Hi, I started noticing crackling when breathing a few months ago. I've been to the doctors, she gave me antibiotics which did nothing. She sent me for an xray which came back satisfactory and now I'm on an inhaler, which is also doing nothing. When she listened to my chest she couldn't hear anything, my blood pressure and oxygen were good. I will say, I do not feel ill. I have no temperature, aches, fatigue, swelling or anything like that. I have just started get a very slight cough over the last couple of days which I think is a cold, but it's not persistent and again, I don't feel ill
The crackling is still there. I'm terrified it's something sinister but all the tests are coming up with no answers. Has anyone had a similar experience or could offer some advice please?
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Stephyweff
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So sorry this is happening to you and your not getting any answers as to what's causing it? It kind of reminds me of an experience I had I was coughing for hours to the point where one night I was gasping for air, sister rang ambulance took me to hospital and they said they couldn't hear a wheeze or crackling sound turned out I had a lower respiratory tract infection and then 2 days later got admitted after an urgent echo ( at first they thought I had virus in the lining of my heart) because I was coughing and it would send my heart rate up to 170 ( was in hospital for 2 weeks) . I'm not trying to scare you I just think they should look in to it further it took 3 A&E visits before I was taken seriously! 😮
I also think they should investigate further and a ct chest would rule out anything sinister. Can you see your gp and say your concerns and ask for ct just to stop your worries as we all know stress and worrying can make you feel ill. I hope you get answers soon.
Hello Stephyweff, it could be a virus, even covid which shows itself in lots of different ways and can be so mild that you dont have much in the way of symptoms. I went to A&E a few months ago because i had an acute stabbing pain in left chest which woke me up and doctor could hear a crackle and prescribed antbiotics. Not my heart which i was concerned about. But couple of days later someone suggested testing for covid and yes - it was covid. So have you tried a covid test? it may be that if you are starting coughing. I hope you get to feel better soon and they get to the bottom of what the problem is. Im writing this because of your crackle - but of course the docs need to see you if this all continues.
Sorry you cannot get a result from your Gp. Just a hint not all lung conditions show on plain Xrays. These Xrays are aimed at ruling out serious things like pnuemonia and cancer. Breathing tests are more significant but not many GPs do spiro tests now . I agree the hospitals A&e normally are more aware . If you feel well maybe don't worry unless it gets worse. But if not then insist on further tests , there are long delays in getting tests due to the genral state of the NHS. Some chest conditions are things we have to live with but you can't do that unless you know what it is. Just one thing , although I am not medical lots of tablets for other illness can effect the chest especially painkillers. Hope this helps you to consider the best course for you. Best wishes. Ps I spent three years getting a diagnosis of my lung condition and even then it was vague and todate they still ignore I have problems Good luck.
Hello Stephyweff, When we are placed on some form of medication or antibiotic there are times when we do not respond to that treatment. What l use every day to help keep my lungs clear of any muck laying inside the lungs is PULMOCLEAR that l get from my GP to use in my nebuliser and for the past 2 years l have not had any exacerbations and ending up in Hospital. Ask your GP about using this to help with the crackling, it cleared it all up for me and l use it 3 times a day. Hope you feel better soon.
Hi sorry you are experiencing this but obviously they are hearing something I have crackles constantly but I have pleural effusion which shows on X-ray. They do need to find cause it’s good that you feel well mind but it still needs investigating
I'm so sorry that you're going through this too. I caught Covid in Feb 2020 and I was really struggling with my breathing, so much I thought I was going to die from it. At that point though, they diagnosed me with Pleurisy but they said that would have cleared up. Initially, the breathing, stabbing chest pains, burning back lasted months. I was given antibiotics, steroids and eventually they said I may have Asthma but no inhaler helped. I've had chest xrays, all clear and a spirometry test, ecg. Nothing flags up but here I am still struggling years later with such tight breathing. Like you, I can feel a crackle in my chest when I breathe but drs don't care and can't hear or see anything wrong with me. I had a lecture on mental health last time I went to the drs as he was putting it all done to depression, stress and anxiety. I was in tears when I left as he just told me I have to live with it. Nobody cares now if we live or die unless we pay private which most people can't afford. I hope you get some answers. I've given up.
Sounds like it. Any virus can kill slow just as it can kill fast. The slow version is worse. Nobody can help. Doctors haven't even heard of it, although it is so logically that it can happen. And then try to keep your ESA without a diagnoses! Cruel..
Crackling is usually the sign of infection - its is I read caused by fluid which builds up as a natural body response to infection. As a result of our COPD we have trouble clearing it. The cough is probably part of that clearing process.
Sounds like you need a different anti-biotic. Can you cough up a sputum sample and have you got a sputum sample bottle, properly filled out etc? That will help your clinician get a diagnosis and choose the best anti-biotic. I should not worry too much but you do need to get it sorted.
On flights I always caught lung infections/viruses. The X-rays (and all other tests) were clear after the antibiotics, but the symptoms worsened over the years on their own, but especially with each new virus caught and after a flu jab once, which scared me off any further respiratory vaccine. Now I am sitting alone, unvaccinated, suffocating slowly and undiagnosed in a tiny flat, having to shield of Covid for the rest of my life and trying to keep my ESA like that! I even begged the government for assisted dying, obviously to no avail 🤬I read online that post-viral poisoning is not researched enough, and people endet up in Switzerland for assisted dying because of it. But no way out for the poor as usual! It started with the crackling in the left lung 20 years ago. The poisoned-feeling started only about 4 years ago despite shielding already. I hope you are not taking my route! 🙏🏻 Just wanted to tell my story, as I read similar stories here of people giving up! Very sad that our government is giving up on us! 🤬
Marionmarion it was sad reading Yr post.u should see Yr dr for diagnosis. I'm not surprised Yr so low, still shielding.ive to take precautions to try protect myself, as my lungs are in v poor condition.its not too late if u choose to b vaccinated.
Thank you, but post-viral poisoning of the body is not recognised as a diagnoses. Also catching Covid would make my already unbearable suffering even much worse. So I am unfortunately seriously stuck. Vaccination is unfortunately totally out of question since EVERYTHING to do with respiratory medication has made me much worse in the past. I just wish we had a generous assisted dying law like Canada has, then I could risk more. I suggested it to government and ministers, but it is up to the parliamentarians, and I don't know how to reach them all 😔
It's not my choice. The opposite is actually the case. I noticed too late that each virus worsened my condition permanently and gradually. I should have looked after myself earlier, but I couldn't possibly have known.
You mean well, thank you. But GPs as well as specialists have no knowledge of post-viral damage. Also a Covid-infection would make my already unbearable situation MUCH worse. My biggest anger is that we are forced to keep suffering. A cheap humane death shouldn't be too much to ask for..
Hi, sorry you've had no answers, it's very concerning to know something's wrong but not to be told what, or how to deal with it. If you have no symptoms of any kind except a mild cold that's obviously good. The crackling could be/could have been a viral and/or bacterial infection, which causes inflammation of the airways - fluid and mucus are signs of that, and can cause crackles. Seems more likely upper-respiratory than lower - I'm pretty sure you'd feel really ill, high temperature, breathlessness etc if it was lower. If antibiotics made no difference, more likely it is/was viral, which antibiotics can't help. If you still have crackles even if you feel the infection has passed, it could be hanging around, or it could be bronchiectasis - sort of stiffening of the lung tissue, which has many different possible causes - or some other lung issue. Either way, I think you should try insist on being referred for an X-ray, CT scan, blood and sputum tests, maybe bronchoscopy - it needs full investigation.
Hi Stephyweff. Like Wendy, when I had my crackling - which my fiancée could even hear when I was sleeping but couldn't be detected by x-ray or stethoscope! - it turned out to be a (resultantly very painful) bi-lateral pleural effusion that I eventually had a surgical procedure to drain. Since then, I've been crackle-free. Best of luck getting your diagnosis
Hi, sorry to hear. Lung issues can be hard to diagnose. But I would try to not over worry and jump to things, it's common to just have a bit of stubborn infection which could be causing the symptoms. If it helps, sometimes patients have sinister things going on and no symptoms. Therefore, symptoms can't only be used for diagnosis purposes.
I would request blood tests for infection and inflammatory markers - if they show raised WBC and elevated CPR, then probably worth trying a different antibiotic (possibly a broader spectrum one - e.g. Augmentin).
If it continues, and further antiobiotics do not help. Then makes sense getting referred to the chest clinic for a full assessment - they can do further tests, CT scans etc. If you have been a heavy smoker for many years and over 60yrs old, then I would probably explain your concerns to your GP and push for referral sooner.
Hi, thank you. I have an appointment again tomorrow. I just turned 40 in December and I've never smoked or vaped in my life - I have had pleurisy though! Back in 2005!
That's good. Whatever it is, it will be fixable in that case, or it will fix itself! The human body is an efficient self healing machine - sometimes just needs a little assistance!
But, do discuss all your concerns with your Doctor and ask if they agree for blood tests/different antibiotics/referral to chest clinic/XR scan etc.
If you have intense pain/very breathless then of course needs to be addressed more quickly. But by the sounds of it, could just be a stubborn infection, which is taking longer to clear given the cold weather and flu season etc.
your primary doctor can order a CT of chest or you can see a pulmonologist who specializes in lung conditions. Some conditions can only be diagnosed with a CT scan. Of concern is taking antibiotics arbitrarily without sputum cultures which in time cause drug resistant bacteria. You have concerns which need to be further investigated. Please consider seeing the pulmonologist.
Sorry to hear about your problem Stephyweff. My advice would be return to your G.P. When I had crackles, it turned out to be pneumonia. I had not be prescribed strong enough antibiotics to treat it. It then developed in to pleurisy. You may need a referral to hospital.
Update: thank you all for your responses. I went back to the gp yesterday and she told me everything they tested me for (heart failure l, pulmonary edema, pneumonia l etc) came back negative and they now think it's in my throat?! This was a different doctor to the first few times but the first doctor never mentioned throat before. I disagree, it doesn't feel like it's in my throat. Shes now given me a nasal spray and said if that doesn't clear in 2 weeks she will refer me to an Ear nose and throat specialist.
I feel like I've been a bit fobbed off tbh. I'm thinking about joining bupa or something so I can actually get seen by a pulmologist.
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