Collar Bone Hurting

[Aggie85]

6 weeks out now and STILL in too much pain to drive and barely made it through trip to movie theater yesterday. But still can tell a difference in energy and pain levels so still have hope for someday recovering.

ANYWAY, I'm having trouble with my left Collar Bone hurting and the pain seems to be getting worse. It hurts mainly when I try to lay partially on my right side (with pillow supporting back and sort of laying on back and shoulder). But it's my LEFT CB that hurts when I do this and now sometimes even when laying on back. The pain is very sharp and near where the CB joins my neck but not down by the sternum.

Anyone else have this problem, should I rack it up to just another thing needing healing?? My concern is that it's a "new" pain and getting more bothersome, not less.

Thanks,
Linda

 

[Mentu]

Hi, Linda, and, yes, things will be much better but you are still in the early stages of recovery. Give it time. With respect to the collar bone, Linda, it is possible that it is dislocated so you need to talk with your regular doctor as soon as you can. I can assure you that when its dislocated, it hurts a lot....mine certainly did. The very thought of sleeping on my side when this was going on would have been too much to consider. If something like a dislocation is the problem, the fix is not particularly dramatic but you can have relief almost immediately. Obviously, there could be other things happening. If you had a "traditional" sternotomy, its even possible that you have suffered a fracture. Whatever the cause, you must have your doctor look at. I hope you find relief soon.

Larry

 

[Aggie85]

Thanks Larry, I did have the full cut along sternum. Doesn't hurt as much as you describe for dislocated, but I could see a small break resulting from pressure from the surgery. Ironically, it hurts somewhat less when I'm laying ON that shoulder and hurts more when I'm on the other side and that LEFT ONE is on TOP. I'll get ahold of PCM and ask. BTW I've had several chest X-rays postop, one two weeks ago. Wouldn't a fracture have shown up on the X-ray? Even if they weren't necessarily looking for it?

Linda

 

[slipkid]

Not much comfort or help I'm afraid, but I have a very similar problem with pain around my left collarbone.

I'm about 7 weeks post-surgery, and the area around my left clavicle sometimes hurts bad as I roll over in bed, especially to the right side which doesn't seem to make sense to me. It also is the worst area for driving/seat belt pressing over there.

I broke it back around 1977 playing baseball, snapped it like a twig, completely detached it from my shoulder on my left side. After healing it sticks out on that side near where it attaches to the shoulder and looks kind of odd. I don't think it was ever really set that well. Hasn't bothered me at all in recent times except after this surgery.

I assumed my post surgery pain over there was due to me having broken that bone years ago so things don't fit together 100% normally (unlike my normal right side clavicle), and that it is under new pressure now, being twisted or something, from the sternum being cracked open, manipulated, then glued back together (?). Maybe I (or you) have suffered some kind of small fracture over there (?).

I would think an x-ray should show a break/fracture, even hairline?

The left side of my chest in general feels pretty crappy though, as opposed to the right. They cut out an artery in that side to use for my bypass & the nerves there are very affected (loss of some feeling, partial numbness, plus irritation). I was wondering how much of my left collarbone pain might be due to that too.

 

[spartangator]

For what it's worth, I had similar pain for 2-3 months post surgery. Certainly, check with the doc if it persists. All the best with continued healing. Glad the bigger picture things are improving.

 

[AdrockTN]

I'm 6 months post AVR & my left collar bone sometimes aches & makes a popping noise.

 

[slipkid]

I was at my GP's office today and told him about my collarbone hurting.

He had me do some things to pinpoint the source of the pain and believes the issue is not with the collarbone itself but with a particular shoulder muscle that has something to do with the rotator cuff. I forget the name of the muscle itself.

He showed me some exercises and stretching to do to try to help it heal. Said it could have been damaged any number of ways including my heart surgery, if lying different ways, etc. He offered me a cortisone shot but I declined (it hurts but not enough for me to want to get a needle stuck in there). Ibuprofen should also help with this pain but I can't take that while being on coumadin (oh well).