I have had this very same pain since about 3 weeks after the PE in April. Most of the time it's a dull ache right around the right side of my chest where the bra would go round and it extends from the middle of the back almost around to the breastbone. Sometimes I get a very sharp pain in the middle of my shoulderblade on that side. Takes my breath away, but only lasts a few minutes (usually). Nothing makes it better or worse, it just comes out of nowhere. I was told mine is normal "healing" pain that could persist up to a year, but if you're really worried, I would go back to the doc about it.

Same here. I had no pain when before or during my PE. I did have intermittent pain, out of no where it seemed, starting a few weeks after and I'd say that lasted on and off for a few months, and then after that it became much less.

I think it is from healing but also that your body is adjusting to doing more now that you're home and returning to some normalcy. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that you're on anticoagulants so chances of it being another PE are very slim.

And there's no shame in calling your doc or going to the ER. I think most of us went through that the first couple of months post PE. It gets easier.

Thanks so much for the reassurance. I thought I would escape the random pains because my PE pain resolved when I was in the hospital and I haven't had any chest pain since. The doctor asked if it was similar to my PE pain and the only similarity is that it's sharp. But my PE pain was in the front and always would hurt if I took a deep breath. It was painful too depending on what position I was sitting/standing/lying in. This seems purely random.

I did find out I have two tiny nodules on my lung - 2-3 mm. That could be tissue death from my PE and maybe that scarring over might cause some pain? We'll see what they look like in December when I have my repeat scan.

I also thought about the pain of getting back into the swing of things. I'm back sitting at a desk and doing things around the house so maybe my back is just readjusting. Why don't doctors understand and warn us about residual pain?

Usually doctors treat the patient in the hospital and then never see them again, so they probably don't get a lot of feedback about recovery so they may not really be aware. Also, not everyone experiences pain. After a PE diagnosis, it's a lot like being thrown into the woods to fend for yourself. That's an over the top analogy but I felt that way a bit after my diagnosis. I understand better now that recovery, while there are shared experiences, is often not the same for everyone. So I do think it's just an area where there's a lot of grey, and docs just don't always put together the pieces themselves.

You'll be ok!

Boy, isn't that the truth. It does feel very lonely and unguided. That just seems to weird to me because this isn't uncommon! I'm glad I have support here from people that have been through it and can give me some much needed insight that the medical community just doesn't seem to have.

I'm early in my recovery. All of my physical symptoms before hospitalization were DVT-related, but I had no symptoms of PE despite having five of them. However, now that I'm healing I am experiencing very short episodes of sharp chest pain and some SOB. I have extremely weird sensations in the DVT leg, but it almost looks like a normal leg again. It is weird, but everyone heals differently.

I agree that it is like being thrown into the woods. The docs are so focused on treating the acute episode that they don't focus or prepare you for the recovery.

Don't be afraid to question or call your doctor. You have to be your own advocate.

Docs don't know much about the recovery process, and unfortunately with PE it can be a long haul. I
t took me almost a year to feel vaguely normal again, and I still have days where chest pains pull me up short and start me stressing about a new PE, but it's mostly anxiety and being hyper aware of my body. Twitches and little pains that pre PE I wouldn't have given a second thought to are different now.
3 weeks is not much in the PE recovery process. It's going to take time for your body to heal, and unfortunately that's gonna hurt at times. Try not to freak out too much, chances of you clotting again if you're within range are tiny.
It will get better, it just takes time.

I know exactly how you feel! My PE was about a month ago and although I don't really *feel* anxious, I think I'm definitely exhibiting all the signs of anxiety. For the past three days, I've been feeling a tightness in my chest, some shortness of breath, occasional racing heart...classic symptoms of anxiety OR another PE.

I went to the dr on Fri for some reassurance and left feeling a bit reassured but also annoyed because the dr wants me to take Prozac. She offered this as a "solution" for my anxiety even after I clearly stated that I DO NOT want to take Prozac. I've been on it before and I do not like how it makes me feel.

In short, I feel like the medical community as a whole has really left me to my own devices in the wake of this whole thing and it's stressful, confusing and frustrating to say the least!

But hey! At least we've got this great online support group! :)

No kidding. I am truly startled not at the doctors not fully explaining what to expect but by the fact that they just don't really seem to know! Leaving the hospital and at my follow up visits the attitude by and large has been, hey, you survived, you're fine, go live like nothing happened. They just don't seem to understand the residual effects. I guess they are different for everyone but they didn't say there might be pain later out of the blue or maybe not. You might feel a bit extra tired or you could be fine. These are things it would have been nice to know!

I agree with ClotThis......recovery can be a long process it took me around a year to feel normal again, I too had back pain around that area off and on for about a year on my left side. However if it does persist and get worse you should go to your Doctor. It is really unfair that Doctor's have no more information in regards to recovery. That is why I love this support group, I learned more from other survivors than from the Doctor. Good Luck, it takes some time, love yourself and rest.