Sensation in upper chest...

Howdy! I'm new to this forum business and I have a question I'm hoping someone out there can help me with. I recieved my new liver March 27, 2012. I underwent surgery at the V.A. Health System, Pittsburgh, PA. They put one in me and it went dead right after thay closed me up. Three days later they put a new one in and it's been easy sailin' ever since, except for one concern. After the tx I get a a wierd sensation in my chest when I exert myself. ie: climbing stairs, moving or liftting heavey objects, jog 40 ft., so on and so forth. I know two guys I met in PA. and they expeienc the same sensation. I would'nt call it 'pain' per say but a sort of ache in the chest. I'm thinking something post op effect from the anesthesia. The doctors don't have an answer. Has anyone expeienced this same thing and if so what do you know about it? Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Brian on August 31, 2012 at 12:35pm

I had a kidney transplant December 20th 2011. Having the same thing, not really pain but pressure, when I exert myself. left upper side and some difficult breathing . Mentioning it to my doctor soon or cardiologist

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Permalink Reply by jay on August 31, 2012 at 7:00pm

Brian, thanks for joining in. i spoke to my Coordinator in PA. a couple hours ago and she said it may be water in my lungs. She said it can take some time to expel it from the body. If it is water, it will clear up, she assured me. I go for my four month c-scan next week and we're going to include my lungs. If it's got alot of water ... that will be it she said. I did have alot of waer in my lungs after TX, so they told me. So suggest that to your Dr. If there is no water, and if it's in there, it will show up on the scan, if no water....who know? let me know what they come up with. I may not have water and in that case I'm gonna keep searching until it goes away on it's own. Let me know. Take care Brian

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Permalink Reply by Mark on August 31, 2012 at 1:01pm

Hi Jay, greetings from a fellow liver transplant recipient (7/2011). Given that you are still 5 months out from your tx, the sensation in your chest could be caused by a number of things. The most likely cause is the combined effect of the anesthesia, as you mentioned, and the temporary loss of lung capacity due to organ stress during pre-op caused by late stage cirrhosis and the post-op recovery period. Did you undergo breathing therapy in the hospital? My team would not discharge me until my lung capacity reached a certain level. They also sent me home with a plastic breathing device that I used to exercise my breathing and measure the results.

Also, muscle and joint strength were a major problem for me. My arms and shoulders were wasted and it took some time for me to build my strength back up. In the process I pulled a rotator cuff that has taken months to heal. At times, the dull pain from that would rest in the upper part of my chest near the shoulder.

Regular cardio exercise helped me the most in shaking loose all the creaks and groans. I feel really fit now at 13 months but I do remember having some dull aches in the abdominal and chest area at the 5-6 month point.

I also experienced various muscle cramps, including chest/shoulders until a mag oxide deficiency got squared away. I still take 3000mg of it per day along with a multi vit.

If your docs are not concerned, it is probably just a creak or a groan that your body is producing as it reaches a "new normal" state. I am interested to hear what others here have experienced.

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Permalink Reply by jay on August 31, 2012 at 6:50pm

Hi again Mark, yes I did have to do the breathing apparatus that you suck on. Really showed how much your lungs go through. I spoke with my coordinator in PA. a while ago and she really gave no insight as to what causes it. I met a guy in there from Texas who underwent TX and he is expeiencing the same phenomenon, and I call it that because nobody can really put their finger on it's cause. Anyhow this man from Texas was sent back to PA. to have the Liver TX Clinic give him a thourough going over. They came up with nothing. Everthing was fine. She reminded me of the amount of water in my lung and she said it could very well be that. She said i had alot of it and ot just take time for the body to rid itself out it. So in effect your remark about reduced lung capaity could be the culprit. As far as the anesthesia drugs she said the body metabolizes them and they are expelled rather quickly, so she said it wouldn't be that. I'm going in for my four month c-scan next week and she will have them include my lungs in the scan where it will show up. That being the water in my lung. My lungs took a real beating. Pneumonia, infection of some sort, can't recall what the infection was. Some bug. yeah, I lost a boatload of muscle mass also. Just started back to doing cario and weights at the Y. feel great except for this one thing. I'll keep you informed as to what the c-scan reveals. Take care Mark

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Permalink Reply by Mark on August 31, 2012 at 10:01pm

The first year is definately a shakedown cruise. Keep in touch Jay (and Brian).

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Permalink Reply by Rachel on September 1, 2012 at 12:40am

Right after tx, I experienced this feeling in the middle of my chest along with a few other areas and I would tell my docs but they didn't really pay that much attention to it. I guess it's like Mark mentioned they're just creaks and groans (healing). I will be 16 months out come Sept 4 and I can say some of these creaks are gone or just about gone. Some days I still feel a tightness or pressure on my right side of chest, when I exert myself. I also take the mag ox, mvi, calcium, vit d.