Pleurisy? Lupus? Pericarditis? Still Undiagnosed
Nov 3, 2015
For nearly three months I have been dealing with some serious chest pain, particularly when I try and take deep breathes, lay down, or bend or lean forward. At times, the pain is unbearable.
My family doc did some x-rays and sent me to a pulmonologist (assuming it was pleurisy?). After meeting with him he ordered some blood work and a cat scan. After getting the results he told me it wasn't pleurisy (and that that word was actually a "junk door" word that people use to describe lung stuff?). What is weird is that he told me the cat scan revealed that I had some fluid build up in both of my lungs? That being said, the cat scan also suggested that I had fluid around my heart, so he ordered an echocardiogram (sp?), which I did.
All that to say this: the doc is convinced I don't have pleurisy. He thought I had an autoimmune disease (lupus?). Thus, he ordered tons of blood work. I just left his office - all the blood work came back negative and the echocardiogram only found a small "trace" of fluid around my heart. So at this point I am thinking: its gotta be pleurisy, right? Wrong.
He just ordered an EKG. Now he thinks I have something called pericarditis (sp?). So here is my question/frustration: its been three months and we still don't know what I have. I am in intense pain to boot! Are there others out there who have had breathing pain for this long, and if so, what have you been diagnosed with and how have you been treated? Could this really be my heart?
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I've had odd symptoms for many stinging pains, muscle twitching rashes, pancreatitis that is chronic but clear via scans.
Well, almost 3 weeks ago, a large red mark appeared on left breast. I've been going back and forth to doctor as I've wanted to rule out inflammatory breast cancer-it presents with redness etc but no lesions, hard to diagnose. Today when I went back, the doctor felt nodes under my armpit, confirmed during ultrasound, but said they looked benign and small. He said actually it could pop up from autoimmune. He did admit it was odd. It was on the same side as affected breast and not the other. I'm going to get an MRI of my breast as IBC doesn't show on mammogram or ultrasound often.
I've had swollen nodes in the past. I noticed a few times on my jaw line.
I haven't been diagnosed with lupus, tests many years ago were totally clear as were vasculitits tests. But curious if anyone has had nodes on one part of the body pop up. Im praying its not IBC. I'd much rather it be something else. IBC is the most aggressive form of BC and spreads in a matter of weeks, so grasping for other explanations
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I'm 19 years old and every summer for 4 years i've been working with my brother in law painting houses (for the most I wore a mask while painting) a year ago I graduated from high school and decided to keep working in the painting business also on december I started smoking, I wasn't a heavy smoker maybe 12 cigarettes a week on may I reduced the amount to 6 a week then 3 on may 27 I smoked my last cigarette and 3 days later I went to the ER because I had pressure on my chest ,back pain, and I was coughing,(I also experience night sweats) they took some xrays and everything was clear and I was diagnosed with pleurisy well it's been a month now and I'm still experiencing the same symptoms.
How long does pleurisy last?
Could it be lung cancer? Or is it just the nicotine withdrawals combine with the infection that's causing all this symptoms.
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any idea gave up smoking two months ago been ill two weeks doc said chest infection and pleurisy finished all antibiotics and painkillers still got pain in left shoulder and side doc said its because i gave up smoking and i am prone to infection anybody else been told this also got pain in left calf and down my left arm anybody got the same help me
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I am a carer for my Hubby, who has Pleurisy at the moment. I am his carer & I am meant to be going into Hospital for a hip operation. I am full of acute Anxiety myself as I need to get my Husband better. He is on antibiotics and strong painkillers as well. He also suffers from arthritis and also is deaf & severely sighted.. I am giving him hot fluids as much as possible.
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Just wanted to share my experience, the weekend before Easter I had to go home from work on the Thursday with Flu like symtoms, I returned to work the following Wednesday, still feeling under the whether, coughing but thought to myself that I have a long weekend to come so I would rest and recover. After the Easter break I returned to work still not up to par and still coughing but also had a pain in my lower rib cage as if someone had sharply elbowed me. These symptoms continued onto the weekend and on the Saturday became worse, I had to pick my daughter up and the cold wind hit my lungs and it took my breath away. On returning to the car I couldn't fill my lungs up the pain was so excruciating, after the car warmed up the pain subsided enough to enable me to drive home. On returning home the situation became worse and I waited for my husband to come home and he had to take me to accident and emergency where I was admitted straight away. They had to administer morphine for the pain to enable me to breath more easily, it was as if I were being stabbed with a thousand knives. The doctor, after blood tests and x-ray diagnosed pleurisy and I went home with Ibuprofen, codeine and paracetamol which I took to the maximum daily dosage!
1 week later I was at my own GP who gave me another sick note, I saw him again the following week and after examination he said that the pleurisy had gone but I had had a double whammy as I was also suffering with costochondritis and it could take a while, just to rest and keep taking the tablets.
It is now 28th April and the symptoms on some days have now subsided enough to the enable me to do very light duties and on other days I can't do much at all. The doctor hasn't really given me much indication as to how much I should or shouldn't be doing, feeling very frustrated, the mind is willing but the body isn't. He said that, "many people don't realise that more people die in a year from influenza than meningitis and I had to be patient". Being a full time working Mum who is usually house proud and very busy, is now living with a basket full of ironing and dust that I can write my name in. My employer has been very understanding and great about it all but not sure how long they will be patient and my work will no doubt be building up there too.
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I've felt so frustrated for many years. I too was told muscular/skeletal. While experiencing short breath, extremely tired, pain that shoots like a spear on left side from upper rib cage, center of left breast through to back.
In 2012 after hours of waiting, the blood clot I guess hit me hard, I was out, woke in room with heparin drip. Then told blood clot in upper lobe of lung and pleurisy.
After doctor visit Thursday my pain got so unbearable, and cough, husband drove me to ER this past Sunday. Again sat for hours. Then x-rays, and told had pleurisy. Sent home, told to take tylenol and bed rest.
My pain is off the chart now, I can't take NSAIDS since on coumadin.
I'm feeling very spacey, lightheaded.
I can't drive myself anywhere.
I need to work around husbands very long work hours.
And, if do go, what do they do, say, "more bed rest and stay hydrated"?
I don't have money to burn, for such non-sense.
Is there not any treatment for pleurisy at all?
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I wrote a couple months ago after a Pleurisy diagnosis following chest x-rays. As it turns out, it was a cracked rib that I had, NOT viral Pleurisy as the Dr had suspected. The cracked rib did not show on the chest x-rays, but I was told they don't always show. It took about 5 weeks for the pain to go away. Sometimes I can still feel it slightly when I do certain things. Just wanted to follow up in case anyone else had the same misdiagnosis.
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I had a cough for nearly four weeks, after which it suddenly got more painful. After one cough I collapsed on the floor and after that the pain was so bad I couldn't even push bowel movements (sorry to anyone who thinks that was one detail too many). I hobbled to my GP, who diagnosed pleurisy and gave me antibiotics and painkillers (codeine).
This seemed to help. Things were definitely improving after 3 or 4 days. A week later, I was feeling fine. The cough had stopped too. There was, however, a slight pain on coughing (and not-so-slight pain on sneezing) that did not go away.
That was three weeks ago. For the last 3 or 4 days, discomfort has been returning. It's not nearly as bad as it was, and is now mostly on the lower left side of my chest. I don't think it's bad enough to bother my GP with yet. Has anyone else had a similar experience? What happened next?
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4 weeks ago, I had a lot of pressure in my chest. It eventually worked it's way up and I had a nasty cough. My husband kept urging me to go to the dr. but as I like my body to fight off ailments, I was stubborn. I FINALLY went because I am nursing a 5 month old baby and started fearing pneumonia. I was diagnosed with a mycoplasma bacterial infection - no fluid in the lungs - and like many others, was prescribed clarithromycin and sulfate albuterol with a nebulizer.
On my 5th day of antibiotics, I got an extreme pain in my back, however, I could tell it was internal. I researched it and self-diagnosed as pleurisy. 2 days later I went in, and my GP agreed it was pleurisy w/o effusion and told me to take anti-inflammatories and cough suppressant. The pain has become worse and brings me to my knees when I cough. My cough is almost gone but it is very raspy and trying to come out, but I am hesitant to cough because it hurts so bad!
A few questions - has anyone experienced pleurisy only on the backside? My parents are urging me to get a lung x-ray but I have no reason to think there is a clot, or fluid - any suggestions on that? And last, the million dollar question - is this ever going to go away?????? Will I ever be able to return to a normal gym routine, lifting weights?
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Had the symptoms for over a week, went to the doctors to be diagnosed with pleurisy. been given a five day course of antibiotics and ibuprofen. How long does it normally last for before the symptoms ease off. Also can going to work make my condition worse? sorry if this has been asked before , new to this site.
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I saw my GP yesterday following sharp stabbing chest pain which had gradually gotten worse. Yesterday morning I coughed up some blood which made me decide to see the doctor. He immediately rang the hospital and I had to get there asap as he suspected a P.E. Fortunately it was not that but I have been diagnosed with pleurisy. I have been given antibiotics but have to go back to the hospital next week for a further x ray to check and also to "rule out blood clots". This has left me a little worried. Does anyone know if blood clots and pleurisy are connected?
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I had pleurisy in December, started with pain in my right shoulder blade and my right rib. Six weeks on I am still suffering with extreme pain, I have had a chest Xray and all is clear but the pain hasn't got any easier. I am constantly out of breath and very tired all the time. The pain is still constant around my right shoulder blade and across my back and also under my armpit. I have been for an MRI Scan today to see if that shows anything but I have to wait another 2 weeks for the results. Its just nice to know I'm not the only one suffering
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I Had been feeling a bit tried for a week and had to go home from work last thursday as had really bad headache,(something i don't really get)
last friday i was out of breath going up the stairs so went to the doctors (i've had pneumonia before so was worried it was back)i had a temp of 38 and was told it wa a viral infection,i was told to take paracetamol and ibuprofen and if not better to go back on Monday.Come monday the breathing was better but i was getting a stabbing pain in my chest which was shooting up my left shoulder and down my arm. i thought something was wrong with my heart.I saw the doctor in the morning he asked what i was doing when i left the doctors and i said i wa going to work, he just started laughing and said you're not you have pleurisy,you have to rest for at least a week.He gave me a prescription for codeine for the pain and said if it got worse go back asap.
Monday night i though i was having a heart attack and tues wasnt any better.wednesday i started to feel very sick aswell so called the docs, they told me to go there asap so i did and was sent for blood tests and also told the sickness was due to the codeine.I was given Naprosyn for the pain and told to go back again on friday if i wasnt better.today is Thursday and im no better so looks like im going back tomo.
I tried to fold a small amount of washing this morning and had to stop as it hurt too much,i'm so fed up now as want to go back to work and get better. i feel that i can't take anymore time off work as i don't feel they give much sympathy. but i can hardly move without feeling like i'm having a heart attack.I'm only 25 and fit and healthy normally i can't understand why i get all the illnesses that older people are meant to get.
I'm so glad there are other people feeling the same and to know that this pain is normal for pleurisy.
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I was diagnosed with pleurisy and the pulmonary doctor gave me dulera. Has anyone else been prescribed dulera. And is asthma related to pleurisy.
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I woke up in early January with sharp chest pains. I'm young, but of course I did not discount heart ailments. Two ER trips and a Doctor later, after every medical test to my poor body, I have been diagnosed with pleurisy.
I have kids, they are great and understanding and have helped me a lot, but it's been almost 14 weeks. I hurt. This came from nothing, I am extraordinarily healthy, I just hurt.
Today I suppose I'm at my wits end. I am terribly healthy, I should not have this. I have been crying all day.
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I have just been diagnosed with pleurisy yesterday after an horrendous weekend of stabbing pains, in my ribs and back, but not particularly in my chest. It came on suddenly last thursday night in bed without any warning and was accompanied by fever symptoms similar to flu ie boiling hot one minute and freezing the next. I had flu about 6 weeks ago, got rid of it and it recurred again in the shape of a chesty cough which causes a crushing feeling in my chest and ribs. The doctor prescribed me strong antibiotics and was told to take paracetamol for the pain which has shifted all over my ribs and back, not staying in one place. He also ruled out a water infection whilst I was there. I still have a fever and can't do much more than rest as I'm tired much of the time but manage to keep my pain down to a minimum by dosing up with codeine/paracetamol every four hours, even managing to get some sleep last night. I hope this info helps someone else in the same predicament.
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can any 1 help me, im a 23yr old female and have had flu like symptoms for last 4 days, high temp congested nose and dry cough, but now this cough has turned into a chesty cough and everytime i cough i am getting a stabbing pain in my chest, have not been drs yet as it's weekend and don't want to waste any 1s time, not sure if this is a bad luck or related to symptoms above but i'm also experiencing terrible pain in my lower right abdomen groin into my back, kidney pain, can this be related to the flu like symptoms or something totally different.
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I was diagnosed with pleurisy a few weeks shoot felt like was getting better but 4 days later it's starting to affect me again. Can pleurisy return like that or could it be something else wrong with my chest? My d diamond blood test I had to was high it was on the thousands. Has anyone else ever had this?
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I have had ongoing pain for the past 2 months, worse when breathing in on the right side of my chest. My doctor has diagnosed pleurisy and said it should resolve on its own. I have now developed a very sore collarbone on the opposite (left) side. Could these two symptoms be related? I have health anxiety and am convinced I have terminal breast cancer....silly I know!
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i got pleurisy through having flu, which was diagnosed last friday. i was given antibiotics. i only went to the doctors because i'd had the flu for two weeks, i only had a sharp pain in my back. i've nearly finished the antibiotics but the pain has got a lot worse around my back, neck and tummy i wonder how long this will last. i am taking ibuprofen but it's not doing much.
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