Pleurisy...

[rebornangel]

hi all I'm new here, i have been unwell for 7 weeks now with pleurisy.. I'm 47 and prior to this on really good health. I have had various antibiotics and had high dosage of steroid tablets for a week. I had a chest xray which came back clear, thank god. I have just returned to work last week, only on 4 hour days reduced hours which is enough at the moment. I am resting and using a steam inhaler cup with menthol crystals and hot water. Drinking lots of water and gave up smoking a few weeks back. I have bacterial pleurisy. I still have constant dull achy pain under my breast and in my back and shoulder. Very tired and breathless easily. My rib feels sore. How long does it take to recover fully? The last doctor i saw a week ago made me feel i was wasting his time.. I feel so ill, bedtime is horrible, i have 6 pillows on my bed.. Fed up now ☹ x

[Oshgosh]

If you aren’t feeling right,don’t let the negative response from last Doc put you off going back.

Sometimes docs are like that cos they don’t know the answer.look after yourself

[rebornangel in reply to Oshgosh]

it's a nightmare, i dont want to see him again! Week 3 i couldn't get appointment had a phone consultation with him , told me take lemsip!! I told him how unwell i felt, couple of days later saw a paramedic at surgery, he said i had a severe infection, i was so unwell.. Gave me different antibiotics and large dose of steroids... Signed off wok further two weeks.. Ridiculous not being able to get appointments, ringing before 8 am to. Xx

[HungryHufflepuff]

Hello and welcome. I haven't had pleurisy but I know it's very painful and it can take weeks to get over, and even longer to get back to 'normal' Obviously your doctor has never suffered from a painful condition otherwise he'd understand you are not wasting his time. That's a rather uncaring attitude for a doctor to take. I have about 10 pillows on my bed which helps. I've tried using a wedge pillow and an adjustable backrest (not together at the same time!) Neither really worked for me hence the stack of pillows but it might be worth you trying one or the other, anything that might help make things a bit better has to be good. I hope you start to feel better soon.

[rebornangel in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

thank you yes I'm going to buy a V shaped pillow to. Xx

[sassy59]

Hello and welcome to you. Please don’t be fobbed off by any doctor. If you are still struggling today, tomorrow, anytime then go back to your GP and try and see a different doctor.

Hoping you feel better soon. Xxxx

[rebornangel in reply to sassy59]

thank you xxx

[offalot]

Hi angel,

As others say, don't take any **** from docs, I've realised how often they feel embarrassed at their lack of experience and / or their hands tied by financial or time restraints, and their patients suffer for it. Keep at them - squeaky wheels do get oiled.

I've had pleurisy, picked it up several years ago when in hospital with a chest infection, and I've been on morphine ever since. Very painful, and scary, could only breathe in part way before pain hit and made me breathe out. No control.

Recently I've felt increasingly unwell over several weeks, finally called out doc (insisted on a doc, not some nurse-medic) when I was getting same pain breaking through regular Zomorph and Oramorph, and she confirmed "a touch of pleurisy" in one corner. So antibiotics and hefty steroids for a week now, and at last I can pick up a mug without being left gasping for minutes and my SATs falling through the floor.

Vee pillows are great. I have a hospital bed, can raise back but then I slide sideways, so vee pillow helps with that - but it could do with being longer. I wish I could find a way to fix it to bedsheet to keep it high up. And a neck travel pillow to hold head in place and not falling back.

Good luck with docs - btw I get past receptionist by saying I appreciate they are over-stretched, but if we can get this responding properly, I'll have no need to keep coming back. More economical in long run. Same in essence as threatening I'll keep pestering you until I get some proper treatment, but rather more acceptable, and the logic gets through.

Good luck!

[rebornangel]

Thank you, My partner John who is in good health had become ill at the end of the week, so an ambulance was called, I was at the hospital with him until the early hours ( 14 hours ) in total. John stayed in overnight on Observation ward. He had a virus that caused inflammation around the heart and they thought he also had a clot on the lung... Luckily no clot, he had bloods, constant ECG tracing and IV fluids and antibiotics,, scary!!

I'm hoping he is still not viral as don't want that as well, I am recovering from Pleurisy.. xx