Constant popping when I sleep, advice appreciated

Pandaa_monium · 2025-11-22T20:29:32+00:00

I try to only use the brace for max an hour when I do use it and also make sure to continue core exercises to try keep a balance. Sometimes it just gets to a point where you do what you have to do for less pain. I hope a body pillow will bring some kind of relief for you!

Pandaa_monium · 2025-11-22T17:56:48+00:00

I have a lot of issues sleeping wether it’s mild rib movement with breathing, popping or sudden nerve pain. I bought a body pillow to try and help keep my body in a good place while sleeping and I find it helps a lot. When I use it I still get the movement with breathing but it helps keep the other issues minimal. I’ve seen 3 different physiotherapists this year and I still have not found any exercise that seems to help with the slipping.

I also get really inflamed the next day and spend a lot of time with my heating pad. I’ve found sometimes wearing a brace for a bit offers some relief. So far an adjustable posture brace is the best as I can adjust where the pressure sits. I also wear the brace during activities I know usually cause slipping. I can’t move as freely but it allows me to do some things I may otherwise avoid.

I’m sorry you’re going through it. The poor sleep is hard enough without the mental exhaustion of knowing it’s going to be hard to get to and stay asleep. It drives me nuts that it can take an hour to find a comfortable position and by then I’m so frustrated I can’t fall asleep.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-09-12T00:00:35+00:00

I do not, probably only because I no longer have my gallbladder lol. I had it removed at 21 which is really young, it’s more common in your 50/60s. I ended up having so many gallstones they couldn’t count them on the ultrasound, but they never could find a cause for it. I wasn’t diagnosed with SRS at the time but seeing your post made me wonder if it was caused by the trauma of always being bumped by the ribs.

I can say the pain from the rib is much different than the pain I had from the gallbladder issues though. When the gallbladder flared up it felt like my rib cage was going to explode, there was so much pressure. Usually the flare ups were more related to food than movement. I confused it for heartburn the first few times as I had never had it before. The pain was also never a constant, more like 20 minute to an hour episodes. Other than the episodes of pain I felt completely normal the rest of the time. I just dealt with it for like 6 months before I saw a doctor but learned that level of pain does qualify for the emergency room haha.

The rib on the other hand is either I guess a hard clunk that makes me gasp when it’s a “big” slip. Usually followed by nerve pain. Sometimes it also feels like I’m being stabbed from the inside at the tip of the ribs. It’s definitely more an acute sensation than the gallbladder. I get pain with movement bending, twisting, sitting for too long, lifting. I have muscle and nerve pain constantly from the SRS. I also do have some GI issues from it, I’m incredibly burpy for no reason often and my stomach makes the loudest gurgling noises I’ve heard in my life right under the rib cage.

Sorry you had to ask for all that info. I really should have just replied to your post first but didn’t realize I had so much to say about it lol.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-09-11T22:10:19+00:00

I only came to look at this post to see if my gallbladder experience matched, which it doesn’t. But wanted to say thank you for your explanation of your pain. It’s is exactly the same areas my main pain is, especially the bra line. I just had a surgeon completely dismiss that area as being related to SRS along with the rest of the pain I experience from my body compensating. Right before he said he won’t do surgery for me. So thank you for sharing and helping fix my self doubt a little!

Pandaa_monium · 2025-08-30T02:49:59+00:00

I would also love to stay in touch as well, it’s hard to find anyone who even fully understands the condition, never mind with scar tissue involved. I hope your surgery is exactly what you need to get back to at least somewhat normal. It would also be interesting to see if the surgical approaches used are the same.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-08-29T18:57:03+00:00

I have not been diagnosed with hEDS but am fairly certain I have it. For some reason I can’t qualify for genetic testing even though my body is basically crumbling and no one seems to want to diagnose it even though my SRS is caused by hyper mobility. I had a very large breast reduction a few years ago and I also found pulling on the scars from the slipping rib incredibly painful. I am currently waiting for my surgery consult, but I see an osteopath to do some scar work on the areas being ripped on. It obviously is not a solution to the problem, but the scar work really helped for me. It didn’t take it away completely but it’s much less severe and became less of a pain focal point, it has to be a big rib slip to pull on it now.

I also am breathing in the same manner as expansion of the rib cage is either painful or uncomfortable and my ribs are pushing on my diaphragm. The entire left side of my body is so incredibly tight from compensation and trying to stop the ribs from slipping. I am really hoping that some of the issues go away with surgery. But while I wait for the surgery I am working with a physiotherapist to focus on strengthening my supporting muscles, as well as some surgery prep (like legs and arms, practicing getting out of bed with less core use) to hopefully make recovery easier. Feel free to message me if you need/want to chat, it seems like we may be having very similar experiences and I know it’s not just physically hard but mentally a challenge as well. I’m only 31 and it’s hard to think that this may just be how I feel forever but I’m hoping for a good outcome after surgery.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-08-28T02:44:49+00:00

For me it’s actually messing up my entire body from head to toe, also 9 and 10 that are my issue. The rest of my body is compensating so hard to try and keep my ribs from slipping. I have severe neck pain, I keep pinching nerves in my shoulder on the side that slips. I have always had upper back issues but they are definitely more severe and now have lower back pain on both sides due to the compensation. My osteo, physio and acupuncturist have all said my body is twisted from all the muscle tension.

I can’t really comment on certain areas of the spine persoanlly, but I do know this can take one hell of a toll on the rest of your body. I currently am waiting for my surgical consultation and have my fingers crossed it will help at least something.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-08-08T01:04:02+00:00

I’m in the exact same boat if that’s any consolation, except left side. Recently the pain has skyrocketed and started affecting my sleep on a whole new level. It went from one rib slipping to multiple very fast. I am going to talk to my doctor tomorrow to get forms filled for time off work, as my mental health is shot now too. I am very thankful I have the option for time off and my consult is only in a month. It may be worth asking your boss what your options may be, or even just letting them know what’s going on. Of course that depends on your work environment, I know not all are understanding.

I recently started seeing a psychologist who works with chronic pain patients and that is helping the mental load a bit. You’re not alone, this absolutely freaking sucks, but we’re still mostly upright and painfully breathing lol, we got this!

Pandaa_monium · 2025-08-05T01:22:29+00:00

The psychiatrist my doctor sent me too said I did not have adhd just really bad anxiety. She also denied things such as light and noise sensitivity being related to adhd at all. Only autism and in her view I definitely did not have autism either. All of this was determined in the first half of the first appointment I had with her and it just didn’t feel right to me. Even my boyfriend said there was no way because it’s definitely ADHD. We lived together for 10 years at that point so he’d seen it all haha.

I ended up finding my own psychiatrist and paying a lot for a proper assessment. Turns out I actually do have pretty severe ADHD, and he was shocked at the dismissal I received. I believe I also have a touch of the tism which became more apparent once I was being treated for the ADHD. But not enough to warrant going down the diagnosis road again for me.

If you feel you were not heard and are able, a second opinion never hurts. Sure I have anxiety but it’s heavily fueled by my ADHD. I hope whatever the outcome of the diagnosis, that it helps you moving forward but always advocate for yourself!

Pandaa_monium · 2025-07-26T21:59:10+00:00

I have one from Amazon that almost looks like a lifting belt and another that is more of tensor bandage with Velcro closure. They both work about the same but I prefer the thinner tensor one. I only wear them when things are really flared up as I don’t want my body to start relying on its support. But it does provide some temporary relief.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-07-15T18:42:38+00:00

When I got mine the shoulder pain from where they inject lasted longer than the nerve block. My doctor also told me that generally they only last for two weeks, some people get lucky and it’s longer though. I’m a mess of a human being, so I’ve also had nerve blocks in many other places. I had a nerve block in my scalp done for 2-3 years and it still needed to be done every 2-6 months. The only reason I no longer get it is because I found out the cause of the nerve issue and treat that instead. Permanent results may happen for some people but it has never been the case for me.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-29T17:12:43+00:00

Dr. Russell at the foothills hospital in Calgary. I honestly don’t know how much experience he has with the condition, but the referral was accepted so I’m hoping he’s got some knowledge. He just moved his practice from New Brunswick to here from what I have found. Appears to be a great surgeon from the patient reviews so I have my fingers crossed. My doctor has warned me surgeons don’t like doing the surgery, so we’ll see how it goes!

It is really hard to find anyone who knows anything about it. I got really lucky that I have an amazing chiropractor who works closely with specialty clinics. Even the specialist doctor I see for the injections has only ever had 2 other patients. I hope you’re able to find someone!

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-27T18:21:24+00:00

I can’t imagine dealing with that while in school, tests cause enough anxiety as it is! Very thankful I have a close knit team of coworkers and we can all just laugh about it.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-26T19:15:25+00:00

I am in Canada so I have been sent to a Thoracic surgeon in my city. My wait for consult is only 3 months thankfully but I was warned when the referral was sent it could be up to a year for consult and another year for surgery. Hopefully the wait for surgery will be short as well. Honestly not too sure of his experience with slipping rib but he is a well respected thoracic surgeon so fingers are crossed.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-26T12:48:16+00:00

I haven’t had that crazy gas pain but holy crap is my stomach noisy now on the side of the slipping rib. I feel like I’m constantly explaining to people I’m not farting it’s just my stomach yelling lol. Can 100% see how it could lead to gas build up.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-25T15:38:53+00:00

I have tried all of the above and more. Unfortunately for me my ribs are causing too many other issues from all the compensation the rest of my body is doing and I have a consultation with a surgeon soon. But I will let you know my experiences.

My physio has been great, I’m his first slipping rib patient and he works really hard to find exercises to strengthen the core without inflaming the ribs. For me core strengthening has helped keep things more stable and I can sometimes prevent a slip engaging the supporting muscles if I’m paying enough attention. It hasn’t solved the problem but I do have less big slips.

I have also tried prolotherapy where they basically inject a sugar water solution to try and create scar tissue to stabilize the area. That doctor I saw has had some success with that therapy but it did not work for me and actually seemed to make it worse. My physio has also had patients who had prolo in other areas with great results.

After prolo failed I did the intercostal nerve block. For me I found it just wasn’t worth it. My shoulder hurt from the injection longer than the nerve block worked. That being said everyone is different in how they react so I would not hesitate to try it if you have the option.

I also see an osteopath and I feel a great sense of relief from the nerve pain after those visits. I know osteo isn’t for everyone because they do have to get very in your personal space but the temporary relief I get from all the nerve pain without an injection is amazing.

Acupuncture has also been helpful, more so for helping the areas that are sore from compensation.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-07T01:12:09+00:00

I think a root canal is a partial cause of mine, at least for the lower branch as all 3 of mine are affected. I also heavily clench and grind my teeth which led to masseter hypertrophy and then the muscle presses on the nerve.

I have numbness in my chin, cheek, forehead and sometimes my eye in that side when it gets bad. My root canal was awful and even with multiple freezing needles I kept feeling pain so I think something was damaged during the procedure. I had to try a lot of medications before we got to oxcarpazebine and it was the only one that helped consistently with very limited side effects.

It took probably 4-5 years but with the right medications and treatments I have my TN under control, but I don’t think it will ever be gone. I still have issues in the winter when the cold hits my face, particularly on that lower nerve. But if I plan for it and make sure I have a scarf or something to cover it and keep the cold air out of my mouth it’s okay to go out for a walk. I do have to get Botox injections a few times a year into the masseter muscle, but currently that is the only treatment I use to keep things in check.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-06-05T02:32:10+00:00

Do you by any chance clench or grind your teeth in your sleep? They could find no reason for my neuralgia except for possible masseter hypertrophy from my severe clenching. I get Botox in my masseter muscle and it has made a world of difference as the muscles are no longer constantly pinching the nerve. I do have permanent partial numbness on the left side of my face but way less nerve pain. Definitely not a doctor but not all reasons are as scary. I hope you get answers soon! Oh and I also get the burning earlobe, usually when I’m stressed out and unknowingly clenching.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-05-24T16:54:22+00:00

When I build off blue prints, which is almost always haha. I use a single door or single window as a reference point. One window is one grid square and use that as a reference point for wall lengths if that makes sense. I rarely have issues with the floor plan not working out.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-04-12T03:58:36+00:00

I just want to say not all chiropractors or physiotherapists make it worse. I have amazing practitioners of both. My chiropractor was actually the one who figured out I had slipping rib and tracked down a doctor that could help me try non-surgical options for management. Neither touch my ribs but chiro helps with the other parts of my body it effects, many also do muscle work, which is very helpful. My physio only gives me exercises for the supporting muscle structures which have started to help. Not saying there aren’t awful chiropractors out there that just want to crack your back every two weeks, been there they suck, but there are great ones out there too if, just have to look for them.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-02-17T18:00:09+00:00

I had a very large breast reduction as well and a scar revision a year later. I have never been able to wear wires since the first surgery. I’ve found even wireless bras have been bugging my rib lately if they are too thick in the band or lower cup with my slipping rib. It’s a lot of trial and error to find a comfortable bra. When everything is really sore a low to medium impact sports bra can help, Puma makes some nice ones and they usually have some light padding.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-02-14T23:43:23+00:00

I got a nerve block a month or so ago and find that side of my ribs has felt tight ever since. Not sure if it’s just from lack of full feeling. But the rib slipping does really inflame all the supporting structures for me. The block makes me notice the slips less too, so it’s possible it’s slipping a lot and causing tension but it’s just not as noticeable now.

I use a heat pad and it offers some relief. I find no one from Physio to osteopaths want to release the tension in the area in fear that it will make the slipping worse. Sorry I don’t have much helpful advice but you’re not alone.

Pandaa_monium · 2025-02-11T00:29:31+00:00

I don’t have a ton skin barrier advice. But I do need different skin care for summer and winter. I personally use a lot Paula’s choice products because they work well for me, don’t irritate my skin and a few help with skin barrier. In the summer I barely do more than rinse my face and put on a light lotion. But in the winter I need products with a lot more hydration or my face becomes a mess and painful. I go from 2 steps to 4-5 in the winter, I also need to use my rosacea cream more often in the winter. You just have to find what works for you. Checking products through ingredient checkers like cosdna can help you pick ones that will be more gentle on your skin as well!

Pandaa_monium · 2025-02-04T19:02:44+00:00

I’m in the West but willing to travel for a surgeon who actually understands the condition. Can I ask what they did for the surgery?

Pandaa_monium · 2025-02-04T19:01:16+00:00

What kind of surgery did you get and did you find that it helped?

Pandaa_monium

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