Posted 5/7/2014 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hi All,
New member. Reaching out for some help. I've searched the internet daily with no such luck so I thought maybe its time I explain my condition and maybe someone has had a similar experience. I'm a 28 year old male and two years ago I had a spontaneous pneumothorax and had to have a chest tube. Prior to the pneumothorax I smoked close to a pack of cigarettes a day for 8 years and quit immediately after. The next year and a half afterwards I felt better then ever until having these episodes of a constrictive feeling in my throat followed by chest discomfort anytime I would be around irritants/fumes that I would work with sometimes.
For a hobby/second source of income I make wooden fishing lures and although I wear a respirator I would find myself having one of these episodes after using a wood lathe. I also pour plastic baits (plastisol) in a well ventilated area and again find myself having a similar episode if I breathe in or smell it just for a little while. The same goes for cigarette smoke or any other potent smell, fume or irritant.
These episodes are hard to describe as each one is slightly different then next but most start day after I've been exposed to any irritant. Usually it begins with a sharp pain in the chest (never consistent or in the same place) followed by chest discomfort with a constant "lump in my throat" feeling. My throat also feels very tender to touch on the outside. Usually last several days depending on the time exposed to whatever caused it. Unlike asthma, I don't get the congested, coughing up mucus symptom. I do however feel like my airways are closed up have a hard time breathing and most of my chest and throat feel sore. For sometime I thought it was the actual respirator and replaced it with the organic cartridge but had the same problem.
I've seen a ENT doctor, pulmonary specialist and a gastroenterologist. Because the symptoms are similar to acid/silent reflux I will be having a endoscopy done in week although I'm skeptical as I asked the GI if it could be caused by breathing in irritants and he mentioned it usually wasn't. I also had a PFT done which came back normal. My symptoms seem much like what I read for chemical pneumonitis but he said it would have shown up. I've been prescribe allergra and reflux medicine. neither help the actual episodes.
thanks in advance for possible information.