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Pneumothorax like symptoms 1 year on from surgery

Posted , 18 users are following.

welshstudent93
welshstudent93

Hi I am just looking to speak to people in the same situation really, and whether anybody can give me any advice. I am a 21 year old female who first started getting spontanius pneumothorax's when i was 19 on both lungs. Last year (when I was 20) they operated on both lungs, on seperate occassions, to perform a bullectomy, pleurodesis and pleuroectomy. (Top marks for remembering the names!) I am now one year on from having the surgery, like others that I have read about on here, I also have the sharp pains on both sides sometimes. They are normally like a sharp stabbing pain for about 30 seconds and then it goes. (Something to do with nerve damage from the operations I have been told). However, the reason why I am writing on here is that yesterday the dreading air bubble sound in my chest came and I was feeling a bit of pain (exactly like the symptoms from my other pneumothorax's). So, I went down to a and e, had an xray which came back fine. However, I woke up this morning, the pain was slightly worse, and the air bubbling sound is still there. I dont know what to do. I feel silly going back to a and e, like im being paranoid or something? Its the air bubbling sound that really worries me though? Has anyone else had a similar experience after surgery? Surely my lung can't be collapsing again after having all 3 procedures on both sides? I would be very grateful for any advice or to hear similar experiences!

1 like, 28 replies

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  • angel77126
    angel77126 welshstudent93

    Posted

    Hi I’m currently 19 and I had my first spontaneous pneumothorax at 18 around September 1st, 2017 I believe.. I had a chest tube and was in the hospital for a month after. I was a heavy weed smoker and didn’t stop after the first time it happened.. it happened again on the same right lung about 3 and a half months ago sadly and had to get a vat surgery I think? I don’t really remember what procedure was done but my surgeon took a clump of damaged lung tissue w blend and glued it w talk to the wall to prevent future collapses.. so yeah ya been 3 1/2 months since and at first it was really painful obviously from the surgery but then it started recovering great, no pin, no numbness nothing but about a month 1/2 I start feeling numbness and sometimes pain and it’s just gives me anxiety because I don’t want it to happen again I don’t really know how to describe what I feel? My lung is numb so sometimes I don’t know if it’s inflating w air or not.. I sometimes get lung pain and I’ve gone to hospital to make sure it’s nothing serious and the X-ray results are always okay.. anyone else have these symptoms?? Please I’m knew to this just made an account to my feel alone basically no one seems to understand what I go through daily every second of my new life..
    • maggieCPhT
      maggieCPhT angel77126

      Posted

      I completely understand what you’re saying.. It’s hard to describe how it feels. I’ve been trying to figure it out for over a year now. I can’t figure out what makes it hurt more, or what makes me short of breath, or TIRED! I’m always tired. I recently started going to a Physical therapist once a week to see if that might help and I think it has.. I practice taking deep, diaphragmatic breaths. I’m also stretching my side/rib muscles where my surgery was and strengthening my upper back and shoulders. All things I never thought could help my lung function but my stamina is increasing. I wish I had thought about doing physical therapy right after my surgery, maybe you can look into that in your area. For a while after my surgery, I would still go around people smoking and I figured out I can’t do that.. I have to stay away from second hand smoke or I pay for it for weeks after.. Anyway, hope you find some peace of mind soon! 
    • angel77126
      angel77126 maggieCPhT

      Posted

      Thank you for replying ! makes me feel a little better.. I’m just hoping this all goes away and I can live my normal life again. I’ll look into physical therapy as well and see if it helps (:
  • beth02617
    beth02617 welshstudent93

    Posted

    My daughter has had 3 spontaneous pneumothoraces but no surgery. So I can’t really help with that. But there is a Spontaneous Pneumothorax group on Facebook that is great for bouncing things off of and they are pretty quick to respond. 
    • angel77126
      angel77126 beth02617

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply, I’m sorry to hear about your daughter.. were they all on the same lung? and I looked into the fb page ty 
    • beth02617
      beth02617 angel77126

      Posted

      She had one on the right lung and two on her he left. They were also small so surgery was not suggested at that time.
    • GelJoy
      GelJoy beth02617

      Posted

      Hi sorry to hear about your daughter.  I had spontaneous pneumothorax too a month ago now.  It’s my first time and with the symptoms I experience I never thought it was pneumothorax. It took me 6 days before going to a doctor because I thought the pain and the SOB with exertion is nothing serious.  

      I had chest tube for 2 weeks.

      The first week was in the hospital and the second week at home.  I didn’t have surgery just like your daughter. But the thoracic surgeon told me that it can happen again and next time it happen I have to undergo surgery. 

      Your daughter had 3 and never had surgery. 

      Does she have blebs in her lung too? 

    • beth02617
      beth02617 GelJoy

      Posted

      Her first was on the left and 3rd and 4th were on the right. CT didn't show any blebs, but that is what the docs think she has. We did consult with 2 surgeons one suggested surgery the other said he wouldn't have a problem waiting. Her pulmonologist said she can always have the surgery, but you cant undo it. So we decided to wait and see what happens. It has now been almost 4 years and no more collapses. She has had a some scares...pain that seems like a collapse but resolves on its own. XRay didn't show collapse. She is 19 now and happy with her decision. But every case is different. Hope you have a good outcome whatever you decide.

  • DaVida73
    DaVida73 welshstudent93

    Posted

    I see thread is pretty old but I'm surfing looking for other Pneumothorax survivors. I have had the bubbling sound I think Sounds like what I call "Aqualung ", literally. Or like the sound of vaping. My lung collapsed and I'd never heard of SP until I was rushed to ER by ambulance from work. I was given the chest tube although it was actually inserted in my side about an inch under my arm. Talk about uncomfortable! I was put under and don't remember anything except waking up in a hospital room that I stayed in for 14 days I had the VATS PLEURODESIS and it's only been three weeks since surgery.

    I have very little paint but I do have clavicle area discomfort especially when I try to inhale deeply. I had the bubbling sound a week ago and I got scared immediately! Walking and talking at the same time is out of the question and I have a strange deep reflexive inhale -like heartbeat while sleeping

    My worry is recurrence. I can't believe this has happened to so many people more than once! How do people handle it? I didn't have any lung cut just the whole mechanical scrubbing thing for purposeful inflammation to blow up the lung to keep it in place.

    Has anyone had a recurrence? How soon after surgery? Do they repeat the same surgery or something even more traumatic and invasive? Answers please I'm p worried about nothing Bu.

  • melanie44158
    melanie44158 welshstudent93

    Posted

    I had 2 SP's this summer, i'm a 47 yearvikd woman. It turns out mine were due to Endometriosis. (Catamenial Pneumothorax). It might be worth mentioning it if it happens again. Good luck xx

  • JPI
    JPI welshstudent93

    Posted

    I have had multiple collapsed lungs as well. With two surgeries to repair both sides. My lung did collapse again since the surgeries and I had to have the chest tube again. So yes it can happen. I also have found out recently that I have another large bad spot Blib again the doctors think I should get removed to prevent another collapse lung. I don't want to scare you though the doctor did say I had a pretty sever case of primary pneumothorax. I also do get some chest pains that I have though was bad enough to be collapsed and went in for chest X-ray and it was not collapsed. Well good luck to you. I had more of a question for people if they are experiencing a lot of numbness in there hands due to the surgery years later or if it is just from something else.

  • JPI
    JPI welshstudent93

    Posted

    I do have another question about the lung surgeries. I was wondering if any one gets a lot of pain in there back area where there lungs are if you lay on your back for any long period of time like an hour or more? I had the surgeries where they went in with a camera in the middle area of my lower back, then they cut where my shoulder blade is and went in and cut pieces off my lungs, scraped up the cavity walls, and stuck the lungs to it. This also now causes a lot of pain when the lung collapses now, because the lung has to rip away from the cavity wall now, where as, before it would just be hard to breath. I had my last surgery back in 2001 and I cannot lay on my back for any long period of time due to a agonizing pain located where my lungs are?

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