Chest x-ray showed shadow. Am having a Ct scan. Maybe nodules?? Should I worry?

Question

Non-smoker. Healthy 60 yr. old female. Have had cough for several months which antibiotic cleared up.

Answer 1

Glad you are having a CT. The shadow could be scar tissue from a previous bout of bronchitis or pneumonia (sometimes you don't even know you've had it!)

I wouldn't fret at this point. I've had a shadow before that that's exactly what it was.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Do not worry at all because there is a small chance of having a real problem in your chest but follow your case until you are sure that the cause of chronic cough is not important and comes out of simple pathologies like chronic bronchitis.
Let me tell you something that may help:
1- if your chest x ray shows no tumor there is just a small chance that CT scan find a tumor but you need to follow your case by going through a CT.
2- try to find if there is any exogenous source for your cough like cigarette or smoke or any kind of environmental irritants.
3- keep your environment humid and use a lot of water.
Hopefully you will end up a normal CT scan.Share with all of us the results. Then we may be of more help!
good luck

Answer 3

I am very sorry that you are having to go thru with this. I had the same situation in 2003, chronic cough, never going away or it keeps coming back. However, my cough really never went away, it was suppressed by my cough/pain medicine that I took for months on end. The doctor I was seeing at that time was an a$$.
To the point, I am a 34 year old - NON-SMOKER- & I HAVE NEVER SMOKED. With an uncurable lung disease. After my new doctor looked at my chart, the problem was linked back for 10 years, having only one nodule at that time but in 2001, there were 3 nodules and then 2004 I have approximately 1/4th of each lung that is not covered with this disease. I have been taking chemo by mouth for over a year now>>no significant purpose just in hopes that it will not cover the rest of my lungs.
I don't want to scare you just prepare you for what may arise out of this. I am on oxygen 24 hours a day along with 15 other meds. I have 3 different pain meds that I take. My doctor slowly changes them so I will not get to the strongest one to fast and then end up not having pill form of pain medicine instead having to have the pain pump thru IV. They were prepared to have a nurse to come out to set with me during the day but I told them that my daughter would be out of school in two weeks (this was in May) so right now I would be ok. When school starts back, I will have to have someone sit with me. If you would like to talk, I am here for you. I have so much other things wrong mostly due to this problem and I will help you with everything I can. You are in my Prayers. God Bless.

Answer 4

Worrying is a normal response. Telling you not to worry is like telling a baby not to cry.

Oftentimes the shadow found in chest x-rays are from the ribcage. Ribs casting a shadow onto another area.

Answer 5

I know it hard, but I wouldt try not to worry until you know for sure. Theres no point getting yourself stressed out, when you dont have any definate information.

Ive always heard that a recurring cough that doesnt produce any flem is a bad sign. But if yours went away with medicine. Thats a good thing.

Just try to get your CT, and whatever else they might suggest as soon as possible.

Answer 6

Just going for that CT scan is the best thing you can do. It is better to be safe than sorry. Prayers are with you and the best of luck as it could, hopefully, be be nothing at all!!!

Answer 7

Nodules may be the result of old tuberculosis or histoplasmosis. you give no description of the x-ray. An infiltrate and a solitary nodule would be different. Cancer or TB or a fungus.