chronic chest/back pain years after pneumothorax

[MGWILSON]

When I was 23, I had a spontaneous pneumothorax on my left lung. A chest tube was inserted for drainage and after a week in the hospital it was removed as my lung had re-inflated. In the year following, I had issues with chest pain on that same side, which my pulmonary doctor attributed as costochondritis. He gave me a strong anti-inflammatory and that seemed to take care of it.

The pain continues to come back periodically, for the last 28 years -- I am now 51.  It's the same chronic upper chest pain that flares up on that same side. Sometimes it is just the chest, other times I can feel it all the way through to my back. There's no issue with breathing, it is just pain. Movement aggravates it. Sometimes ibuprofen helps, but not usually.

I'm assuming this is still costochondritis, though my primary doctor tells me that the condition usually doesn't last long. I'm baffled as to why after 28 years,this is still an issue. I've never smoked, am in good health and have had chest xrays in the past when the pain has become unbearable, but they have revealed nothing. Is this something I just have to live with?

[Tuckamore]

Sorry. This thread is old and I highly doubt the poster is still active. Please check the dates on threads. Sometimes if you leave a note on the poster Profile Page they will be notified and respond.

We do appreciate the information you've shared. It's always welcome. We learn from one another. I'm sorry you are still having pain flares.

I hope you'll be active in our community.

Regards,
~Tuck

[mschenck]

I've a 3 pneumos, two on the left, one on the right.  I've also had pleuradeisis surgery on both lungs. I too have random flare ups of pain.  Ive heard of two viable reasons: phantom pains from nerve damage from surgery/chest tube insertion, or scar tissue on the lung causing dry spots that can irritate the pleural wall when they rub,

BTW it has been 11 years since my last surgery, and 14 since the surgery on the side that flares up,

[shinty]

I had the same thing happen to me at the age of 23. the doctor said it's fairly common in young, thin white males. I was in the hospital for a month because my left lung re-collapsed, and I had to "start all over again". The nurse's aid did something to the "fish tank" that they had (us) hooked up to, causing it to collapse yet again.. I haven't had any complications since the incident. I think they can give you injections to help you, and antiinflammatory medications also can help. I was hospitalized with someone who had that same problem, so I'm going by memory here! He was getting it surgically repaired (costochondritis), so there must be a way to diagnose it, etc. I would have your PCP send you to a specialist, as this has gone on for way to long. good luck.
            shinty