Recurrent lingering pleurisy. Is there help?

[Nata40]

Last year i contracted pleurisy after sitting (for a short time) in a draft in a wet shirt. Antibiotics didn't help. My Dr. said it's viral and will clear itself. I felt miserable - besides pain there was total exhaustion, low grade fever rising every aftrenoon, profuse sweats (had to change clothes every hour), especially at night. ALL of these symptoms, including hectic fever and sweats lasted ~5 months (between the last week of June to mid November). This is in spite of hot compresses, multivitamin, cod liver oil, vit.C, Echinacea and more. I was fine winter and spring and thought I'd put this nightmare behind. But....At the end of June (~ 3 weeks ago) after being exposed to extermely cold air in a store (in contrast to the heat outside), I came down with pleurisy again, with exactly same symptoms. I've been sick for 3 weeks now with no improvement in spite of treatment - a lot of supplements, hot wraps etc. I dread to think it may take 5 months again. The hectic fever and continuos drenching sweats are unbearable. Two Drs (family and pulmonologist) aren't worried as the Xray is normal. They said I just have to give it more time. I WANT MY LIFE BACK!!! WHAT CAN I DO TO RECOVER SOONER? I CAN'T WASTE ANOTHER 5 MONTHS OF MY LIFE (Also, HAD to quit my job). WILL IT BE REPEATING EVERY YEAR??  Has anybody been in my shoes?? PLEASE HELP!!!!

[channing1]

My son had a pleurisy attack in july 2010 and after a week, was diagnosed with Viral Menengitis, which lasted a bout a week and a half.  He is very fit, is on the varsity swim team, but for the last 1 3/4 years, feels the pleurisy pain sporatically each week.  He can be simply walking and suddenly feels it, or swimming.  

Ibuprofen is all his doctor suggests-- but it makes him feel odd in his joints and a bit fuzzy during the day.  He doesn't feel it helps him.

Has anyone had a CT scan of their lungs?  Does that help to reveal the health of the lungs?  

Has anyone had this sort of experience that has lasted this long?  Can the lungs be damaged if one continues a sport?
Thank you!

[lisalou12]

what breathing techniques help pleurisy  i have pleurisy on and off since october 2010  i just dont have the stabbing pains just shortness of breathe and hurting on left side and forearm and left shoulder blade constant ache and sometimes burning sensation and burning sensation at top of my chest  it comes and goes since then ive went to doctor and been put on spiriva because i now have chronic broncitis/emphzma

[hava]

feedback from PisForPleurisy
" I have been doing the breathing exercises recommended on this forum. Yes, they were insanely painful to begin with but I think they are helping and my pleurisy is clearing."
The pranayam (different breathing techniques) mentioned in my earlier posts, help people with pleurisy. So do try the pranayam and it will help in the long term.
March 27 ,2012

[jano1959]

i have pleurisy for past ten days.so painful. doc said just diclofenac. the sweats at night are bad. interesting bout the cold n air conditioning. i am very sensitive to cold anyway. it started on my right side but now seems to have started o my left side too.should i go back to docs?

[PisForPleurisy]

Hi,

I have been suffering from pleurisy for the past 4 weeks. I really feel for you those of you have been suffering for longer:(
For me it started 3 months ago when I got a cough and it developed into pleurisy.  I am now on my second round of antibiotics. This time around they seem to be working a bit better. In addition to the antibiotic I have also been drinking a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses in rice milk to increase my iron levels, taking a probiotic everyday (to replenish the good bacteria) and a glass of water with 2tbsp apple cider vinegar. I have also been eating tons of garlic - I try to eat it raw. If you can handle it - sucking on a clove for an hour or two has worked well for me too. I have also been eating 2-3 oranges a day.  I have been taking some cough syrup to help me get a decent night sleep too as the pain and cough were keeping me up.  I have been doing the breathing exercises recommended on this forum. Yes, they were insanely painful to begin with but I think they are helping and my pleurisy is clearing. Oh yeah - I also have taken this week and next week off work and following that a 2 week holiday to rest. I need the rest - I am a teacher and being in the classroom was really not helping my recovery!

Thanks to everyone who posted tips - I have seen a big improvement.  

[Matthew_68046]

i have had pleurisy for almost a year. It started after i was hospalized with Menengitis.  They say it was viral. it comes Off and on, but seems like it is more on than off, even when i am not sick at all. I take vitamin D to boost my immune system against viruses.I have taken them all, motrin, naproxen, tylonel w codine, dosent seem to help much.  I also have night sweats and hot flashes during the day. During the late summer/early fall i felt often like i was gonna just burst out sweating just sitting there with the a/c on.Doctors say everything is okay.(of course they do, how else would they make money?)  My chiropractor thinks it may be a bone out of place (don't they always) Chiropractors are good, but they think they can solve everything.  However, it dosent hurt that much to breathe, it is a dull ache that rarely goes away, and sometimes a very bad pain, So i am of course getting very confused. And very fed up with this pain, and all my doctor can do is say they dont know much about pleurisy and give me motrin.