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Pleurisy as local pain in lung?

Hello all,

Two weeks ago I had a bit of a fever (not very high though) and it went away the next day. Then I started having chest-related symptoms but again, not too sever. I had a bit of a congested chest: I coughed and I could here like a rumbling noise but not soft enough to be expelled. The pharmacist reccommended me this medicine (carbocisteine) and it kind of had effect but not too much, because the rumbling noise stopped but this medicine is supposed to make secretions softer in order to cough them out and this did not happen. As for now, I have this sharp pain (not too severe but annoying) in the low part of my left lung. It feels like someone stabbing and it gets worse when I cough or when taking deep breaths. Should I go to my doctor? Any remedies to make secretions softer? I can't afford missing work but it feels like secretions are stuck. Does it sound like pleurisy?
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Avatar universal
You need a ct or at minimum a chest xray to gauge whats going on.
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973741 tn?1342342773
Sorry you have been sick! I always take something like carbocisteine when I'm sick to thin my mucous.  It helps.  Another thing that doctors recommend is to hydrate. That also naturally thins the mucous.  If you drink a bit of extra water, that is going to thin it as well.  Cough suppressants aren't always a good idea for the reason you state, it makes it so that you aren't coughing out the 'gunk'. So, avoid meds like that but I'd keep taking the mucous med the pharmacist recommended and drink the extra water.  And yes, go ahead and see your doctor.  It could be pleurisy as your symptoms fit the profile.  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pleurisy/symptoms-causes/syc-20351863  If you have an infection and that is the underlying cause, they'll treat that.  But pleurisy is often treated to reduce inflammation in lungs with Nsaids (like ibuprofen). You should also get extra rest and not smoke if you are a smoker.  But typically, nsaids are the drugs used to reduce the inflammation.  If you should have 'trapped' mucus as you say, they'll likely give you an antibiotic.  So, yes, go to the doctor at this point!
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