Anyone here ever had a pneumothorax (collapsed lung)? I had one 2 weeks ago and the doc said to wait another month before I start riding again. He doesn't want me riding at all. This is a real drag now that the weather has finally broke.

Sorry to hear that HWS, but listen to the doc. I'm sure he told you that if you've had one spontaneous pneumothorax, you may likely have other "thin spots" on your lungs. Are you by any chance a teenager who has gone through a recent growth spurt? Smoker?

Been there, done that. About 20 years ago when I was young and very skinny (both traits). Windsurfing in the Gorge, dropped in the cold spring water and Wham!!! I thought I was having a heart attack.
Listen to your doctor. I had a reoccurace about of month after spending a week in the hospital. No problems since but it makes for a great story.
D-ho

Nope, I'm 40 and have whats called blebs on my lungs. He told me I have a 50/50 chance of a recurrance on the right and there is another bleb on the left which may go today or in a hundred years.

I wonder for those who have had this happen, ever get that pain again every once in a while? It starts in the shoulder, soreness, then moves to the lung - like a semi sharp pain when i take a good deep breath. It usually goes away in a few days. Lung collapsed 2x when i was 17 but not since (10 years). I would go get an xray if it persists for a few more days but since I know this feeling I am not getting too worried about it - mainly it's just annoying! It comes up maybe once a year...usually after a good exercise, maybe a race or hard workout.

Happened to me about 9 years ago. It was actually the day before my 17th birthday and prevented me from getting my drivers license. Needless to say, I was furious!

I occasionally get the semi sharp pain as described above, and its definitely pretty scary and feels similar to when my lung collapsed.

Other then that I have not had any issues since then.

I would definitely take it easy for a while...

This has come at a great time - biggest 4 day stage race of the season starting Friday. also coupled with a really bad headache. Not sure what is going on.
Maybe just anxious and sick of tapering.

I've had two of them, one when I threw a pulmonary embolism and the other during/after a bad bike crash. I'm still riding and I do double and triple centuries.

I have had multiple, spontaneous pneumothorax. I have had one while riding my bike (made the ride back pretty tough) but I have also ridden with a partial. I know the pain and am quite familiar with the discomfort you are describing.

What also happens quite frequently, especially in hot, humid weather, and also in cold, dry weather, is you can get pleurisy. It is actually an inflammation of the lining that covers the lobes of the lungs. It can be bad enough that it FEELS the same as when you have a pneumo and it can be very misleading. You can also get the referred pain/discomfort up into the shoulder with this pleurisy.

Sometimes a cool mist humidifier can solve it for me. Sometimes just holding a washcloth soaked in hot water with a little vick's smeared on it, over my nose and inhaling deeply can cure it. But, if none of my "tricks" cures it and the pain increases exponentially upon inhalation - I know it's probably time to go get a chest x-ray.

It's ironic, but if you have suffered from a spontaneous pneumo before, you can also be a victim of pneumo paranoia. When you get that sharp pain, be it just pleurisy or heartburn from last night's mexican dinner, the anxiety that comes with wondering, "is this another pneumo" can actually increase your symptoms of pleurisy/pneumo because your breathing pattern changes when you are anxious!

So relax, take some good even breaths, try not to inhale deeply in cold dry weather or hot humid weather for just a little while. Don't raise your arms over your head, and don't lift anything that causes you to exert yourself. And DON'T try to ride a century until you have determined that it is just pleurisy, anxiety or you really DO have a collapse or partial collapse!

Froudone, who is currently waiting on results from her chest x-rays to determine if she is going to make the ride this weekend.........or stay in out of the wet, humid, rainy, cool air! :-(