I swore I would never be one of those people who took it personally when no one responded to me on a website message board but, apparently, I am one of this people. I suppose I'm looking for answers/help/support for this issue in the wrong place. Since this issue didn't arise until after my PE's I thought they'd be related and that people here could offer some feedback. I'll search for a costocondritus site or something. Sigh.

I'm sorry wish I culd help u I barely know about my PE 's I still try & get answers but I hope you get some good response!

I'm new here I jus got diagnosed Feb 4th

Thanks Janellmid. I've had PEs twice. I know how hard it is to adjust and try to figure out what's going on. It's been 7 months since my last one and I'm still trying to get my INR level right. And i keep getting sick with bronchitis and colds and asthma. I don't know. This stuff is a mess!

Take care of yourself and be well!

When I have bad periods with costochondritis, my doctor just gives me a cortisone injection, he evidently feels safer with that than the NSAIDs. That messes up your INR pretty good too, but when they know that I'm getting it then the dosage adjustments can be made to anticipate it and things don't go haywire. And to date the cortisone has been the most helpful thing with the costochondritis too. I hope you feel better soon, I know it's miserable.

Hi I would not take Celebrex if i were you. I was on this before my PE's struck and one of my doctors mentioned this as a possible cause. They have been linked to strokes too. Just my personal experience, but I would not touch the stuff.

Good luck

I am reluctant to take it. I felt lik he prescribed I without knowing anything about me. But I just not feel good and dont have the time or energy to do a new doc search. I wish they all cared a bit more.

Hi! Sorry I only just got back on the site after being out of it for a while.
Don't give up on the group. I felt the same way when I emailed about costo...nobody responded, I think because nobody had experienced it.
Well, I have had costochondritis twice, with each PE. I still have it from my recent PE which was bilateral, massive and required catheter surgery.
Costo really is awful! My dr. did not prescribe celebrex, but Robaxin, which is not an antiinflammatory, but a muscle relaxant. It helped a tiny bit. One thing that helped was cutting down on dairy and other foods that contribute to inflammation.
Tell me about your symptoms if you have a chance. For instance, does it hurt more to bend? It does me.
Meanwhile, hang in there!

I just remembered something else that helped. I went on a week-long regimen of prednisone, which really relieved the pain. Then when I went off it, it came back, but less than half as severe. Just a thought.
And NSAIDs? Am concerned about that!

I'm sorry I missed your original posting. I've had my bilateral PEs for 14 months now and the clots are still there. The Dr gave me celebrex for pain of spinal stenosis but I decided to deal with the pain rather than take the celebrex. I have the same concerns about taking an NSAID with Warfarin. I learned that my Dr was talking to my pharmacist when he had questions but he didn't ask about this one. So it goes....... Good luck to you - maybe talk to your pharmacist too? I trust mine more than I do my Dr.

I agree with Cindy.... check with your pharmacist.... they are a wealth of knowledge. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Thanks all!!!

georgimonty - They did give me predinisone. I tool the last one today. That has helped a bit. My symptoms are: chest pain that radiates through my back and neck and a feeling of confinement that makes if difficult to breath.

Both times that I was told that I had costo were just after some kind of bronchial/asthma thing (something I also didn't have until after the PEs). So, I think the lung inflammation probably triggered it or vice versa. I don't know.

The pain is worse when I lay on my side, when I'm driving or when I sit at my computer for long stretches of time or take deep breaths...not so much when I bend. Sometimes it just stabs and/or aches for no apparent reason. Sometimes it's gone but then suddenly shows up like fire. It's unpredictable and scary.

I decided not to take the Celebrex (and to get a new doc, by the way). I'm in the process of weaning off my psych meds so i just don't want to add anything else.

What stuff did you cut out that cause inflammation? Please don't say chocolate!!!!

I know nothing about costo .... but I have to agree with the other folks. Don't take anything you're not comfortable with (and if you do take something new, talk to the doc who monitors your INR!), and get a doctor who will listen to what you need and respect your INR.

I had surgery two weeks ago and for some reason the follow-up doctor prescribed high doses of NSAIDs for pain killers afterwards. I told him I wasn't comfortable with them because of warfarin and he was like "Well, you can just adjust your dose, right?" I talked to my primary doc and she immeadiately prescribed something else that wouldn't interact with the warfarin. I never even filled the first guy's prescription.

Gotta be your own advocate ... you'll never regret it. But you might wind up regretting it, if you just take your docs word for it! Best wishes!

just got diagnosed today with costachondritis. Went off coumadin 8 weeks ago and have had this awful chest pain for 9 weeks. Celebrex and aleve have not touched this pain. I saw lung doc today and he put me on lidoderm patch. You wear it for 12 hours on and then 12 hours off right on the pain site. After wearing it for 5 hours so far, I am not feeling any pain. Amazing!! Doc wanted me to go to pain clinic but I am not going to. The pain has leveled off for the last 3 weeks at a 6-8 pain scale. I am hoping it will go down and go away from here. Good luck to you.