I finally found a sister-in-common....She also has the same pain in her chest that I do..I am so happy to find someone else with this condition..I have had so many tests,xrays,MRI, and bloodwork done...with no specific results...This friend I met this past week also has the same pain. She is on the pain patch, while I take morphine and percocet. I don't know why I am so happy to find someone with the same problem, but now I do know it is real and not in my head...Also I know now that is most likely caused by lupus and not something else..We thought it was because my gall bladder was removed, and then it might be my heart..So, I have had all the tests for these things..It is a weird pain to explain, but it is just below my left breast and it goes right thru my chest. Sometimes sharp and sometimes dull. It may last for a couple seconds or for a day or two. Most time I can't wear a bra...I did have shingles a few years ago, and so did my new friend. We are trying to compare notes to see what we have in common..So, anyway, thank you for letting me say all this and get it all out... http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/gabby.gif
I too have the pain you speak of. So you find it hard to breathe when you hurt? The pain can be horrendous and you are right it can last for days or just a few hours. It comes on suddenly I find a heating pad helps sometimes and laying against a pillow. I feel as though there is a tight band around me that gets tighten ever so often and that causes the pain. DOes that make sense? I am taking both Plaquenil and Celebrex. I have been dx with SLE and Sjogren's. I have never had shingles before so I could be the odd on eout. It is nice to hear from someone who also feels the same pain.
Take Care,
LadyBird
I posted in another thread about this same problem. It could be what is known as chest wall pain. Quite literally, the muscles in your chest wall become inflamed, and the movment of your lungs and heart etc, irritate the problem. It is not actually a threat to life, but it sure feels like it is.
Tonzie, why do you think Lupus is causing that particular pain? I get that pain as well. I can remember having it several years ago as a teenager. Many of my friends would get it as well. We called them 'boob attacks.' I haven't had one in a long time but when I do get one it hurts to move or take a deep breath. Usually mine only lasts a minute or two but I remember one time it hurting for several hours. My Dr. told me it was pleuritic pain, pleurasy.
It definately sounds like pleuisy. Anyone can get it.
It is an inflamation of the lining of the lungs.
Lupus patients can get all types of inflamation any
where.
Hi,
Thanks for replying to me...Well, the Dr. says it is not plurisy. It could be some kind of chest wall pain. It isn't anything they can seem to put their finger on. I have had lots of test. MRI, exray, angiogram..whats left? Since I did have shingles a few years ago around my chest, from under my breast to the center of my back on the left side..The Dr says it could be a residual of that. I guess some people that have shingles have the rash go away and the pain seems to stay..We don't know for sure if that is what this is, but it is one thing that it could be. At least I know it isn't my heart and that is a relief. It isn't a sudden pain that comes and goes, it is a sharp pain that is continual. It stays all day sometimes, and if it comes at night, it wakes me up. I don't have any idea if it is lupus related or not. I have had lupus since 1984, so everything that goes wrong with me I blame lupus. I still have lots of the symptoms of lupus like in my joints and the rash and shogrens and raynauds and some other things, but this chest pain is a real bummer. Right now I am just on pain pills and that is at least making my life bearable. Thanks for listening.
Finally!!!!!!!! 
