Lung scarring after pleural effusion

[Terri_louise]

Hello!

Around December last year I was taken into hospital with severe chest pain. I was told it was just a chest infection and sent on my way (totally embarrassed) with antibiotics. Turns out I actually had pleurisy and they missed a slight shadow on my x-ray. A few weeks later I couldn't even walk up the stairs without getting out of breath. I went to the Drs and he immediately sent me to the hospital and I was fitted with a chest drain for three days. My left lung was two thirds covered in fluid. 6 weeks later and I was better and a three month follow up concluded all was fine. Except, I constantly have tightness in my left lung which gets worse when I have a cold (which seems to be all the time these days!). I'm worried that it'll get infected again or that it'll be this sore forever. All of my Drs just keep saying it will probably get better or just be like this forever. But they dont seem to know and its so uncomfortable. I'm only 29 and i struggle to walk up steep hills that weren't an issue before and I constantly have a cold. Will it ever get better? Am I likely to be more prone to getting pleurisy again? I feel like asking people with experience will get me further than with my Drs as I'm worried unless I get ill again they're just going to tell me everything is fine when it doesn't feel fine

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So sorry you have been feeling poorly. I had pleurisy. It does get better with a lot of rest, fluids and treatment.

If you have no underlying chest condition I don’t see why you would be prone but you may want to ask for a referral to the respiratory clinical check all is fine. You will have respiratory function tests which will determine your lung capacity etc and maybe a ctscan would put your mind at rest.

Take care x