hemoptysis § chest pain/ pressure at rest and worse on minimal exertion/?cancer

[suffer]

1.what causes coughing,itchiness of airways and tightness when taking deep breath? with chest pressure at rest and on minimal exertion?
2.i have hemoptysis  with right sided chest pain shooting down to RUQ and shooting up the right throat. I am worried about lung cancer.
3.before i have hemoptysis i can feel my middle chest becoming painful and burning. i can then sense the blood coming up my throat. does it mean that i have cancer? what causes the pain in the my middle chest?
4.how sensitive is CT scan in detection of hemoptysis?
5. my right sided pain cause itchiness and pain in my right ear too. why?
6. What investigation do you recommend that i should do?

i am living in hell everyday, suffering from all these symptoms and are very worried. i know i am dying. ?cancer ?pulmonary hypertension....

god bless everyone.

-Zoe

[National Jewish]

You must have a thorough evaluation to find out what is causing your symptoms.  A CT scan is very sensitive in detecting hemoptysis.  You need a repeat CT scan and possibly a bronchoscopy.  This is a procedure where a tube called a bronchoscope is passed through your nose into your windpipe to look into your lungs.  A pulmonologist would be the type of specialist to identify if you have a lung problem and the best treatment.  A cardiologist is the type of specialist to identify if you have a heart problem and the best treatment.

[nurse12hr]

Zoe,
What in the world does your doctor say?  That is the logical place to start.  You said before you had a CT scan a year ago.  Have you been back to the doctor since then, to inform them that things are no better, and worse?

The first thing I would do is go back to the doctor and get checked out completely again.  If they find nothing, you can relax a bit and work towards a productive life again, a life without worry that you are dying.  

If you HAVE been to the doctor and they are telling you that nothing is wrong, you can either: a) accept what they say, and try to start focusing positive energy towards other aspects of your life, or b) go get another opinion at a major medical center and accept what they tell you, be it good or bad!

IF you have some dreadful disease, hiding out in denial is not helping.  It is making things worse.  Blood in the sputum can be caused by LOTS of things, many many of them entirely innocent.  Shortness of breath and the rest of your symptoms can be more indicative of chronic anxiety than anything more sinister.  Acid Reflux disease can also account for most, if not all your symptoms.  Dont jump to the conclusion you are dying without proof positive.  Go to the doctor and get completely checked out, and follow the doctors advice.  If they tell you it is anxiety oriented, ask to see a therapist to get over this and get on with your life.  Don't waste your life living in fear.  Life should be about happiness.

(I am a 10 year cancer survivor) Cancer is not an automatic death sentence, you know!

[lisaS]

I had and still sometimes have hemoptysis from MAC and now bronchiectisis. I also feel it coming up my throat and it is scary. The first time it happened i thought lung cancer too.
I have had 2 bronchoscopis and was treated 18 months for MAC. Now i have bronchiectisis in my right middle lobe and that sometimes causes hemoptysis. You need a bronchoscopy or lung biopsy if the CT scan isn't clear enough to diagnose what you have. Good luck lisa

[suffer]

thanks lisa for your message.
what is MAC? how old are you and what symptoms are you experiencing?
did the CXR/ CT show anything?

-Zoe

[suffer]

oh and lisa, how much blood did you cough up usually during hemoptysis?
do you get it in your throat esp in the morning where you can easily spit out?

-Zoe

[lisaS]

Zoe,

MAC is mycobacterium avium complex, a rare pulmonary bacteria that looks like TB but is NOT contagious. Many people are immunosuppresent or have other problems., and that is why they get MAC.  Other then the hemoptysis i had NO other lung disease or ANY other problems.
Just an unlucky thin 44 year old woman thatat sometime  breathed in something that gave me the MAC.
I can hear the blood coming up my chest in a gurgle and then i have no choice but to spit it out. In the 7 times i have had it a couple of nights i spent in the emergency room. It probably was at the most a half of cup the worst time. Not considered life threatening, but totally scary.
I now have  bronchiectisis in my right middle lobe, that at times can still cause the hemoptysis. The doctors here in Boston could not seen enough with CT scan to diagnose. That is why i have had 2 bronchoscopies. I would think that would be your next step. Many problems can cause the hemoptysis, not just cancer. I also thought cancer when i coughed up the blood, but get that bronchoscopy and you will probably feel much better.
lisa

[suffer]

Lisa
1.when you said that you can feel the blood gurgling in your chest, was it painful or any throat constriction symptoms?
2.do you feel the urge of spitting it out (or coughing up)?
3.and was it fresh blood with bubbles or with sputum/mucus?
4.do you get blood streaked sputum or pink mucus in other times?

thanks for your reply. at least i know someone out there read my posting and talking to me. Many thanks.
God bless everyone.

-Zoe

[lisaS]

Zoe,
In the 7 times i have coughed up blood, It was totally fresh
blood, with no phglem.
There is no pain at all just and immediate  feeling of congestion in my lungs, then the gurgle up the chest and then i cough it out, sometimes for a few hours, one time all night. I have no choice but to cough it up.
hope that info. helps.
lisa

[pva]

Zoe, I am 45 years old and 2 months ago was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. My entire life has been filled with respiratory and sinus problems. I was hospitalized a few weeks ago with pneumonia in both lung. One of the many pulmonologist that treated me told me that at some point I will have the hemoptysis also. I have a lot of the symptoms that you have described. You may need to have a genetic workup for cystic fibrosis performed. I passed the sweat test which is usually used to diagnosis CF. The genetic workup that was done showed that I have 3 CF mutations and one of them is the most common type.

[wispy2008]

A related discussion, how long is my survival possible was started.