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I am a 48 year old female in excellent health. I had pl...

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I am a 48 year old female in excellent health.

I had pleurisy about 15 years ago. It began with a very light cold and within 2 days I had pain in my lungs that knocked me over. I could not sleep other than in a straight upright position for 5 nights due to knifelike pain in my left lung area. After 5 nights I was able to gradually start to lie down, but extreme pain lasted for 3 weeks, strong pain for the next 3 weeks moderate pain for the following 3weeks and a gradual tapering off until about the 12 week mark.

I believe I have it again as of yesterday. I woke up with very minor cold symtoms, but by evening, my left lung felt like I had been pummeled for hours. Today I am short of breath, I can barely hold a conversation without dry coughing every couple of seconds and the (amazing) pain radiates from my left lung front to back and down my left arm. My ears and throat hurt and I have a migraine. I have not even had a cold for over 2 years and the last time I had the flu was about 14 years ago.

Last time I had this, I saw a doctor 3 times during the first couple of weeks. She prescribed Motrin which had no effect on the pain. She later prescribed a narcotic pain killer which also had no noticeable effect on the pain. If anyone has found anything that is helpful for the pain, I would love to hear about it.

[i:032cb02e8b]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:032cb02e8b]

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3 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    my boyfriend was rushed to a&e yesterday with severe pain which turned out to be pleurisy he was given voltarol which is a prescription only painkiller/anti inflammatory this eased his pain considerably i would say ask your doctor for something with these properties to see if they help he has been taking ibuprofen/nurofen today (on advice of A & E doctor) but it hasnt been helping him

    also stay out of the cold as this has been causing him a lot of extra pain

    [i:bf507327d0]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:bf507327d0]

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    my internist prescribed a natural supplement called bromelain (it is a proteolytic enzyme derived from pineapple) it helps with inflammation and pain. I take 3 tablets 3 times a day on an empty stomach. Nothing has "cured" the problem, but these seem to help quite a bit.

    [i:c055caf789]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:c055caf789]

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I have been going through something similar since March 10 starting with bronchitis, leading to chest pain from severe with each breath to intermittent with dry cough and shortness of breath. I was already on a anti-inflammatory. My GP put me on prednisone initialy with an antibiotic and bronchodialator. Whenever he tried to taper the pred. the chest pain would return. I can't get it down past 10-15 mg. per day without the pain returning in the afternoon. The pulmonologist, that it took 6 weeks to get an appt. with, said that I had pleurisy associated my lupus. I just set an appt. with my rheumatologist, now I have another 4 week wait for that appt. Prednisone was a Godsend for me!

    [i:1d4a4a8ac0]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:1d4a4a8ac0]

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