Tietze Syndrome - due to grief?

[mcdimillo]

I delivered a baby who was stillborn at 21 weeks of pregnancy.  After 6 weeks of physical recovery in which I did no strenuous activity other than caring for my 5 children ages 7 and under :), I started having pain and a lot of swelling around my ribs on my left side.  I had X-rays and a cat-scan, and was diagnosed with costochondritis.  It has been 4 months, and my symptoms have not gone away at all, and yesterday began in my ribs on the right side, which I believe could be due to a cough I've had for 10 days.  I am now 16 weeks pregnant, and am concerned that as the baby gets bigger,  the pain will increase and the situation will get worse.  I do not know the reason this started, as I had no trauma to the area, and someone suggested it could have been the trauma and greif associated with my baby's death.  Could grief and a tramatic situation cause this type of reaction in my body, and if so, what can I do about it?  Thank you.

[mcdimillo]

Thank you for your insight.  I have scheduled an appointment with a doctor.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I do not believe that grief or traumatic experiences can cause this kind of specific and localized pain.  I would encourage you to seek more help from your internal medicine doctor.