I already have a doctor’s appointment this afternoon, but I thought it would be fun to see I could figure out what my issue is before I go (and to help ease my mind).
Symptoms started Monday late afternoon and are pretty simple: it hurts when I breathe. Deeper breaths hurt more than shallow ones, sneezing, laughing, coughing, hiccups, they all hurt. If I lay down on my stomach it hurts my chest, but I can press on it without pain. It also hurts more to lay flat on my back.
The pain is centered from the bottom of my throat down to the bottom of my breastbone with small radiation outwards (lungs?).
I am not running a fever, I do not have a cough, shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, or any weird pains in my left (or right) arm.
I am 41 years old, just had my annual physical and the only “bad” thing was my cholesterol was a tiny bit high (like 5 points above the top normal number). I play tennis a couple/three times a week, but haven’t played since Friday. Friday’s match was without incident (meaning no one hit me in the chest with a ball, I didn’t fall, or otherwise possibly injure myself).
I happened to get a chest x-ray yesterday (part of my physical) so if there is anything hinky, the doctor will have that film when I see him today.
So, I ask all the armchair Doper doctors: What is wrong with me?
Pleurisy is still around. I had it a few years back. It’s an easy fix with Prednisone. I don’t remember how it was diagnosed, whether I had an x-ray or not.
How long were you on the Pred? That drug scares me; my mother was on it years and years ago and I just remember she got the dreaded “moon-face” (it caused her to gain all kinds of weird weight).
X-ray was taken yesterday, so if that is how it can be diagnosed, and it is pleurisy, then I’m covered!
I thought about that one myself, but that says pain when pushing on the ribs, where I have no pain if push on ribs, breastbone, etc. But I’m still keeping it on the short list. At least it sounds more modern than pleurisy.
Could you have torn or pulled an intracostal muscle? I did this in high school and it hurt like mad fuck to breathe. (Still bothers me 15 years later!)
I suppose it’s not out of the realm of possibilities. But the last time I did anything that could have torn a muscle (playing tennis) was on Friday and this didn’t start until Monday late afternoon. And I didn’t do anything while playing on Friday that gave me pause to think, “That’s going to bother me later.”
Pain on breathing is known as pleuritic chest pain.
This type of pain is usually caused by irritation of the pleura (the membranes covering the lungs).
This can be caused by:
Infections like pneumonia
Inflammation of the pleura (Pleurisy)
Blood clots in the lungs (Pulmonary embolism)
Collapsed lung (Pneumothorax)
In short- just as well you’re seeing your Dr, but we can probably assume that as nothing was remarked on at the time of your xray you probable don’t have one of the more serious causes, as that would have shown up.
Make sure your doctor checks for pulmonary embolism (blood clot). The X-ray can be completely normal and it can be fatal. Things to be concerned about:
If you are short of breath when you exert yourself
If the pain came on suddenly
If it hurts more with breathing than with moving
If you cough up any blood
If you have pain or swelling in either leg
If you recently took a long car or airplane ride
