I had a PE 2 years ago but I still get intermittent chest pain in my upper chest Even now. It is not brought on by exercise and does not go away when I put pressure on the area. I never had this before the PE. Has anyone else had a similar experience to myself?
I do get chest pain and had multiple PEs in December. My chest pain seems to be related to asthma symptoms because they started me on Advair and albuterol inhalers and I don't get the chest pain anymore. I'm seeing a pulmonologist next week to see if I'm on the right therapies and am hoping the asthma is not permanent. Have you been to a pulmonologist? Take care, Marlo
Thanks for replying, I have not seen a pulmonologist. When I spoke to my doctor about it a while back he said it was not related and that some pains are unexplainable. But that is not good enough for me as I did not have this before. It's good to hear that I am not the only one! I will go back to the doctor and see if I can get a referral. Thanks for sharing. Good luck! Anya
I had a PE following birth of my daughter 2 years ago and still get the chest pain and shortness of breath etc. First couple of times I panicked and went straight to hospital and thankfully told I was fine although was made to feel that I've wasted their time. On the second visit the doctor told me that if my body picked up a virus like a cold etc then this would go into the scar tissue in my lung and can give me same pain but not as severe. Never seen/read anything to back this theory up but here I am woken up by chest pain and googling if others have same experience as me and found your post. My pain is every now and then not brought on by anything specific like stress, exercise like you might expect as it woke me up this morning after a good night sleep. Hope your ok and not suffering too much and this post helps a bit x
Hi Laura, so good to hear you are having a similar experiance to myself. I actually went to the doctors this week and have been told the same as you about the scar tissue and picking up a cold or a virus could bring it on. He also said that it was probably a bit of pleurisy and that it is quite common after a PE. Disappointingly he said I would probably suffer on and off for the rest of my life! But at least I understand it a bit better now. Good luck and i hope this info has helped you too. Anya
After the birth of my Daughter in 2010 I was diagnosed with bilateral PE (via ct scan) and swine flu following a difficult birth and blood transfusion. I was pretty poorly and don't really remember much about the symptoms but ever since this I must've caught every cold/virus going and always seem to get it worse than my partner and Daughter. My GP said this was probably due to the Scar tissue in my lungs caused by the PE's. I did have some chest pain intermittently over the last couple of years but nothing that I worried about that much. But I was diagnosed with PE again at the end of May this year after really bad chest pain and shortness of breath. I spent 9 nights in hospital, was discharged then the chest pain got worse and seemed to be different from the pain I was getting when I was diagnosed. I went back to hospital had a chest x ray which came back clear but tested positive for infection from a blood test, they kept me in overnight and prescribed a high dose of antibiotics (Clarithromycin I'm allergic to penicillin). My heart is fine. The pain I have now in my chest is more painful than the PE and seems to move about rather than stay in one place. I've had plenty of chest infections but never one that has felt so painful. I was in so much pain this morning that my partner called for an ambulance and I went to hospital for the third time, they advised that I was on the right antibiotics and the pain was just a combination of PE, chest infection and anxiety. I have been really worried about the whole thing. They didn't keep me in but advised that if I was still no better on in 4 days to go to my GP to get different antibiotics. I'm hoping that the chest pain will settle down as the antibiotics start to work, I've been on them for two days and the pain has not got any better as of yet. My chest hurts at the front, sides and back. My GP has referred me to a respiratory clinic so I'm hoping they might be able to help I will just have to wait and see. I've been so paranoid about the chest pain thinking it is something other than a PE and chest infection, it's really nice to hear similar stories.
I had a PE in my R. lung a year ago. Since that time I've had pain in the same area as the pe radiating to my jaw. An EKG showed I had old MI so we thought maybe this was some strange Angina and my Doc gave me Nitroglycerine. A cardiologist said it isn't angina but pain from the scar tissue from the PE. The NTG works though and the docs think it is because the NTG is a vaso dilator. I sure wish the doctors would have warned my about the post PE pain. It is apparent from the questions on this website...that no one is warned about this.
Having been 9 months since my first PE and 1 month from my second, I have continued to get chest pains often similar to the ones I had in my heart attack for no reason and the pains going into my arm pit. Also suffer pain at times in my calf. If I take my Nitrolingual spray for heart pains it makes the pain and breathing far worse.
Am waiting now for some lung tests in Mid March so will hope something is found then.
I also believe there is a big review to take place soon on the merits of Riveroxaban versus Warfarin so maybe something will come from that.
Just found this site! I too had PE in both lungs 2 years ago following an undiagnosed blood clot in my leg. I too was made to feel as if I was wasting the doctor's time when coughing up blood, he reported that I was an "over anxious patient"! A year to the day I was again checked for PE, seems like it was chronic bronchitis. This year, again in April, I had another episode, another attack of the bronchitis. A different Gp (sadly retiring in August), gave me an inhaler, which helped this time around short term. Seems like if I pick up a cold, it is like the symptoms of PE, now I just don't worry the GP, as I feel the first one would dismiss my worries again. I feel worse if the wind is strong when I am walking, or going uphill in the open air around the village where we live; stairs are fine though?
I've had DVT and PE last year. I've been taking Rivaroxyban for past 6months. I've requested a blood test to try and find out the cause of my condition (as I want closure), the test is booked for the 17th May.
My doctor told me my blood must be clear of anticoagulant medicine in order to take the test.
I've voluntariy stopped taking rivaroxyban since 1st May, though I plan to restart the medication after the 17th and until I get blood test results and recommendations from my doctor.
I've made tangible progress in my diet and exercise. I hope my blood does not clot again in the coming days.
Been feeling incrementally worse for wear these two days. Having foggy head, dizziness, increased resting heart rate. Tight feelings in my inside thigh, slight restriction when taking deep breaths; the symptoms maybe in my imagination, maybe not.
I've decided that its not worth the risk to go without rivaroxyban for another 12 days. I don't feel any shame nor sense of failure for continuing with medication. I accept my blood is prone to clotting without medication.
I will continue to focus on a clot friendly diet and exercise.
Take care all.
I had a bilateral pe sept last year I started at gym before xmas and got a bad pain under my breast bone worse than when i had the clots,which lasted for about a week. had a infusion scan which is all clear so no further pe. I think it's just recovery and the lungs healing. Still have on and off pain
I had a blood lot in thelungs many years ago and have been breathless for years. I recently went ot another Cardiologist or who is Pulminary hypertesion specialist and he thinks it is scar tissue in the lung from the original blood clot. There is a Vac procedure that he is discussing with me if the Lung scan or CT scan indicats that there is residulal blood clot or scar issue in the lung. I would locate a specialist and take a battery of tests to see if this is what is going on with you.
hi barbaraG, anyakesh
why didnt the doctors do the Vac procedure in the first place? How can doctors detach the scar tissue whilst the blood is flowing and catch the old clot?
anyakesh, you mentioned on a previous post....
'When I spoke to my doctor about it a while back he said it was not related and that some pains are unexplainable....
Everything can be explained.
It's a matter of interpreting, testing and collecting information. Maybe its better for Clot doctors to have clots in the first place, then they could explain the pains & stuff for themselves.
Hi
You know I don't fully understand this yet. This is my first consultations with this specialist. Up to this point I have been dealing with my primary doctor who has been insisting I should just excercize which I can not do because of my breathlessness. I srill have to go for a chest Xray next and a Lung scan. I can not do not do a Cat Scan (which the doctor wanted) because I have a Kidney problem/concern. He said if he finds a blood clot or scar tissue after he examines the chest Xray and lung scan ? he will do this Vac procedure which is ony a one day hospital stay. My primary doctor has been saying my breathlessness is nothing and I did go to a cardiologist who found nothing. This doctor is a Cardiologist also but a Pulmonary Hyertnsion specialist in addition. This is the first person that has addresseed the breathlessness as a problem
I am bervus about the Vac procedure. They go in thru the neck and it is approx a 1 hour procedure. Its a major hospital and they do have a team.
HI
Below is a link to some information on the Vac procedure
Perhaps it will help you uderstand this
hi barbaraG,
i think your primary doctor is a dangerous person.
Today, I think, the whole point of pre & post clot exercise, is to ensure your muscular skeletal system/structure is supported by the relevant small and large muscle groups branching out from the spinal column, and allowing a balance muscle group development (fast & slow twitch/elastic & rigid) to fundamentally allow deep breathing and support for your internal organs to function without restriction or constriction - ie abdomanal wall. Once good posture is attained , ie via slow relaxed walking, then that is an achievment, even if it takes a year to do. All exercise should be sensitive to blood flow and and blood flow friction of temporary to permanent tissue, abnormal tissue/clot or plaque, fat etc...think about how water can cut through a mountain..
Any type of exercise that involves impact, racket sports, boxing, mma, self defense classes, jumping, jogging could dislodge new clots that are not dissolving, and may be temporary scars loosely attached to veins etc...are in my opinion a risk not worth taking.
Cycling is another exercise, i'm not sure of, as there is a lot of blood flow in the legs. When I walk, I am doing full bodyweight exercise, developing posture and I get to listen to music, silence or radio. I try and make an afternoon of it.
When I was bed bound, I recall gentle tensioning exercises from my extremities to my core, a frequent reminder the bits and pieces are still there.
As far as breathlessnes is nothing!, it most definately is something. Your primary doctor is unqualified to advise or comment on these matters. He or she is way out of their depth, and dangerous. Change doctor and make a formal complaint. You would be surprised how some things can trigger breathlessness and other stuff. When it happens, it is real and can be disorientating to put it mildly.
Hi
Thanks for the input
But I don't know if I really understand what you are saying
I will read it again and see how much I can aborb.
I believe my breathlessness is coming from another clot fromt he original PE embolism.
My Cardiologist who is a Pulminary Hypertension specialist beleives my lung scan will show a clot or a scar on my lung from the original PE that I had many years ago. If that proves to be correct he is probably going to reccomend a Vac instrument going into my neck artry down into th lung to vacumn out th clot. We will see what that Lung scan that I will get along with the chest X ray shows.
Pulminary Hypertension does not occur to often and the Cardiologist I went to a few years ago bacause of my breathlessness found nothing that alerted him to any problem
My primary doctor apparently just thought that if I was on Coumadin I could not be having a blood clot problem
hi barbaraG
"I believe my breathlessness is coming from another clot fromt he original PE embolism."
i think levels of stress can sometimes cause your windpipe-to-lungs & internal respiratory muscles to tense up, making it hard to breathe, and may also coincide with reminders, weather, humidity, diet, hydration and inadequate rest and sleep. It's really difficult to rest when you have this condition - its full-time inside you, and at times overwhelming.
Before i had dvt/pe/vte, i occasionally had tense neck and shoulders due to work stress. Exercise and taking my mind off work etc..
Well I have been under enouromous stress this last year and 4 months. More stress then I have had in my entire life but I don't think my breathlessness is from the stress I think it must be this risidual clot or Scar tissue left from my 2 PE eposodes
I don't know this positevly but the lung scan I am taking next week might tell me more.