What is wrong with my lungs!

[bleedingheart]

I got a bad cold the week before Halloween that plagued me for almost two weeks. It didn't appear to be the flu, although I did get leg cramps..not aches...cramps...
The cold progressed into a cough/sinus infection and I got antibiotics because the stuff I was coughing up was pretty nasty... I could not get rid of the cough though... and two weeks ago my doctor sent me for an x-ray ...it was clear... but the cough was really bad.. (couldn't talk without coughing...) so she put me on steriods to help bring down any inflammation in my lungs...but a week worths of steriods and I still ended up needing to be admitted for 3 days to the hospital for more intensive breathing treatments and steriods.

X-Ray's, CT Scans and even an echocardiogram...to rule out problems...the lung specialists saw nothing blatant so they have ruled it reactive airway..(inflamed bronchia)...I was even tested for TB, Legionaires, Pertussis...etc

However I am still coughing...a more fluid cough...(the stuff I cough is clear)... and over the past two days I have developed a severe pain in my left lung...

Tomorrow I go to the doc for a recheck and I fear I am not better off....and the act of getting up from a lying down position nearly brings me to tears due to the pain in my chest...

So what the hell could this be????

[prolesunited]

1. Is there a different doctor you could see

Or a better hospital if you traveled a bit? It sounds awful and like it requires more advanced or different care than your doctor is giving you. Please take care of yourself and I hope you start feeling better soon.

[bleedingheart]

5. I live in the pittsburgh suburbs

and the hospital I was in is directly related to Allegheny General in Pittsburgh...one of the premier hospitals in the area.

My doctor is really good but she is stumped and thought the experts at the hospitals would get me the help I needed. In fact she has called my home twice to check on me... my sister is a nurse and she told me that the lung specialist I saw is really good... however I am thinking a trip to Allegheny General or UPMC in Pittsburgh may be a better idea..
The pain tonight is bad and makes me think I have pleurisy. I had pleural lung infection during a pregnancy that had about the same kind of general pain but not as intense as what I have now.....

I literally have to brace myself to cough...and taking a deep breath hurts..

[prolesunited]

16. It sounds bad

I would make the trip. Please. :hug:

[Kat 333]

17. It does sound as if you may have Pleurisy ...

Especially since the pain worsens when breathing. It can be extremely painful in the worst cases. Maybe suggest they take another chest x-ray. It might not have been bad enough in the previous one to be detected when they were reading it ? One of the doctors I work for mentioned that she had seen 7 or 8 people in the last two weeks with pleurisy.

[lumpy]

23. It might be pleurisy

Pleurisy is an inflammaton in the linings around the lungs, not necessarily on the lungs. Pressure (like when in bed) and breathing can cause severe pain. Pain can occur under the rib cage or even in the back. Sometimes anti-bios can help if fever indicates infection anywhere in your body. Might be a combination of more than one problem. The coughing is not usually indicative of pleurisy but could be an allergic reaction to any number of things or possibly the remnants of walking pneumonia or flu symtems. I used to get pleurisy when I was younger. Penicilin injections and rest usually cleared it up pronto.
One doctor tried steroids, didn't do squat. Wishing you the best in getting the answer and take good care of yourself.

[frylock]

2. i once had pneumonia..

your symptoms sound similar to what I experienced. I was sick for about 7-8 weeks, some days feeling well, and others sick as a dog. Has the doc brought up that possibility?

[bleedingheart]

6. I had three x-rays over two weeks and a chest cat scan with

an iodine contrast...and no pneumonia...if I had pneumonia it would at least provide a diagnosis...

I am worried that all the steriods I was taking made me fair game for another opportunistic infection...

[dolo amber]

3. Yikes!

That sounds horrid! Do think of getting a second, third, forth opinion on this... partaking of oxygen is like, kinda important. ;)

Hope you feel better soon. :hi:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. This season is showing a LOT of this at hospitals....

The theory no one wants to tell anyone, and that no one can prove or disprove is that SARS has made several jumps in and out of human DNA and there is a variety of strains running around.
I have the same thing.
The only thing that stops my cough and lets me sleep is a codeine-based cough medicine. Everything else is an expectorant, which is the opposite of what you need.
My cough was so bad, I had blood in the sputum. It is getting better now.

[bleedingheart]

7. I am actually wheezing on top of it all and the cough isn't as bad

as it was... at its worse I had to have morphine to help settle the cough...

[TXvote]

8. Have they

screened your lungs for fungus? That hurts like hell.
Hope you feel better soon.

[bleedingheart]

9. no but one of the antibiotics they gave me was also an anti-fungal

...its just I thought I would be getting better after four weeks...

[happyslug]

10. Could be pneumonia

But all pneumonia means is "fluid on the lungs". The issue is what is CAUSING the condition. I had pneumonia about two years ago (my organization was being merged with another group, because of that I had to go for a group picture with me as sick as a dog. I still have the picture). I did recover, but it took almost three months.

It might be bacterial or viral (Examples of virus are both colds or flus). If it is bacterial Antibiotics can help, if it is viral antibiotics may be prescribed for secondary infections (Antibiotics do not work on Virus).

If it is viral, your Doctor may give you some medication to ease the symptoms, my advice is see your Doctor and see what he does, he knows more than anybody on this board, and hopefully he can treat it, but if it is pneumonia it may last a LONG TIME.

[bleedingheart]

11. hopefully I find out something at my recheck tomorrow..

how you doin happyslug?

We need another pittsburgh du gathering...!!!

[Dogmudgeon]

12. RSV?

Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

It's like a nasty cold that hangs on forever (4-8 weeks).

There's lots of references on the Net; just type it into Google and pick the most believable links.

--bkl

[bleedingheart]

33. I have most likely had RSV... so I don't think its that..

only because both of my kids have been hospitalized for RSV.
In fact, I was the one confined to quarrantines in the hospital with them and they made sure to cough/sneeze all over me...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. Sounds like several things are going on

If the lung continues to hurt, go to the emergency room to ensure it is not collapsed.

I assume you are asthmatic although usually docotrs disgnose asthma rather than reactive airways disease. Most likely you have environmental allergans ( my first hint was that you said around Halloween...October/November and March/April are hell months for allergies. Allergies create bronchial as well as upper airway fluids that if not addressed can then pool in your lungs and sinus cavities and form infections.

The MAIN order of business is to get well by secreting the fluids. If you don't get well ask your doctor to refer you to a repiratory therapist to give you breathing treatments and to give you aids to clear your airways. Id you are on an inhaler use it as directed, not just when you have symptoms.


Begin to recognize the difference between an allergy/bronchitis and a run of the mill cold...if you have allergies...one usually does not just get a run of the mill cold...it usually does end up affecting the airways since you then breathe more through your mouth than your nose which is one less filter before it gets to your upper airways.

If you do begin to recognize your allergies, treat them aggressively before they turn into full blown bronchitis.

If you CANNOT recognize your allergies, the safest test to take is a RAST test.....there is also a test called a METHACHOLINE CHALLENGE TEST for severe asthmatics bbut the test can be a bit dangerous since it actually induces an anaphylactic response although it is done in a hospital setting.

In case you are wondering how I know all this...I have dealt with many clients over the years who developed pulmonary conditions as a result of chemical spills and a local refinery fire a few years back that resulted in injuries to a rather large community.

I'm not a doctor, but the doctor you should see if this does not improve is a board certified pulmonologist.

Get well.

[harper]

14. Gee, I hate to hear that

mostly cause I've been sick for nearly a week with a bad respiratory infection and leg cramps. Feeling a little better this PM though and may try and go back to work tomorrow. Too many sick days off and I'm fired.

[Crewleader]

15. Sounds like some great advice friend....hope you feel better soon!

[Gloria]

18. It's going around here in Southern NM.....a few weeks ago, schools

closed.
My mother had it. Started with a sore throat, then the cough. She was put on antibiotics and Advair for her breathing. After about two weeks she began to feel better, but the cough lasted another couple weeks.

The lingering cough is reminiscent of bronchitis, as is inflammation....but this doesn't seemto be bronchitis......

[NashVegas]

34. I Had It the 1st Week of October

and was still coughing up globs in November. Finally trickled off after about 6-7 weeks.

The first two weeks, I was sick as a dog, but when I see how the later cases are MUCH worse, I feel pretty lucky.

[Fleshdancer]

19. I have no idea, but

you're in my thoughts and I hope you get better real soon. Be sure to keep us posted on what's going on.

[dweller]

20. Just from your post

the first thing i thought was collapsed lung. Then read the replies and sounds like a good many different takes on your condition.
but the pain you mention sounds like collapsed lung as NSMA suggests.

discuss with your Dr.
and best of luck, get well!

dp

[Tredge]

21. Pleurisy?

I'm no doctor, not a sufferer, but I was thinking Pleurisy.

The outside idea was Lupis.

I don't want to scare you, but just give other ideas.

[RebelOne]

24. Sounds like Pleurisy to me.

I had it once and symptoms seem similar.

[xJlM]

25. Same here

I got pneumonia with pleurisy back when I was eighteen, and it sounds almost exactly like what bleedingheart described.

[buddhamama]

30. it sounds like Pleurisy to me too

and to my SO who suffered from it when he was younger.

keep us posted,bleedingheart.

sending a :hug:

[Ramsey]

22. Lyme??

Did they check for Lyme disease? Could also be a severe viral pneumonia or bronchitis, which might not show up on tests. I had that once, all tests negative, severe cough lasted 2-3 weeks, I was short of breath for months, then all eventually resolved.

But, are you or have you been a smoker? Have you had asbestos exposure? Do you have asthma or other reactive airway disease? If so those things need to be superimposed upon an acute event. A bad sinus infection can linger for weeks abut doesn't explain leg cramps or persistent cough.

They should do a pulmonary function tests, blood cultures, and a cardiac evaluation, and possibly a PET scan.

[bleedingheart]

27. the pulmonologist wants to wait on the

pulmonary function test and I had an okay echocardiogram...
No smoking no asbestos...but asthma runs in the family...perhaps I have it as an adult.

the pain is killer though...

(just got up from a not so restful nights sleep...in a few hours I will see the doc..)

[bleedingheart]

28. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts on this issue!

I do think that there is something going around and I do want to say that you all should take good care of yourselves because I am a relatively healthy person and this problem has really created some problems for me.

Take care all!

[REP]

26. I'd Guess Reactive Airway or Asthma

Since you're not coughing up anything colored or anything pink and frothy. Are you taking QVar and/or Atrovent?

[bleedingheart]

29. I just finished prednisone... which was as high as 60 mg a day

..so now I go back on Advair/Singulair and I take albuterol for the wheezing part.
I was on the atrovent in the hospital but not here..

[prolesunited]

31. Let us know

what the doctor says today and be assertive as far as getting it pinned down. If she can't figure it out, have her refer you to someone who can.

Take care!

[bleedingheart]

32. Those are my thought exactly...I think almost six weeks of mystery

illness is it...

I will keep everyone posted...