posted
Hi all, Ive been strugglign with my lungs for quite some time . I was wodnering if lyme can cause pleurisy or inflammation of the pleura? Has anyone had this? The pain began 1.5 year ago. Each night I would wake up at 7 am from the pain. My puffer would not help me.
Then I noticed my lungs became progressivley less elastic and really stiff. Now they are 80 % stiff and it really affects my daily activites. A year ago they were 40% stiff, now 80 and it is reallt making me out of breath. It;s hard to walk, talk and even eat. It keeps me up at night and my dark circles are getting darker.
I went to the Er several times because of the shortness of breath and stiff stiff feeling. My oxygenation was normal. and X ray.
I read pelurisy can be dry and chronic. and does not have to show up on an X ray. I also read it can be painful or painfree depending on which pleura is attacked.
When I take a deep breath and try to push my air out , it won't go deep enough. Not even 80% as deep as they could stretch. I also hear and feel my lungs rubbing against each other at times, like there is friction. the noise is just awful like a deep baratone horn. My lungs feel real dry/
I was wondering if Lyme can do this? I am a bit worried as I read pleurisy can cause scarring and permanent damage. Thats how I feel like my pelura is thick and wont let my lungs "move" freely. Is there a anything that can be done for this? I think its pleurisy as I hear the lungs at times rub against another.
and its the most favourable out of all the other lung illnesses I suppose. I also read that it can be chronic and idiopathic[uknown origin]. It can be bacterial, viral, caused by lupus etc. So i am thinking that lyme perhaps may do this.
I never smoked a day in my life and so emphsyema which also causes problems exhaling is out. Plus the age doesnt match. Its not asthma as the meds dont work. I was thinking maybe its sarcoidosis which can lead to pulmonary fibrosis/ interstitial lung disease which casues stiffening of the air sacs. But My ANA for autoimmune was negative. Plus my X ray did not reveal any sarcoid or anything.
I will try and get a referral to a pulmonologist but my duck is reluctant to do a thing for me real frustrating when you are feeling soo sick.And maybe should I do a CT?
any input? any herbs that could help the pleura heal and stretch again?
posted
What you are describing sounds very much like costochondritis , which is inflamed tissue ( usually from viruses or bacteria ) resulting from infection. It feels klike pleurisy and I often have it .
The things that seem to help me : olive leaf extract ( 3 capsules 3 times daily when the infection is acute ) and golden seal 2 capsules 3 times daily ) , plus Vit C in large doses .
I also rub the area around the sternum with Vick's vapor rub and sometimes use a heating pad .
The herbs seem to REALLY help it go away faster .
Hope this helps. Costochondritis is common for people with lyme disease and CFIDS too.
posted
During the six years before my family doc got a positive test for lyme and finally agreed with me that it was lyme after all, I was diagnosed with "pleurisy" a couple of times, and several rounds of "costrocondritis" and "bronchitis". (This in someone who had previously taught school for 15 years with virtually no illnesses.)
The "pleurisy" feeling was definitely different from the costrochondritis feeling--more of a rubbing of the lungs against something, whereas the "costrochondritis" was a sharp pain under the right rib cage. But when I finally got to real LLMDs, they felt that all of those problems were actually from inflammation caused by untreated lyme disease.
Since first being treated for lyme, I have had no more problems with pleurisy, etc, although the delay in treatment caused permanent damage to knee joint, eyes etc. I would definitely get to an LLMD and start treatment if they feel it is appropriate.
My first round was just 30 days of doxy, and even that helped--just didn't finish off all the bugs. It then took another four years to find a doc to prescribe adequate treatment for what was by then chronic lyme. However, along the way, sporadic treatement with doxy must have kept the "pleurisy" away.
Best wishes!
Ann
Posts: 287 | From Northern California, USA | Registered: Oct 2000
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northstar
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7911
posted
Hi Citrus,
There are lots of muscles and fascia in the chest area. I have had the problem of muscle tension, as have others with lyme, including nighttime bruxism. Just a big knot!
I also have had the problem with the inability of the lungs to expand.
One adjunctive that helped me was a chiro who worked all the muscles and fascia that affected these areas. The ribcage then could expand, and the diaphraghm could do its job.
Even after a year of monthly treatment, it still builds up, and I can feel a full ribcage release when she works back muscles.
So, somehow it is related either to being sick, or to the tbd's, but it seems to be resolved with these mechanical means in my case. At least, termporarily.
It was soo good to be able to sigh and yawn again!
Note: I also felt a release today during an acupuncture treatment, which puts me right out.
Northstar
Posts: 1331 | From hither and yonder | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Interesting feedback. hmm I will look into adding in the golden seal, vitc and olive leaf Interesting that Lyem can do all ths stuff. thanks for the responses. I am worries this may be permanent but glad tx may relieve it. Up for more Input and any suggestions for relief.
posted
I was a rower and hopefully will be again sometime soon...
Anyway, when I started having 'air hunger' - couldn't catch my breath all of the sudden the docs diagnosed me with 'Costochodritis' when really it was Babesia. They figured the rowing was aggravating intercostals...
For me these symptoms were caused by Babesia. Once I was treated for it these breathing issues got much better for me despite the fact that I am still dealing with Chronic Lyme - so for me it was Babesia.
I was negative with all the typical testing for Babesia but the IgeneX FISH test was positive.
I hope you feel better soon. Those symptoms are so scary. I remember feeling like I was suffocating. I went to the ER and they gave me Albuterol which did nothing...I had never had asthma...
Take care...
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
yes
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real frustrating when you are feeling soo sick.And maybe should I do a CT?
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