Could it be PE?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello everyone,
I was wondering is it possible to have PE without feeling shortness of breath or pain while breathing?
My health issues started off when one morning I woke up and noticed swelling on my left calf. The swelling was not that bad just a round spot size of baby hand and it was itchy but painful to touch (it did not look like DVT, but it could have been phlebitis). After couple of days it disappeared so I thought it was just a bug bite or something. In the following days I started having pain in my left side of chest when I would take deep breath or lean forward and about after a week this pain developed into persistent pain one the left side of my chest which would also move to my left side of back. Right now I have persistent mid/ upper left back pain which does not intensify while I breathe and no other serious symptoms (I had done X Ray, some blood tests and everything looked fine so far).
So I thought is it possible in case you have small blood clot in your lungs which did not block the main artery in your lungs, but went into deeper veins and now is causing me this persistent pain?
0 likes, 5 replies
brian61079 Ramo5
Posted
Sway Ramo5
Posted
Yes you could have a small one in a vein. I had bilateral pes in my smaller veins back in 2016. I didn't have much symptoms other then chest pain. So go get a ct with contrast.
graceCO Ramo5
Posted
It's my understanding you need a CT Scan to diagnose a PE. Better to be safe than sorry. Good luck.
Ramo5
Posted
But how do I convince my GP to do me one?
I live in UK and NHS is under a lot of pressure so basically they send for screening only 'serious' patients with multiple worsening symptoms. Besides I have been to minor ER and they done some heart screening, X RAY of lungs and doc told me I don't have any symptoms of PE besides my pain and just told me to drink ibuprofen for few days but even 5 tabs a day did not kill my pain.
graceCO Ramo5
Posted
I'm in the US and unfamiliar with the UK system. If I were in your situation, I'd just keep going back until they gave in and ordered a CT scan. You need to be diagnosed and treated. I'm so sorry you have to fight for diagnostic testing and care. Our health system here is expensive and unaccessible for many people, until you're on Medicare. Then, we get the best of care. I wish you good luck--be a pest, if you have to get what you need!