help! shoulder pain when I breathe!

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monopolova

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Hi everybody,

A few days ago I had a bout of very very sharp chest pains (upper right hand side and actually felt 'inside of me' and also posteriorly if that makes any sense) when I would take a deep deep breathe. I felt like if I just took a really deep breathe to maybe loosen whatever felt stuck in there (kind of the rip the bandaid off all at once approach) it might do something,but that didn't work and it hurt like heck (very sharp pain). A few hours later, it subsided after I sat on the couch. Now, a few days later, however, I have a slight ache in my anterior/superior right shoulder area every time I take a deep breath. On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being "hurts like a mother", this is about a 1 or 2, but it is an odd ache like pain that only happens when I breathe in. Any ideas?

I have no previous history of pulmonary distress, and I am a male, early 20s, with a clean bill of health.

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I too have had a very similar phenomenon in the recent past which was initiated by a deep painful cough following immediate recovery from an asthma attack. I was left with a 3-4/10 achy rt. shoulder pain on even mildly-deep inspiration for a week or so before it went away. To this day, I have no idea what it was (probably should have had it eval'd). I would be curious to find out if anyone has a clue about this.
 
Let's see... DDx:

Spontaneous pneumo
pleuritis
pneumonia
diaphramatic irritation

any others?
 
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I've heard that this phenomenon (which i've also experienced) is just a manifestation of gas pain. Either that or cancer.

Lar
 
Larry Renal said:
I've heard that this phenomenon (which i've also experienced) is just a manifestation of gas pain. Either that or cancer.

Lar

That's quite a hop (from gas to cancer). 😀 lol

I had a physical about a month ago with a chest x-ray and that was negative. I don't smoke (not that non-smokers don't get lung cancer).

Perhaps it's something heart-related. After all, breathing in increases cardiac output ...

It feels better today, by the way.
 
Did you have any SOB or difficulty breathing? Lightheadedness?
Can you be more specific on location of pain?
Were you doing anything when or before it first started? Sounds like possible rib dysfunction.
 
Just stick to your HAART protocol..it will clear up soon!! 😀
 
(nicedream) said:
Did you have any SOB or difficulty breathing? Lightheadedness?
Can you be more specific on location of pain?
Were you doing anything when or before it first started? Sounds like possible rib dysfunction.

I didn't have any shortness of breath during the shoulder pain (nor lightheadedness or difficulty breathing). Now, a few days earlier, during the very sharp pains in my upper right chest/innards/back, obviously it was hard to take deep breaths.

The ache was located really anterior, superior, and slightly posterior to my right trapezius (i.e. upper shoulder area), but the feeling was very superficial.

Perhaps it is referred pain. As I breathe in, I could be manipulating my liver leading to a sensation in my shoulder????

See Pic:
AP1_S33.jpg
 
Annette said:
Stop drinking and stop relying on internet med advice. Go see your doc. 🙄 😀

But what's the fun in that? lol

I'm just curious if someone may have an idea. It's no big deal really. 😎
 
monopolova said:
I didn't have any shortness of breath during the shoulder pain (nor lightheadedness or difficulty breathing). Now, a few days earlier, during the very sharp pains in my upper right chest/innards/back, obviously it was hard to take deep breaths.

The ache was located really anterior, superior, and slightly posterior to my right trapezius (i.e. upper shoulder area), but the feeling was very superficial.

Perhaps it is referred pain. As I breathe in, I could be manipulating my liver leading to a sensation in my shoulder????

See Pic:
AP1_S33.jpg

Yeah biliary pain referrs to right shoulder, but you're not having any symptoms of biliary dysfunction I assume. It would be reproduced by pressing on your gallbladder.
 
being three weeks into the first year of med school, i feel qualified to say that it could be any number of things, ranging from gas to things so scary that you'll likely soon be dead.

oh, and go see your doctor. there's no way this can be accurately dx'ed without a physical. seriously, i mean obviously it could be pulm in nature... sorta hard to tell with listening to your chest.... or it could be gas, that could probably be infered from a good h&p... or it could be refered, in which case we'd need to know from what (again something that would require your presence to figure out)..... the reasons why actually trying to figure this out online is a bad a idea go on and on and on.

ok, let me repeat:

GO! see the.... DOCTOR!!!!!

(then let us know what's wrong with you.... 😀 )
 
I worked with a computer expert to create a colonoscopy internet worm.
You downloaded it when you checked your email.
That itch you thought was Enterobius Vermicularis was the virtual oscopy.

Anyway, at your splenic flecture we found "Foaming Pipesnake"(tm)(from Liquid Plumber). What was that doing up there ?

That'll be $1,000 please.
Thank you.
 
I'd bet on rib dysfunction if I were betting, but like others have said, just go to the doctor.
 
diaphragmatic irritation - Did someone ablate one of your hepatoma's recently 😉 .
 
monopolova said:
Hi everybody,

A few days ago I had a bout of very very sharp chest pains (upper right hand side and actually felt 'inside of me' and also posteriorly if that makes any sense) when I would take a deep deep breathe. I felt like if I just took a really deep breathe to maybe loosen whatever felt stuck in there (kind of the rip the bandaid off all at once approach) it might do something,but that didn't work and it hurt like heck (very sharp pain). A few hours later, it subsided after I sat on the couch.

pleuritic.
 
Last edited:
pleuritic.

hì. Im having pain in ma rt shoulder since 3 days continous initialy bt nw intermitent felt on deep inspiratn and 1 episode of fever 100 lasted for abt 4 hrs without any aparent cause.no pain with movement no neck rigidity no chest pain.wt shud i do!help
 
Not sure why this thread didn't get closed the first time around (I wasn't a mod then though). But closing now.

SDN is not for medical advice. Discuss this with your personal physician. If you don't have one, now would be a great time to get one.
 
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