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What should I expect?

Posted , 4 users are following.

celesta82674
celesta82674

I was just diagnosed with pleurisy. I'm 24, almost 4 years ago I had a pulmonary embolism due to birth control. I was in pain for 2 years. Right when I think I'm back to normal I get intense lung pain. It felt like my lungs 1\2 their normal size, I went white and clamy and almost passed out. Seeing these symptoms before with my PE my fiancé rushed me to the ER. After blood test, x ray, EKG, and CT scan they told me I have pleurisy. Not really knowing what it was I accepted their diagnoses. But after getting home I googled and saw that pleurisy is more like a symptom of an underlying cause. Is this true? If so why didn't they tell me the cause or treat it. All they prescribed me was 500mg Naproxen, which I didn't get filled cuz I have 220mg at home. After reading a couple of the stories I'm a little worried. Is this something I will deal with my whole life? It's a depressing thought considering I just started feeling normal again. Anyways any advice is welcome. Thx.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Sheri216
    Sheri216 celesta82674

    Posted

    When ever my son has pleurisy it is usually accompanied by  pneumonia. He sees a pulmonolagist (sp) regularly now and was given doxicycline which is a big time antibiotic. If you haven't already, I would see a pulmonary dr about this.
    • celesta82674
      celesta82674 Sheri216

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply. I'm uninsured, so I can't afford to go to a specialist. I could follow up with the doc I usually see, but I have to go to a clinic and it is very hard to get an appointment with her.
  • PRthyroid
    PRthyroid celesta82674

    Posted

    I've also had two cases of Pulmonary Embolisms due to birth control. Every now and then I pull my chest muscles from lifting something too heavy and it inflammes the inner lung walls causing pleurisy. Last time i pulled it was last summer from tryin go lean over the couch and pull up a heavy bookbag. When that happened I was in crazy pain for like the first 3-4 days (like I could barely walk/move or breath deeply without it hurting), then afterwards I had annoying discomforting feeling in my chest for weeks. It finally went away after a good while. I can't have any meds that helps with inflammation since I'm currently on a blood thinner the rest of my life. Cause of that, it takes my body a lonngggg time to heal from anything.

    But I can tell you it doesn't feel quite the same as when I did have pneumonia and blood clots. When I had blood clots and pneumonia, I was trying to cough up stuff alot, and my chest felt like constantly tight and a never ending pain at the bottom of my lungs. Also feeling light headed when walking up stairs. I don't feel none of that when I have pluerisy.

    I wouldn't be too worried about it. I've read once you had blood clots in your lungs, you'll have random pleurisy or other problems cause of it. But nothing that is deadly serious tho I don't think think. For example, every now and then I get a shooting sharp pain run thru my lungs randomly at times, but it only last for a split sec and that's it. I won't feel it for weeks/months, etc at a time. I've had more tests done and they said they can't find anything that would cause that problem. 

    If it was from pneumonia or blood clots, they would be able to see it in your CT. But if you're passing out from it then it might be something else. : ( I'm not sure, but I hope you get better soon.

    • celesta82674
      celesta82674 PRthyroid

      Posted

      That's what I thought, maybe something else. But the pain hasn't been as severe as the night I went to the hospital. Just random times I can't take full breaths and my lungs feeling weird, like now they don't hurt, just feel tight. I advise every girl I know not to take birth control, I don't trust it. Well I guess I will wait and see, I hate going to the ER they have a way of making you feel like you made it up. Best of luck to you, thx for the reply.
  • jodie56139
    jodie56139 celesta82674

    Posted

    Hi how are u feeling now. I still in a lot of pain with my left lung I have had this for over a year now and still not any better.

    And now I have nerve damage in my back from having pleurisy twice pain specialist said I was the first one to get nerve damage from this. I can't do anything can't do house work or go out one my own.

    But u are right they don't tell u much about pleurisy I never herd of it before.

    But all I can do is just get on with it done we.

    I am only 30 with 2 young kids it's not fair 😢😢.

    Hope you feel better soon

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