I ve had open heart surgery about 5 years ago. Since then every once in a while...I would have severe chest pain ...but on the outside rather than inside my chest. Even though I told the various Dr s and Nurses this...they would always focus on the heart. I can tell the difference between heart (inside pain) and chest pain(outside pain). Now, I ve been diagnosed with Costochronditis....the pain is in the same areas of my outside pain ...but much more severe. I ve been reading about this condition and all the articles say that it can be normalized by over the counter medications . I ve tried Tylenol , Aleave, Motrin, Tylenol and Codine, Hydrocodone and Percocet ...none of them help with the exception of Percocet...and that doesn t take it completly away, and I don t like the side effects...makes me jittery...what do I do now?