I am 55 years old, female. I had a provisional diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis in 1980 but only had a MRI scan confirming the disease last year after I referred myself to a private rheumatologist (bless her she put me back onto her NHS list immediately), For the last 20 yrs I have been treated with first morphine then fentanyl and oramorph, 10 years ago sulphasalazine was stopped due to leucopaenia, I was not referred back to a rheumatologist! The MRI done last year showed severe erosion and fusion in my pelvis and lumbar vertebrae. I had some fluid surounding some costal joints, other costal joints have fused. T6 T7 facet joints have fused and T3 disc has prolapsed. I also have severe disc degeneration of all lumbar discs. I am hoping to see my rheumatologist in the next few months, as yet I am still only on analgesia steroids caused severe depression within 3 weeks. My question:- For the last 5 weeks I have had pain on the right lower side of my chest not exacerbated by breathing deeply, but if I turn to the right the pain increases. The pain is constant, the ribs when pressed do not hurt more than usual and hurt no more than the left side. I have had costochondritis before and this feels different, the pain doesn t feel like it is radiating from the spine it is localised just under the right lower ribs. I have no appetite and feel ill. I am loathe to call my GP( he diagnosed me with chronic fatigue whilst on 100mcgs Fentanyl and sleeping 18 hours a day. He forgot opiates make you sleepy!!!!! There is only one Surgery in our area) Is this pain enough to warrant a call to my rheumatologist. I am also being tested for sjogrens disease. I don t want to bother her if it is not important. Thank you for your time
posted on
Fri, 14 Mar 2014

Fri, 13 Sep 2019
Answered on

Sat, 21 Sep 2019
Last reviewed on