to be honest, this is all so new to me that I'm a bit lost really.
I understand that doctors diagnose costo when other things are ruled out, so i was wondering, Do I actually have costo?" And is it possible for something that cant actually be confirmed by way of testing, to hurt sooooo intensely? No one else I know has this and they really dont understand.
If anyone thinks I should ask for any other testing before going down the route of self help for costo then please could you let me know what tests i should ask for or if you think this does in fact sound like costo then I would be grateful for any advice you have as I just dont know what to do.
Hi Lara, Have you had an injury to your chest? Activity can bring on or make this condition worse.
Are you getting your omega 3s,(very important) vitamin E, and there are many other natural anti-inflammatory supplements. (niacin, bromelain, ginger, coconut oil, glucosamine/chondroitin...)
How is your diet? Try detox baths, ozone/H202, and/or infared saunas. Do you fast?
Remember all pharmacy drugs hurt the liver and help destroy your body. Drugs taken for inflammation cause serious side effects.
I would take steps to heal your body of this inflammation forever, naturally.
I'm so sorry I didn't see your post a few days ago. The costo forum has been a bit dead lately.
I like all the things Naturalist said..
I was a big costo sufferer for years and years. I had taken many drugs, narcoleptic, anti-inflammatory, etc. In the end he suggested taking out my gallbladder because he couldn't think of anything else. I was so desperate, I almost said yes!! That was until I read all about the removal of one's gall bladder and starting researching like crazy.
Costo is an inflammatory issues. There is no doubt about that. And as one who has studied as much as possible about alternative health these past couple of years, I've come to the conclusion that costo, while it can be caused by a mechanical accident, is most likely an internal issue. It's a sign of other things awry in your body.
That is when I discovered the theory of cleansing the body. If you cleanse the body by natural means, it allows your body to fight the things that are giving you these symptoms, be it your liver, or your colon or something is not right. So your body inflames to attack the problem in the organ that is not functioning. It's so logical.
So I began to systematically cleanse. I started with my liver and should have started with my colon. BUT after the first Liver Flush I had lessening of pain after 3+ years of debiliating pain. After the second liver flush, the pain was pretty much gone. I threw away all my prescriptions and have not looked back.
After 2 years, I am still pain free. I have done a liver flush, colon cleanse, kidney cleanse and parasite cleanse. None of these are scary. For example, a kidney cleanse is a matter of eating a bunch of Watermelon in a short time span (juicing is wonderful). The parasite cleanse I did was a good one and only 30 days. Nothing major happened to me on it. The Liver Flush was interesting. Many peope are scared of doing it, but there have been hundreds and hundreds who sucessfully liver flush all the time. You need to research it and I can help if need be. The colon cleanse was from a product called Oxypowder which many people here use. It's amazing. I really think a big part of my problem was from elimination, thereby causing the inflammation.
That's it in a nutshell. Ginger is amazing for pain and gastrointestinal issues. Turmeric is great for inflammation.
Concentrate on cleansing yourself, then start looking for a natural means of builing up your immunity, and you have unlocked the door to what this is all about. 2+ years, pain free and an occassional twinge, but now I know my body well enough to come to it's rescue.
I understand your pain. I lost my last job because of mine. I didn't move for 3 years.
Please feel free to come get me anytime you need me. I'm on the Oil Pulling forum mostly. Just make a post there asking for me.
I hae costochondritis and have had it for about 7 years now. Lately it has been really bad. In fact, I was at the ER the other day for a bad reaction to the pain meds my doctor gave me for it. I am at my end...I don't know what to do. I read your thread and was wondering if you could tell me where I can find these things o do the cleansing? Also, are they very expensive? I cannot afford to spend a lot. But right now, I am almost in tears every day from the pain. It constantly feels like I'm having a heart attack!!! PLease help!
Oh my gosh, you poor kid. I so know what you mean. I couldn't do anything without pain. Moving my torso at all was agony. This went on for years and years....
The colon cleanse can be done three ways: A product called Oxypowder (which is magnesium based) and I love it. Or a fiber based cleanser. Women often have problems with this kind of fiber based because it bulks up and sloughs through you intestines. I got really constipated with it (like metamusial). Or you can just get a box of Epsom Salts at the store (really cheap) and drink a pinch in water, or do a full on cleanse with it. You need to read the directions. It tastes like crap, I won't lie. I usually suck on a lime after drinking it, or you can put it in empty gel caps.
The liver flush, which was the beginning of my freedome from pain, is done with epsom salts, oil (I uses sunflower) and a grapefruit. Again really cheap.
The parasite cleanse you need to buy. Humaworm, on CZ, has a good thirty day cleanse and it's a very good product. He makes the blends himself, so they have high integrity. The price is very good.
You can look at the colon cleanse, Liver Flush and humaworm forums here at CZ, and then I would suggest you google as much as you can about the subject and then proceed the way that feels right to you.
I have to tell you something, but I'm going to start this as a new topic. I'm very excited about it, but it's not totally cheap.
I will check back to see if you have any other questions.
Is Costo a muscle diesease my brother has a rare muscle diesease since childhood that affected his chest muscles that makes him feel like pre- heart attack pains.
Not costo? I'm so sorry. I developed costo when I was 18 and was told that it was inflammation similar to pleursy and that it would disappear in a month or two. I'm 36 and still have it. Mine is usually during season changes. I live in Michigan so April and Oct are bad months for me. It does feel like your having a heart attack. The first few years I thought I was going to die and would run to ER often. Now, I pop a few tylenol and forget about it (yes, I know tylenol is horrible for the liver but the pain is also show-stopping) I am hoping to do some cleansing to eliminate the pain and a host of other problems. What nobody knew back then and still will not admit now is that the costo was probably a pre-cursor to many more problems about to come. I feel like costo was the beginning to my auto-immune problems but a md won't tell you that because they don't know. I have life-threatening severe allergies to fish which I developed about the same time as the costo. I just developed a peanut allergy and also sulfites so my system is all screwed up. I'm not sure if there is a chance of reversing these food allergies but significantly ligtening them up would be good. I would suggest taking a natural approach right now to the costo as you may ward off many other illnesses that will follow. The costo is scary but not life-threatening. Try and relax as the hypertension WILL make it worse.
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I don't know where to start to cope with this : ( 
