1

Pleurisy? Due to RUNNING??? (Read 197 times)

    Wednesday night I was chauffeured to an urgent care by a concerned spouse.  Understandably, as I couldn't get up off the couch by myself, was in tears and was having trouble breathing.  Part of the diagnosis by the "Doc-in-a-box" was pleurisy - some weird lung inflammation, and a strained?sprained? rib muscle, and some odd air pocket lodged between the top of the liver and diaphragm as revealed in the chest X-ray.

     

    So Doc asks all the questions about lifestyle, activities and what I was doing leading up to this condition/injury.  First, I work at a seafood market 3 to 4 days a week, and it's Lent....  The job is actually quite physical, more so than it sounds, as it involves lifting, turning, moving (my VivoFit can register over 14K steps in a 9 hour work day) and we do a fish fry on Fridays during Lent, which ups the level of physical activity.  The fallout from the fish fry and subsequent clean up Saturday mornings is involved.  I volunteer at a raptor rescue on Mondays (I can't even elaborate here on the range of odd movements I may have to make in the course of a day) and Tuesday is house cleaning, laundry day, etc.  It was Tuesday when I noticed a tiny twitch while carrying a loaded basket up stairs.  But what did the old, fat, (insert expletive here) Doc hear???  I ran a 15K Sunday....  Well, you should stop that.  Running and repetitive motion have caused a swelling and irritation in the lining that protects the lungs from rubbing against the ribs.  I was in too much pain to argue.  I just filled my scripts for anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers and went on my merry way.

     

    Ok so the race in question was cold.  It was a 5-10 or 15K - so read: 5K route and for the 15K ,a runner makes 3 loops - and around a couple of corners we encountered soul-stripping winds.  Teary-eyed and hunched against the cold is how I ran most of it.  So I will admit running with a less than optimal posture against the wind might have been a contributing factor, but if a runner develops pleurisy due to running, one would think I would've encountered this back in January when I ran half marathon B2Bs one weekend and a 5K and half the next weekend also in cool to cold and windy conditions.

     

    After a few days of floating along at about 75% on muscle relaxers and still working 19 hours in the last 2 days, yesterday (Saturday) i was feeling much better.

     

    Sorry for the long intro....  so I guess my question is:  has anyone else experienced anything like this "pleurisy" thing?

    Tammarin.....

    onefatchick


      I had something similar when I was in my early 20s.   It was painful to just breathe normally, let alone laugh or do any activity that required breathing. It was during the summertime and I managed an outdoor swimming pool at the time, so no cold weather running triggered it (wasn't even a runner then) and certainly stress or over-working didn't trigger it (lol), but excess partying could have been a factor  .  The Doctor diagnosed it as diaphragmatic pleurisy or "Devil's grip" and prescribed antibiotics (no xrays were taken).  One of my brothers also had it at the same time and if I recall, one of his friends had it too.  We all recovered fairly quickly (don't know if the antibiotics actually helped as the course of the disease is about a week). What we had was contagious.

        What we had was contagious.

         

        I"ve read that it is often caused by a virus of some sort.  Initially, I got on WebMD and as always, it made me feel like I was skidding towards death - listed causes were tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lung cancer.....  but I am much improved this morning.  thanx for your comment.  today work, but tomorrow I'm going to run!

        Tammarin.....

          Where in the ribs is it hurting out of curiousity?

          Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!

            Where in the ribs is it hurting out of curiousity?

             

            Middle of my back left side pretty much all the time, but sharp, sudden pain was left side front when I took a deep breath or tried to get up from a chair or seated position.   anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxers seem to have done the job though.   I plan a short trail run tomorrow so we shall see....

            Tammarin.....

              So I wound up with something that sounds pretty similar. I had a very long trail run and all was well. I then spent 3 hours the next weekend raking and blowing leaves and that was my downfall. I wound up with costochondritis. Not sure that is what you have, but it might be a possibility. Anti-Inflammatories and rest made it go away. Breathing felt like someone was stabbing me with an ice pick, and I could not lie down without a lot of pain. I could only take shallow breaths and sit on my couch for a few days. When the doc pushed on my ribs near the breast bone, I about jumped off the table.

               

              Here are the symptoms:

              http://www.emedicinehealth.com/costochondritis/page3_em.htm

               

              I hope you feel better soon.

              Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!

              kilkee


              runktrun

                Ha! I had pleurisy, too!  My doc's reaction was, "Charlemagne died from pleurisy.  I didn't think anyone actually got pleurisy anymore."

                 

                I had moved to Jackson Hole a month or so prior, and continued to run regularly.  The altitude didn't bother me running, but I wonder if it exacerbated whatever virus led to the pleurisy - possibly same issue with your cold 15k, but running in the cold alone would not trigger it.  Mine was the deep pain, some shortness of breath, although I did continue easy running, just no workouts, and this weird raspy feeling right under my ribs.  Almost like I had to cough out some serious phlegm, but the phlegm was outside my lungs and I could never clear it.  I don't think I took anything for it, and it eventually cleared up just as a cold would.  Hope you feel better soon!

                Not running for my health, but in spite of it.

                   

                  Here are the symptoms:

                  http://www.emedicinehealth.com/costochondritis/page3_em.htm

                   

                  I hope you feel better soon.

                   

                  Wow!  Thanx for the link - that sounds just like what I've had.  It is improved greatly considering I was in emergency wednesday night and then had to work the next 4 days.  I have 3 days off now so I am sure I can recoup.  Thanx again!

                  Tammarin.....

                    Ha! I had pleurisy, too!  My doc's reaction was, "Charlemagne died from pleurisy.  I didn't think anyone actually got pleurisy anymore."

                     

                     

                    haha!  yeah, I thought it was some old school disease from the 1930s.  thanx!  getting better pretty quick but I plan to run tomorrow - I'm getting antsy and a little bitchy.... says my hubby.

                    Tammarin.....

                      I had pleurisy when I was in 8th grade, it was quite bizarre. It took quite along time to all the way get better, but it did, and I never stopped running track/playing soccer (maybe that's why it took so long?)

                       

                      - Anna 

                       

                      I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole,

                      not because it did anything spectacular,   

                      but because it never forgot what it could do.

                       - Naomi Shihab Nye 

                      Trent


                      Good Bad & The Monkey

                        Eh. Pleurisy happens. It hurts. But it is no big deal. Usually caused by a virus. In rare cases it is caused by pneumonia, cancer, collapsed lung or blood clots. But usually a virus. Ibuprofen (yeah, yeah) and time, and this too shall pass.

                         

                        Ain't caused by running.

                        Trent


                        Good Bad & The Monkey

                          And muscle relaxants don't do crap for most things, including/especially pleurisy.

                             

                            Ain't caused by running.

                             

                            Haha!  Thanks.....  and "yes" on them muscle relaxers.  I stopped taking them and couldn't tell any diff.

                            Tammarin.....

                              I could kick myself......  for waiting so long.....  my chiro is a holistic healer kinda place.  A mr and mrs team.  so I finally called the other day for an appt and got in this afternoon.  I saw the "he" and he does a stretching and pressure point thing before he adjusts.  And all kinds of sh*t popped and cracked even before he started the adjustments.  I was out.  middle back, neck, right hip.  hmmm.... so it wasn't "pleurisy" or TB or lung cancer or even rheumatoid arthritis.  I was out like I've been a million times.  I feel a bit sore from the adjustment but as far as the pain that has been plaguing me,...  gone....

                              Tammarin.....

                              kilkee


                              runktrun

                                Glad you've recovered!  I occasionally do the same thing - PT for weeks treating a muscle that is strained because my hips are out of alignment, then I remember the chiro and I'm "healed" in one visit!  If you were experiencing scratchy, gurgly breathing or a sense of congestion, then it likely wasn't pleurisy.

                                Not running for my health, but in spite of it.

                                1