Life after a Pneumothorax

I’m a 54 year old male. Smoker for 40 years. A few months ago I was walking to work when I fell a sudden stabbing pain in my left shoulder, followed by tightening in my chest and difficulty breathing. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack. I kept going though, worked the day and went home. It was the Easter long weekend so I spent the next few days taking it easy and hoping I would get better. I didn’t. Five days after it happened I went to ER where they took an X-ray and told me I’d had a major pneumothorax. they inserted the chest tube (thanks for the morphine because it was a very painful experience). I then spent the next 5 days in hospital waiting for the lung to re-inflate. Then sent home. Two weeks later I was drying myself after a shower and I felt the same stabbing pain again. I knew instantly what it was and calmly came downstairs and asked my wife to drive me to ER. Once again they took an X-ray and confirmed my left lung had collapsed again so I was re-admitted. A new drain was inserted (thanks morphine) and we waited 5 days for the lung to re-inflate. My specialist told me to consider a pleurodesis this time. So I thought about it for roughly 4 seconds and said yes, let’s do it. So they performed the operation and inserted chest tube number 3 (hello again morphine my old friend). 4 days after the operation they attempted to remove the chest drain, however this time things didn’t go to plan and air got in through the hole in my chest (that was a very weird and scary experience) so they ‘plugged my up’ and decided that a new chest drain would have to be inserted. However, because they’d only just operated on the lung they would have to insert the drain whilst under a CAT scan so they could see EXACTLY where they were inserting it. This procedure went well (though I have to say it was an extremely unpleasant experience) 5 days later they removed the drain with no problems. The next day I was discharged.

It’s now two months since the pleurodesis and up until a few days ago I was feeling ok. But for the last few days I’ve been experiencing sudden stabbing chest pains. Sometimes they last 30 seconds or so, sometimes longer. They are always in the exact same place right below my heart. I really didn’t want to go back to the ER so thought i’d Google to see what I could find. That’s how I found this wonderful forum. Now I can see that there are many people out there with similar experiences to mine, and some very helpful advise and tips. For example someone mentioned that they also experienced those stabbing chest pains and that it might be scarring rubbing against the diaphragm. They advised raising the arms in the air and stretching to relieve the pain. I tried it and it really does help! 

I should also also point out that I was diagnosed with COPD (due to 40 years smoking) so really I have nobody to blame but myself. In fact sometimes I feel guilty even taking up valuable hospital resources when there are people with far worse conditions than me. I should also add that I haven’t smoked since my first lung collapse and never intend to. I try to convince myself that maybe my experiences will turn out to be one of the best things ever to happen to me. After all it finally made me give up smoking.

i was never big on exercise but I did enjoy hiking. Right now it’s not an option because I still don’t have full lung capacity (I still get a bit out of breath) but I’m hoping this will pass with time and that i’ll Be able to bushwalk again soon.

Anyway that’s my experience to date. All the best to all fellow sufferers. Stay strong and most of all stay positive

First of all I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has posted on here.

4 weeks ago I underwent the VATS procedure. All seems to be going well.

I woke up this morning at 330 am short of breath and coughing so I thought I would search for remedies and found this thread.

I always have known that I am not the only person to have multiple SP but all of friends and family around me don't really understand. They tell me I am pushing too hard.

Like most of you that have posted on here I am active in sports and try to enjoy life. I am out working in the yard and I play baseball.

Since surgery i obviously haven't been able to do much but find it very difficult to do nothing. I still work around the yard but have not attempted to play ball yet. I can understand what you all are saying about it being a me talking thing. I don't want to reinjure myself but I can't do nothing. Again my wife tells me i push too hard.

Anyhow, after reading what others had to say, i felt the need to share a little about me as well and keep the thread going. It is most comforting to know that others do understand what i am going through.

Thank you everyone for posting

Thank you for your positive post. I am sure a lot of people (like me) will appreciate hearing how you have shared the same experience but moved on and are again loving life. I felt exactly the same as you in hospital... depressed but knowing i was the lucky one. I am scared to fly now but amazing to hear you went straight back travelling after just 4 months. Your positivity is inspiring.

It has been encouraging to hear from people in the same boat. I specifically sought out a pneumothorax/pleurodesis message board and am thankful to have found all of your comments. My first bout was in 2006, when I was 18. I had pleurodesis in 2007, and the procedure was fraught with errors. I'll never forget the rage I felt, the anger my mother felt (toward the medical staff) and the dread I felt the first night I tried to fall asleep back at home.

Pneumothorax seems to rear its ugly head from time to time. Usually, it doesn't affect me. But in the last week or so, the psychological worry of not being able to draw a deep breath is heavy. When I worry, I remind myself that I snorkeled on my honeymoon, I can run a mile, and I can sing in a band. I didn't know about the partial lung removal procedure some of you have had until now. I applaud your strength and the tenacity to face each day.

I hope to meet you one day and to inspire others. This is a strange, usually spontaneous affliction but it can't take your spirit.

When I was 19, In February, 1999, I started experiencing symptoms of spontaneous pneumothorax, but I did not know what was causing the pain in my shoulder and did not see a doctor. In summer of 1999 symptoms got really bad (severe pain, difficulty breathing) and still I did not see a doctor. In December 1999 breathing was really difficult one day at work and my lung felt like it was completely collapsed. I finally went to the doctor, who, upon listening to my breathing, proclaimed I probably had a collapsed lung and had to go to the ER immediately. It was pretty quickly determined I needed surgery. The surgeon wasn't too pleased it took me so long to recover after the surgery (I was in the hospital for 3 weeks, much of that time with a chest tube). The surgeon warned me not to do any heavy lifting for months after the surgery. Even to this day, if I do too much heavy lifting or upper body workouts my chest/lungs hurt. Over the years I've experienced random, periodic pains in my lungs, but nothing so severe as to stop me from being active. I feel very fortunate that I've never had another SP since the surgery 22 years ago.

In the last three years I've become an avid cyclist. In late December I rode 500 miles in 8 days with no issues. This last month I haven't ridden much (been snowy) but I started doing a little cross training: breast stroke in the pool for about 30 min twice a week. After finishing these workouts it feels like I've been lifting weights, but no issues with my lungs feeling strained. Except after biking, that is. I went for a relatively short bike ride two weeks ago and felt "whooped up on" (more fatigue than normal and my chest felt strained, though no difficulty breathing and no sharp pains) in the evening and thought maybe it was the cold air (though I had ridden in much colder air without issues in December).

Really nice weather the last three days saw me on my bike three days in a row on moderate rides and same thing; my lungs feeling strained, but no sharp pains and no difficulty breathing afterwards; just a general feeling of them being whooped up on.

My guess is that the strain of the swimming workouts (like I said, feels like I've been lifting weights when I finish these workouts, but feels good) are leaving my lungs vulnerable to the bike rides. I'm hoping my lungs will adapt to the swim workouts soon as I really like doing them and don't want to stop. I'm thinking this would be a good time to start taking lung support supplements. Are there any lung support supplements anyone on here takes that they find helpful? or any other ideas how I can continue my swim workouts and biking? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

This has been really comforting to read everyone's experiences. I'm a 29 year old male and have been very fit and active my whole life. I had my first SP in March this year. Initially they opted for the conservative approach, however after another SP I was put on the waitlist for pleurodesis.

I was discharged from hospital almost three weeks ago feeling fine. Foolishly, I was quite active in my first week because I felt ok and wasn't experiencing any pain. I was absolutely doing too much, and I definitely did not appreciate or respect how signficant the operation is. I experienced some burning sensations in my chest which were causing me extreme anxiety, however I got the all clear after a trip to ED. That was one week ago, and I considered myself very lucky and vowed to take it easy as I felt I'd been gifted a second chance.

I did take it relatively easy, walking short distances to the shops and being careful not to lift anything too heavy. However in the last couple of days I've started getting back pains which is, again, causing me major stress and anxiety. I'm hoping that the pains are just due to my poor posture (I'm studying and working from home on a laptop) but am seeing the GP in a couple of days time. Luckily I've got no shortness of breath or chest pains, but I'm still really worried.

Not that anyone needs advice, but if you are reading this before or just after pleurodesis - please take it easy and rest. I'm extremely annoyed with myself for giving into boredom and moving around too much and potentially undoing all the good work of the doctors and nurses.

Has anyone else experienced back pains post-pleurodesis and been ok? It feels like a knot in my back and it does help when my partner massages it, so I'm hoping it's just muscular.

P.S. I really do empathise with the paranoia that others have reported it. This is probably the toughest mental challenge I've experienced, it's really hard not to think that everyone ache or pain is another pneumothorax.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories.

Hi all.

I had 2 x pneumothorax following flights in 2017 and then 2022. I required surgery to remove large part of upper lung lobes on both sides and pleurodesis on one lung as I had bullous lung disease.The other lung couldn't undergo pleurodesis as too much lung had been removed.

Since then I've been able to resume a fairly normal life again.

Recently I attended a concert and in a moment of madness I took a few puffs of a joint. I haven't smoked in any form since 2013 so I'm not sure what came over me. I instantly regretted and have been worried ever since what damageI may have done. I've been at the doctor as I've felt tightness around front of chest since (over 1 week ago now) but no major pain or shortness of breath like when I had the original pneumothorax. I'm awaiting x ray to be reviewed.

I'm wondering if any of you ever had similar problem. Feel pretty fatigued but mostly dumb for doing what I did. Could one pull of a joint do that much damage?

apologies my second operation was in 2019, not 2022 so I've been okay for the last few years.