I'm hoping someone can help. For the past 2 weeks I've been experiencing severe pain in my lower left rib cage, more in the back than the front. I contacted my ONC as any pain I always think it's cancer. She told me to contact my primary care doctor. My pc doctor sent me for a CT scan as he thought it might be a pulmonary embolism. The CT scan came back "left perihilar consolidation, may be pneumonia. My doctor is now treating me with antiboditics, but they are not working. The pain is getting worse. It is especially hard to lay down. When I wake up the pain is so severe I can hardly breathe. Anyone else have anything like this? Just as a note, I finished radiation/chemo in April and just had a PET/CT scan on 10/14 which showed NED. I have no clue what this is or why?
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Pain in lower back ribs
- By kailani
- Posted November 4, 2009 at 9:39 am · 4 replies
- In Non-small cell lung cancer - Stage III
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Pneumonia Cancer Pulmonary embolism Surgery Chronic bronchitis Pain Bronchitis
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- By cuddles53
- Posted November 4, 2009 at 10:20 am
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I would most definitely call the doctor back and tell them of this increased pain. It is not uncommon to only sleep sitting up with pneumonia, this is also true for people with chronic bronchitis. people who get bronchitis all the time, those especially who smoke, I know because I WAS one of them. It is hard to lie down and sleep. The last couple of times I had pneumonia, I got used to sleeping on the couch in a semi sitting position. I sleep like this almost all of the time now.
What may help is if you can get a pain medication from your doctor, there should not be a reason for you to be that uncomfortable. I am sure your doctor will fill a prescription for you until this is over with. You need your rest to get better, and if you can't sleep, then it won't get better real quick, so do your self a favor and call today, and get something to help you more than you are being helped.
Good luck, and god bless Sandy
- By kailani
- Posted November 5, 2009 at 8:46 am
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Thank you, Cuddles, for your response. I have spoken to both my pc doctor and my onc. Onc does not believe it is pneumonia and has prescribed a pain medication. She believes it is nerve pain. Hard to imagine since my surgery was over 2 years ago. Just started it this morning. Hope it helps.
- By Barbell
- Posted November 5, 2009 at 10:51 am
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Kailani, I'm sorry you are still having pain. I have occasional rib pain and wonder what it is, but it eases off and doesn't appear for a few more days, etc. I just guess it is from the treatments of over a year ago. It would appear to me that, if it continues, you should re-contact the doctor and say, "What now?" I don't like it when they guess "it might be" or "I believe it could be." I would want something more definitive. Hopefully, it will go away; I certainly have had many weird pains through these two years since dx, but they go away. Rest eases a lot of mine. If it doesn't change, you must seek help and more info to ease your mind. I will pray for your pain to ease and that there is nothing for you to worry about after all. God bless you. Love, Judy
- By Papafox1
- Posted November 5, 2009 at 12:43 pm
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I .have a previous rib injury from my wilder years that has been identified in a pet scan and I too experience occassional discomfort (really doesn't qualify as pain) but I have been told that swelling may be putting pressure on that rib.
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