Anyone have experience with Pleurisy or Pleuritis?

[petegz28]

So my Wife had some chest pains a couple months ago and she thought she had pulled a muscle. It got a little better then yesterday it started hurting again and worse than before. She went to the Doctor today and found out she has a pleuritis. Doctor put her on indomethacin and said if it's not better in 2 weeks then they would do a CT scan.

My concern is after reading on this, I don't like what I am reading regarding causes of this. I see tumor and lung cancer mentioned more often than I'd like. Also from what I have read, the indomethacin will or should address the inflammation and pain but obviously does nothing for the root cause. We are discussing whether or not to call the Doctor back tomorrow and ask for at least an X-ray to rule out any form of tumor.

Has anyone had any experience with this condition? If so, what is your advice?

[patteeu]

I don't have any advice, but good luck.

[Holladay]

No advice, but wife had it years ago. Very painful. I don't think we had x-rays, just took awhile to heal. Good Luck.

[Chief3188]

Being a smoker I developed pleurisy after a bout with the flu. I was fine in about a week but I don't know how severe my case was

[petegz28]

Fortunately hers is not debilitating. It's just a touch of pain when she takes a deep breath but it got worse. Sometimes the interwebs can be scare when you read on a medical condition. I was pretty adamant about wanting an x-ray as my wife has not been sick nor is she a smoker. I wanted and still want to know what brought this on and why it has come and gone for 3 months. The doctor wants to give it 2 weeks on the indomethacin before any x-rays are done. She talked to her doctor today and nothing has changed from that point. I suppose if we really pushed it we could get it done.

[ptlyon]

Sometimes the interwebs can be scare when you read on a medical condition.

No shit. The other day I was trying to search for a medical condition, and a picture popped up that was Hope Solo's snatch.

Good luck.

[KranzDictum]

Beethoven died of it but that was back in the 1820's.

[Ming the Merciless]

Hmm... did he rule out costochondritis?

I got that a couple years ago and it hurt so bad and I was so scared I went to the ER. I mistook the pain for heart attack type symptoms.

Turned out it was just costochondritis, an irritation and inflammation / possible infection of the cartilage around the rib cage.

Anyway I don't even remember how they figured it out but hopefully it's just something minor like that.

God bless.

[KevB]

I've actually had similar symptoms over the last couple of weeks. Putting my WebMD hat on, I came to the conclusion that Pleurisy may be my issue as well. I've been giving it a few days to hopefully go away before going to the doc. I actually had a full physical 3 weeks ago with no issues, so a bit strange to have something pop up now. Good luck to your wife, I'm sure meds will knock it out and she'll be no worse for the wear.

[petegz28]

Hmm... did he rule out costochondritis?

I got that a couple years ago and it hurt so bad and I was so scared I went to the ER. I mistook the pain for heart attack type symptoms.

Turned out it was just costochondritis, an irritation and inflammation / possible infection of the cartilage around the rib cage.

Anyway I don't even remember how they figured it out but hopefully it's just something minor like that.

God bless.

They haven't diagnosed anything other than it is acute pleuritis. They don't hear any fluid which I think is a good sign. They want to give the meds 2 weeks. It just spooks me because it's my Wife.

[scho63]

No shit. The other day I was trying to search for a medical condition, and a picture popped up that was Hope Solo's snatch.

Good luck.

Was it "What to do when struck in the crotch with a chain saw?" :hmmm:

[oldman]

I had pleurisy once and that was enough. I thought I had done something to my back since it was painful to stand up straight. Every time I took a deep breath it hurt like the devil. Finally a friend said that if I didn't go to the doctor ASAP she was going to take me. Went to the doc, she gave me hell for not coming sooner. Gave me some drugs and sent me home. Took about 3 days to clear up enough to function, but it took a couple weeks to finally clear. Some of the worst pain I'd ever had.

[petegz28]

I had pleurisy once and that was enough. I thought I had done something to my back since it was painful to stand up straight. Every time I took a deep breath it hurt like the devil. Finally a friend said that if I didn't go to the doctor ASAP she was going to take me. Went to the doc, she gave me hell for not coming sooner. Gave me some drugs and sent me home. Took about 3 days to clear up enough to function, but it took a couple weeks to finally clear. Some of the worst pain I'd ever had.

Did they ever tell you what caused it?

[Graystoke]

I had pleurisy once and that was enough. I thought I had done something to my back since it was painful to stand up straight. Every time I took a deep breath it hurt like the devil. Finally a friend said that if I didn't go to the doctor ASAP she was going to take me. Went to the doc, she gave me hell for not coming sooner. Gave me some drugs and sent me home. Took about 3 days to clear up enough to function, but it took a couple weeks to finally clear. Some of the worst pain I'd ever had.

Had the exact same this. Never found out what caused it, but it was very painful and the pain manifested in my lower back.
Good luck on this Pete. Just keep a close eye on her