probable cracked/broken rib(s) – what to-do?

Short version, I took a tumble Wednesday night and I’m pretty sure I’ve done something to my ribs (arm compressed on right ribcage when I went down). Didn’t think too much of it at the time but couldn’t sleep properly, googled and NHSchoices website says noting to be done, suck it up princess, take some paracetamol…. Which is what I’ve been doing.

Not entirely sure that there isn’t movement in a rib so what does the stw ‘medical’ contingent recommend as the course of action?

I’m assuming any visit to a&e would be lengthy and possibly a waste of time?

Don’t laugh.

As a person who broke ribs less than a year ago (not while biking, gladly!). I didn’t go to A&E the first day, but dragged my ass there next day as I was struggling to get out of the bed.

Go to an A&E, they will check against lungs/liver damage, will give you some Co-codamol (Codeine and Paracetamol) that will help you to breathe properly as you might get chest infection. It took me about 3 months to not feel anything as I couldn’t press anything against chest for a long time.

The worst part? When you start laughing, it hurts so much that you stop laughing immediately.

Or sneeze

I know about not sneezing, that hurts! As does coughing.

I’m mobile, lying down is the worst. Paracetamol and diclofenac keeping it (mostly) under control).

I’m a miserable bastard so laughings not much of an issue…. 😉

I’m assuming any visit to a&e would be lengthy and possibly a waste of time?

Considering you did it on Wednesday you’re right you are wasting their time. If you start to feel breathless then it’s Emergency Department, if it’s for stronger painkillers and checking things over then minor injuries or your GP.

It will hurt for 6 weeks. Every time you cough, sneeze, laugh, and every morning when you try to get out of bed.
Then it will stop hurting.
Contact your GP if over the counter painkillers are not enough.
If you suddenly become very short of breath, or start coughing up blood, then consider seeking medical attention urgently. (Probably still primary care rather than a&e unless very unwell).
Good luck!

IME you’ll have 6 weeks or so of poor sleep and trying to avoid laughing, sneezing and coughing then you’ll just realise while doing one of the aforementioned that it no longer hurts.

And try not to fall off your bike until it gets better.

Edit – or pretty much exactly what the doc said ^ only 30 seconds later!

Nothing to don’t other than manage pain. If you do get a cold, don’t resist coughing, it can lead to a chest infection.

Other than this, nothing.

I did it myself a few years back. The one thing I remember vividly was sneezing at work a couple of days later. After doing a decent impression of someone being hit by lightning, the sweat was pissing off of me.

Sneezing, coughing, sleeping 🙁

Friend of mine took a tumble 6 weeks ago and did his ribs. He had a couple of scans and an X-ray as it was so painful, but they were only bruised. He’s back on the bike now but still feeling tender.

I’ve just done my left ones in Surfing, landed awkwardly and caught my left foot on my fin and slashed that too.. Adrenaline kept me playing in the water for another couple of hours until I tried to get my wetsuit off, then I realised what I’d done.
I went out the following two days, sunk a load of co-codamol and ibuprofen from the Chemists because the surf was so good.

I’m sore now, laughing is a chuffing pain, coughing too, also sleep is proper annoying. Worst though is a sudden shortness of breath when resting and in low breathing mode on the sofa.. Sudden short breaths are really painful.

Not the first time I’ve done this, mostly windsurfing when bad landing from jumps or being sucked under with gear when wave riding, shite happens when you’re having fun.

As mentioned, you’ll get over it in a few weeks and hardly remember the pain as it just seems to “go”. Other than that, painkillers and keep moving. Rest is the worst thing as you relax, and the (not so) sudden movements really bloody hurt.

Enjoy, get used to it.

dont be tempted to shallow breathe as you could end up with a lung infection.

I remember sneezing and having a rib make a loud crack followed by more pain when just into the healing process. Was worse than when I did it at first.

I feel your pain. I’m laid up with the same from yesterday.
Massive bruising all down my back and side

Considering you did it on Wednesday you’re right you are wasting their time.

Thanks for the condescension by the way. Don’t worry, I’m in no hurry to return to A&E as the last was July with my dad as my mum had died (maybe I was wasting their time then too, her inconveniently having died en-route),

I mentioned Wednesday for precisely this reason, it was four days ago almost now, it’s not really an emergency then is it. Don’t know who/where else has scanners/X-ray machines though…

Thanks for the rest of your post though, that was actually very useful.

Ditto docrobster.

So basically SIUP & paracetamol like before.

Sorry to hear about your Mum.

My post wasn’t meant to be condescending I’m sometimes a bit blunt in my context.

@drac, yeah sorry, mebbe I’m just a little over sensitive on the topic right now. I saw the standard of care that both my parents got and the staff I dealt with during that palliative time and I have nothing but thanks and appreciation. I have absolutely no wish to unnecessarily add to their burden, hence me querying what to do (I have some friend tell me I should go get checked out, just in case…).

Thanks for replying in the first instance, it basically confirmed what I was thinking.

I hit a tree a while back and managed to get my fist betwixt ribs and tree. Probably not a good idea. Winded me at the time, but got progressively more painful. I sucked it up for a week or so, then a thoughtful chap at my bjj club decided to demonstrate his awesome top pressure. Which rendered me a screaming mess.

Doctor said 6-10 weeks before it would heal, maybe longer. HTH.

I did mine about a month ago and went to A&E as I could barely move. Multiple fractures to my ribs and a sprained pelvis. They checked I hadn’t ruptured my spleen then x-rayed my chest and pelvis. Once the Dr was happy that nothing was sticking in my lungs he told me I could go. I had to ask for something for the pain and the only advice he gave me was a pamphlet on chest injuries.
I rang my GP a few days later as the co-codamol the hospital gave me wasnt touching the pain. GP gave me tramadol instead and signed me off work for 3 weeks.
It was agony for the first week, painful for the second, uncomfortable the third and now in week four its mostly ok. Every now and again though i’ll move and it hurts again.
Sleeping was particularly difficult. I spent the first two weeks sleeping on the sofa as lying completely flat in bed was too uncomfortable and I couldn’t get up again by myself.
I’m going to give it another week before getting back on the bike and then i’m going to take it easy for a while.

Get some good pain killers from your GP and take it easy for a few weeks. Oh and don’t sneeze!

No need to apologise. Very wise of you not to burden a overloaded system.

Rule 5?

I’ve broken my ribs (self diagnosis) more times I’d care to remember… It hurts for about 8 weeks. Get whatever painkillers you can.

I’m currently nursing my big bike bash crash injury.

ALWAYS my left lower ribs too.

When I’m an old man and have chest xrays, they’ll think I was a cafe fighter in a previous life…

Don’t laugh or have ‘jumpy’ kids…

DrP

Lol I’m enjoying this thread and half laughing as I’m stoned on ibuprofen and German beer. It’s half time in Liverpool game now and sadly I have to try and stand up!

Jeez, I hadn’t realised that there was a club…

I’m still hoping that I’m on the lower spectrum (maybe even just bruised), some of you guys sound really sore 🙁

Cafe fighter..

One step down from a cage fighter…

DrP

Avoid
Sneezing.
Laughing.
Farting.
****.
Lying down.
Trampolining.
Riding a 100K Merida with the help of painkillers and beer…

Embrace
Painkillers.
Beer.
Painkillers.
But not riding 100K offroad with beer and two different kinds of painkillers to avoid od’ing on just one…

Did it in February was given codiene 30 mg take two four times a day and naproxen 500mg three times a day was told to take deep breaths by urgent care. Did mine walking into the corner of a cupboard at work on a night shift.
Took 6 weeks to feel better. Still hurts now if it gets cold.

In all honesty it hurt more than a fractured Tib and fib.

Stoned on NSAIDS?

I’ve fractured ribs on many occasions. As others have said, coughing, laughing and twisted to get out of bed (from lying flat on your back) were the worst.
However, here’s a tip that has served me well – if you need to cough, wrap a towel (or thick belt) around your chest and then cough. It supports your chest and stops it “flailing” out and is considerably less painful. I’m not talking about prolonged binding of your chest, only for a few seconds. Works well. Although pain pasts months, the first 2 weeks were always the worst for me. Get well soon.

New years day and an ensuing street pagga with rowdy neighbours, one had a punch like a horses kick, only just stopped feeling it last month 😯

If you scream yourself awake when you roll over in your sleep is a good are they broken test.

Solution to it, get yourself a bean bag to stop you rolling over while you sleep.

Advice from my sister in law (former ward sister now Nurse practitioner) lie on your damaged side in bed as after the initial pain you will breathe normally & take pain killers as the taking little shallow breaths so you don’t feel the pain will lead to chest infections.

She was right as after fracturing 3 ribs on a fall onto steel handrails I was back to full chat after 5 weeks.

I was using the duvet cover to stop me rolling over.

I think the painkillers lulled me into a false sense of security yesterday. Went to bed and though, that’s not too bad now.

Woke up this morning and I can barely move. I could barely lift a coffee mug.

I feel like such a bloody lemon!

Holding a pillow against your chest to support the injured area also helps with moving around or coughing.

Jeez, some of you guys are really hurting. I’m managing on my paracetamol mainly so I must be low spectrum.

I should also confess that what happened was I dropped my (motor)bike and got squashed between it and road/pavement. Duh.

Hoping that I’m able to still get out on my bikepacking trip in, oh three or four weeks time… Guess I’ll see!

And thanks to everyone for all the advise/tips/hints.

Well I managed 2 hours paddle surfing this morning, having sucked ibuprofen & co-codamol through my teeth. Took the edge off, once moving and twisting and paddling I felt much much better though not as strong paddling on my left side. Kept out of the breaking surf, played on the backside before bailing on the breaks to keep upright and out of the impact zone.
All good here, shall top up with more drugs later, then out again later in the day when the tide turns.

Clearly mine are bruised, not broken otherwise I’d be typing this through tears.

Did a rib or two a couple of years ago. I found it painful to lie flat and couldn’t sleep, so ended up sleeping for several weeks with just about every spare pillow and cushion under my back and shoulders. Almost sleeping sitting up if you know what I mean, but it made a big difference.

I’m a week and a half into three broken ribs.
Managed to wein myself off the co-codamol as they make me feel spewy.
Struggling to sleep more than 3 hours a night though.
Hoping I can sleep on my side soon as I’ve never been a back sleeper.

How did I do it? Walking the dogs, slipped on a slimey rock and landed flat on my back winding myself too.

I’m on by third set of bruised/cracked ribs in a year. Only thing i can add is avoid vomiting at all costs! (had a bug). I also find alcohol is not good as it compounds the restless sleeping. This time I was back on the bike after 3 weeks, but the pain will carry on diminishing for another 5 or 6. then one day you’ll realise its gone!