Post pneumothorax ptsd and ongoing discomfort

[Karmachameleons]

hello there. New to this forum but found it when googling my symptoms.

late last year I suffered a pneumothorax along with three broken ribs following a very bad fall. Otherwise fit, healthy and strong mentally. Furthermore have had a number of pretty bad injuries before through sport and accidents.

However this one from the very start has hit me for six. From the outset was terrified about making a full recovery and was convinced I’d end up with permanent damage or pain. Which probably didn’t help. Through the process was trying to heal as quickly as I could without trusting the process. Seeking multiple opinions and acting irrationally throughout the healing process.

The pain from the fractures lasted much longer than the 6- 10 weeks the doctors suggested. Although the lung self healed a week in!

However since the injury I have been disproportionally obsessed over it. To the point I think about it all day every day. It’s constantly at the front of mine irrespective of what I’m doing. (Not great when I like to be present and have a small family and a taxing job!)

The pain has improved a lot in the last four weeks. Where it’s now purely discomfort and even that’s improved. But I get twinges when making certain movements overhead. Despite that I am reacting how I was a week in when it was fresh and much more painful.

Has anyone else gone through a similar experience and reacted in a similar way? I feel like I’m going mad and it’s totally irrational given the context of the pain I now feel. ( granted the twinges are an irritating reminder of the injury).

Thanks in advance.

[Karmachameleons]

btw. Fwiw the twinges feel like / I am almost certain are muscular / tissue in nature. Don’t feel like they’re the lung. Particularly as they’re driven by motion and not breathing (and are where the rib pain was which was different to the lung pain). And they have improved but still there.

[peege in reply to Karmachameleons]

Hi, a warm welcome to the forum. I'm sure there are other members who've had pneumothorax (I haven't but it must be awful and scary too). Others who've suffered ptsd too which can happen to the strongest of people (I do know a little about living with that). I've experienced many broken bones too including ribs - so very painful.

Deep diaphragm breathing helps me through a lot (demonstrations on youtube). It's very calming indeed. It de-stresses quite quickly and with a bit of will power it can become part of your life taking you out of the health anxiety.

Have you talked to a sympathetic GP about how you feel?

Also, there is the helpline 0300 222 5800 uk office hours or the WhatsApp number you could copy & post your above post to. Speaking to a professional would be very beneficial, they used to have counselling as well as respiratory and benefits advisors. Give them a call on Tuesday - it would be a help to your family as well as yourself.

Thinking of you, I'm sure it will improve with a little help from someone who really understands.

[Alberta56]

You're not going mad. You've had a very nasty experience and it's left its mark. I believe the memories will gradually fade and cease to bother you. I don't know if there is any distraction technique you could try. Perhaps someone else will have some suggestions.

[Karmachameleons]

thanks for the reply. The pain has improved massively. As has a lot of the discomfort. But I i am left with these ongoing twinges which in all honesty the response is disproportionate to the discomfort they cause. In that I’m still overanalysing and hyper focussing as much as I was when I was in the acute stage.

What didn’t help was expecting to be healed in 6 weeks. And here I am at 5 months with some reminders.

Truth be told even six weeks ago I’d have snapped my hand off to have seen the physical improvement I’ve had but now I’m here I’m still not satisfied as I’m not fully back to normal physically ( or mentally).

I’ve had plenty of injuries. Accidents. And the like and none have rendered me as anxious as this. Perhaps the fact it was a vital organ? Or I’m now a parent and everything that comes with that? Who knows.

I’m sure the brains not helping the healing process at all!

[Karmachameleons]

and I’m sure some of these sensations were there possibly pre injury - I just wasn’t observing them 🤣

[Patk1]

Welcome to the forum.u prob need help to get over it mental health difficulties.ru in uk? If so ever mind matters maybe able to offer u real help,or go through gp.Anxiety causes tension and can aggravate breathing + tighten muscles,causing pain.look on aluk website at controlled breathing techniques- it shld help u to focus on that + relax x

[Karmachameleons in reply to Patk1]

Yeah I am in the uk. I’ve sought private counselling. I’m open minded with things like that. But feel like as my anxiety stems from physical sensations it may be difficult for therapy to help resolve that. I hope I’m wrong and sure many people can attest to that

[knitter]

I can sympathise , I broke two ribs just coughing, very painful and of course ribs are on the move all the time , can’t be immobilised.

I have also suffered a number of severe asthma attacks , the memory of those is forever at the back of my mind when I get breathless .

It’s also easy to get into a cycle of disordered breathing especially when breathing causes pain and anxiety . Anxiety affects breathing and the cycle goes round .

I was given Xanax short term , but it didn’t suit me .

Meditation and mindfulness has helped , with a reputable tutor at first , then with help from Jon Kabat Zinn videos he uses meditation to help deal with pain and Thich Nhat Hanh book …Peace of Mind . 2 nd hand E bay

But a tutor can help if any unresolved issues are brought up on meditating …a good teacher that is .

Difficult in some ways at first as you use the breath as a meditation aid .

I was in pain for ages , then one day realised it had gone .

Then fractured my spine …another story.

Take care , contact the helpline …I sent them an email last week . They are very good , said I could ring them if I needed as well.

[Karmachameleons in reply to knitter]

Thanks for the reply and all other replies. Great duo for all the advice.

The crazy thing is the excruciating pains long gone as is most of the discomfort. It’s this lasting twinges I get in certain movements. And ‘sticky’ sensation where it feels the tissue is stuck to the ribs after sitting down for an extended period (meaning I struggle to get fully comfortable) but beats the initial not even being able to sit without pain lie without pain breathe without pain I suppose

It’s completely irrational. And out of proportion with where I’m now at. But perhaps the twinges are a reminder of the injury which has probably affected me psychologically.

I too used to have childhood asthma and had a couple of bad episodes where I couldn’t breathe. No doubt it’s subconsciously taken me back there too!

[Ergendl]

It's an automatic learned response to the initial pain which occurs using mental processing systems beneath conscious thought. A daily discipline of rationalising the extreme response can help. So do investigate some of the suggestions in other posts to see if they help.

I use stretches and repetitive motion triggering the soreness to help control my learned responses, but this is for back and hip pain rather than rib damage.

[Karmachameleons in reply to Ergendl]

I can relate to that a bit. Because I know now certain (most)movements don’t hurt. However I am definitely still moving and holding myself differently. Or at least less naturally. For example picking something up on the right is natural. On the left I have to consciously think before I do.

The discomfort is actually more the back of the shoulder on the bad side than the rib itself

As I say re the irrational aspect. I can do everything I could do before. Pick my kids up. Play sport. Walk. Run. Train.

So people’s response if I explain it is well what’s wrong then?

[Karmachameleons]

had a bit of a setback today. So the pain has improved massively. But for some reason I decided to use the massage gun on my ribs. And it’s probably gone too hard as it’s come up a little bruised and red. But worse of all the tightness I was previously experiencing has returned. I was still having some of this but only with certain movements. Whereas it’s back now just generally. I’m pissed off at myself as I should’ve been grateful for where I’d got too. And not sure what I was thinking / trying to achieve with the massage gun really. So feel like I’ve gone backwards quite a bit today. After a couple of positive days and progressive weeks .