any suggestions pls help

[Ruby666]

hi all I recently saw my doctor , who informed me I have lung scarring ,

He asked me if I had TB at any point, don’t think I have,

I was diagnosed with COPD around 5 years ago, recently I have severe back pain on my left rite under my ribs, it hurts when I stand for too long when I sit for too long and also when I’m in bed I’m so fed up of being given antibiotics , they have also now given me vid d tablets I have to have a course of b12 injections,, he also said my d/dimmer bloods came back as positive , sorry for the long post but I don’t know weather I’m on my head or back side at the moment, the pain is unreal an they just look at me like I’m simple and give me more codine tablets for the pain ,, if anyone has any suggestions I’m open to anything xx

[Patk1]

Heated wheat pack can be very soothing x

[Becktig]

That sounds horrible, and I'm so sorry you are having such a rough time with it. My suggestion would be to insist on further exploration by a specialist and proper diagnosis. You need to know what's causing the pain, if the scarring is anyway connected to it, and more. The Vit D tablets are routine for people with COPD because vitamin D levels are indicated as a necessity for the body to fight infections, so don't worry about that, just keep taking them, especially through the winter, when our exposure to sunlight is very low (assuming you're in northern Europe here). I'm prescribed extra strong ones which I take once a month. The anti-biotics: if that's what you need, it's what you need. Doctors don't give out antibiotics willy nilly. However, they do take a toll on your energy levels and general health. Like all medication there's a side effect unfortunately, and with antibiotics it's that it kills off all our helpful and necessary biotics. If I'm on anti-biotics I up my intake of live yoghurt because this helps to replenish that. I think Kimchi does the same. It all sounds a bit woowoo, but I think there's plenty of research to back it up. Also remember that codeine also has side effects - constipation, depression, itchy skin to name a few - and take some time to notice them and deal with those things so that they don't become part of the problem. That can be as simple as making sure you drink more liquids, take something like dulcolax if necessary, using moisuriser like E45, doing things that give you pleasure and joy, even if they're just little things. None of that solves the pain problem I know, but hopefully it will give you a little more mental energy to cope. All power to you in getting a proper diagnosis. I really hope you do soon, so at least you can deal with it properly.

[Ruby666 in reply to Becktig]

my doctors are hard work , you ring and get a phone call back and they will tell you over the phone it’s another chest infection !! I will send you a prescription for antibiotics and steroids to the pharmacy oh and use your inhaler more !! x

[Tia4209]

Have you had a recent CT scan? A raised D- Dimer can be indicative of blood clot as can pain in your ribs however D- Dimer can be raised for a number of reasons including inflammation but I am surprised your GP has not sent you further testing/ scans.

[Ruby666 in reply to Tia4209]

sorry should of said I had a CT scan about 8 weeks ago think this is where the scarring was noticed x

[Tia4209 in reply to Ruby666]

Hi Ruby

Did you have the CT scan after your blood test showed the raised D- Dimer result?

[Ruby666 in reply to Tia4209]

yes I did x

[Tia4209 in reply to Ruby666]

That’s good.

[B0xermad]

Hi maybe it can be related to infections as my consultant said that every time I have had a chest infection it scars the lungs a little bit with each one. Excess coughing is also giving pain under my ribs .I do hope you can get some respite from your discomfort.

[Ergendl]

As mentioned above, microwavable heat pack to promote healing and relax the sore muscles, alternated with an ice pack or cold pack to reduce any swelling. They do make a difference for me.

[Nula2]

As others have said a heat pack is very comforting. I also rub green lipped mussel gel on my back. I find that very soothing.

[Ruby666 in reply to Nula2]

I’ve never heard of green lipped mussel gel,, I will have a look for some thank you x

[Pipswhips]

Have you had pneumonia because that can cause scarring. Ive had pneumonia and i have been told I've got scarring in my lungs

[Ruby666 in reply to Pipswhips]

I had pneumonia 3 times last year also had pleurisy twice,, so that could be the cause of the scarring,,

[Pipswhips]

Pneumonia is definitely causedthe scarring.My consultant sent me for a ct scan just in case he was missing something and the report said it showed scarring so thats definitely what caused your scarring.

I also had quite a few years ago pleurisy and was told then i might get pneumonia.

I hope it put your mind at rest.

[muddleaged]

I had chest pain. I was worried that it was a heart problem. An EKG ruled that out, and the doc suggested it could be indigestion (would you believe?). Suggested I try Rolaids or Tums. If that worked, great! If it didn't work, there would be further tests. TaDah - it worked. A cheap and easy test and solution that worked for me.

[corriena]

Every time you have a lung infection you can get lung scaring and when coughing you can cause theise scars to bleed and you may cough up blood. I get alot of pain round and just under my ribs, my dr thinks its a pluretic pain and has given me oramorph to help. I also have alpah 1 antitryipsin deficancy (worth getting checked for a simple blood test) and this can cause alot of pain but is realy hard to diagnose. Tell them the codien isent working and you want to try something different good luck.