Medical help – pneumonia, chest pain?

In My Humble Opinion
21

Aww, poor baby!

I’ve had pleurisy just once and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. The pain was second only to childbirth.

FWIW, when I had pleurisy I couldn’t lay down because the pain would get worse – so if he can lay down, maybe that’s a good sign he doesn’t have it. Also when I had it I didn’t have a fever and every breath hurt, not just deep ones. Narcotics took the edge off the pain but that’s all. (IANAD)

MrPanda has had pneumonia several times; he says he did have chest pain each time.

22

Hello All,

Thank you for the replies, sorry for posting in the wrong section, and thank you for moving it.
I understand it is not best to rely on self diagnosis, or internet information when it comes to medical problems. I am due to see a doctor next week, but as I am not qualified, I just wanted some idea just in-case I could be missing something serious that is obvious to someone qualified, but not to me. (e.g. if I need to go to the ER or wait a week).

I am in the UK, and while we have free health care, and some great hospitals and doctors/nurses, in my area it’s massively underfunded and overworked, you have to go to a local GP, usually you are rushed out with a doctors best guess, often without tests, due to a rush to get through patients. Which leaves me with self diagnosis as a somewhat second opinion – so at least I can insist they refer me to hospital for tests and to see a specialist and not just hope they guessed right – my life is at stake and I owe it to myself and my family to be cautious.

As for pneumonia, the rapid onset flu like symptoms, shortness of breath, pain when taking a deep breath, and stabbing pain around chest/lung area seemed to match up to pneumonia, my guesses are made from reading medical journals, using symptom checkers, performing self tests, reading assessment guidelines. However the lack of cough, no fever, and normal pulse-ox would seem to suggest this is the wrong diagnosis, But I am not qualified to know for sure.

I bought a pulse oximeter as I read it is pretty effective in ruling out lung problems, with the view that at least I can point the doctor in the right direction, but as that showed normal levels, I cannot find an illness that would cause the sudden 2-5 minute onset, with pain at lower sternum, and random pains across chest + shortness of breath. Hiatus hernia? I have no idea, I just don’t think the doctor will either. Hopefully they will refer me for an x ray and further tests – if not, I’m back to the guessing game, unless someone thinks the symptoms could match to something more urgent, then ill just go to hospital. I also seem to hiccup nearly every time I cough, which is new.

I appreciate the replies, I don’t have private medical insurance (as most people don’t in the UK), and it is too late to get it for this (pre existing condition). any opinion is appreciated, even if its just that I should insist on tests, or if its safe to leave it to chance/doctors guess. Or maybe try and get an urgent appointment or just wait, I really don’t know.

Thanks

23

I’m going to merge the two threads about pneumonia since they’re so similar.

24

My mom who had one lung removed and had lung cancer in the other had suprisingly high readings on her pulse oximeter throughout her illness (90’s) How that is possible, I have no idea!!!

25

Hello,

I hope your son gets better soon.

As for me I went to the doctors – I got a quicker appointment, went to another doctor, and was pleasantly surprised, ordered ECG, and various other tests which I will go for tomorrow. (full blood count, glucose, various others) My faith in the UK health system has improved.

I used a pulse-ox as from the study I said it seemed pretty accurate.- but I guess it depends on various factors. It is still not clear what the problem is, but the pain has got more specific now, with random stabbing pain gone, pneumonia being less likely, maybe hiatus hernia, something around the bottom of the sternum is main pain. Still leaves the sudden 48 h illness a mystery, hopefully tests will give a clue.

Thanks again.

26

Egad, yes. I’ve never been diagnosed with pneumonia but I’ve often had bad asthma flares that have turned into bronchitis (always secondary to a regular upper-respiratory infection - the breathing passages clamp down and make it tough to move air or hack the crud up, and that’s a lurvely breeding-ground for nasties).

The one thing I fantasize about is having my lungs WASHED OUT. I suspect there would be some… problems with that :).

The doc has done chest X-rays several times when I’ve been particularly bad, but apparently I’ve been lucky. Just the bronchitis alone knocks me on my ass for 2 weeks. And yes, the chest can get pretty achy - between the coughing itself, and the sore muscles from that.

27

Heh, I have that fantasy too, sometimes. I just want all the gunk OUT of my lungs. I want to get hooked up to a blood oxidizer/decarbondioxidizer, then have my lungs taken out, soaked, scrubbed clean, and then vacuum dried. And then re-installed.

Not that I’ve put any thought into this, you know.

28

I’ve dreamed of being able to unscrew my nose from my face, and rinsing it out under the faucet.
~VOW