If your over-the-counter pain medication is not providing enough relief, talk to your doctor about increasing your dose or getting a prescription for stronger pain medication.
If an over-the-counter cough syrup doesn’t work well enough, ask your doctor about getting a prescription for a codeine-based cough syrup. Codeine-based cough syrups work very well at suppressing coughing. Codeine may be prescribed, but it is potentially addictive and can cause side effects, such as shortness of breath, sleepiness, dizziness, and constipation. Follow your doctor’s directions for use closely, especially if you are combining it with acetaminophen. [4] X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlus Collection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source Pleurisy can be an especially painful condition when you are coughing, as the coughs exert a lot of pressure on the membrane around the lungs.
Adjusting your position and lying on the painful area will minimize how much the membrane around your lungs is able to move when you breathe in and out.
Many cases of pleurisy go away on their own in a few days or weeks depending on its severity. During this time you should try to move as little as possible to keep the stress on your lungs as low as possible.
You will sit in a chair or on a hospital bed while the doctor inserts the needle and draws the fluid out. Your doctor may numb the area where the needle is going to be inserted but you will likely experience some discomfort while it is happening. Once the fluid is drained, your pain will be minimized because there will be less pressure on the pleural area.
This type of procedure can take several days to complete since it could take some time for all the fluid to drain out.
Discuss your diagnosis thoroughly with your doctor before beginning your treatment.
Antibiotics for bacterial infections Antifungal medications for fungal infections Antitumor medications, such as chemotherapy drugs, for tumors Diuretics to treat heart failure
