pleurisy and irregular EKG

[harlin]

Well, here I am again. I don't know what is wrong with me! LOL

I made another trip to the Urgent Care last night. It started on sunday and it kept getting worse. Pain in my shoulder blade and around under my arm. Last night I felt like I couldn't breath. Every breath I took I got a stabbing pain. They ran a chest xray and and EKG. When the Dr came back in he said" well your chest xray is normal but your EKG is not." He said I had Pleurosy and gave me a shot in the behind and some prednisone and Motrin 600.

The EKG.. he said it had a dip where there shouln't have been and he wanted me to get an Echo that this usually means an inlargement somewhere in the heart. Oh great, just what I need. They are suppose to call me for scheduleing today.

It took until about 11:00 PM for the drugs to take effect last night. I hadn't had any sleep in 2 days for pain. I finally slept until 7 this morning.

Second time in 2 weeks I have been in urgent care. I have a bad feeling about this winter.

Love to all and stay well, harlin

[Joe S.]

I know that this will not help you feel better, but a lot of us experience pleurisy at one time or another.

[harlin]

Joe, is it connected?

[mshistory]

You know, it's interesting that this new edition of The Sjogren's Book that just came out said that only 2% of people with primary SjS will develop pleurisy at some point. I was just diagnosed last year and have already had it. I don't know how they come up with these figures, but I find it hard to believe that so few people with SjS have pleurisy at some point given how often our lungs are affected in some way.

By the way, my bout of pleurisy plus asthma landed me in urgent care too about two months ago, so I understand how you feel. And those shots in the behind HURT ... for days!

[bjnc]

I had two episodes of pleurisy about 16 years ago, before I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome, but had been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis for a number of years. I think I was probably experiencing problems with Sjogren's as well as the psoratic arthritis then but hadn't been diagnosed. 

Anyway, I have not had any problems with pleurisy since then.  I'm hoping that you won't continue to have problems with it either. (By the way, that was at a time when I was going through a very stressful situation, plus raising three small children.)

Becky

[DragonflyC]

I've had three bouts of pleurisy. It really hurts and tends to linger for quite a while! I hope you feel better soon.

[Joe S.]

It could be an issue with our immune system. I re-read your first post and it dawned on me how close it sounded to what happened to my younger daughter. She had a whole in her heart. She is much better now.

[Bucky]

((Harlin)) - I feel your pain . . . literally!!

As I sit here tonight, I have contemplated going to the Urgent Care myself as my right shoulder blade has been hurting on and off (more on than off) since last Friday (13th).  When I take a deep breath, it hurts. 

I've had my gallbladder out, so I know it's not from that.

Two years ago I went to Urgent Care and then they sent me to the hospital for "chest wall pain".  This pain is similar, but instead of in the center of my chest (like it was then) - it's moved to the right.

Ugh, I know how painful it can be!

Plus, the weather went from the mid 50's down into the low teens within 48 hrs.  I know the cold weather really makes it hurt.  Do you find coldness makes you hurt too?

We're suppose to get snow overnight into tomorrow - so, I will just tough it out and see if it will ease up.  If I lay down, it seems to ease up.

I hope you are feeling better now.

Bucky

[LisaMarie]

When the cold weather sets in, I tend to feel it in my lungs.  Last winter, I was diagnosed with a case of pleurisy.  So it seems that this year, when I go running outside and the air is cold and dry, I have pains breathing.  I back off.  The fear of pleurisy gets to me.  Yesterday I went running and it was really cold.  But, it was also snowing so the air wasn't as dry.  I had no pain in the lungs at all.

I always make sure I use a scarf when I go outside and it is really cold and dry or I don't go outside on those days if I can prevent it.  I don't like it when it hurts to breath.

Hope you feel better soon.  Keep us posted on the heart issue.  Hope they can clear that up easy and fast.