I have a question. I'm unsure whether or not to make an appt to my GP or go to the ER. During Xmas I had a bad flare and couldn't breathe, I saw my pulmon. and he put me on pred 40 mg. well it finally kicked in after 3-4 days and now I'm finally breathing better, I was having Shortness of Breath and pain on the right side of my chest and alot of belching, which he said was from the shortness of breath. Well I've been doing good until a couple of days ago the pain in my chest is back only now it feels like it is in my back around my lower rib cage too, do you think this could just be pleurisy, it hurts worse when I'm sitting and relieved when standing but then my back starts hurting a bit if I'm standing quite a bit. Of course when I take deep breaths is when it hurts really bad. Thanks
pleurisy
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Sorry to hear about your pain. 
Have you thought about your gallbladder?? You have belching, and pain under the ribcage on the right side, and that is the location of pain for the gallbladder. It's worth a trip to your primary to get that checked out.
If the prednisone didn't work, and it's not a pulmonary thing, it just might be your gallbladder.
Hope this information helps. :hehe: Good luck and keep us posted. :wink2:
God Bless and take care!
Have you thought about your gallbladder?? You have belching, and pain under the ribcage on the right side, and that is the location of pain for the gallbladder. It's worth a trip to your primary to get that checked out. If the prednisone didn't work, and it's not a pulmonary thing, it just might be your gallbladder.
Hope this information helps. :hehe: Good luck and keep us posted. :wink2:
God Bless and take care!
There are 3 really common causes of pain in the chest with lupus patients caused by the lupus: (1) pleuritis (2) pericarditis and (3) costochondritis
It doesn't seem like it's pericarditis because it's center and right of center instead of center and left of center going up towards shoulder. The worsening with sitting also doesn't tend to happen with that...
It doesn't quite seem like pleuritis either because changes in position don't tend to make a difference in the pain (for me especially, and I haven't read about it either..). Did you have fluid found back in December? Fluid with pleuritis is what really brings about the shortness of breath...
Costochondritis could be it too. Especially if the area is tender to the touch. This often affects much of the ribcage area as you describe. Treatment would be NSAID's and rest, possibly prednisone.
If you have clotting antibodies, then you may want to go to the ER to rule out a pulmonary embolism.
The gallbladder suggestion is something to consider - but usually the pain is pretty severe but only lasts 3-12 hours for each session (not several days). There are other organs in that quadrant that could be responsible, including the pancreas as well but then bloods should come back abnormal indicating that was the problem.
If the pain is pretty bad, I'd go to the ER. Especially since this is a weekend and you'd have to wait almost 2 days minimum to see your GP. Some of the possibilities as to what it could be are pretty serious but also very treatable, that's why.
It doesn't seem like it's pericarditis because it's center and right of center instead of center and left of center going up towards shoulder. The worsening with sitting also doesn't tend to happen with that...
It doesn't quite seem like pleuritis either because changes in position don't tend to make a difference in the pain (for me especially, and I haven't read about it either..). Did you have fluid found back in December? Fluid with pleuritis is what really brings about the shortness of breath...
Costochondritis could be it too. Especially if the area is tender to the touch. This often affects much of the ribcage area as you describe. Treatment would be NSAID's and rest, possibly prednisone.
If you have clotting antibodies, then you may want to go to the ER to rule out a pulmonary embolism.
The gallbladder suggestion is something to consider - but usually the pain is pretty severe but only lasts 3-12 hours for each session (not several days). There are other organs in that quadrant that could be responsible, including the pancreas as well but then bloods should come back abnormal indicating that was the problem.
If the pain is pretty bad, I'd go to the ER. Especially since this is a weekend and you'd have to wait almost 2 days minimum to see your GP. Some of the possibilities as to what it could be are pretty serious but also very treatable, that's why.
Thanks for the reply, it's actually better today, I have alot of nausea today unsure where it's coming from (meds?/virus?/etc.,) I do seem to have quite a bit of belching/nausea going on. Guess I'll wait til my Rheumie appt on the 12th if I don't get worse to see what she says. Does lupus and gallbladder prob's correlate together? I mean do people tend to have prob's with their gallbladder/gallstones when they have lupus? Just curious?
Hi Set,
Glad you are feeling a little better today
There's no connection with Lupus and Gallbladder problems, but having Lupus doesnt mean we are exempt from getting other conditions unfortunately
Good luck with your Rheumy appt and let us know what you find out. I hope your pain doesnt return.
love
Lily
Glad you are feeling a little better today
There's no connection with Lupus and Gallbladder problems, but having Lupus doesnt mean we are exempt from getting other conditions unfortunately
Good luck with your Rheumy appt and let us know what you find out. I hope your pain doesnt return.
love
Lily
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