I wrote a couple months ago after a Pleurisy diagnosis following chest x-rays. As it turns out, it was a cracked rib that I had, NOT viral Pleurisy as the Dr had suspected. The cracked rib did not show on the chest x-rays, but I was told they don't always show. It took about 5 weeks for the pain to go away. Sometimes I can still feel it slightly when I do certain things. Just wanted to follow up in case anyone else had the same misdiagnosis.
That is good to know. My brother, who is a Dr., has wondered if I didn't have a cracked or fractured rib since the pain has lasted so long. How did they finally figure out you had a cracked rib? I would love to be done with this uncomfortable sensation that continues in the area around the last rib. Hope you are feeling back to normal now.
Hi Janni,
The Dr figured it out when the pain lasted so long and I went in to see him for a follow up appt. I told him about how rowing on our rowing machine at the one week mark set me back to the pain I had in the very beginning. It was so painful that I couldn't sleep on my back at all, and to roll over was quite painful. I also could feel tenderness all along one rib from my sternum to my side. It's completely healed now, but it took about 5 weeks. Hope you feel better soon too!
I should mention that initially I couldn't tell there was pain all along one rib, it was just downright painfull to take a deep breath, cough, or sneeze...horrible pain. Then the chest x-ray wasn't definitive about the fracture, so my Dr just guessed that the virus that I had when I got the pain caused Pluerisy. No harm done. The treatment would have been the same either way, just take pain meds and wait it out.
Thank you, Rachel. I returned to the Dr. and he found I had had a fractured rib, besides the pneumonia. It is still painful and he prescribed a gel to rub on the area and a pain medication. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Thanks Rachel. This is sure to help someone else. I had severe pneumonia several months ago, mainly on my right hand side, I developed pain on my left side recently, went for an xray and there was a dark spot on the LEFT side. I've been told everything from a pneumonia flare-up to a cracked rib to pleurisy to goodness knows what. No one seems to know what it is (I don't remember cracking a rib or pulling a muscle) I'm on painkillers and have a GP appt in mid-Jan. Just shows Drs can disagree and be wrong. They are human too. Glad you feel better now.