Hi, I'm a tall thin 21 year old male....and have had a couple of small pneumathorax's in my left lung over the last 4 or 5 years. During the last year or 2 I've been having minor chest pains (often related to breathing)which I never went to see the doctor about because I thought they'd just go away....anyway the pains in the left of my chest/lung have continued to bother me, and now I have a slight prickling pain in the back of my left lung occasionally when breathing, also sometimes I get sudden sharp pains that only last for a second or 2. It doesn't feel like i've got a pneumathorax though, so what else could the pains be? bearing in mind that it's been going on a for a few years.... I'll be going to see the doctor about it the week after next anyway.....but can't go this week because i'm going away for a bit.

Thanks for any help :-)

Dave what did your doctor say; please tell us what happens.
God Bless.

I had a pneumo thorax too and enjoyed exactly the same pains that you did and also did not see a doctor. I think I suffered another pneumo thorax last night. I can breathe but it hurts and can't bent over.

Yea, danieldcc, that sounds like a pneumo-thorax alright.. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

I've just recently (in the past week) fully recovered from my most recent pneumo-thorax after about a month and a half of pain. By fully recovered I mean I can lay down on the side which my lung collapsed on with no pain at all.

Anyway.. I'd suggest seeing a general practitioner at least. In my experience (well..only 1 doctor but still) they won't necessarily want to stick a chest tube in you if you're in a stable condition. Personally, my doctor just prescribed me some painkillers to help me get through the nights (sleeping is the worst...accidentally rolling over to the wrong side...i'm sure you know what I mean). He also had me getting weekly x-rays to check my rate of improvement and make sure I didn't have a 'relapse' so to speak.

Anyway.. Your milage may vary. Who knows what your doctor will want.. X-rays are also pretty damn expensive if you don't have health coverage so keep that in mind.. Whatever you do..don't let yourself die. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif It might also be nice if you got some painkillers just to help through the pain.

As for dave123... I dunno man. I think seeing a doctor is probably the right decision. Good luck.

[This message has been edited by jeldrid (edited 07-20-2001).]

The pain that you talked about I suffered during my first pneumo-thorax. Couldn't lay on my side for about 3 weeks. When I suffered the pneumothorax I couldn't breathe and I couldn't sit up straight cause it hurt so much. This time I only have pains when I do a hard cough or bend over. I don't want to see a doctor cause he might want to give me the tube which I don't want cause I don't really feel that bad. As for coverage, I live in Canada so it's all FREE.