Excruciating pain breathing

I had something similar 2 weeks after implant

by Grateful Heart - 2016-08-16 15:22:21

Not sure if the CT scan would pick it up but did they do an Echo?  I know that will tell them if there is any fluid around the heart.  A rare complication after surgery but it can happen.  I was in the hospital for 3 days and many, many tests including a lung scan but..... they never did an echo so they sent me home and said they couldn't find anything. 

The pain continued and got worse so I went to a new Cardio for a 2nd opinion.  He listened to my symptoms and immediately did an Echo and saw the fluid.  He increased the Lasix for a few days for me and I was able to avoid another hospital stay (different hospital).  He was a lifesaver.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Grateful Heart

Good Thoughts to you

by Fatty - 2016-08-16 22:08:18

My best thoughts are going out to you. You are at the hospital so have faith that the doctors and nurses will help you.If you get scared and anxious don't hesitate to ask for help......so try to rest easy but don't be afraid to ask for help and explanations.  Do you also have family there to advocate for you ? 

Thank you

by jjjxhhh - 2016-08-16 22:45:03

Thank you so much for your input. They didn't do an echo but they did an X-ray and said there's no fluid around my heart according to their testing. They are however treating the pain with the same medicine they would for the fluid around heart issue so maybe that's good...

I will get a second opinion though because I just can't believe this pain. I was discharged with a load of meds and though the pain had lessened a little by then, it's back completely and it's so awful. 

My best friend is with me luckily and he's been a huge help. 

Definitely get the 2nd opinion

by Grateful Heart - 2016-08-17 14:44:24

It can't hurt and you want to be sure.  Don't know what the "load of meds" are but bring it to the next doctor to check it out.

Feel better.

Grateful Heart

PAIN WITH BREATHE

by Bob March - 2016-08-17 19:20:39

While my pain experience was different my GP doctor went through a series of questions to try to diagnose it. He suspected costochondritis  (inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the sternum). He said it could result from bacterial or viral infection, or trauma and is fairly common after chest surgeries. He ruled this out for me since it did not hurt any more or less with breathing.

Some questions that may rule this in or out as a possibility to ask you doc to consider: if you press on your sternum or ribs in the area, does the pain increase? Is the pain when you inhale, expanding the rib cage, and subside with a full exhale (pure correlation to strest on sternum)? Did it come on suddenly or increase slowly over time? Did it start right after recovery? Did you have general anesthesia (tube down your throat) or twilight for your implant surgery?

I hope you're getting better quickly. I know how scary unexpected and unexplained pain after PM implant is. Poking around in your heart is bad enough but complications really add to our stress levels!

Thank you

by jjjxhhh - 2016-08-17 23:12:59

Thank you so much for the advice. I will keep everyone posted! I appreciate you!

Pain after Implant

by FaithGrace - 2016-08-19 14:37:38

I had something similar after my implant. 

My surgery was 8/4/16 for a dual lead PM.  Four days later, I was sitting at the table and I had an onset of extreme pain at the very top of my ribcage, in the center, just below my chest.  I was unable to stand up, the pain got worse if I moved at all.  I got sweaty, dizzy, shaking, my heart rate was 40-41.  I was very pale, grey-bluish.  My family called 911.  The first responders gave me oxygen  & ended up going by ambulance to the ER.  I was stable on the way there and the pain got better with each passing mile. 

Fortunately for me, my crazy episode relieved itself in about an hour.  I had lots of tests run to try and figure out what was going on.  First they did a device check to make sure the leads were in place and that checked out good.  They ran complete blood work, did an Echo, an x-ray of my chest and of my abdomen.  They checked for a collapsed lung (with the x-ray), checked my gallbladder (with the blood work) Nothing was found.  I'm here to tell you, I was SO thankful that the pain was gone as it was INTENSE. 

I had one similar episode that was no where near as bad a few nights later.  I got a glimpse of the same pain (no where near as bad)  I started shaking from my chest to my toes in the middle of the night.  I put an icepack on my abdomin and had lmy husband tell me to calm down and rub my leg to try and calm me.  It went away after a few minutes.  That was the last of my crazy episodes and I do not know what they were from.  I just hope they do not return!!

I hope and pray that you are doing better and that your pain is now gone!! Keep us posted as to what the cause of your pain is. 

pain after implant

by islandgirl - 2016-09-03 00:01:50

I had the same thing several weeks after implant.  I called my EP and went to the ER.  He had given the ER instructions and I was diagnosed with chest wall inflammation.  I was given steroids and it cleared up in a couple of days.