Persistant Pain Spasims after respiratory infection.

[Flak]

My Mom has COPD and recently got over a bad respiratory infection where she did a lot of coughing and brought up a lot of phlem. The Dr. prescribed Biaxin to clear up the infection and it took two rounds of it to work but she improved over a three week period and the congestion cleared. However, she now has severe pain spasims in her upper back between her shoulder blades and under her rib cage. She has since been to the ER where they took x-rays as well as an ultra-sound but found nothing. Blood tests have indicated an elevated white count but nothing else.  The Dr. thought she might have Shingles but there are no lesions on her skin. Could Plurasy be the cause? She goes back to the Dr. this week. Any comments as to what this might be would be appreciated. Thanks.

[MacyMaid]

Here is the site on Costrochronditis

http://www.digitalnaturopath.com/cond/C597513.html

I too had chest pains and still have them. They have been frightening as these pains came about 6 weeks into the
thrones of "whatever virus I had" that started in February, 2002. There are some days, that
I am not aware of these pains and other days, they are there and I do not like them.  I was thinking
it was  my heart (making myself sick with worry)
but when picking up my grandaughter, I can feel something more in this pain area thus making me a believer that the muscles are still inflammed and perhaps this has gone into a chronic condition.  My chest x-ray did  not show any abnormality to the heart.  This chest pain can be lower or higher up and it can affect both sides.  On this site, they call this condtion Tietze Syndrome and the breastbone (sternum) is involved also.

Keep me posted how you are doing and hope we both get to feeling better.

[ptahiti]

Please post the site that you found about Costrochondritis.
Last Feb I had a terrible virus like you describe and ever since then I have had chest pain. My GP suspected Costro. Guess that is the only thing left for me to have after CT, Chest Xrays show nothing.
Thx

[MacyMaid]

I had very similar thing happen to me. I have asthma and who knows if I have COPD as I am an ex-smoker. My hubby and I got sick back in February.  We think and so does the GP that we had Whooping cough. Since many docs do not recognize this in time, the virus is much more violent if Erothomycin or Biaxin is not started quickly.

During the time I was in the thrones of coughing my head off ( almost 4 months)and this turning into pneumonia....I had very similar pains your Mother has. Also, when I moved certain ways, I would have a horrid spasm under the rib cage...like a terrible catch.  My upper back also ached.

I finally figured out what "I" have. It is called Costrochronditis.  My pulmonary doc said all my muscles were inflammed but never mentioned Costro.  This can come from inflammation, virus, lifting, etc. etc.  Some people suffer with it for months before it subsides.

I am not saying this is what your Mother has but it is worth mentioning this to her physician for his/her thoughts.  I found a good site that explains this and it fits me to a tee.

Good Luck.