Is my pneumothorax recurring again?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi there, i am a 19 year old male. Healthy with no allergies, no prior health issues - well except that i suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax about a week and a half ago. I had a chest tube in me, and recovered quite well. Yesterday I was hugging my girlfriend, and I slightly lifted her, having often forgot that I just had a procedure and to keep away from streneous activity. I didnt lift her high, maybe a cm or two off the floor.
Anyways, I felt this dull pain in my lower right abdomen area just under the lung and it feels like that feeling when you laugh really hard and your diaphragm hurts after. I am really worried that my lung re-opened again and that another pneumothorax is underway. With my first pneumo, I was breathing fine and had no shortness of breath, no low bp, no low o2 levels, nothing. I feel like that could be happening again, but not sure.
I went to the doctor today to get my stitches removed from the initial pneumo, and i told him about the pain, but he said since it isnt affecting my breathing not to worry about it (he never checked my breathing though).
If i never had a previous pneumothorax, i would dismiss the pain as random - that is how minimal the pain is. When i exhale beyond the normal exhaling threshold, that is when i feel the discomfort. Sometimes when I breathe in. The pain/discomfort only occurs beyond those threshold limits, not within regular breathing range, and sometimes the discomfort is completely gone!
To further add clarification, the discomfort has not affected my breathing from my own experience, but when i did have my pneumothorax, it didnt then either.
I do not know what I should do because I am in University and I have so many things coming up. I am going home in about a week and a half for reading week, and have a scheduled appoitnment with my family doctor. I was planning to track the discomfort and see if it goes away, or what have you. What do you think it is, and have any of you experienced anything similar? I do often pull my muscles (probably because I barely exercise) so I dont know if that is what I am experiencing. I do apologize for the novel, but I am a worry warrior, and I rather you know more than not enough.
Thanks 
0 likes, 9 replies
Frayniac arjun19
Posted
I am 28. Had my first 6 months ago! Exactly the same as you I had a drain to take out the excess air.... So just to let you know you will always have strange sensations. I had to work this out for myself by speaking to others as docs and hospital don't seem to have a clue and we're telling me I shouldn't have pain. But it seems normal as every other phneumathorax sufferer experiences sensations. I'm never in loads of pain but definitely aware of a pulling sensation all of the time. When I'm worried I go to a&e for an xray rather than the doc. Every time I have been correct in saying it's happened again bar one time. I have learnt to tell the difference between the pulling sensation and when it's actually collapsed. Similarly my o2 levels have been fine but as it's recurred they have advised me not to fly until I have an operation. I am due for my operation tomorrow so I can keep you posted on that. I think you aren't in danger as you sound very similar to me. Good o2 levels and healthy but my advice is go to a and e if your not sure. I feel like you are telling my story from 2 weeks after my initial phneumathorax. It's better to be reassured in the hospital than paranoid. I hope all goes well. Feel free to message me if you have any more questions x
beth02617 arjun19
Posted
From what you're saying, it sounds like you are probably OK to wait until your appointment with your regular doctor. In the first six months after my daughter's lung collapse, I took her to the doctor frequently because of the type of pain you're describing. They all turn out to be nothing. When she did have another collapse, there was no doubt in her mind what was happening. Now she knows what paint to be concerned about and what not to be. It is a learning curve. You will figure it out. Might take a while.
arjun19 beth02617
Posted
Thank you for your response. You were right in that nothing was wrong. And hopefully it remains that way! All good for now
These little scares, before the pneumo i would not even bat an eye at the random pains we all get in our bodies from time to time. Now we are always wondering if it is something to concern ourselves with!
beth02617 arjun19
Posted
You are so right! My daughter actually started having pains before her first collapse and we just thought that's weird without thinking anything could be seriously wrong. But in reality, even if we had known what they meant, there was nothing that could be done about it. She is at a good place now where she goes about life as usual. Works through most of the pain she has and still has all the fun an17 yr old should have. Some days her lungs will hurt to the point that she has to take it easy for a few days. But she hasn't collapsed in two years. Fingers crossed it stays that way. She has had 3 total... 1 at 14 and two at 15.
XDKTC arjun19
Posted
from personal experience keep an eye on everything if u feel off go see the hospital or your pulmonologist. (lung doc)
I had 3 full collapses of right lung inside 3 months finally ended up with pleuraldesis pleuraectomy and blebs removed .. its been 4-5 months now from the surgery to correct the right lung still have to live with blebs on left but i still feel a tad strange every now and then all i can say is goodluck and keep an eye on things.
arjun19 XDKTC
Posted
Thank your for your response. I am keeping an eye on things. So far so good, and hopefully it stays that way
natasha_45537 arjun19
Posted
I'm 31years old I would like to give you some really great tricks I have learnt and by myself not through medical advice I have had 60 spontaneous phneumothoracies it has been tended to with multiple chest drains 2 not successful plurodrsis and bullectomy and one varely successful bullectomy with stapled plurodrsis during my episodes which have only ever occured on my left I have never once become short of breath my oxygen levels have made ambulance drivers doctors etc hold off on pain meds as I screamed at them I know it's collasped because some stupid theory is that you will loose mass oxygen never let this determin what your feeling.... 2 if I'm in a great deal of pain but slightly unsure slowly lean down and touch your toes if there is air trapped outside your lung and pluera it will form a bubble you will feel this pop as you tip just like a bottle of water the air floats to the top...3 don't give up it isn't easy but there's nothing they can tell you that causes it so live life to the fullest as it may never happen again... I still have an oxygen tank at home as I don't know if it will ever go away but never walk away unsatisfied with a doctor's diagnosis generally you know your body better than anyone and it could be your life!!!
arjun19 natasha_45537
Posted
thank you for your reply, I hae actually used your bending technique as I currently have a small pneumothorax right now. Thankfully doctors have told me to let it heal on it's own since it is so small. I could feel the air move and it's weird but I can measure the healing process as each day that goes by, it gets less and less. Let's hope that it heals all well and no further occurences come my way.
natasha_45537 arjun19
Posted