Anyone have rales/crackles in their lungs with no other symptoms ???

[craterlake]

Good morning to everyone .. it is so nice to have the beautiful spring flowers everywhere and the warm sunshine .. I am doing well on my O&V treatment but I have experienced an unsettling problem .. 3 weeks after I started my 13 month on V ,,,, I developed rales/crackles in my left lung ... it occurs when I inhale and exhale ...I have never had any lung issues in my entire life even when I had the flu .. nor have I had a cold or flu for the past 4 years .. nor do I have a temp , phlegm , cough ,shortness of breath with the lung sound .. oxygen level is consistently 98 ....I started taking goldenseal herb and garlic pills the second day and by the next day the sounds/vibration feeling was gone ... then for the next day or so my lung feels sort of bruised when I take a breath .. 3 weeks later it came back . same event .. my wife and I decided to go to Arizona and "dry out" ..still in Arizona 2 weeks later it happened again . went back home to Oregon .. 8 days later it happened again so more herbs and it went away .went to my ONC. had blood work ,,, the best blood work in 24 months ...then to the hospital and chest x-ray ... nothing shows up on the x-ray but a few scar tissue .. ONC. dept. says nothing to be concerned about .. I contact my GP he says the same thing and is quite puzzled about lung sounds with no other symptoms but recommends I buy a acapella breathing exercise device .. I have no other comorbidities , normal body weight , exercise regularly good diet and feeling well .. I would appreciate any input about this problem from our very experienced team .. love ya, James

[CycleWonder]

Normally crackles and rakes are associated with asthma. You might ask your GP to prescribe an inhaler and see if using it has any effect on your crackles

[craterlake in reply to CycleWonder]

yes ...thanks for the reply .. i only have it on one side and i have zero other symptoms so that's why my GP recommended the blowing , lung exerciser ... rather then any meds.. i am using it now and i will have to wait and see if i get them again .. i had a huge spleen a couple of years ago before i started treatment and it is interesting to note that i only have them on my left side ..

[Lenny123]

For some reason, you have excess fluid/collapse in the smallest airways, air sacs, bronchioles. Would persist in being evaluated, if you can find a good Pulmonologist. Also consider cardiac evaluation for some sort of low level heart failure. Certainly, at least ,find out your ejection fraction. If all good, consider getting culture of any sputum in case there is some weird bug lurking in airways.

In the meanwhile, Acapella is a great idea, i keep one by my chair, a few breaths whenever i think of it. Also 4, 7, 8 breathing. At least twice daily.

Rationale? these gently expand the lungs, pushes fluid out and reduces collapse in these very small spaces. Also encourages coughing up any accumulated fluids.

Why pay attention? Firstly, there may be some underlying issue that can be treated, secondly any areas of lung collapse, fluid accumulation can form a nidus for infection.

Best of luck, please do not consider these ideas definitive!

[craterlake in reply to Lenny123]

Good morning Lenny , thanks for the good advice ... if and when it happens again and i assume it will since its happening more frequently , i am going to urgent care to have them listen to the sounds and find a pulmonologist as you suggest .. there has to be a reason for it .. especially since i have no other symptoms that one would expect with this condition .. it is hard for me to believe that i am 75 years old and never heard of the Acapella device before this .. i just decided last night that i would keep it handy by my computer and use it at least twice a day . 👍---- hope you are doing well 😊... blessings , james

[Bubnojay]

I was interested to read your post as I too have crackles in only my left lung, and 5 days of amoxicillin and trimoxazole antibiotics have failed to remedy the situation. The crackles have been there and were noted previously, but not suffering any symptoms, nothing was done about it.

Now however, I am severely short of breath. A recent x-ray came back clear and because I was having trouble with my breath a different GP diagnosed heart failure. The furosemide he prescribed did not help so investigations continue. I await the result of a further xray,

So Craterlake I strongly advise you to take whatever steps possible to find out what is going on with you to avoid the symptoms blighting my life. I wish you well and wish my reply provided answer and not mystery. I go for bloods and an ECG tomorrow and if I find out what is going on with me I will let you know. I have noted Lenny’s good advice too and add my thanks to yours.

Best wishes

Bubnojay

[craterlake in reply to Bubnojay]

Thank you very much for your reply .. my thought was that I cannot be that unique that some one on this wonderful site must have experienced a similar situation .. I am glad you are pressing forward with investigating your symptoms .. how long have you had the rales ??? I am sorry to hear that the antibiotics did not help . but we know it could be viral, or a fungus .. or possibly a heart problem ... I will be awaiting your update .in the meantime I will keep you in my prayers ...🙏... blessings , james

[Bubnojay in reply to craterlake]

Thanks James my sounds are more to my ears more like rhonchi and only heard by me on forced exhale. I don't have a stethoscope to hear the crackles my GP reported. Actually the sound of air moving in my ears is more like it. I hear nothing normally a few wheezes and squeaks maybe, but I sure get very breathless. I used to be ultra fit until the pandemic, I will keep you posted. Good luck with your investigations.

Bub

[craterlake in reply to Bubnojay]

👍

[Bubnojay]

Tests so far indicate heart failing, and ejection fraction fault suspected as mentioned by Lenny123. I am 81 and blaming the pandemic for stopping me working out in the gym, use it or lose it being my thoughts. I hope you push forward with finding out what causes your rales and that you can get be helped.

Wishing you well

Bub

[craterlake in reply to Bubnojay]

Hi Bub , really sorry to hear that news .. I have been pondering a reply to you and I decided that I would send you a link to the documentary "forks over knives" this knowledge has given many people more years of useful life .. I have incorporated these lifestyle changes in my own life and has worked remarkably well ... I thank the good Lord that I have not had the rales since I started using the acapella device .we will continue to pray for you ... blessings , James ---John 16:33

youtube.com/watch?v=EjTWFoq...(Not working as expected?)

[Bubnojay]

Thank you Craterlake