Help me

[anonymousxo]

So I was diagnosed with a viral infection 4 weeks ago and was bed bound for about two weeks and went to the doctor about 3/4 times during that time saying I'm not getting better and they kept saying it's a virus, anyway I call again and they sent me to a&e because I developed sharp stabbing pains in my chest and upper back, a&e does bloods and vitals which are normal and chest x ray which showed a chest infection (I didn't have any typical symptoms of a chest infection at this point just really bad pain) they sent me away with anti biotics which are due to finish tomorrow and I ended up in a&e again two days ago because I wasn't improving and got worse with debilitating pain that made me cry it hurts that bad, I was admitted to the ward because on arrival I had low oxygen which went up as quick as it went down so no concerns there, they hooked me up to a heart monitor and checked my bloods and vitals, all normal but refused to do another x ray as they said my symptoms resemble costochondritis.
Now I know this isn't costochondritis because I have done my research and from what I've read, the pain is not always there. I've also read ibuprofen is usually enough, no painkillers have helped with this pain it's debilitating!
They gave me naproxen which hasn't helped either and I'm at wits end with what to do, I've called so many times and nothing has been done and the pain is truly a 10/10 it is SO PAINFUL please has anyone ever experienced this? What should I do?
The pain is constantly there in my upper back and spine, I keep getting sharp stabbing pains in my chest every now and again during the day and I don't know what's causing it :(

@LavenderPink

Or have you called them?

I went to a&e Friday night, I haven't called any doctors since, I was in a&e last week too when I had the diagnosis, I've had multiple ecgs,bloods all fine except the x ray. I haven't called a doctor today but I'm still in pain and at my wits end with what this could be

We know you've already been to A&E, but you're telling us you're in unbearable pain. If that's true then it is an emergency. Is it that bad or can you wait until you can see a GP?

Black on a chest X-ray is good OP. Whites is a problem. From my admittedly limited knowledge from seeing them at work. (Not a Dr)
Sorry you feel so crap. Generally I would say if someone is in severe pain not responding to anti inflammatory drugs, it would be appropriate to give stronger opiate type medications. Can you contact an out of hours Dr?

@CorrBlimeyGG

We know you've already been to A&E, but you're telling us you're in unbearable pain. If that's true then it is an emergency. Is it that bad or can you wait until you can see a GP?

I was unsure whether to wait to call my doctor tomorrow or call 111 because when I've called 111 this past week they've just told me to go a&e

@Spudina

Black on a chest X-ray is good OP. Whites is a problem. From my admittedly limited knowledge from seeing them at work. (Not a Dr) Sorry you feel so crap. Generally I would say if someone is in severe pain not responding to anti inflammatory drugs, it would be appropriate to give stronger opiate type medications. Can you contact an out of hours Dr?

Ok well that's good. I'm just not sure why he was showing me the mark then, he said look you have a chest infection and showed me the x ray, will 111 assist me with stronger meds? They really haven't been much help at all this week, just kept saying go a&e

I see sorry got the timeline confused. It sounds like you need to go your GP at least as you have finished the antibiotics and still in pain.

I think only you can tell if you can wait until then or if it needs 111.

@Losttheequipment

The black bit on the left hand side of a chest X-ray is your heart

No it’s not.

@LavenderPink

I see sorry got the timeline confused. It sounds like you need to go your GP at least as you have finished the antibiotics and still in pain.

I think only you can tell if you can wait until then or if it needs 111.

Pain is more of a 7/10 now. I get attacks of it so during the day randomly, it gets to 10/10 then other times it can be a 7 like now. Constantly in the background none the less

No it’s not.

What is it then?!

It would worry me if you have a chest infection but not coughing.I have copd and asthma, so chest infections are a!most a way of life for me. If I'm not coughing, I'm worried. For me it means the shit on my chest isn't moving, which can make my breathing quite compromised (hence,you saying your oxygen levels fell).

For me, a salbutomal nebulizer is my "go to" remedy. But if you don't have a blue inhaler, I'm not sure what to advise.

Also, the Times I get pain with a chest infection, are very few and far between, and have certainly never been at a 10/10.

@user1471453601

It would worry me if you have a chest infection but not coughing.I have copd and asthma, so chest infections are a!most a way of life for me. If I'm not coughing, I'm worried. For me it means the shit on my chest isn't moving, which can make my breathing quite compromised (hence,you saying your oxygen levels fell).

For me, a salbutomal nebulizer is my "go to" remedy. But if you don't have a blue inhaler, I'm not sure what to advise.

Also, the Times I get pain with a chest infection, are very few and far between, and have certainly never been at a 10/10.

See that just makes me worry, I don't know what's going on, I've never had this much pain in my life. They told me chest infection on x ray but I never even had any symptoms of chest infection by then! Just horrific pain that's still there

Go back if you're worried and you do sound worried

Rather be safe than sorry with breathing and your chest. Hopefully they can tell you categorically if it's costochondritis or something else x

@StrongArm

Go back if you're worried and you do sound worried

Rather be safe than sorry with breathing and your chest. Hopefully they can tell you categorically if it's costochondritis or something else x

Personally I think I need an x ray to see how this chest infection is going because they never did one the other day they were certain it's costochondritis :( Feel like I'm constantly being fobbed off even in the beginning with all this the doctor kept telling me I'm fine when I clearly wasn't because when I went hospital x ray showed chest infection I'm just so upset that they ignored my symptoms and also upset that I'm still being fobbed off

The heart is white on a chest xray

I'd call 111 OP, let them advise you if they want you to go back to A&E then I would.

If you're a 10/10 for pain then clearly you need to go to the hospital to be seen. However TBH I don't think you'd be able to post so much if you were literally climbing the walls with unbearable pain.

@Kittykat93

If you're a 10/10 for pain then clearly you need to go to the hospital to be seen. However TBH I don't think you'd be able to post so much if you were literally climbing the walls with unbearable pain.

It's not a 10/10 now it's more of a 7. When I originally posted it was very painful that was more of what I was trying to get at, all I wanted was advice as to what could be causing this horrid pain. Anti biotics haven't relieved my pains since nor has pain killers

@Losttheequipment

No it’s not.

What is it then?!

Air filled spaces show up as dark/black in an X-ray. The lung fields are the most obvious dark things on a chest X-ray. Normal lung isn't uniformally black though as the airways and blood vessels can be seen passing through. Sometimes, towards the bottom of a chest X-ray you can also see a stomach bubble and gas in the bowel which show up as darker areas.

Solid/fluid filled structures like the heart/liver/bones show up as white (as pp has demonstrated in their picture). Infection, by virtue of the fact it fills spaces that should have air in with relatively solid gunk, shows up in the lung fields as patchy white shadowing.

Hope that helps.

I'm no expert but I thought the more black on a chest X-ray the better. White, wispy, cloud stuff was bad? Never tell a HCP you are 10/10 in pain. You would not be able to talk, walk, think or type if you were. They have seen people who are 10/10, they know the difference and are more likely to disregard your concerns. Bloods should show up an infection. Were yours normal?
That said if you are worried, get help. A bad case of pneumonia had me in agony upon breathing in and out, and I couldn't at flat, or move at all really. My CRP was in its 600's mind and I spent over a month in hospital. But that was after an ED doctor suggested I was constipated!
Have you tried taking your respiratory rate?

Naproxin to me does nothing for pain it reduces inflammation but the pain is still there

Are you moving about? You need to move not lie down all the time

Are you drinking enough?

If your worried go back to GP unless pain is truly unbearable. Nobody will be able to diagnose you on here.

Pnuemonia can present 'silently' i. e no cough/sputum etc and 1st sign is reduced oxygen levels and sometimes pain. It's not unusual for your cough to go away and then later be diagnosed with a Pnuemonia/lower respiratory infection.

Again these things can sometimes be painful, especially if you were coughing alot initially.

I'm guessing you were swabbed for covid? Do you smoke or have you previously?
Is the pain related to eating or postional i. e leaning forward?

If you've had examinations/bloods/xray then be reassured it's unlikely to be anything serious they should have ruled out clots etc through the above.

But if you feel no better, or have worsening symptoms then go back to GP. If your pain becomes suddenly very severe, you feel unwell or have new concerning symptoms then get seen ASAP.

@Hairyfairy01

I'm no expert but I thought the more black on a chest X-ray the better. White, wispy, cloud stuff was bad? Never tell a HCP you are 10/10 in pain. You would not be able to talk, walk, think or type if you were. They have seen people who are 10/10, they know the difference and are more likely to disregard your concerns. Bloods should show up an infection. Were yours normal? That said if you are worried, get help. A bad case of pneumonia had me in agony upon breathing in and out, and I couldn't at flat, or move at all really. My CRP was in its 600's mind and I spent over a month in hospital. But that was after an ED doctor suggested I was constipated! Have you tried taking your respiratory rate?

Yeah I didn't tell them it was a 10, I said when it's really bad it feels like a 9 but most of the time it's a 7, I was in a lot of pain when I posted this but now the pain has subsided which it has been fluctuating throughout the day, I've never had anything like it. Yes so my bloods were completely normal but my chest x ray showed an infection they just gave me anti biotics and that was that

@Theunamedcat

Naproxin to me does nothing for pain it reduces inflammation but the pain is still there

Are you moving about? You need to move not lie down all the time

Are you drinking enough?

I've been moving a bit more today but had a horrible episode of pain when I posted this, it was horrific lasted about an hour and then calmed down again, I'm drinking a lot of water as I always do

@SlB09

If your worried go back to GP unless pain is truly unbearable. Nobody will be able to diagnose you on here.

Pnuemonia can present 'silently' i. e no cough/sputum etc and 1st sign is reduced oxygen levels and sometimes pain. It's not unusual for your cough to go away and then later be diagnosed with a Pnuemonia/lower respiratory infection.

Again these things can sometimes be painful, especially if you were coughing alot initially.

I'm guessing you were swabbed for covid? Do you smoke or have you previously?
Is the pain related to eating or postional i. e leaning forward?

If you've had examinations/bloods/xray then be reassured it's unlikely to be anything serious they should have ruled out clots etc through the above.

But if you feel no better, or have worsening symptoms then go back to GP. If your pain becomes suddenly very severe, you feel unwell or have new concerning symptoms then get seen ASAP.

I've booked an appointment for tomorrow, feel like I've seen a doctor about 5 times in the last week 😩 I don't smoke and I tested negative for covid, I have constantly aching ribs feels like muscular but worse and upper back pain and then throughout the day I'm getting random stabbing pains in my chest, when the pains come on it really scares me so I also panic a bit, never had pain like it before! When I get the pains it hurts to move everything hurts, when the intense pain goes I'm left with like a background dull ache and it doesn't hurt to move as such just feels like I've done a marathon and I have aching muscles.

Black shadowing on chest X-ray indicates pneumothorax. White shadowing indicated infection. I doubt it was infection if you did not have a fever and your blood markers were normal. You now need a CT scan.