Upper back pain

[NSV69]

Hi

Anyone help?

I have scleroderma which includes lung involement & Raynaud’s and currently take cellcept.

I recently had the awful virus which lasted about 5 weeks and i am still coughing. I had a chest x-ray the other day which came back clear.

I have been suffering from upper back pain in region of lungs for about 2 days and movement or coughing can make pain worse.

Has anyone else experiened tnis? Is it linked to scleroderma? Is it because i have been coughing so much? What can i do to relieve pain?

I am already generally short of breath because of my condition and have no other new symptoms.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you

[LucyJean]

Hello there, sorry to hear that you have been laid low with a virus. Good news that your chest scan is clear! I would imagine that the pain is related to 5 weeks of coughing. There are tiny intercostal muscles surrounding the ribs, as well as small accessory muscles that go into the shoulders and neck. These are easily inflamed by repeated movement as they are not designed to be active for long periods. It is also common to get something called costochondritis, which is inflammation of the cartilage, which joins your ribs to your breast bone. This can lead to severe chest pain, and shortness of breath. I have had it three times, usually in relation to a cold. Pain relief, a hot water bottle, and a comfortable position is required!

Take care

Lucy xxx

[NSV69 in reply to LucyJean]

Hi Lucy

Thank you for taking the time to provide a reassuring and comprehensive response.

I think you are right in your observations.

Your response is better than i would have got from my GP.

Regards

[MDulle]

Hi Ninder,

Sorry to read you’ve been so unwell. I think LucyJean’s response might be one of the reasons for your pain. On the other hand, your symptoms sound the same as mine of last year where following a viral infection I had pleurisy for two months.

I hope that whatever it turns out to be, your doctor is able to offer you the right medication to ease the pain.

Best regards,

M

[NSV69 in reply to MDulle]

Hi

Thank you for your response.

Would pleurisy not have shown up on my x-ray?

If not - what is tbe medication given for this?

Regards

[LucyJean in reply to NSV69]

Yep, you should be able to see the pleural effusion around the edge of the lungs. So I would be most surprised if that was the problem.

Treatment is usually pain relief in the form of anti-inflammatory medications. Other medication depends on the cause. If it is viral then probably you would just wait for it to improve on its own. If bacterial possibly antibiotics. Sometimes if it is not resolving steroids are prescribed.

Lucy XX

[NSV69 in reply to LucyJean]

Hey Lucy

Thanks once again for your advice.

Much appreciated.

Kind regards

[MDulle in reply to MDulle]

Mine didn’t show up on X-ray, Ninder. My doctor treated it with steroids and antibiotics, but it took its own sweet time to finally clear.

I hope you get to feeling better really soon!

Mx

[NSV69 in reply to MDulle]

Hi

I think it (hopefully) may have been a false alarm as the pain as eased a little where as plerusy pain is quite bad.

Thank you

[MDulle in reply to NSV69]

Oh, that’s good to know! Long may you be pain-free!

Mary

[Intimeslikethese]

I had a nagging cough that lasted 3 months and would erupt whenever I even tried to talk. Surprisingly, a friend diagnosed it as the "90 day" cough during the first month. It finally cleared with antibiotics given for something else but, most definitely from low dose prednisone for 5 days to alleviate swelling from all the coughing. Hope you feel better soon, as I was so uncomfortable to be around others (during my coughing session) who rightfully looked concerned of catching a plague.😷🤒

[NSV69 in reply to Intimeslikethese]

Hi

That sounds awfully nasty.

Thankfully my cough is coming to an end after 5 weeks.

Lets hope it stays away.

Thank you