I'm frightened

A CTPA gives you a significant dose of radiation, which increases your risk of getting various cancers later in life. In someone like you, where the chances of you having a PE are minimal (you have had two negative Dopplers, and I don't know the rest of the clinical details, but if they thought you might be high risk you'd have been scanned by now), the risks of the scan outweigh the benefits and I'd be very surprised if you managed to find an NHS hospital willing to scan you. Of course you'll find someone willing to take your money if you try hard enough.

I don't know what is wrong with you, if anything at all, but please try to relax and stop scaring yourself by looking up horror stories on the internet.

Post 14 wasn't directed at you, by the way, I appreciate your response, so thank you.

Mum is thinking perhaps the problem with my leg is linked to my back? As I have had a lot of trouble with my back in the past. But my back doesn't hurt at the moment . As for the chest, I have no idea, although Drs think it might be a viral infection, hence the 2nd dose of antibiotics, and the amount of crap I am coughing up - (greeny, yellowy phelgm, apologies for the description, which on 2 occasions has had a little red streak of blood in it. That I had before, which resulted in me going to A&E, Dr there basically ignored it, but told me to go back if it's red, pink, frothy.

Ooo ok thanks. I thought the whole process was just that you go to the private hospital, and they get the ball rolling. But it's not quite that simple.

.......

If they think it's viral then they will not have given you antibiotics. As a first year even I know not to prescribe antibiotics for viral infections.

Well one Dr listened to my chest, and she could hear it rattling. So she put it down to a viral infection. But because she wasn't 100% sure, that is when I was sent to A&E to be checked out, but later sent home. So I went back to the Dr, and a diff. Dr heard it and said yes the chest is rattling. So he gave me the first course of antibiotics. That course finished but I personally felt no diff. So I went back again, saw a diff. Dr who said the chest is no longer rattling, but gave me another course of antibiotics.

This is what I mean, im just being fed tablet, after tablet, after tablet, and im sick of it , hence why my parents are thinking of going private if this course doesn't work . My chest is no better, the sides are burning, it hurts to breathe in, which is causing me to cough, which is often a dry cough, the pain is piercing through to my back and my shoulders.

Well if they're giving you antibiotics they must think it's bacterial. Or you had a viral infection and you have a secondary bacterial infection.

Apart from that, I can't be of any more help

seems you are experiecing some hard time. keep strong, strong..

I really would appreciate if MATURE people replied to my thread. When someone hasn't been well for x amount of weeks, replying with stupid comments is not what I asked for.

Idiots

WTF. I WAS EXPLAINING WHAT THEY DID, I WASN'T DOING IT.

I even apologised on their behalf.

LoL Yes I know you were explaining what they were doing. I wasn't having a pop @ you, at all. That's my fault, I didn't explain myself properly in that post.

Is the pain over your entire chest of localised to one area? The pain is in the centre of my chest (feels like someone is sat on my chest), the pain is also at the sides of my rib cage, sometimes burning. I also get piercing sharp pain, which sometimes shoots across my chest. It is starting to disturb my sleep, because I can't sleep on my sides or my back that comfortably.

And how long have you been coughing up the phlegm? Coughing up phelgm is on and off. Sometimes it's clear, sometimes it's greeny/yellow and on 2 occasions I've had a small, tiny red streak in the muck.

Are you a smoker?

No I don't smoke, never have.

Have you been abroad recently? I went to the US end of Aug - beginning of Sept. Spent 18days there.


Is the pain constant or does it come and go? The pain is there all the time. Sometimes when I breathe in deeply, I can feel it. Repeating it, sometimes the pain isn't there.

Does anything make the pain better/worse or is it better/worse at certain times of the day?

I was at work yesterday, and I felt odd twinges, but I didn't know if that is the usual or what I was doing was making it worse.

Sorry for all the questions Just a few things I was wondering when I was reading your posts. Hope you get it figured out soon!

I suggest you start Tai Chi and visit a chinese medical store they seem to have very good solutions for problems such as body pain's.
Tai Chi will help get your mind of things and is very good for your body both physically and mentally.

Well, I've not got a clue =/ Doesn't fit in with anything we learned about in our respiratory block, especially with the other symptoms you have elsewhere too. It's interesting that your D-dimer was raised though... I hope you get some answers soon

People have suggested I try Pilates? Might give that a bash and see how I get on, when I can overcome the worse of this. I'm not popping anymore pills though. After this batch of medicines, will fight it out naturally.

Realistically though, can x ray scans show up clots? Many people on the DVT forum say it can't, but only a CT scan can. One Dr I saw said ''You've had 2 x ray scans, which is reassuring to know that there are no clots on the chest'', but another Dr said ''Well if you had a big PE on the chest, then the x ray would show it''. {He didn't sound too confident}. I did have a blood test however (which is what started this whole process off) showing I had a high D Dimer. Ooo I don't know anymore, all I know it's beginning to take over my mind, and send me slightly nutty.

I'm not deliberately trying to scare myself with internet, but I was researching it as I didn't have much info from Drs or those on the special ward.