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PLEURISY DURATION

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

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

PAINFUL 24-7

0 likes, 60 replies

60 Replies

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  • Frittlingen
    Frittlingen Guest

    Posted

    Its going to be a year soon sins I first came down with pleurisy, still have a tied chest, no pain , but very uncomfortable but getting used to it, this was a bad nightmare for 5 months of hell, I think the doctors where not very understanding on how I was felling, I really was thinking i was dying, they gave me some meds in the beginning, they really did not help much , before I was admitted to the hospital I seen one more doctor who told me just to take aspirin for pain, so I did, not sure on how many I was taken, but it was a lot, I continued for about 2 weeks on the aspirin when I noticed there is more going on with my body and I needed to go to the ER, I was admitted rightaway do to my organs shutting down, I was so far gone that I really did not know on how sick I became, I was days away from dying,I wish everybody good luck on there recovery, its a long strechand it feels hopeless sometimes, but you can do it
  • jodie56139
    jodie56139 Guest

    Posted

    Hi I'm sorry to here your in so much pain u are not alone. I to have had pleurisy 2 times this year and I have be left with painful pain in my left side. For months docs kept on saying it's just muscler pain it will go away, but it didn't I till I went back in to hospital with pleurisy for the second time.

    I finally got an appointment for the pain docs and he told me it was not in my head was so happy to here that.

    Now I am on 8 tramadol a day and 150mg of pregabalin a day I feel like I am a zombie all the time,it's not good.

    I don't now Wat the next step is I just want to feel normal again .

    Hope u feel better soon

  • robyne81123
    robyne81123 Guest

    Posted

    Good morning

    ive been reading all the comments and would like to add my thoughts as well:

    ive had pluracy off and on for 40 plus yrs.

    i have in the last few yrs. been told that this painful illness is related to Reumitoid arthritis which I've had for at least 6 years. RA is related to trigeminal neuralgia, fibro and other illnesses as well. I suggest to be tested for RA to rule out this horrible disease since inflammation can affect every part of your body: heart lungs, joints, etc....

    make sure you get tested in a hospital setting and not a clinic where blood is drawn. 

    I am sitting here suffering myself for 6 days and contemplating a visit with my Dr....

    heating pad does help, pain meds too and hot showers.

    rule out RA because if you have it and not take medicine for it, it can damage your joints, heart, lungs, etc.

    take care and feel better

    ??

  • alex38016
    alex38016 Guest

    Posted

    Hi I was wondering if you could tell me how long your pleurisy lasted in the end? I hope it's gone? I am experiencing what you had/have at the moment. Just over two weeks of pain, on co codomal, but I can't move and am in tears from the pain and just the idea of not knowing how long this will last is depressing.

    • elizabeth_20376
      elizabeth_20376 alex38016

      Posted

      Mine has lasted for a few months, but it has improved a lot recently. I still feel short of breath when I have to climb stairs, but I can function more normally now. At first, I couldn't even lie down, the pain was so bad. I slept in a reclining chair. But later, I was able to lie down, but I couldn't roll over. Now I can, though one side is still a bit sore. I have lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren's syndrome as well. I have been on a combination of medications since the beginning of April, 2016. I only took prednisone for one month, tapering down each week. I have to inject methotrexate once a weeek, and I think that must be what has helped the most. I take plaquenil as well, plus folic acid, Omega 3 fish oil, Vitamin D, a 24-hour painkiller, and something for stomach upsets. I am well enough, finally, to go back to work.

    • janni79600
      janni79600 alex38016

      Posted

      Hi, Alex38016. I hope you begin feeling better soon. It is important to see the Dr. and get on an antibiotic, if he thinks that is the right thing to do. I kept thinking it would go away and didn't see a Dr. for two weeks. By then, the pain was really bad and it took longer to get rid of the pneumonia and the pleurisy. Also, found out I had a broken rib, which was intensifying the pain. Hope you can see your Dr. soon and get on the right treatment. It does get better.

  • ryan031
    ryan031 Guest

    Posted

    So my pleurisy symptoms started 6 weeks ago. I've seen my GP 3 times. I'm on my 2nd round of Presnisone and just finished antibiotics. The pain was worse the first few weeks, and now it's not as bad, but still there.

    It started when I came back from Europe. The weird thing is I don't remember having cold symptoms of any kind. I've had a chest X-ray which was negative, and now an appointment with the pulmonologist. Sometimes I have a dry cough and headache but I always ruled it out to allergies. Anyone have a similar story? Maybe I have walking pneumonia?

    • janni79600
      janni79600 ryan031

      Posted

      Hi, ryan031. I'm glad you are going to see the specialist. The sooner one gets treatment, the sooner one can get better. I hope you feel better soon. Don't let it just run its course. I did that and it took two weeks for me to realize I needed to see a Dr. Let us know how you get along.

  • ron2k17
    ron2k17 Guest

    Posted

    i hhave the same thing what did you do
  • lisa3400
    lisa3400 Guest

    Posted

    I know this post is a year old and i hope you are bette . I've been reading many posts on pleurisy because I was just diagnosed today at the E.R. I was wondering how long this pain will last. The E.R doctor was in such a rush he could never give me a good answer. They prescribed meds but now here I am...at home, but still in pain.

  • calleyyy
    calleyyy Guest

    Posted

    I am already in pain management for other health problems. Opiates arent touching the pain from my pleurisy. I was given morphine at the ER and still couldnt stop crying. Tramadol knocked me out and helped so much. I hope you're doing better.

  • freedumb
    freedumb Guest

    Posted

    hi this is really scary for me to hear. Ive recently been told i have pleurisy caused by a viral infection. Im only 31 and have never been sick for this long its already been three weeks ive had it and i work in construction so i havent been able to work ive tried twice and had to leave both times because the pain became so bad. does anyone know if its normal for this to be lasting so long and being so painful? is there anything i can do to help it heal faster or that would allow me to return to work? is it dangerous for me to return to work? thanks for any help
  • mimireco
    mimireco Guest

    Posted

    I had pleurisy for a long time and didn't know it.  I just thought I had broncitis due to I smoke.  Then one night it hit me so bad I could barely breathe.  The pain was in my entire upper body.  Fluid coming from my nose and throat.  My daughter rushed to the Er at 5 am in the morning.  They gave me a shot, and immediately the pain was gone.  Then they put me on a series of steroids that took it away. But lately I feel there is still a bit of fluid around my lungs.  Were you taking steroids?  They really worked for me.  They gave me a prescription of pills for pain, but I haven't had to use them as of yet, and it's been a year.. 

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