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I was excited to read the posts concerning pain on the left side under the rib cage.

Posted , 4 users are following.

kathryn28939
kathryn28939

I have suffered from this for two years.  I have other issues, several herniated cervical discs and have had a great deal of alternative treatment.  I have been able to function fairly well until about two years ago began experiencing pain under the left shoulder blade, very sharp, sometimes travelling, kind of spreading across the back.  A year ago last September I had a nerve release in my left shoulder since nerve conduction tests revealed a compressed nerve which the pain dr believed could be the culprit.  During the surgery my left lung was pierced, collapsed and filled with two liters of fluid.  I wakened on a ventilator and needed a chest tube for several days to drain the lung.  I did made a strong recovery and numberous chest x-rays show that my lung recovered.  But the pain has continued.  It is not constant, but intermittent and it is always present following exertion.  I used to attend water excercise classes every day and I now find the pressure of the water feels the way I think shingles must feel!   I would love ideas from others - I have also had massage, acupunture, etc.  For the last nine months I have had monthly cortisone injections in that area.  This helps more than anything but I am worried about the amount of steriod in my system.  Thank you in advance for responding!!

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • beth4700
    beth4700 kathryn28939

    Posted

    Dear Kathyrn:

    I have acute thoracic neuropathy from lung surgery. It happens 1 out of 100 times they say. I was always an athletic person and walked 6 miles a day on my treadmill...besides working 80 and up hours weekly. Now I'm on full disability and feel like I'm 90!!!! Do repetitive tasks make your side "cramp' ? Doctor's who do this surgery and this happens DO NOT Admit for a moment that this has happened. Please go to another lung surgeon and find out if this has happened to you. It is an extemely dibilitating problem. I had the 2nd best surgeon in thus country finally tell me what my issue was after 8 agonizing years of this If this is what you issue is, I can tell you that it will only progressively get worse. I also have a dystrophy you can also get from surgery called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. This is where the sympathetic nerves that tell your brain you're injured don't turn off once you're healed. I have this in my chest wall. There are blocks you can do for both of these issues however, with the dystrophy, needles, further injury, etc. Can exasperate the dystrophy. I would also find out about this as well. Hopefully neither are your issue for God's sake. I don't want to alarm you , but it doesn't sound like the doctor did such a bang up job on you. Seek a second opinion . The earlier you are able to address this if it is nerve damage, the better chances you have of repairing the issue . The longer you wait the less and less hope and the more pain will follow. I hope this isn't your case but please do get a second opinion.

  • kathryn28939
    kathryn28939

    Posted

    Dear Beth Thank you so much for replying.  I did have the pain before the shoulder surgery (which led to the lung problems.)  However I will certainly look into that.  This definitely feels like some kind of neuropathy - the difficulty seems to be finding the origin.  Right now sitting at the typewriter, the pain is throbbing/pulsing in my left mid back - extremely painful.  I feel so badly you have suffered for all these years!!  Yes repetetive tasks are painful - I feel as though my entire left side is less reliable- I have tripped a number of times in the last year - always to the left.  I apreciate  your post very much.  It is very difficult to see your life changing because of pain while you struggle for answers.  Thank you!
  • pauline59158
    pauline59158 kathryn28939

    Posted

    Hello Kathryn,

    I was interested to know why this was posted into the Stroke and TIA Forum?

     

    • beth4700
      beth4700 pauline59158

      Posted

      I don't know if this was the issue for Kathryn but when I posted about the pain on the left side of the rib cage , it posted on the Stroke and Tia forum too. I wasn't certain why ...Maybe it was because I was new and fumbled? However, nerve pain is very much like strokes and TIAS in a way maybe?? As you can tell..I'm NOT a doctor or a technology wiz..lol Is there a big issue with treading upon other forums? I can see where you would like to separate issues but I have found more answers than you can imagine on this forum than others. My apologies if it my ignorance has offended anyone.
    • kathryn28939
      kathryn28939 beth4700

      Posted

      DearBeth  I had the same experience.  I simply enterered the forum and ended up in the stroke and Tia forum.  I'm not sure how this happened and I am also sorry if this offend anyone.  I'm not sure how to change to a different forum.  I will work on it.   Thank you for responding to me!  Please keep writing.
    • pauline59158
      pauline59158 beth4700

      Posted

      It didn't offend me and I didn't mean to upset anyone. I couldn't  quite see how you would get the help you needed on a Stroke forum. If you've found help using this forum, I'm really pleased for you. 
    • Guest
      Guest beth4700

      Posted

      I haven't read any of the other posts but my husband had a stroke at Xmas and when he came home after two weeks he developed excruciating pain under his rib & in his back and it turned out to be Pneumonia & Pleurisy. Three days in the DDU (Daily diagnostic Unit) at the JR on a drip and he made a full recovery. Still recovering from the minor stroke though.
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