Diaphragmatic/thoracic endo and chest infections in Diagnosis of endometriosis Forum

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Diaphragmatic/thoracic endo and chest infections

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Jan88	Diaphragmatic/thoracic endo and chest infections	Lead	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 14 10 1:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Hi, I think I may have diaphragmatic endo as I get pretty severe chest pains during my period, which increases in pain when I inhale/exhale. I also get pretty bad shoulder pain, swollen glands in arm pits and neck, and nose bleeds. These seems consistent with diaphragmatic endo sufferers (read in thread). I also seem to get pretty bad chest infection after every period. I was wondering if anyone one else who has been diagnosed with diaphragmatic/thoracic endo gets this? Would help steer docs down right path. The doc did listen to my chest and couldn't hear any crackling and so said I didn't have a chest infection. But I have been coughing all the time and having real difficulty breathing. Thanks Jan xxx
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AndreaBe		#1	[-]
Posts: 564 Oct 14 10 5:00 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	hi jan i have endo on my diaphragm and always have colds go to my chest. I have referred pain in my right shoulder and this led them to look at my diaphragm on my initial lap so definitely mention it as they tend to look down rather than up at the diaphragm so it can get missed. I will say though that the first symptom that i saw relief with when I changed my diet was my shoulder pain. Also this has helped my asthma which was always worse when my diaphragm was under pressure. Most endo on the diaphragm can't be treated surgically without very high risk. In my case right in front of my heart so this was left during my recent surgery so I will have to hope it dies from oestrogen starvation, watch my diet and look out for symptoms. Fingers crossed that is isn't but do mention it. http://livingwithendometriosis.com http://andreabeadle.com
Sleepyhead		#2	[-]
Posts: 1076 Oct 14 10 8:35 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi I have similar symptoms that you both describe but was told I have no endo on my diagphram. The shoulder pain and asthma both went during my course of prostap and have both returned. I will be checking again with the consultant in November. It could just be the autumn pollen and the fact it is getting colder though but it does seem a bit of a coincidence!! It is my first asthma free summer since the early 90's! S
Jan88		#3	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 15 10 4:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks for your replies. When I had my lap they just looked around the uterus area, they didn't even check my bowels even though I asked them too! I am going to different hospital and think I will get them to check out my diaphragm. My breathing is becoming really difficult - whether endo itself or secondary infection (more likely) so I think it's something I will have to get them to do. What kind of diet would you suggest. I'm not eating well at the moment because I'm learning to drive which means I have to eat what my partner brings home, have to say it's not great! I struggle a little bit because eating veg and fruit seems to make my bowel symptoms worse and gives me quite bad abdominal pain. Guess it's about finding a balance. Love J xxx
Mollymog		#4	[-]
Posts: 1431 Oct 16 10 1:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi there, Shoulder pain is more typically associated with abdominal disturbances than lung problems. Like Andrea, I found changing my lifestyle eliminated these symptoms. You may also find that this boosts your immune system so that your chest issues are less common. For nutrition and lifestyle advice have a look at: http://endoboard.yuku.com/topic/7622 MM I make little films
Jan88		#5	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 23 10 11:33 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks for your link Molly. I think this diet thing is defo worth looking into. I normally get severe symptoms around period time only. But last night I went for a pint at local and as I went to bed I got severe shoulder/arm pain. I had it all night. It was more painful than when I am actually on my period. When I woke up this morning I also had sciatica to the point where I couldn't walk at all. I'm wondering if it was the alcohol that triggered it! My breathing has got a lot worse so will still se docs but I am defo going to look into this diet thing. Thanks ladies :-) Love Jxxx
Mollymog		#6	[-]
Posts: 1431 Oct 23 10 12:30 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Splendid. Start slow and gradual and see how it works for you. Stick to low GI, unprocessed whole foods and you will find yourself feeling a good deal better. Have a think about your household products and cosmetics too, as discussed in the link - these can also have an impact. I find that alcohol can trigger my asthma. I'm 45 and was diagnosed with asthma 2 years ago - so it's most definitely checking your breathing issues with your doctor. MM I make little films
Jan88		#7	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 23 10 4:28 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I generally avoid processed foods and have done for a while. Problem is when I feel unwell I skip meals often. I have a pathetic appetite. But I do believe diet helps. I have mega sensitive skin so can only use specific products with natural ingredients, but I generally stick to minimum. I was diagnosed with asthma about 6 years ago now but I have had it all my life. The breathing difficulty I have been having is different. Its in my chest not my wind pipe. When I get asthma I just get a bit weezy. But this is like pain in my chest as I breath and just feeling breathless like theres not enough oxygen in the air. I've checked for other household things that could be causing it - mold, dust mites but nothing seems to help. Normally I can go 40 mins on the cross trainer no prob, but yesterday I tried and couldn't breath despite taking my inhaler. Aside from the chest pain I felt really dizzy and weak, had to stop several times. I also got the shoulder/arm pain as well. This pain is getting worse and more frequent. Im open to any other suggestions you have. Jxxx
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jacqs999		#8	[-]
Posts: 850 Oct 24 10 11:09 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi I have suspected thoracic/diapgramatic endo as well as asthma. To be honest the sensations are quite different from each other. However the breathlessness you describe could be your asthma as well even if it is not following your normal pattern. Generally asthma does affect how you breath and not just cause wheezing so it could be that yours is progressing. It also causes alot of coughing and the more you cough the more you are likely to continue coughing as it scores the back of the throat which makes you cough more, a vicious cycle! Are you on any inhalers other than ventolin, do you take a preventer like becotide or seretide every day? It might be you need this if you are not taking anything at the moment. If you feel breathless and light headed/dizy then please seek medical help. If this happens when exercising please stop exercising all together and get help. It might be an idea to have a couple of puffs of ventolin before starting any exercise as this will open up your airways and help prevent any breathlesness during exercise. It does sound like you are quite sensitive with the skin as well as the asthma, these often go hand in hand, have you had an allergy test to see if there is something at the route of this? Also has there been any lifestyle changes or changes in environment since things started getting worse? With regards to chest infections a good way of judging this is the colour of your phlegm as this indicates whether there is an infection or virus present. Once it turns green it means you have a bacterial infection and you would need anti biotics, if it is pale white or pale yellow it is likely it is a viral infection so anti biotics would be no use. During a cold it can change from viral to bacterial so always a good idea to keep an eye on the colour. If you are not coughing anything up I would say there is probably not an infection, however I am not doctor and this is just a general rule of thumb, nothing beats a doc giving you the once over. Have you had an ECG done as this could be heart related. Basically there are many causes and endo is possible but it would be prudent to rule out some of the other bigger ones first. It could also be a combination of endo and asthma and both might need looking into. I also find that alcohol does sometimes bring on my asthma. It might also be worth asking for a chest xray to check lungs for damage from your asthma or any chest infections. Re the endo there is not really much they can do about it as surgery is so risky and not carreid out very often for this. It is often treated with the same drugs we take for the rest of our endo. Getting a confirmed diagnosis is also very hard as it is hard to find so generally it is diagnosed based on medical history and after other causes have been ruled out. I get alot of chest pain, shoulder pain, nose bleeds etc even though I am 2 yrs post hyst, becuase of an ovarian remnant it just won't die. I am now on HRT and the chest is getting worse so seeing the doc next week about it all. My dilema is if I don't have hrt my joints get so bad I can barely walk yet if I do have it my chest gets worse...pretty crap choice really! Diet is a good place to start so good luck with that. Best wishes, I hope you get some relief soon Jacqs
Jan88		#9	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 24 10 1:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi Jacqs, Thanks for your reply. I did think it was asthma to begin with but my inhaler didn’t work no matter how many times I took it – which was odd. It was a different sensation but also the shoulder pain occurred at same time. It may be a combination. I have seretide everyday and then ventolin when it springs up ( I think that’s right). I do feel there has been a combination of things going on. During my last period I got the chest pain, then had what felt like a chest infection and was taking inhaler every 15 minutes sometimes. I was coughing something up, which tasted horrid at the back of my throat. It was a really rasping cough and I just couldn’t seem to clear it. I have had that funny taste these past few days although I have no cough now. I didn’t see the colour of it because it was really hard to cough up and kinda didn’t make it to my mouth. I take my inhaler before I begin exercise and normally don’t need to take it again. I thought that was odd and then got the chest pain again. I was slightly alarmed by the dizziness but I just stopped and sat down until it past. I was determined to finish the exercise but I had to take it really slow. I have been thinking about getting an allergy test done but I heard they were really expensive? There haven’t been any changes I can think of. These symptoms have also appeared/worsened with each period. I’ve never had an ECG but the chest pain is in the centre of my bra strap line. Basically smack in the centre of my chest. I went to A&E last night because the shoulder pain was so bad they wanted to rule out ectopic pregnancy. I’m roughly in the middle of my cycle and have never had shoulder pain that bad before, particularly at this stage in cycle. I got a few stabs in the chest and also shooting pains up the left side of my neck (same side as shoulder pain). My asthma has been controlled for a long time and I’ve never really had any problems, unless I get a cough. That’s why I feel there are a combination of things going on. I’ve never had alcohol give me asthma before. But I do wonder how it impacts on my nerves. I got severe sciatica the morning after I had a pint. I couldn’t walk. There are also bowel issues going on. As in blood being present. Lots of it! I really don’t know what’s going on. I’m not on my period – not even close to it. Normally these type of symptoms arise a week before, during and a week after my period. The hospital was useless. So once they ruled out ectopic pregnancy and burst cyst, and the pain had gone down I went home. I will go to my lovely GP about it. Yer not sure I’d want a whopping great scar on my chest either. Still the severe pain is quite alarming so it would be good to get a diagnosis. I am also TTC so hormonal treatment obviously isn’t an option at the moment. I’m getting so frustrated because I been TTC for 5-6 months now and each month my symptoms get rapidly worse. It’s frightening! My partner just wants it to happen naturally without having to plan it if you know what I mean. I agree but at the same time, the longer we take the worse its going to get for me. That’s annoying? Will they go back in and get it? Would make things easier for you. Yer, you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. Let me know how things go with the doc. Take care Love J xxx
Mollymog		#10	[-]
Posts: 1431 Oct 25 10 8:08 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Just a quickie, Don't rule out your bowel issues as possibly being the cause of your shoulder pain. Before my bowel resection I would get regular pain of the type you describe, often so uncontrollable that I would end up in A&E on IV morphine. Shoulder, shoulder tip, neck and even upper chest pain is very often caused by bowel disturbances. If you are bleeding from behind, you must get this checked to discover if endometriosis has infiltrated. It might be worthwhile shelving your TTC plans for 6 months and tackling your current health issues with whatever treatments are recommended by your specialist, and by adapting your lifestyle. This could well put you in a much better position to conceive than at the moment. All the best MM I make little films
liitlemisstigger	RE	#11	[-]
Posts: 4100 Oct 25 10 10:34 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Is it a sudden sharp stabbing pain that hurts so bad that you can't breathe in or out due to it being more severe on breathing? I have the same thing, I had endo on my diaphragm in my last lap. xx
Jan88		#12	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 26 10 11:42 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Molly, I am considering the bowel issues as lately it’s been really bad. I can only eat small portions and even still I feel full and sick. I have a lot of blood in the stools also but it’s hard for me to say whether it’s more than usual. I keep getting a sharp pain on the left side of my lower abdomen. This doesn’t normally occur particularly at this stage in my cycle. I think you’re right about waiting on the TTC, too much to cope with at present. LMT, The chest pain I get is sudden and sharp and the pain increases when I inhale and exhale. It’s always in the same place as well, right in the middle on my chest on my bra line. This always happens on my period and has become worse over the past several months. The chest pain I experienced recently (not on period) was in the same place but a lot milder pain than what I get when I am on my period. It may be a mixture of things going on. I wonder if I’m having a hormonal fluctuation or something. Do any of you get symptoms around ovulation? I am around mid cycle but my cycles vary from 28 days to 49 so it’s hard to know. Jxxx
liitlemisstigger	RE	#13	[-]
Posts: 4100 Oct 26 10 9:13 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hiya, Usually its during my period and just after, for me its just below my bra line on my left hand side. I really struggle to breathe during my period, but I don't know whether thats because the pain is so severe I have to sort of take very very very shallow breaths in and out very quickly. I've never had anything done for it, just moaned a bit when it really hurts as it really makes you gasp! xx
Jan88		#14	[-]
Posts: 112 Oct 27 10 1:46 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hey, Isn't the heart on the left hand side. I have heard of women having endo on the diaphragm/lungs near the heart. To me, I breath shallow and rapid because it hurts too much to inhale/exhale fully. I think I'm going to get mine checked out if I can simply because my symptoms were so bad I had to go to A&E, which is a concern. I know if you cough up blood then the endo is on the lungs. Don't understand the nose bleeds though! xxx
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Diaphragmatic/thoracic endo and chest infections

Diaphragmatic/thoracic endo and chest infections