Question: Good morning,

I have developed what I can only describe as bubbling fluid under my left pectoral muscle. I'm not sure if it is above or under the rib cage. When I bend forward I can feel the fluid / air move. similar to the rumbling/ gurgling sound you get when you take water from a water dispenser (the air bubbles rise to the top). When I breathe I can feel the same sensation; a raspy, bubbly feeling. With short breathes it isn't painful but opening up my chest and taking deep breathe can cause the sensation to intensify and become painful. Any physical activity does exacerbate the problem and can extend the pain around my chest, under the arm pit to the teres major / minor area, as well as the scapular area. I have been working on my posture recently; trying to extend my rounded shoulders back and down as well as loosen my tight chest. I have been to see a doctor who told me both lungs sound the same when I breathe so there's no concern of infection or fluid on the lung but the problem does seem to be getting worse and I would like to understand what this may be.

There is no physical change in my chest or visual signs of a problem

Hi,
Answers as follows:

1. when you noticed first - duration , immediately / within short time span
following some action / activity
A) I had the first incident 4 weeks ago. To start with the pain / discomfort lasted around 2 days then faded but during physical activity - lifting wood or food bags etc it would return. If I did long periods of DIY (lifting, moving, cutting materials I would be in a lot of discomfort for the remainder of the day/night) but during the last 4 days or so the sensation has become more frequent and now I feel it with every breath. Even sat here typing I can feel it. With normal breathing I wouldn't say it wasn't painful but can be if I take continued deep breaths.

2. can breath in routine as normal or not
A) I can breath normally

3. what is your working on posture - give all details till possible
A) I am working with a personal trainer on rebalancing my structure. Mostly it has been tissue massage and trying to get my muscles to synchronize. When breathing I would round my shoulders forward on an in breath due to a tight chest. So we've been focusing on loosing the chest and correcting the scapula position which was extended up and forward, cause continuous back pain and discomfort. We've also been working on my tight lower body due to shortening of muscles from sitting for long periods. My life style due to work has changed over the past several years. I was a very active person; running climbing, cycling etc but now I sit and drive for long periods with little exercise due to the muscle problems.

4. what is the amount of bending required to feel the fluid / air & after what
time immediately or sometime afterwards
A) bending forward with my hand on my chest I can feel the fluid/air movement at around 90 degrees and beyond. The sentation stops when I stop bending but returns as I stand back up. The feeling is immediate.

5. any known incidence of direct / indirect blunt trauma over chest / back
A) This first started 4 weeks ago. I was standing upright holding my shoulders back and extending my chest out. I took a deep breath and felt a "judder / tearing" sensation similar to what you might feel if you torn a piece of cotton cloth apart


6. whether was present before starting work out or appeared after working out
A) See answer 5.The first incident was during the afternoon. I wasn't doing a workout or with my personal trainer.

7. smoking
A) Never smoked and drink VERY little alcohol. I also eat a healthy balance diet.

8. any other systemic ailments as fever / loss of appetite / weight loss
A) I VERY rarely get ill (haven't been to see a doctor apart from this problem for about 4-5 years), My appetite is fine and I have a very constant weight of around 10st.

9. present other disorder / past history of any illness regarding chest
A) Nothing

10.sleep normal
A)I sleep normally. I use a sleep app to detect my sleep pattern and it normally says I've had a good sleep but I do wake in the morning with discomfort in my shoulders (left can be worse) I always feel a stiffness in my muscle when I wake.

11.personality - anxious / cool / more sensitive
A) I would say I carry stress in my shoulders. I got into the habit of holding a shrugged should for many years which is why I'm trying to correct that with my posture correction. I'm a perfectionist so I can get anxious about things. I am currently renovating my house, started a new job in November 2016 and we lost our first baby last year in XXXXXXX and have had problems with our second pregnancy which is currently at 22 weeks. Waiting on further scans. So I would say I have a lot going on and times are stressful with our baby situation. Although I don't show stress on the surface for my wife's sake.

12.doctor had taken any X-ray or other measures of evaluation
A) the doctor listened to both lungs and said they both sound the same so she doesn't think it is anything to be concerned by. her advice was to carry on as usual and listen to my body!

Thank you.

How do I go about getting an MRI scan if my doctor believes there is nothing wrong and I should continue as normal?