Shoulder blade pain

[lesley53]

Hi all ,

I have Bronchiectasis, chronic sinusitis, and reflux .

Does anybody get shoulder blade pain when you inhale fully and a general upper achy back ?

I’m also feeling very tired and no appetite .

Many thanks for any replies 😊

[RoadRunner44]

Apart from the shoulder pain I have all your problems.Yes I do have an uncomfortable pain in upper back both sides of the spine. I have mentioned it to my doctor who didn't seem to connect it to the bronchiectasis. He said to take cocodamol to help with the pain. The physio said to bend forward for up to a minute to get relief. It does help but I sense you want answers just as I do and don't want to take a tablet to just put a plaster on the condition. Doctors just don't have the time to try and locate the problem and make connections any longer.

[lesley53 in reply to RoadRunner44]

Thanks for replying - it’s good to know I’m not alone at least - I’m waiting to see a physio so I’ll mention it . No I take enough medication which I’m sure you do too and you’re right, Drs just want to prescribe not diagnose .

I seem to get more pain the more mucus I get or a flare up .

[RoadRunner44 in reply to lesley53]

How long have you had bronchiectasis? I was diagnosed 5 years ago but I must have had it for many years as I had the cough, mucus and reflux. Because of the chronic sinusitus I have a blockage behind the middle ear which has caused some deafness in one ear. The won't make an incision to release the build up as it could cause an infection. They also said the problem would probably return anyway. So, I have to wear a hearing aid. Nice to talk to a fellow sufferer. Keep in touch.

[lesley53 in reply to RoadRunner44]

Only a couple of months ago - but I’ve symptoms for 2-3 yrs , having had pneumonia and flu and numerous infections along the way . I’m having my sinuses operated on soon but don’t have the middle ear problem.

Im finding it all very debilitating and am trying to adapt and manage it .

I get really tired too . It’s nice to know you’re not alone .

[RoadRunner44 in reply to lesley53]

Thanks for replying so soon. Could you let me know how you get on with your sinus operation. I am very interested to see how things go and if it works for you.

[lesley53 in reply to RoadRunner44]

I will - it’s at the end of Oct - I guess it’s one less thing in the equation 😊

[RoadRunner44 in reply to lesley53]

At least you haven't list your sense of humour!

[lesley53 in reply to RoadRunner44]

Oh no I’ll never do that - I’m determined it’s not going to get the better of me !

[corriena]

I have bronkie and i also get the pain in the shoulder blade area, this is sometimes a sighn i have an infection. With the other symptoms lack of appetite ect this might be worth checking out.

[lesley53 in reply to corriena]

Hi Corriena ,

Yes that is my concern and what bothers me 😟

[corriena in reply to lesley53]

Then off to the dr with you 🤔. If you have rescue meds start them if you cant get to see your gp today 🤒🤧😷

[lesley53 in reply to corriena]

I have already , I’m on low dose azithromycin anyway but have doubled my dose but will get to my Dr tomorrow 👍

[shouty in reply to lesley53]

I always get pain & loss of appetite with infection add in mouth ulcers & cold sores. Better to be safe & check with Dr

[lesley53 in reply to shouty]

Thank you I will 👍

[bwhil]

Hi Lesley and All

Yes, I too have this shoulder pain; mine is under my lower right shoulder and means that after just 10 mins standing I get severe pain that radiates across my middle back to my left lower shoulder - not great when standing in a long queue in the supermarket or post office ! At it's worst, the pain then radiates down both sides of my ribs. The Respiratory Consultant last week said this is 'tenderness in the right base posteriorly which is reproducible on deep palpitations' which doesn't sound major but he's not standing with me in a queue when it's agony ! The pain is always worse if I've had a recent cold/cough; if I'm able to sit down, the pain subsides greatly. I put this down to bronchiectasis and three previous sinus surgeries and I guess I'll just have to live with this. Tackling a cold/cough early on certainly helps and by preventing it from escalating, means that a cough doesn't trigger increased back/shoulder pain. This year I'm to have the usual flu jab and (for the first time) a pneumonia jab (worth asking your GP about ?) to reduce strain on my lungs / chest following bronchiectasis. Stretching out and leaning forward does alleviate the pain but only for a short period. I wish you well and hope you, too, find something that works for you and reduces the pain you're in.

[lesley53 in reply to bwhil]

That sounds awful - it seems if you have Bronch , then there is a lot of lump it or like it symptoms that you just have to live with !

I’m due for flu and pneumonia jab as I’ve both in the last 2 yrs .

I’m also due to have a sinus op too , did it help you at all ?

[bwhil in reply to lesley53]

Yes ! I underwent 3 sinus surgeries over a 5 year period and the last one cured most of the problems. Certainly the horrendous pain in my face went immediately which meant that when I picked up a winter cold, it didn't swell my face and eyes so I was able to stay working and my breathing was much improve, too. For the last surgery I was lucky enough to have access to a great ENT Consultant; he put right the things that really should have been done in the previous 2 surgeries but were missed or just not undertaken. He was great in explaining where the problem areas were and what he was going to do about it , and also managing the level of expectation following surgery. I went armed with a list of questions and he answered them all so I felt confident that having a 3rd surgery was the right thing to do. Ask as many questions as you need to so you have the answers. I wish you well with your sinus surgery and hope it alleviates the pain you're experiencing.

Best wishes

[lesley53 in reply to bwhil]

Wow that’s so encouraging and am really glad it worked for you!

I get pain in my eye socket and across my cheekbone . I have a deviated septum which isn’t helping .

Sounds like you had a great consultant- they haven’t told me anything really . I am dreading it to be honest but I know it will help I hope 👍😊

[bwhil]

If this op means that you have a chance of getting rid of that horrendous eye socket and cheekbone pain (I remember that only too well !) and being able to breathe more freely, then I think it's certainly worth considering. If they haven't told you much you might like to do what I do and write a list of questions to take with you at your next appointment. You could ask about percentage success rate of the type of op they are suggesting, what after care do you need to do, etc. I take a mini notepad with me with my questions and write down their response so I can look at it after the appointment when I get home. I think most people at these appointments don't take in everything they're being told so it's good to have something to refer back to.

It's your face and your sinuses so keep asking until you have the answers to your questions and you're happy that you understand their response.

The relief to find out that I could breathe properly and had no major facial swelling when I got a cold was amazing after having sinus pain for 10+ years.

P.S. I still do the notepad/questions thing when I go to see any Consultant. At the first appointment my Cardiac Consultant was a bit surprised when she asked if I had any questions and I brought out the notepad. But now she laughs and says so what questions do you have for me today! I think she appreciates that I acknowledge her area of expertise and that I am wanting to learn more about my condition before any operation or change of meds so with her help I can weigh out the pro's and con's. Also by having already thought about my questions and writing them down means I can save time at the appointment and not worry about forgetting to ask them something as I leave the room!

Good luck and let me know how you get on.

[lesley53 in reply to bwhil]

Good advice - I will def take on board thank you and yes I’ll let you know how I go .

How did you feel immediately after the op ?

[bwhil in reply to lesley53]

Suprisingly well ! I had the op done at night at 11pm (the Consultant uses the facilities in my local hospital when they are not in use) and by 8am the next morning, I was discharged and able to come home, obviously with someone else driving and someone at home with me for the next 12-24 hours.

The surgery was quite extensive so I was expecting to have a lot of pain but nothing major that regular pain killers didn't take the edge off.

Learning how to look after your nose and sinuses was deemed important by my ENT Consultant - he's a great believer in using the NeilMed Sinus Rinse. If your doctors haven't talked about using this, look on Amazon (cheapest place to buy it and the premixed sachets that are used with it) for more info. But he said to me even without symptoms of a cold, use this once or twice a week to keep your sinuses clear of dust and congestion. I certainly feel better after using this (clearer headed !) and because it's just a PH balanced saline solution, it can be used once you get the go ahead from your consultant as often as you need to use it.

My niece is a consultant in the States and never understands why brilliant things like this aren't regularly used by the NHS as much as a preventative step as anything else.

Hope this is of help.

[lesley53 in reply to bwhil]

It sure is - it’s made me feel encouraged- thank you so much 😊

[Claudine]

Must admit I haven't read all your replies but I have now decided I need help with my shoulder and neck. I go to a shiatsu practitioner who has found knots I didn't know I had! I have also invested in a shiatsu machine for daily use myself (very cumbersome but I'm sure it helps as maintenance) which seems to hit the spot. I also have Bronchiectasis. If you think about it, we tense up so much when we cough that it's not surprising we have neck and shoulder problems.

[lesley53 in reply to Claudine]

I reckon anything that helps you feel better has got to be good !

Thing is if you go to the Dr , they’re not always helpful ( well mine isn’t ) .