Unfortunately, the thread title sums it up for you.
Now, those of you who aren’t laughing at my misfortune (and judging from the way things go, this will be laughed at quite heartily over in some LiveJournals :rolleyes: ) - is there really no real treatment for a broken rib? I know you can’t put a cast or brace on it effectively, but is there anything I can do to help healing or to make sure that it heals properly?
How long can I expect it to hurt to breathe? I have to do some lectures this next week, and there is no one to replace me. Is there an approximate time after which, if the pain doesn’t stop, I should go to the doctor again?
There isn’t a lot to do about a broken rib, other than treat the pain. In the past, the chest would be taped or bound tightly with elastic wrap to help minimize rib movement and reduce pain, but this causes the person to breath less deeply, cough less effectively, and be at a greater risk for pneumonia. So it’s generally not done.
I generally recommend anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen for the pain, if the person can tolerate them ok. It should also be taken on a scheduled basis for a few days to stay ahead of the pain. Use of opiate painkillers is sometimes desirable too, depending on how much it hurts. Occasionally a strong muscle relaxer like valium or flexeril is helpful if there is a lot of spasm in the intercostal (rib) muscles, which really hurts like a bitch if the rib is broken.
I’ve had patients with broken ribs get sent out from the ER with just a recommendation to take some tylenol for their pain. They should have been told that if the pain doesn’t respond adequately to that, they should contact their doctor for more aggressive pain control.
It’s gonna hurt for a while. One should expect a lot of trouble from it for at least a week. Expect lingering discomfort for at least 6 weeks. If one gets shortness of breath, a productive cough, fevers or chills, then one needs to hie yourself to your doc ASAP. Coughing up blood would be a reason to seek attention real quick too.
Thank you for the advice, Qadgop. I have some anti-inflammatory medicine, and some Tylenol 3, and some Lortabs somewhere in a great big bottle…and some muscle relaxers too.
Right now, even breathing is painful. I am living in fear of my first sneeze…
Having broken and bruised my share of ribs over time, I can report that this is a long lasting and seriously annoying injury. It takes many weeks, like 6, before you stop noticing the injury. In my experience, the initial sharp pain only lasts a week or two, but you get suprised by it when you raise your arms over your head, cough, sneeze, or twist in the wrong way. Turning over in your sleep can be a real adventure.
Anth, I found it most helpful to push a hard pillow, like a sofa pillow, against my rib when I wanted to cough hard, or laugh. The ER Doc recommended this, I suppose it was OK. Don’t skimp on the pain meds!
I hope you’re feeling better soon if there’s a suckier bone break than a rib, I don’t know what it is. Since there’s no splint, you get no sympathy, and I felt like everyone thought I was lying to them.
If you don’t mind me asking… How did it happen? I broke mine skiing.
Sorry to hear that Anthracite. Look at the bright side though: You don’t need treatment! Or would you rather be told you need chemotherapy which will make you feel lousy for months and is terribly expensive? See, there is a bright side. I hope it heals well and soon.
I have torn the cartilage in my rib cage several times. And no doctor has been able to help at all. What I find helps, in addition to the above, is keeping the arm on that side immobile. Keep it in a sling, stuffed in a pocket, whatever.
You know what - your pillow idea actually seems to help. Thanks!
How did it break? I was very sick, and I collapsed. My hand was bunched in a fist, and it was underneath my chest when I hit the floor (pretty flat on it), and it broke the rib. Of course, my hand is pretty bad now too, but not broken.
Laughter is definitely to be avoided at all cost. I recommend one of these attitude adjusters to be used liberally on anyone that makes you laugh. Warn 'em once and shoot 'em twice is my motto.
Typically, Fierra spoons up close to me, so I cannot go anywhere - or escape the Lesbian Pleasure Palace of Exquisite Perversions. So that shouldn’t be a problem, I hope. But thank you for the suggestion!
Una
[sub]I guess she could just leave me tied to the bed all the time too…[/sub]
When I broke a rib (some many years ago) I was advised to wear a long-line bra during the healing process. If Dr. Qadgop says they don’t tape anymore, he can advise if this is not a good idea, but as far as I know long-line bras don’t generally interfere with breathing or dispose one to pneumonia. It might help stabilize you a bit when you can’t run around with pillows under your arms all the time. Best wishes for healing well, Anthracite.
(On preview: Hey, watch out for that Lesbian Pleasure Palace thing. It could ouch your broke bits!) :eek:
Not a bad restraint system. But you’ll want to be careful - many years ago, after Mr. Legend broke two ribs in a car accident, we were sleeping just like that when I had one of those weird almost-dream sensations of falling you get sometimes when you’re almost asleep…and I reflexively squeezed him really hard.
I was wide awake after that, what with the screaming and all.
Laughter is definitely bad. Had chest surgery once, they went in between the ribs. Next day, I was in my hospital bed watching TV. Found a Gallagher show. God, that hurt. I was too stupid to change the channel.
When I broke the lowest three ribs on my left side, I was given a prescription for vicodin (mmmmmmm…vicodin) .
To ease some of the breathing difficulty (which lasted about a month for me), I learned to use my stomach muscles to push air out rather than use muscles around the chest to pull air in. Someone else can probably explain this better than I, but the idea is to expell the air by contracting the abs and to allow air back in by relaxing them.
I don’t recommend binding, but statistically, an otherwise healthy person can probably get away with it for acute pain relief for a few days. They just need to be aware of the risk, and modify their behavior accordingly.
Is there an approximate time after which, if the pain doesn’t stop, I should go to the doctor again?
So that shouldn’t be a problem, I hope. But thank you for the suggestion!