I wonder if anyone has had a similar experience...

[murielm99]

I am not looking for medical advice, just commiseration and sharing.

If you have cancer, or a condition that keeps you in pain all the time, I am sorry. I don't know how people do that.

My question is for anyone here who has had a pleural effusion. (fluid filling the lung) I just had that. From what I am seeing and hearing, it will take 2-4 weeks to heal. If you have had to put up with the pain from a pleural effusion for that long, how did you do it? I am going nuts.

[WhiteTara]

1. are you asking about a pleudisis? or thoracentisus? (unknown spelling)

are you asking about draining the fluid or sealing the lung so no fluid can enter? My beloved had both of those.

[OldBaldy1701E]

2. "If you have cancer, or a condition that keeps you in pain all the time, I am sorry. I don't know how people do that."

I don't know how I do it. I suspect it is that the idea of adding to that pain keeps me from diving out the window. Because with my luck... I would fail.

I just stay as stoned as possible and hope that it never stops working. Because if it ever does... I am done for sure.

[hlthe2b]

3. There are a lot of pain interventions that are not always used but can be very effective

with the pleural pain from thoracocentesis (that you had) or worse, thoracotomy (open surgery to and through the chest wall).

This can include regional nerve blocks (very effective) and last for hours or up to a day-- depending on the method. NSAIDs, narcotic meds, gabapentin-- centrally acting non-narcotic meI'dication and several other non-narcotic medications are increasingly used, a TENS unit (allows for self-administration of electrical current small doses to stimulate the nerves and counter pain), massage therapy, and acupuncture can be effective, especially a combination of several modalities.

If pain is causing you this much distress, I'd urge you to contact your physician and ask for a referral, if necessary to a pain specialist.

I am sorry for what you are going through, but it can be made less painful. Best wishes!

[bottomofthehill]

4. First, I am sorry for you and for the pain you are in

I have suffered from this in the past. I had a VATS surgery. They opened a few holes in my chest and inverted cameras, put an incision between two ribs and opened enough space for a thoracic surgeon to relieve the pressure. Meaning draw the fluid off the lung. I spent two weeks sleeping, when I could sleep in a lazy boy. I could not lay flat. It took a couple days to find a comfortable position

Also, because the doctors want full expansion and contraction of rhe lung, they were very stingy with pain medication. Nothing that would suppress my respiration. One thing that was helpful, maybe more for the incision but maybe for the lung, the doctors left a catheter in with a lidocaine drip. It was held on an external belt about the size of an orange but shrunk as the medicine was dispensed. It sucked but gets better. Remember, it gets better! Please feel free to PM me.

[murielm99]

5. It gets better..it gets better...it gets better.

Thank you.

Do you live normally now? Can you drive, vacuum the house, go out to see friends? I will live with the shortness of breath, if necessary.

It gets better...

[bottomofthehill]

6. It gets better.

It took a little bit, my surgery was in January, by the middle of the summer I was mowing the lawn. I was fortunate, middle age and mostly healthy and it was rough. Don’t be afraid of a surgical option, the VATS surgery is minimally invasive, it is still a bit much but the surgery help the healing by getting a lot of the pressure off the lung by getting the fluid out. Also, although they seem silly, the breathing games, both inhaling and exhaling help! It takes a while to build the lung capacity back but now, stairs, the lawn, whatever. It took some time, some in pain, but always moving forward. I hope the best for you but please know and keep in mind, it gets better.

[murielm99]

7. Thank you and God bless you.

[murielm99]

8. The shortness of breath is what

is hurting me. I can't walk from the living room to the kitchen without being out of breath.

[bottomofthehill]

9. I know this will sound crazy, but those silly little plastic toys help

They look like cheap toys but they help with the o2 exchange. They are frustrating as they look so simple and silly but they help. Keep with it. My surgery was a while ago, I am chasing my grand daughter around, working , enjoying life. It took a bit and I was in my 50’s, but I am very fortunate and happy.