What do I do if when I lie down and turn around my ribs hurt and they crack?

Question

Basically, I don't know when it happened, but when my boyfriend hugged me tightly, I felt my ribs crack and when I lay down, I started to feel pain. Also, it has been cracking ever since. Hello, I don't have any allergies or medical problems and I don't take any medication. The pain is mild, but still present. Big breaths make my ribs crack, but the pain is tolerable. Thank you in advance for your help

Martin Payer · Accepted Answer

Hello ma'am! It sounds like you may have cracked ribs. It is obviously difficult to say without a medical examination but what you describe seems likely. This kind of pain is located in the ribs and worsens on inspiration. I have a few questions to help me better suggest a treatment to relieve the pain: Do you have any allergies? Are you taking any other medications/natural health products? Do you have any specific medical conditions? Depending on your answers I can suggest a treatment. Unfortunately, if your ribs are cracked, we can only suggest pain relief and rest - it may take some time to heal. Otherwise we are concerned that you have a rib fracture. Only an x-ray can confirm this It's hard to know, but depending on the level of pain (intensity, difficulty breathing, difficulty sleeping) it may be a fracture rather than a cracked rib. Anyway, I'm waiting for your answers and I can suggest a treatment to relieve the pain. Have a nice day :) This is a good sign. You can then take Advil (or ibuprofen) 400mg 1 tablet three times a day, with food. This should help the pain. If this is not enough, you can add Tylenol (acetaminophen) 500mg 2 tablets every 6 hours - you can combine ibuprofen and acetaminophen if necessary. If the pain ever gets worse, persists for more than 4-5 days or really prevents you from sleeping it would be good to consult. Hopefully this answers your question =) Have a nice day.