Anyone know a good treatment for cracked ribs?

[panader0]

I'm pretty sure the doctors don't do anything except wrap the area with tape. I took a really good spill the other night (yes, alcohol was involved) and now I'm fairly certain there's one or two cracked ones under my left shoulder blade. The pain is epic.
I cannot afford to go to the hospital.

[MrScorpio]

1. Bar-B-Que Sauce?? nt

[Callmecrazy]

5. DUzy!

Beat me to it.

[In_The_Wind]

6. I was going to suggest the same thing.

[AsahinaKimi]

25. omg..that was the first thing that came into my head...

And I don't even eat pork!

[hlthe2b]

2. Wrapping does prevent the pull on the chest lining that stimulates nerve endings/pain

Last edited Tue Jun 4, 2013, 09:21 AM - Edit history (1)

That needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing. A broken rib does pose a risk for trauma to the lung and what can be life-threatening air in the chest (pneumothorax) so if you experience difficulty breathing or increasing pressure/pain, you really do need to see someone. Also if you need more effective pain management, which they aren't likely to RX for you without seeing you....

[bike man]

23. Aren't lungs *supposed* to have air in them?

". . .A broken rib does pose a risk for trauma to the lung and what can be life-threatening air in the lung (pneumothorax). . ."

[hlthe2b]

24. Lungs need to be full of air--not the chest...

A punctured lung leads to pneumothorax--air in the chest, which ultimately ends in the collapse of the lung. This can be rapidly deadly.

On edit, I corrected the unfortunate typo; however, given I said pneumothorax, I think my message was clear (regardless).

[bike man]

27. "Unfortunatr" is a typo (struck wrong key, 'r' vice 'e'), wrong word is not. Nor is using

a potentially correct word incorrectly.

[hlthe2b]

28. You really want to be obnoxious, it appears. I'm not playing...

Enjoy a short stay here

[LiberalEsto]

3. Sorry for your pain

If there is any sort of low-cost clinic, I'd suggest going there for an x-ray to make sure a rib isn't poking your lung. I think you're in AZ from your profile; try this website:

http://www.needymeds.org/free_clinics.taf?_function=list&state=az

As far as I know there is not much doctors can do except wrap them up and maybe give a prescription for a stronger than OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen.

Ice packs might help.

You might check and see if your supermarket or health food store sells some kind of Arnica gel like Arnicare (you put in on unbroken skin, not cuts or scrapes). I use it for pulled muscles, sciatica and minor arthritis pain, it's safe and helpful.

[Scuba]

4. Easily treated. Just apply ample amounts of time.

[olddots]

7. I'd say drink untill the pain goes away

but with your luck you might fall down again

[rug]

8. Dry rub.

[elleng]

9. Sorry, nothing in particular beyond what's been posted

(bbq sauce + dry rub; sorry!) but hugging pillow MAY help ease some discomfort from coughing/sneezing/laughing.

Rest.

[libodem]

10. You may need Rx pain control

And you now have the potential to get pneumonia because it will hurt so much to cough and clear your lungs. Splint with the pillow to help cough. Sorry for the amount of pain you are going to have to endure.

[panader0]

11. Yeah, it hurts quite a bit to cough

Then when I did there were blood clots.

[Spike89]

12. You need to get to a clinic

I'm no doctor, but If you are coughing blood from a rib injury, you may need more than time to heal. Find a clinic or go to the ER and get an x-ray. You don't have to let them admit you (where the big $$$ start mounting) but ignoring a punctured lung could make it a much worse and expensive situation.

[Texasgal]

13. Please go to an ER

You can work out financials later.

Coughing blood can be very serious.

Go now.

[Kali]

22. that is not good, please call a doctor tomorrow

if nothing else. ER would probably be better, but damn do I ever know what is holding you back. (fucking republicans)

keep us updated, ok?

[Wounded Bear]

14. The most effective treatment...

is prevention and avoidance.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. The doctors actually do more when you present with a cracked rib.

They check it to make sure there is no danger of a lung puncture/lung collapse.
They show you how to wrap it effectively.
And they prescribe meds to make you more comfortable.
Meds which should not, of course, be combined with alcohol.

Ignore it at your peril, I 'll see if I can get Mr. Dixie to share all the exceedingly painful details of how a collapsed lung is treated...he's had 2, both from falls.
The first one followed a cracked rib which he decided to treat on his own.

Hint: it involves scalpels, inserting a tube, and NO anesthesia.
Ignoring a collapsed lung is an invitation to have the other lung collapse also,
at which point breathing pretty much stops.

Just sharing a bit of bitterly learned lesson........

[Locut0s]

19. Yeah I've heard stories about what they do for a collapsed lung...

Usually it's not life threatening but it still has to be dealt with immediately. And just like you said it's supposed to be painful as hell. They insert a tube into your chest wall to remove the air embolism that is causing the "collapsed lung". I understand it's due to air between the lung and chest wall cavity. Its supposed to be super uncomfortable / painful.

[lonestarnot]

16. Equala!

I guess you could take a hammer to your big toe on your left foot then.

[Nevernose]

17. I did the same damn thing a couple of months back

Turns out there could be a lot of things wrong, some of which were caused by the fall, and none of which are broken ribs.

As someone else mentioned, maybe you can find a low cost clinic and have it x-rayed.

[Locut0s]

18. Blood when you cough!? I'm not sure you can afford not to go...

Are there cuts in your mouth? If not I would certainly go to the DR about that! Blood when you cough may not be serious but I wouldn't want to leave that to chance. As for the cracked ribs I understand there isn't a lot they can do but give pain meds. But as others said you want to be careful your lung hasn't been I juried.

It's a real travesty you guys don't have good universal health yet.

[kurtzapril4]

20. I have had broken ribs

3 of them, and one of them punctured my lung. I did have to have a small tube inserted to remove the air...it was a new therapy wherein the tube was very small, and at the end of the tube was some kind of whoopee-cushion like thingy that made a farting sound every time I exhaled, which I found hilarious. Unfortunately, it hurt to laugh.

They don't wrap your chest for broken ribs anymore, the doctor said that they didn't do it because studies had shown that it caused more harm than good. They gave me a small pillow at the hospital to clutch to my abdomen when I had to cough, and I coughed up stuff a lot. I did not cough up blood, though.

The blood thing worries me. I would go to the ER, worry about the money later. I was in the same financial predicament as you are, and I was able to work things out with the hospital.

Other than that, the only thing that heals cracked ribs is time.

[Brigid]

21. If you are coughing up blood . . .

Find a low-cost clinic of some kind, or something. But don't try to self-treat; you really do need to see a doctor somehow.

[panader0]

26. Thank you all for your concern and suggestions

The blood from coughing is gone. I am fairly certain that I do not have a punctured lung, merely a bruised one. A friend found me some decent pain pills. I am fairly aware of my body and believe I'll be OK with some time, as per Scuba's suggestion.
Wounded bear had the best advice, but a bit late. The evening started out great. I had a slight beer buzz and a designated driver ride to and from Tombstone, where an old drummer band mate was coming to visit. We played music for a coupla hours, with beer and herb, and then set off walking to the bars in town. There were about eight of us and we had a ball. At closing time we started walking back to the truck and I mis-stepped and wham! My face hit a 4x4 post and my back a rock, I believe.
The bad thing is that I have a good sized block job near completion and had to postpone it. Thanks again to all for concern.
I hate hospitals and it'll take more than this to get me to go to one. The hospital in my town often does more harm than good.

[Kali]

30. it may be a fair amount of time

the husband cracked on doing some dumbass thing (ice skating, believe it or not) and it took months.
take it easy as much as you can. (and you know, there might be a doc across the line if you needed one)

[orleans]

31. please just go see a damn doctor

someone upthread said hospitals can work out payment crap with you--mine did too.

a doctor can do the same. and they're cheaper than the e.r.

i think if you don't get it checked out you might really screw yourself and end up as a patient in the hospital--& that will REALLY be expensive.

[TorchTheWitch]

29. Time is the only thing

I cracked a rib several years ago coughing. Hurts like hell. Just breathing was an agony. Doctors don't wrap them anymore. The only thing to do is wait for time to pass until it heals. For mine it took about a month. And a month of hell that was.