Pain in my left side when I breathe

[curly43011]

Okay so I have experinced this pain that started in my left shoulder (right below my shoulder blade).  Every time I would breathe i would have this bad shooting pain.  It left me short of breathe.  Then the pain moved down a bit and it feels like it is in my lung on the left side close to the bottom of my rib cage.  The pain in more toward my back and my side then anything.  I become very short of breathe and at times I do feel a bit wheezy/rattely (not all times only some).  I went to my doctor he ordered a chest x ray along with an ultra sound and blood work.  Everything came back normal and clear.  So what the heck is this pain from if nothing is showing up in my test?  My Dr. did give me a pain pill to take for the pain.  But this pain has been here for around 5 to 6 weeks now.  Any input would be GREAT!  Thanks in advance!

[National Jewish Health]

The normal chest x-ray would rule out a pneumothorax, which is air leakage into the chest cavity with lung collapse, and, for the most part, the major causes of pleurisy.  Pain, alone, can cause one to resist lung/chest expansion and be associated with the sensation of shortness of breath.  But, if pain is not the only limiting factor, then other causes of chest pain, such as blood clots to the lung might also be a consideration.

The above not withstanding, the most likely cause of your pain is musculoskeletal pain, and this can originate in the ribs, muscles or ligaments of the chest wall.  This type of pain does not generally last 5 to 6 weeks.  The duration suggests that the pain may be due to nerve compression or inflammation.  It might be a good idea to repeat your chest x-ray, with special attention to the bony spine, on the lateral view, regarding a compression fracture of a vertebra.

When any pain lasts this long it is usually a good idea to re-assess it periodically as the cause may become more apparent over time.

Good luck.