helo everybody, I just wondered how many of us have had chest drains inserted for colapsed lungs,I had 5 chest drains in 4 weeks, 2 of them where not too bad but the other 3 where horendus, At one point i asked my wife to let me die the pain was that bad Iv had ops on my back over the years and still suffer but them chest drains realy did make me shout.maybe i was unluckey but thought i would get your opinions,
brian
Hello briany ,
I have not had any personal experience with drainage tubes but I tend to read a lot about them since I am waiting for a lung transplant. I have read people's experiences saying how dreadfully uncomfortable they are and once taken out, pain is much better. I am sorry for your discomfort and wish you a smooth recovery.
Take good care.
Cas xx 🌿
Briany I have had 2 chest drains - one under local anaesthetic and one under general anaesthetic. Was it the insertion of the drains that was really painful?
Poor you..a lot of chest drains..it is very painful, any chance of pleurodesis to prevent another pneumothorax??
Wishing you well.
For your information: «Our lungs are surrounded by a thin pleural membrane which contains 2 layers. The inner layer lines the lung, there is a space in between them with a small amount of fluid which allows the lungs to easily move during respiration. When we have a pneumothorax, typically a cyst on or near the surface of the lung has ruptured and air "leaks" out of the lung, into the pleural space between the layers of the pleural membrane. The pressure of air can build up and cause the lung to deflate or collapse. There are a few different techniques or surgeries used to repair a lung collapse, often depending on its size and duration. Sometimes the leak will seal off and heal on its own and trapped air eventually gets reabsorbed (somehow - I don't know how this works). A pleurodesis is currently recommended for LAM patients, this can be done either mechanically, where the surgeon scrubs (uses a sponge or gauge pad to roughen up the outer surface of the pleural membrane. This results in an inflammatory response and the irritated membrane expands, adheres to the chest wall and forms some scar tissue as it heals. During a chemical pleurodesis, the surgeon uses an irritant such as a liquid antibiotic (e.g., tetracycline, doxycycline) or a powder based slurry (typically talc) and inserts this between the layers of the membrane, which causes inflammation and also results in scarring. The hope is that with the lung adhered more securely, the lung will not recollapse. For some, pleurodesis isn't effective or the surgeon prefers to try a pleurectomy. A pleurectomy is a procedure where the surgeon strips or removes the pleural membrane altogether. This is more commonly done in cases where pleural effusion (lymphatic fluid) is a problem as it prevents the fluid from building up again.»
Advice from LAM Foundation forum admin
i forgot to add i also had a bullectmy so realy had my moneys worth, the start of the whole pro i started coughing up blood went for xray and showed i had pleurel infusion and doc said no prob it would go on its own well it didnt
brian
brainy
Hi, Yes I've had 3No collapsed lungs (all same side) and had the drains like you. Getting the drains in were my biggest problem, the specialist wasn't so good & he blamed the equipment, I had to go to the heart specialist team to get the tube in satisfactorily. It's difficult to not feel the the thing stuck in your lung, then to get about with it in is even more difficult and required some ingenuity to fix the bottle. They are survivable but the last time I had one lung fused with talcum powder ( spuraldeasis I think it's called) that then gives the GP a bit of a problem listening to the breathing function.
I know what you have had to endure.
IKeith
thanks for reply kieth thought i had sent it earlyer but not, sent silly old man lol i think the young doctors i had first had not done one before there was a senior nurse on hand and in the end she got a senior doctor to get me sorted they all seamed to think it was funny apart from the nurse whe said she was very sorry for the way id been treated, i was put on heart moniter for 21 hours as the stress had made me qiute ill
brian
Have had two of these, both inserted under local.
Very traumatic and painful.
Carrying the jar around caused my spine to curve!
Hi i,v had 2 chest drains with my 1st lung collapse and same again for my 2nd lung collapse and yes totally agree with everybody they are horrible and very painful and a nightmare to carry around with you,so big and bulky it would be nice if they were made smaller and lighter, good luck with yours.
I had one of these drains inserted by our local general hospital, and when I was transferred to the main specialist center, they couldn't believe that the tube had been placed in the front of my chest and not under my armpit.
Still carry the scar.
Chest appointment.
Crackling and squeaking chest/throat noises
Painful back/chest
Severe chest pain and in neck
Chest infection with worsening pain 
