Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Pleuritis is the inflammation of the pleura, the thin lining surrounding the lungs.

June 14, 2015 | 15,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med Ralf von Seckendorff

Dear Sir or Madam,

On Friday, I was diagnosed with pleurisy due to 2 lingering colds. The following symptoms are present:

- mild chest and back pain
- feeling of pressure in the chest
- difficulty breathing
- feeling the rubbing of the pleura
- fatigue
- cough

For treatment, I received:

- 400mg ibuprofen 1-1-1
- Capval tablets 2-2-0
- Codeine drops 0-0-0-30

Currently, I have minimal pain during the day, only experiencing slight pain in the evening when lying down and taking deep breaths. I am mainly feeling difficulty in breathing at the moment.

Are these symptoms typical?
How long does pleurisy usually last?
Is it normal to only have mild pain?

Thank you.

Dr. med Ralf von Seckendorff

Good day, I am happy to help you further.

Your symptoms could definitely be typical for pleurisy. It is also common for the pain to be milder in the evening. Besides listening to your lungs, this could potentially be confirmed with an X-ray.

Despite the treatment, it may still take a week or slightly longer for improvement, but especially with the anti-inflammatory effects of Ibuprofen, it should gradually get better.

If not, you should have your primary care physician take another look.

Best regards and get well soon!