Pleurisy pain

[Roanna]

Feeling good everywhere else but since having prednisone to help with a pleurisy flare, I'm still having pain going down to my right hip when I take a deep breath, my right ribs still feel it also but so minor. Does anyone else with pleurisy get pain that low down. I've looked up on the web to see where the lungs and diaphragm sit but this seems low down to be pleurisy symptoms. CT scan shows definite damage done but why so low? I do have a short torso but really?? anyone?? I made a appointment before Christmas to get it checked out so any advice?

[misty14]

Hi Roanna

It can take a while for the steroids to completely conquer pleurisy. What dose are you taking?. Good thing you've got an appt before Xmas to be checked. With your Consultant?. How long have you had it?. X

[Roanna in reply to misty14]

Thanks misty14 for your reply. I was only on 30mg pred. for 5days then weened down to nothing every 5 days. it was the third time in 2 months I've done this. Once due to the kidney flare then my specialist told me I had a underlying plural problem which it helped at first then came back in the other side of my lungs slightly different pain though, and has lingered even after the 3rd 30mg pred. 5-day which ended about 3 weeks ago. I normally only take pred for minor joint pains when I get them which is very seldom and only 5mg for a few days then nothing. I have read from others that sometimes after a while, the prednisone doesn't work for them anymore so I hope that isn't the case here. I can handle the small doses pretty good but the higher I go gives me the worst brain fog ever which takes a few weeks to recover from. Good thing I'm not working in a high stress job anymore I just start Myco last week so I'm hoping it may help. I've read that pleurisy is sometimes aggravated from underlying illness such as lupus. I've been complaining about the lung pain for about a year now but no one could hear it on a chest exam until about 3 months ago.

[misty14 in reply to Roanna]

Hi Roanna

I don't think you took the higher steroid dose for long enough to conquer the pain fully and interesting you've had to do this several times in quick succession!. Myco can take up to three months to work so in the interim period some consultants offer a steroid injection to ease problems or upping steroid dose. It's a good thing your seeing your Rheumy soon. Good luck. X

[Roanna in reply to misty14]

Hey misty14 unfortunately I'm not seeing my Rheumy soon, only my GP whose assistant told me over the phone that I had " a decent CT scan... with some plural changes that are normal with SLE and if I had any questions I could phone back". I wasn't overly impressed and called back and asked what I could do for the pain and asked about starting the steroids again. My Rheumy put me on those other 2 cycles of steroids when I saw him a few months earlier. One for my kidney flare, then the other a few months later for the pleurisy when I told him my ribs/breathing got better when I did the cycle the first time. I was diagnosed with pneumonia at the emerg, with no other symptoms other than pain when breathing??. He didn't feel it was plural the other times I complained about the pain but maybe a pull. My Chiropractor started me on Probita chews, dried collagen which he felt would help my inter-costal rib pain and muscles after adjustments and I have to say, I haven't seen him as often as I was. So with this long winded bit, I was surprised I didn't get a 60mg of pred rather than 30 and I thought it was maybe based on my weight. I had dropped about 20lbs the last 2 years when I got the flu a few years back and haven't gained anything back since. The thing that bothers me is its not the same plural type pain I was getting when breathing, it doesn't hurt when I breath, its more when I force the area or tense my muscles when I cough or laugh. I will get to the bottom of this because I don't give up easy. I've got my list to ask my gp. To be honest, I don't think I could handle a higher dose or longer cycle of steroids at present maybe when I go for surgery in January I will be at home for a few months where I don't have to worry about my job so much. My husband is trying to start a home business which is slow moving so I'm the only one working at this time. Thanks for your concerns and for your support as I don't have much of a support system where I live other than my husband. one day at a time....

[misty14 in reply to Roanna]

Hi Roanna

Don't you think it might be a good idea to try and see your Rheumy Consultant earlier?. You could ring the clinic and ask to be considered for a cancellation or his secretary explaining what's happening and ask for an appointment?. Gp's are great but their expertise can be limited in these illnesses.

Good luck for your surgery in Jan, you've a lot to cope with. X

[Roanna in reply to misty14]

I will try to see him sooner but he flies in every 3 months so everything has to go through my GP 1st. We don't have a lot of options with specialists where I live.

[Debra60]

I had pleurisy back in March this year, was hospitalised twice, it's horrific! However, even though x-rays show i'm clear I still get a feeling of pain in my left lung and side when I take a deep breath and this seems to be normal, maybe it's the damage pleurisy leaves behind? I know someone else who is the same and that's after more than a year of having it, been told it can take a very long time to heal but your doctor will no doubt put your mind at rest.

[Roanna in reply to Debra60]

Debra60 thanks for your response. I had a bad lung infection about 7 years ago after getting an infection from something I feel I caught while traveling to the Dominican that no one could figure out. They sent me to a specialists 5hrs from where I live who misplaced any records of me going.... I tried to get these results for a year then just gave up. It has left me always taking short breaths to begin with so the damage has been done. I have a lot of scare tissue left from this but the breathing has improved to almost normal these last few years. Every xray I get they say shows scar tissue and they diagnose me with pneumonia even though I don't have any other symptoms other than breathing problems. I have taken antibiotics for this as well but then it jumped to the other side of my chest. Or maybe I just had more pain on one side and didn't notice the other as much. I did take a lot of T'3s for chronic back/neck pain so that was helping with the other pain from breathing. Now I don't take the T'3s as often so noticing the pain more I guess. I can manage fine with everyday life its just a little blip. Maybe I need to try another round of prednisone, it seems to be getting worse again so hopefully my GP will have some suggestions.... wish me luck, Nothing is going to get me down this holiday season I won't let it.

[Debra60 in reply to Roanna]

That's the spirit! I know it can be difficult but a positive mind always helps in my opinion........happy holidays :o)

[Purpletop]

Go and check that hip pain - steroids could cause avascular necrosis in the hip, hence the pain. Just tell your rheumy about your pain and ask for a CT scan of the hip.

[Roanna in reply to Purpletop]

Thank you Purpletop, I'll ask my Doctor about it. They took a CT scan at the end of October and my GP went to look at it as well but they didn't mention my hip which I asked the radiologist to try to get on the scan. I have only been on the steroids for a few months of varied doses.

[mariearmstrong in reply to Purpletop]

thanks for that, since going on high dose steroids I feel like I need a hip transplant, whereby I never had hip pain before, despite pain in every other inch of my body from lupus. I will put this on dr QA list

[Hidden]

Pain from pleurisy isn't supposed to go lower than the abdomen so I would think that the hip pain is due to another process. Maybe you are getting deconditioned and need some leg muscle stretches?

[Roanna in reply to Hidden]

Thanks JeffBot, I will look into this more, I am pretty active with work and have slowed down on my stretches lately so I will get back onto that and maybe things will start to improve. I hope...

[Hidden in reply to Roanna]

Physical therapists/physiotherapists are really good with musculoskeletal pain. I recommend them highly if they are experienced in this area.

[Roanna]

Thanks JeffBOT, I think this route is going to be where I head next as I don't think it's my bones, I'm too active and it just doesn't feel like bone related the way this just came on.